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Close Call
(Liz Carlyle #8)
by
From the former director of MI5, the new Liz Carlyle thriller—taken from today’s headlines.The Arab Spring has swept through the Middle East and Liz Carlyle and her compatriots in the Thames House’s counter-espionage division are racing to investigate arms deals in Yemen. There’s a UN embargo forbidding any member country from supplying arms to either side in the ...more
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Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
August 12th 2014
by Bloomsbury USA
(first published July 3rd 2014)
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Start your review of Close Call (Liz Carlyle, #8)
I have read several of Stella Rimington's earlier novels featuring the recurring character of Liz Carlyle. Her Close Call continues the rapidly-fading trend of the novels. It is trite and predictable. All of Rimington's characters have degenerated into stereotypes. It is almost as if the reader knows what they'll say before they say it. Her plots are like rejected television scripts from the waning seasons of a trendy program. I'm done with Stella.
I really enjoyed this book, particularly as the author’s distinguished career in MI5 from 1968 was involved in countering subversion, espionage and terrorism – and led to her becoming Director General in 1992, the first woman to hold this top post.
While the story is fiction, it is reminiscent of a lot of the serious Middle East events at the present time, relating to the scourge of psychopathic Jihadi extremists and their brutal attempt to conquer the world with ideology based on their warped ...more
While the story is fiction, it is reminiscent of a lot of the serious Middle East events at the present time, relating to the scourge of psychopathic Jihadi extremists and their brutal attempt to conquer the world with ideology based on their warped ...more
I heard an interview with Stella Rimington on the New York Times Book Review Podcast and was intrigued enough to order the book from Audible. What interests me most was Rimington writing about a job she knew well. Stella Rimington is the former Director General of MI5. I discovered after buying the book it is book eight in the Liz Carlyle series.
In this story Liz Carlyle and her counter terrorism unit in MI5 have been assigned to watch the international under- the- counter arms trade. The ...more
In this story Liz Carlyle and her counter terrorism unit in MI5 have been assigned to watch the international under- the- counter arms trade. The ...more
This book takes on the main character Liz in a scenario where they could be a possible arm deal that all predicts a meeting place in Paris. Or is it really closer to home? Overall, the story is pretty solid, with a few standout moments at the end. However, i feel it is a bit short and safe myself. The basics are good and I enjoyed reading it but I wouldn’t want to read it again.
How better to read espionage than from a former MI5 director general. Liz and teams from several countries are chasing a possible terrorist activity from information provided by a rogue French agent. Is he giving them all of the information? They are able to follow some of the bad guys while loosing others.(what? The good guys are not always able to discretely follow the bad guys.). What are the jihadis members suspected of buying the arms, ammunition and guns going to do with it. Where is the
...more
Once I got into it I discovered that I didn't feel like reading in this genre. So back to the library about a third read. Yes, did read the ending. Especially important If I think I might not be bothered reading the whole book. Sometimes the ending is so unexpected I change my mind and read the whole thing to see how it got there. This time it made up my mind and I headed back into the tall piles of books by my bed.
Yet another semi-gripping Liz Carlyle adventure. I don't want to spoil the book for others but one incident was so sad; will things ever be the same again? I'm starting to sound like Liz! Seriously, I have read all of Stella Rimington's books so far and the novels are becoming formulaic. I will try her next when it's published but if there is no change it might be time to move on.
Regards,
Peter
Regards,
Peter
Easy and enjoyable. Perfect summer staple.
Oct 23, 2018
Mal Warwick
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mysteries-thrillers
Stella Rimington won't win any prizes for writing great literature. Her Liz Carlyle series of spy novels are written in a straightforward, no-nonsense manner. The prose is unembellished. Her strength as a novelist lies instead in her skill in plotting and her intimate knowledge of espionage gained as the Director General of Britain's MI5 in the 1990s. She knows exactly how intelligence agencies really work. And she uses that knowledge to weave tales around the issues that have preoccupied
...more
This is the eighth novel in the series featuring MI-5 officer Liz Carlyle, written by a woman who herself was an MI-5 officer for decades and made history when she became the first woman to head up MI-5. I have to say these yarns just get better and tauter. Like a lot of her British thriller colleagues, Stella is not afraid to sacrifice sacred cows. If you're getting too attached to characters who have become established regulars from previous Liz Carlyle adventures, be forewarned. Separate from
...more
Aug 02, 2019
David Gee
added it
This is the eighth novel featuring Liz Carlyle of MI5’s Counter-Terrorism Unit, who is presumably a version of Stella Rimington's younger self. In Close Call Liz and her team are following up an international arms-smuggling outfit whose reach extends from Yemen and the former Soviet republic of Dagestan to Paris and London – and Manchester, where this story comes to a thrilling climax.
As spy-writers go, Mrs Rimington is a ‘disciple’ of Le Carré rather than Fleming – no Goldfinger-sized villain, ...more
As spy-writers go, Mrs Rimington is a ‘disciple’ of Le Carré rather than Fleming – no Goldfinger-sized villain, ...more
This is the first Stella Rimmington novel I have read so cannot compare with her earlier works. However as a standalone I enjoyed the book even if the plot was a bit predictable. I like the Liz Carlyle character and her interactions with the other main protagonists which show some human face to people we often consider as been almost automatons.. I will certainly seek out some of the earlier novels which others suggest may be better than Close Call. The plot is a little formulaic and there are
...more
A solid espionage thriller from the former DG of MI5. Not as strong as some of the previous instalments in the series but enjoyable enough. Earlier in the series Rimington was happy to create new intelligence officers to join the team. In later books, it annoys me how only about 11 people seem to work in or with UK intelligence. There are 2 MI6 officers, 2 CIA officers, 2 French intelligence officers, and maybe 5 MI5 officers. And a consequence of this seems to be not "Who is needed for the
...more
Further adventures with Liz Carlyle and her Security Service activities. Another great story drawn together by the author that spans Europe and Asia.
Great to see Peggy coming more to the fore too.
So, if you want a thriller that blends spycraft, humanity, technology and modern world cultures, this is one of the good ones.
Great to see Peggy coming more to the fore too.
So, if you want a thriller that blends spycraft, humanity, technology and modern world cultures, this is one of the good ones.
Sadly predictive. It’s like Dame Stella has run out of ideas. They series was interesting to begin with but it’s all just a bit of a yawn now. I’ll read the last two to date as I own them but the question is would I bother to buy another one?
Superb realistic spy thriller
Complex plot complemented by excellent prose and mounting excitement makes for really gripping reading
An excellent series with the added bonus of being based on experience
Complex plot complemented by excellent prose and mounting excitement makes for really gripping reading
An excellent series with the added bonus of being based on experience
It was the first book that I read by Stella Rimington. It is very easy to read and has a very interesting topic which closely reflects the current events. Hope her other books would be available in Turkey.
First impressions of Stella Rimmngton
In my opinion "Close Call" ifalls short of 5 star status as M/s Rimmington is not yet in the Frederick Forsyth mould but a sound enough novel and she has now been added to my list of authors worth reading more of their works.
In my opinion "Close Call" ifalls short of 5 star status as M/s Rimmington is not yet in the Frederick Forsyth mould but a sound enough novel and she has now been added to my list of authors worth reading more of their works.
Another enjoyable installment :) Read almost all of this on a plane because it is fast paced and engaging.
Feb 22, 2018
Teresa Cutler-Broyles
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction
All Liz Carlyle novels by Rimington are fun reads, and a great inside look into the world of British espionage and counter-espionage.
Nice, but bit predictable.
Hmm. Review a book about a narrowly averted terrorist slaughter,on this black day in NZ. I think not :-(
Another gripping spook story.
I found it difficult to put this down. As I was reading this at the time to the Manchester and London Bridge incidents I found it compelling.
I found it difficult to put this down. As I was reading this at the time to the Manchester and London Bridge incidents I found it compelling.
good mystery series
Right up my street ,,, loved it and very current too. It got to the point where I could stop till I got to the end.
A story of international terrorism and cooperation, to a greater or lesser extent, between different agencies and countries, in the race to prevent a catastrophe.
3ish, rounded up.
An easy read, enjoyable to pass the time, not much character development again or suspense
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So sad I am almost through with this series. Each book is better than the last.
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Dame Stella Whitehouse Rimington joined the Security Service (MI5) in 1968. During her career she worked in all the main fields of the Service: counter-subversion, counter-espionage and counter-terrorism. She was appointed Director General in 1992, the first woman to hold the post. She has written her autobiography and nine Liz Carlyle novels. She lives in London and Norfolk.
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Liz Carlyle
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