Beyond the Silence

by Ted Allbeury

Lord Carling is one of the great and the good now, but once he was just George Carling, a privileged young idealist who wrote a letter to the Soviet Embassy to say how much he admired the way the Russians were resisting the Nazis. And later he was an intelligence officer for the SIS. A very good officer with very accurate information about the Soviet Union and a cordial relationship with the Americans.

Now, the whisper has gone round that Carling's information was too good to be honest. That he was too close to Philby and the other legendary traitors of his era and that he might have been working for the wrong people.

So SIS sends Tim Mathews to find out what Carling has to say about his past and his friends. Mathews is surprised when Carling talks candidly about how he found information, friendship and even love on the other side of the Berlin Wall in the days when the Cold War very nearly became World War III.

Carling's real secrets are deeper and more astonishing. For he is the man who knows about Kim Philby's last great coup: the ultimate deception of the Cold War.

Genres: Fiction

266 pages, Hardcover

First published July 6, 1995

About the author

1917 - 2005. Also wrote under the pseudonyms Richard Butler and Patrick Kelly.

Ted Allbeury was a lieutenant-colonel in the Intelligence Corps during World War II, and later a successful executive in the fields of marketing, advertising and radio. He began his writing career in the early 1970s and became well known for his espionage novels, but also published one highly-praised general novel, THE CHOICE, and a short story collection, OTHER KINDS OF TREASON. His novels have been published in twenty-three languages, including Russian. He died on 4th December 2005.


See also: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2006/j...
and
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/t...

Reviews

[Nigel Pinkus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. It was a romp down memory lane where the main character, Caring, was looked at internally by the SIS (Secret Intell. Service/ MI6). Many years ago he was suspected of handing over secrets to the Russians, whilst no evidence was ever found suspicions still lingered. It sounded good from the outset, but this one had a weak story, little or no momentum and the ending was an anti-climax. Also, this reader thought that all of section three in the story could have been deleted because it was totally unnecessary and just a waste. The story gets two stars from this reader because the information and philosophical wanderings about Burgess and MacClean and Philby were quite interesting, but not for anything else. This reader thought with the Berlin Wall coming down in 1989, it had significant impact on Allbeury to reinvent his spy stories. Some authors were able to do it, but many didn't. Unfortunately, this reader thinks that you would perhaps put Allbeury in the later basket.

Anyway, for a better read from this author you could try any of the following (in no particular order): 'A Wilderness of Mirrors' aka 'The Rules of the Game', 'The Only Good German', 'The Dangerous Edge', 'The Crossing', 'Other Kinds of Treason', 'Special Forces' aka 'Moscow Quadrille', the feel good 'The Girl From Addis', 'Pay Any Price' and the rather exceptional, and this person's favourite, 'The Line-Crosser' (published in 1993). Be warned, however, to stay from: 'The Assets', 'Show Me a Hero', 'Aid and Comfort' (all about the CIA predominately in the US), 'No Place to Hide', 'The Secret Whispers', 'The Alpha List', 'The Spirit of Liberty', 'Consequences of Fear' and 'The Choice' which is also not a good one and not espionage.

[Mumbler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here's what I wrote elsewhere in 2007. I have no memory of it now. Unfortunately, I didn't write anything directly about the key "would I try the author again?" question. :)

Spy book from the new shelf. Seems good so far, but mostly remains to be seen. ...Well, this was nice, not the greatest thing. Mostly kind of underplayed, which I will take. Not greatly satisfying at the end, but not melodramatically up or down, which would bother me more. I enjoyed the many conversations, the characters, and some of the settings.

[Bill Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story that unfolds in front of you without you realizing it. Author does a good job of drawing you in bit by bit but subtly and without histrionics. Characters are likable both in the role they play in the story and as people generally. This is my first book by this author, and I will explore more. Has hints of the LeCarre espionage as conversations that lead somewhere or maybe nowhere depending on how you can put the pieces together. That having been said, not sure he does it as well as LeCarre; maybe reading other books will round out this aspect. Enjoyed the read.

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

The library was threatening to put me on their Most Wanted List, and so I had to return the book prior to finishing it. Missed the usual twist at the end. Kept waiting for something to actually happen. I also miss the good old days of espionage novels before the Wall came down. Allbeury was very good at that stuff, but now has to give it to us in the past tense, retrospectively. Not as good as in real time.

[Kate Giese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific spy yarn in the tradition of LeCarre (altho' Allebeury isn't the writer LeCarre is), Martin Cruz Smith, etc.

[Lysergius · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good read. Absorbing and complex.