Oxford Gambit

Collier Spymasters

by Joseph Hone

A longtime British security official receives a letter. After reading it, he walks out of his home and disappears. Peter Marlow is assigned to find out whether he has defected when a brother agent is murdered. The trail leads from England through much of Europe, with the tragic ending bringing Marlow back to where it all began. A cerebral thriller.

365 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Joseph Hone (b. 1937) is a British author of spy novels. Born in London, he was sent to Dublin in 1939, and spent most of the next two decades living in Ireland. His first novel, The Private Sector (1971), introduced the globetrotting spy Peter Marlow—the character for whom Hone would become best known. Set during the Six Day War, The Private Sector was well received by critics, who have compared it to the work of Eric Ambler, Len Deighton, and John le Carré. Hone published three more titles in the series—The Sixth Directorate (1975), The Flowers of the Forest (1980), and The Valley of the Fox (1982)—before moving on to other work.

In addition to his espionage fiction, Hone has found success in travel writing. His most recent books include Wicked Little Joe (2009), a memoir, and Goodbye Again (2011).

Reviews

[Bill Yarbrough · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a long hard read, like reading a heavy text book from my University days. The author's writing was like that tough professor.

[Tom]

Fran list

[Gayle Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a long and torturous Journey to a fairly unsatisfactory end. I hung in there until the end because I'm stubborn that way. I will say this, the author kept me guessing every step of the way.