Beyond Enkription (The Burlington Files #1) in Espionage Aficionados

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Sep 25, 2016 Bill Fairclough rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Beyond Enkription (intentionally misspelt) is a must read for espionage cognoscenti and the first stand-alone spy thriller in The Burlington Files autobiographical series by Bill Fairclough (MI6 codename JJ, aka Edward Burlington). It’s a raw and noir matter of fact pacy novel that Len Deighton and Mick Herron could be forgiven for thinking they co-wrote. Coincidentally, a few critics have nicknamed its main protagonist “a posh Harry Palmer”.

To get the most out of this unusual fact based novel w Beyond Enkription (intentionally misspelt) is a must read for espionage cognoscenti and the first stand-alone spy thriller in The Burlington Files autobiographical series by Bill Fairclough (MI6 codename JJ, aka Edward Burlington). It’s a raw and noir matter of fact pacy novel that Len Deighton and Mick Herron could be forgiven for thinking they co-wrote. Coincidentally, a few critics have nicknamed its main protagonist “a posh Harry Palmer”.

To get the most out of this unusual fact based novel we strongly recommend that before reading it you look at two brief news articles in TheBurlingtonFiles website so as to familiarize yourself with who the protagonists in the novel were in real life. See https://theburlingtonfiles.org/news_2... and https://theburlingtonfiles.org/news_2....

This elusive and enigmatic novel is a true story about Pemberton's People in MI6 and one of their most effective recruits, a maverick accountant (Edward Burlington in Porter Williams International aka Bill Fairclough in Coopers & Lybrand in real life). In 1974 in London he began infiltrating organised crime gangs, unwittingly working for MI6. After some frenetic attempts on his life he was relocated to the Caribbean where, “eyes wide open” he's recruited by the CIA and is soon headed for shark infested waters off Haiti.

If you’re an espionage cognoscente you’ll love this monumental book but just because you think you know it all don’t surf through the prologue: you may miss some disinformation. If you felt squeamish when watching Jaws, you may find the savagery of the opening chapter upsetting, but it soon passes.

This epic is so real it made us wonder why bother reading espionage fiction when facts are so much more exhilarating. Atmospherically it's reminiscent of Ted Lewis' Get Carter of Michael Caine fame. If anyone ever makes a film based on Beyond Enkription they'll only have themselves to blame if it doesn't go down in history as a classic thriller … it’s the stuff memorable films are made of.

Whether you’re a le Carré connoisseur, a Deighton disciple, a Fleming fanatic, a Herron hireling or a Macintyre marauder, odds on once you are immersed in it you’ll read this titanic production twice. However, do note that while Beyond Enkription is an intriguing raw factual thriller and a super read, don’t expect John le Carré’s delicate diction, sophisticated syntax and placid plots.

For more detailed reviews and a synopsis visit the Reviews page on TheBurlingtonFiles.org website at https://theburlingtonfiles.org/?page=... or see other independent reviews on your local Amazon website. Also, check out Bill Fairclough's background at Everipedia.org. See https://everipedia.org/wiki/lang_en/b... or https://theburlingtonfiles.org and follow the links. Do contact us via Goodreads or The Burlington Files website if you have any queries or comments. ...more

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Dec 18, 2022 Stacey B rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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Dec 08, 2022 Kev marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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