A Small Death in Lisbon by Robert Wilson

May 26, 2014August 28, 2021Leave a comment

A small death in Lisbon

I was recommended to the works of Robert Wilson by a friend of mine and I am glad I was. The espionage thriller, ‘A small death in Lisbon’, intrigued me and so, along with a love of all things Portuguese, I bought it.

Wilson is a British writer who currently lives in Portugal. He is the son of an RAF fighter pilot, and has a degree in English from Oxford. He was written crime novels based in Benin in West Africa, and also a series set mainly in Seville, in the Andalusian region of southern Spain. Born in 1957, the son of an RAF pilot, he finished his studies with a degree in English at Oxford University which was clearly a good grounding for what was to come. Wilson won the CWA Gold Dagger for this book and the German Crime Prize and rightly (or is it writely?) so.

A Small Death in Lisbon is an excellent novel by Robert Wilson and well worth the read. The story has several threads which intertwine into a lush tapestry a la fin. Robert Wilson sets the story in Portugal, which gives a wonderfully exotic air. It involves SS officers during the war and ranges through to sexual intrigue, murder and the contemporary investigations of Inspector José “Zé” Coelho.

Well done Robert!

If you enjoy this novel then you will also enjoy See Glass by Ido Graf.

Jeg blev anbefalet til værkerne af Robert Wilson af en af mine venner, og jeg er glad for, at jeg var det. Spionage –thrilleren, ‘En lille død i Lissabon’, fascinerede mig, og derfor købte jeg den sammen med en kærlighed til alt portugisisk.

Wilson er en britisk forfatter, der i øjeblikket bor i Portugal. Han er søn af en RAF jagerpilot og har en uddannelse i engelsk fra Oxford. Han blev skrevet kriminalromaner baseret i Benin i Vestafrika, og også en serie, der hovedsageligt udspiller sig i Sevilla, i den andalusiske region i det sydlige Spanien. Født i 1957, søn af en RAF -pilot, afsluttede han sine studier med en grad i engelsk ved Oxford University, hvilket klart var en god grund for det, der skulle komme. Wilson vandt CWA Gold Dagger for denne bog og den tyske krimipris og med rette (eller er det klogt?) Så.

En lille død i Lissabon er en fremragende roman af Robert Wilson og værd at læse. Historien har flere tråde, der fletter sig ind i et frodigt gobelin a la fin. Robert Wilson sætter historien i Portugal, hvilket giver en vidunderligt eksotisk luft. Det involverer SS -officerer under krigen og spænder fra seksuelle intriger, mord og nutidige undersøgelser af inspektør José “Zé” Coelho.

Godt gået Robert!

Hvis du nyder denne roman, vil du også nyde See Glass af Ido Graf.

Photo by roya ann miller on Unsplash

Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett

December 3, 2013August 28, 2021Leave a comment

The eye of the needle by Ken Follett

The Eye of the Needle is a WWII spy thriller written by Ken Follett. The fiction novel was first published in 1978 by Penguin and was originally called Storm Island. This book was Follett’s first success and in 1979 he won the Edgar Award for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America. The novel was made into a film in 1981 with Donald Sutherland.

During WWII the Allies tried to convince the Nazis that the D-Day landings were to be at Calais and not in Normandy. They made up a fictitious First United States Army Group (FUSAG) to this end, with fake tanks, buildings and dummy radio traffic to give the impression of an army ready to land at Calais. In 1940 London Henry Faber is a German spy, called the needle, die Nadel’ in German, named for the stilleto knife he uses to kill people. Faber kills his landlady after she catches him making a radio call to Germany. The espionage novel tells of David and his wife Lucy. He is an ex-RAF pilot who is diabled and they have moved to Storm Island off the coast of Scotland.

MI5 has recruited or hanged all German spies except Faber who is very cunning. Godliman and his assistant Bloggs work for MI5 and are trying to catch him.

Faber is sent by the Nazis to check FUSAG is real and he finds in fact that it is a deception. Faber then heads to Scotland to rendevous with a German Uboat to escape with the information back to Germany. Faber is tracked to Scotland by MI5. After stealing a boat to get to the sub he is shipwrecked on Storm Island. David and Lucy care for him but he kills David after he finds out about him being a spy. Lucy, who was unhappy in her marriage is getting out of the bath and about to put on her lingerie when Faber walks in and sees her naked. After this they fall for each other and Lucy sleeps with Faber Lucy finds her husband’s body and realizes that Faber has killed him. Faber tries to radio the Nazis information about FUSAG but Lucy blows the electricity in the cottage to cut the radio. Unable to send a radio message and unable to kill Lucy who he now loves, Faber tries to escape down the cliff to swim to the waiting U-boat. Lucy throws a rock down on him and after one hits him he falls to his death.

The RAF then attack the Uboat. MI5 send a false radio message with Faber’s call sign to trick the Germans into believing that the invasion will be at Calais. Bloggs comforts the Lucy and then eventually gets married to her.

Ken Follett is an enthrawlling writer and I would strongly recommend his novels to you.

If you enjoy The Eye of the Needle then try See Glass by Ido Graf on Amazon. One of the best espionage books.

The Eye of the Needle hè un thriller spia di a Seconda Guerra Mundiale scrittu da Ken Follett. U rumanzu di fizzione hè statu publicatu per a prima volta in u 1978 da Penguin è era chjamatu à l’origine Storm Island. Stu libru hè statu u primu successu di Follett è in u 1979 hà vintu u Premiu Edgar per a Migliore Novella di i Scrittori Misteri di l’America. U rumanzu hè statu fattu in un filmu in u 1981 cù Donald Sutherland.

Durante a Seconda Guerra Mondiale l’Alliati anu pruvatu à cunvince i Nazis chì l’atterrissimi di u ghjornu D avianu da esse in Calais è micca in Normandia. In questu scopu, anu fattu un fittiziu Primu Gruppu di l’Armata di i Stati Uniti (FUSAG), cù falsi serbatoi, edifici è trafficu radio fittiziu per dà l’impressione di un’armata pronta à sbarcà in Calais. In u 1940 Londra Henry Faber hè un spia tedescu, chjamatu agulla, more Nadel ‘in alimanu, chjamatu per u cultellu stilleto ch’ellu usa per tumbà a ghjente. Faber tomba a so padrona di casa dopu ch ella u chjappi fendu una chjama à a radiu in Germania. U rumanzu di spionaghju conta di David è di a so moglia Lucy. Hè un ex-pilotu di a RAF chì hè diablatu è si sò trasferiti in Storm Island à a costa di a Scozia.

MI5 hà recrutatu o impiccatu tutti i spii tedeschi eccettu Faber chì hè assai astutu. Godliman è u so assistente Bloggs travaglianu per MI5 è cercanu di cattallu.

Faber hè mandatu da i Nazis per verificà chì FUSAG hè reale è trova in fattu chì hè un ingannu. Faber poi si dirige in Scozia per rendevous cun un Uboat tedescu per fughje cù l’infurmazioni in Germania. Faber hè tracciatu in Scozia da MI5. Dopu avè arrubatu una barca per ghjunghje à u sottumessu hè naufragatu in Storm Island. David è Lucy si primuranu di ellu ma ellu tomba à David dopu ch’ellu hà sapiutu ch’ellu era un spia. Lucy, chì era infelice in u so matrimoniu, esce da u bagnu è hè in traccia di mette a so biancheria quandu Faber entra è a vede nuda. Dopu questu si lampanu l’uni per l’altri è Lucy dorme cun Faber Lucy trova u corpu di u so maritu è capisce chì Faber l’hà tombu. Faber prova à trasmette l’infurmazioni naziunali nantu à FUSAG ma Lucy soffia l’elettricità in a casetta per taglià a radio. Incapace di invià un missaghju radio è incapace di tumbà Lucy chì avà ama, Faber prova à scappà per a scogliera per natà finu à l’U-boat chì aspetta. Lucy lancia una roccia nantu à ellu è dopu à unu u colpisce, cade à morte.

Dopu a RAF attacca u Uboat. MI5 manda un falsu missaghju radio cù u segnu di chjama di Faber per ingannà i tedeschi à crede chì l’invasione serà in Calais. Bloggs cunsuleghja Lucy è dopu si marita cun ella.

Ken Follett hè un scrittore appassiunante è vi raccomanderei vivamente i so rumanzi.

Se vi piace L’Ochju di l’Aguila allora pruvate See Glass di Ido Graf nant’à Amazon. Unu di i migliori libri di spionaggio.

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The Quiller Memorandum by Adam Hall

October 8, 2013August 27, 2021Leave a comment

The Quiller Memorandum espionage thriller

This is one of the first and best adventure spy novels I read and I became a firm fan of Quiller and Adam Hall.

The Quiller Memorandum which was also known as The Berlin Memorandum was written by Adam Hall in 1965. Hall introduced Quiller in this book as a British intelligence officer in the very secret body known as ‘the Bureau’. Quiller was also said to have been in the secret services during World War II. The Bureau is a shady organisation whose purpose was originally to prevent any possible increase in German militarism, such as a fourth Reich.

Quiller was a specialist in Nazi clandestine organizations such as the ‘ratlines’ which were used by Nazis to escape trial. The book is set in the mid-sixties where Quiller is seconded by the Bureau to give secret intelligence information to the Z Commission which is West Germany’s war crimes investigatitive agency. Quiller is persuaded by the bureau to investigate the plans of a secret Nazi secret. He readily does so, as the Nazis have killed one of his friends.

Adam Hall was a wonderful writer of espionage fiction. A classic read that is sure to enthrawl.

Aquesta és una de les primeres novel·les d’aventures i espies que vaig llegir i em vaig convertir en un ferm fan de Quiller i Adam Hall.

El Memoràndum Quiller, també conegut com a Memoràndum de Berlín, va ser escrit per Adam Hall el 1965. Hall va introduir Quiller en aquest llibre com a oficial d’intel·ligència britànic en el cos secret conegut com a “l’Oficina”. Es va dir que Quiller va estar als serveis secrets durant la Segona Guerra Mundial. L’Oficina és una organització obaga que el seu propòsit era originalment evitar qualsevol possible augment del militarisme alemany, com ara un quart Reich.

Quiller era un especialista en organitzacions clandestines nazis, com ara les “ratlines”, que eren utilitzades pels nazis per fugir del judici. El llibre es troba a mitjan anys seixanta, on Quiller és secundat per l’Oficina per donar informació d’intel·ligència secreta a la Comissió Z, que és l’agència d’investigació de crims de guerra d’Alemanya Occidental. Quiller és persuadit per l’oficina per investigar els plans d’un secret secret nazi. Ho fa fàcilment, ja que els nazis han matat un dels seus amics.

Adam Hall va ser un meravellós escriptor de ficció d’espionatge. Una lectura clàssica que segur que engrescarà.

Photo by Levin on Unsplash