At Risk
A novel
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4.3 • 70 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
A terrorist is targeting Britain. And to make matters worse it’s an “invisible”-- Mi5-speak for someone traveling under a British passport. Virtually impossible to find before it’s too late.
The job falls to Liz Carlyle, the most resourceful counter terror agent in British intelligence. Tracking down this invisible is a challenge like none she has faced before. It will require all her hard-won experience, to say nothing of her intelligence and courage. Drawing on her own years as Britain's highest-ranking spy, Stella Rimington gives us a story that is smart, tautly drawn, and suspenseful from first to last.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The first woman director general of Britain's MI5, Rimington speaks smartly about workplace issues while ratcheting the tension high in her authoritative debut thriller. Enter Liz Carlyle, an agent-runner with a taste for vintage clothes; her married lover, Mark Callendar, whom she doesn't love; and an appealing head of section, Charles Wetherby. You don't need Liz's deductive powers to figure out that Wetherby will eventually succeed Mark, who terminally annoys Liz by leaving his wife. Liz is married to her job. Small wonder: it doesn't get more exciting than this. The Islamic Terror Syndicate (ITS) may be about to deploy an "invisible" "an ethnic native of the target country" and only Liz can pull together all the threads. Rimington infuses the chase with moral complexity by making the invisible a real human being, no matter that she boasts a fake name and has "become a cipher, a selfless instrument of vengeance, a Child of Heaven." Most of the characters feel authentic, although Rimington occasionally goes on about strangers briefly glimpsed and introduces several wryly flirtatious male agents too many. She is open about having had an assist with the structure of the book, but the voice rings true, and she keeps faith with a genre she clearly venerates. 150,000 first printing; five-city author tour.
Customer Reviews
Compelling story, captivating characters
Liz is such an authentic intelligence officer, not the 007 type but the intelligent thoughtful unassuming gatherer of information bit by bit and gaining understanding of her quarry. The story and prey keep the long chase interesting and compelling. I really enjoyed it and would love to follow Liz and her cases.
At Risk
Great spy novel with a female lead and female author. As good as John le Carre. Love the British spy novel!!