excellent story and narration

excellent story and narration . charecterization is wonderful and the plot very engaging. classic spy story.

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So good, I’ve had to listen again

I first listened to this story 6 years ago and enjoyed it so much that I’m coming back around again to listen to the trilogy once more.

A fantastic starter to the trilogy as we get a feel for Bernard Sampson and all the other characters.

Such an excellent story

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A great tale of its time; lives traded for data

Well narrated, the correct pace and diction.
The author Len Deighton captures the cynicism worn with honour at every level by either side. He illustrates the mean spirited nature hidden behind the outwardly pleasant middle classes of of suburbia and the hollowed out existence of the war survivors in the East so well. Hats off to the poor souls who do this for Queen and country today and tomorrow.

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5 people found this helpful

A great story

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A great story, well paced and with interesting characters. James Lailey is a perfect choice as reader. I have just downloaded Mexico Set and I can't wait

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1 person found this helpful

Brilliant

Thoroughly enjoyed this story from start to finish, it held my attention all the way through.

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Recollections of the tv series.

I recalled the tv series based on the Game, Set and Match trilogy, with Bernard Samson played by Ian Holm. I’ve not seen it since transmission (can’t think why it’s not had a dvd release) so, having enjoyed that, I thought I’d give it a listen.
I kept thinking how unlike Holm’s voice was the narrator, he sounds so young. I suspect that’s my problem, not the narrators! There was no other problem with the narrator, so don’t let that put you off this.
The plot is as well done as most spy thrillers are, and I hope to go on to Mexico Set before too long. (I never read/listen to two consecutive books by the same author). I’d not read/listened to any Len Deighton before, and I thought this decent. Perhaps not quite up to Le Carré, but that’s a high bar.
Even at the distance from watching the tv series, there were aspects that I recalled, but not with any certainty. The characters and plot were nicely constructed, creating a good atmosphere of pre-Unification Berlin and all the spying shenanigans.

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1 person found this helpful

Brilliant story

Nuanced, believable and so well written. Thoroughly enjoyed this. I now have a thirst for more Len Deighton audiobooks’

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Transported to different times, places and people

This is my first Len Deighton story, but now I realise I have watched, loved and re-watched films based on his stories for decades.

A master storyteller not just in plot but in his ability and insistence to flesh out the characters into real people rather than props. Each could have their own stories and series of back story or follow up novels as each are given enough depth and humanity to engage the reader (listener) into caring about all of them.

I’m intrigued to know more about ‘Lenin’ and the young pasty-faced fast-tracked policeman near the end of this book. What are their fuller stories? What happened to them? Maybe I will meet them again in the later parts of the trilogy of trilogies?

Can’t wait!

The narrator, James Lailey, bring the story and vocal characterisations to life without overplaying or hamming up the necessary switches in accent throughout. Characters are consistently portrayed to be recognisable and the pace of the story, paragraphing and scene changes easy to grasp without effort, distraction or confusion.

A genuine 5***** performance and genuine 5***** writing.

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Fantastic, gripping plot

A very cleverly thought through beginning to a series of books. I was gripped throughout.

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Masterpiece

Even when the inevitable outcome is revealed, the flow and detail that defines this fantastic story keeps you enthralled until the end.

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