The Moscow Sleepers: A Liz Carlyle Thriller

Another authentic and enthralling read.

The Moscow Sleepers has had some mixed reviews on Amazon but I would say don't let this put you off if you are looking for an intriguing spy story. It is not necessary to have read any of the previous novels that features Liz Carlyle from M.I.5 Counter Intelligence to fully understand and enjoy this one, although there are some continuing threads that run through all the novels relating to her personal and business relationships.I would not classify this novel as a spy thriller; action packed, dramatic scenes are in short supply in this story. Rather it is more like a mystery with a plot that slowly reveals clues about a potentially dangerous situation that could impact the national security of countries in western Europe and America.The book opens with the death of a professor in the USA. Then the mystery of what is going on slowly reveals itself via a series of scenarios involving an EU Commission for Refugees, Russian Army informants, a school for immigrant children in the UK, and bureaucratic infighting between various Intelligence Services in the UK and the USA (this latter aspect of the novel is portrayed in a very credible fashion).If I was being picky it would be easy to find fault with certain aspects of this novel: the immigrant children appear rather too sanitised and overly trusting given what we have been lead to believe they have been through to reach the UK; there are probably too many coincidences that keep the 'plot / investigation' moving forward. Even so, overall, this is a very intriguing novel that certainly held my interest and is well worth considering if you are looking for a spy story that reads more like a mystery story than an all action spy thriller.

I'm glad I didn't take any notice of the 2-star reviews. I have read all Stella Rimingon's books and this was as gripping as any of the others. Not a complicated plot but an interesting one and highly believable. The world is so used to the United States poking and prodding and sanctioning Russia (and using the UK to do so too). Dubious accusations of 'meddling', sudden closure of two Russian diplomatic compounds in the US, with expulsion of 35 diplomats who were given 72hrs to get out of the country with their families, confiscation of diplomatic property, bullying of countries that trade with Russia, the list goes on... We take these things for granted and if we think about them at all we assume Russia must deserve them. However revenge is a dish best served cold. Putin will get his revenge but it won't be military, it will be by hacking the financial industry, and it's coming soon.

A complex spy thriller that keeps one enthralled throughout, one slight criticism though which spoils it a little is where the Chief Constable of a Police Force in the UK takes an active part in investigating matters in the enquiry THIS SIMPLY DOES NOT HAPPEN and is somewhat ridiculous AS IF!, if one can overlook this glaring absurdity then it is a good novel to read with plenty of twists and turns, only 3 star rating because of this nonsense in the storyline..it stretches credibility to the extreme

The tenth Liz Carlyle novel sees the increasingly senior MI5 officer back in contact with a Russian source, who points her in the direction of a complex plot against the UK and its allies. There’s quite a lot going on across multiple countries and it’s interesting to see how the author balances these in a way that doesn’t affect the flow of the narrative.I enjoyed seeing some more of the relationships between the recurring characters - it’s been quite fun seeing how they’ve grown since the early novels, and unlike some authors they haven’t been left as recurring stereotypes in each episode.One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about this series, which continues here, is the realism - there’s no sense of the overly dramatic - instead the tension is applied through the subtle believability and the authentic way that the author portrays the goings on in the shadows - there’s no sense in reading it that the events couldn’t actually have happened.Another solid entry in the series, and I look forward to more to come.

Obviously her time in the security services have Stella Symington plenty of material even though her stories are fictional but she writes so well. She has the ability to bring into the story characters who are suffering from everyday events, like partnerships, family deaths etc, making the whole story believable. If your into spy novels or action novels read Stella Rimington, I highly recommend her books.

This is Stella Rimington at her best, the twists and turns keep you in suspense, not knowing what is going to happen next in the world of espionage and spying. Just to keep you interested just a hint of romance blossoming throughout the book.

Good and professional service

There is no telephone poles to install surveillance cameras on, not in Hamburg-Blankenese as well as all over Germany. Not since the 1960ies.

A great series of books. Can't wait for the next one. The only problem with the Liz Carlyle series is once you start to read one of the books, you can't put it down until you finish it. They hold your attention and you get so involved you lose all track of time. Great thriller series that I highly recommend to everyone

Thought the first third of this book was boring. Not up to usual standard.

Stella Rimmington always writes a gripping tale, look forward to her next book.