(Click
on the book to buy Running
Blind from
Amazon.co.uk)
Running Blind,
This
must be one of the best cold-war spy thrillers ever
written. The ingenuity of the plot is splendid. The main
premise - which is misinformation - is surrounded by two
sub plots. One concerns the flushing out of a mole within
the British secret services, and the other - survival
against the odds out in the wilds of Iceland.
The story starts off with a killing at the hand of the
hero, Alan Stewart, who then back-tracks to explain how
he's ended up in the situation. From virtually that moment
on you're riding a deadly roller-coaster around the island,
exploring the scenery as you battle against good and bad,
not knowing who you can trust.
The author's fondness for Land Rover comes to the fore
again as Stewart lives in one while on the run, and uses it
to go where no-one sensible has gone before. (Note: this
was written before the time when those friendly Icelanders
made a national sport of 4x4 off-road racing!)
The British aren't the only ones interested in what's
happening in Iceland, there are Americans and Russians too.
Not forgetting the native Icelanders who aren't very happy
that their homeland is being used in a deadly international
game of chess.
In this story is a villain who appears in the next book,
The Freedom Trap, which although not quite a follow-on,
does use his presence to take off on another adventure. To
find out who and why you'll have to read the
book!