Hi Karen,

My next review is as follows:-

"Flight From Honour)" written by Gavin Lyall and published in paperback on 9th July 2018 Agora Books . 330 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1912194520

Gavin Lyall wrote a number of books that have themes that replicate his experience as aviation correspondent for The Sunday Times. He was married to the writer and journalist Katherine Whitehorn. The book was originally published in 1996.

Flight From Honour takes place in 1913 and examines the early beginnings of the British Secret Service. In Europe at that time Italy was thinking of war with the Austrian empire. Captain Matthew Ranklin is trying to get organised the British Secret Service when he hears from an agent of Irish nationality named Conall O’Gilroy that whilst guarding an Italian Senator named Giancarlo Falcone he narrowly escaped an explosion at an aerodrome

This book reminded me of “A Man Who Was Thursday”, written by G.K.Chesterton in 1908 and the plot relating to fighting secret anarchists which as the UK was not specifically at war in 1913 could relate to the forces that O’Gilroy was fighting.

Senator Falcone has come to London because he fears for his life in Italy and wants protection and also wants to buy aeroplanes which O’Gilroy is able to show him. O’Gilroy is in the process of attempting to learn to fly an aeroplane as he believes this will be the vehicle of the future.

I enjoyed the scenes with the Irish agent O’Gilroy the most to read and they tended to be the most action packed.

I found the plot difficult to follow at times as it seems to wander all over the place but I understand it was not his best book. I found that although at 330 pages it is not long as my attention drifted and I gave up reading it in favour of other books it consequently took me longer to finish it.

Therefore I consider reading this book interesting but very challenging and I did not have a very enjoyable experience and cannot recommend it but would not abandon this writer as he has written a number of better titles such “Midnight Plus One”, which was first published in 1965 during his most successful period soon after he published his first novel in 1961 “The Wrong Side Of The Sky” which was an immediate success.


Best wishes,

Terry

Amazing spy thriller from pre-WW1. Very well written. Glad that I found this author and will be reading some of his other books.

Llyall is a neglected master of the spy thriller. I would rate him right up there with Deighton. This , one of his “Honour” series of spy/thriller novels set before and during World War I, are exciting and well written and manage to really capture the feel of the era and the spycraft of the time.. I love this time period and have read many novels ecncompassing this era and Lyall’s are among the best.

Some for real spying in an era in which a constant tension between a gentleman's honor and the need to employ some dirty tricks makes for drama outside of whatever plotting Mr. Lyall provides. It's not really my cup of tea (I like a little less Victorian manliness in my spying) but I can appreciate the craftsmanship behind the smoke and mirrors.