I don't think I've ever read a crime/police thriller from the point of view of MI5 before, and that massively appealed to me, especially as these novels are written by ex-Director General of MI5, Stella Rimington.
At Risk
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This was a brilliant introduction to both a new sub-genre of crime thrillers, and this series based on MI5 agent Liz Carlyle. In this novel, Liz Carlyle and other relevant bodies are tasked with a terrorist threat, trying to discover who the terrorists are, and where their target is, before the crime is committed
The story approaches a crime thriller in a very different way, as it is less of the traditional 'whodunnit', instead focusing more on the process of catching the terrorist. The terrorists are introduced very early on in the story, allowing the reader to see what is happening with both the 'good guys' and 'bad guys' at the same time. Overall, I enjoyed this novel, I liked the new perspective it gave me on a crime/police thriller.
Secret Asset
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In the second Liz Carlyle book, Liz is tasked with finding a mole within MI5. Once again, Rimington’s style of writing and detail impressed me. I love Liz Carlyle as a character, and she blossomed in this novel.
However, there are too many characters in this one, particularly in the middle third, it gets a bit too confusing trying to remember all the names and who is who! I tried reading passages a couple of times, which slowed down the story and made it a lot harder to follow.
So all in all, not as good as book number one.
Illegal Action
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The third Liz Carlyle book follows Liz as she moves to a new department, and has to go undercover to protect a Russian oligarch. This novel was a little frustrating. Again, there are far too many characters, and it gets really confusing, especially when many of them have code names. I think Rimington has brilliant ideas for stories, and plots, and, again, her writing is excellent. But it's very difficult to follow all the characters.
I don't often comment on identifying with characters and stories (or not!), as I find one of the main joys of reading is reading stories that are totally at odds with my own life. However, I would like to note that I really identified with Liz Carlyle, throughout all three books. I found myself thinking that I would think and react in the same way as she does to both people and situations.
Stella Rimington is a wonderful author. Her time as Director General of MI5 no doubt influenced her choice of topics, and I love that she chose a female lead. There are details peppered throughout the books that can only come from having worked at the company it's based in, that add to the storytelling. I really like that Liz Carlyle didn't seem to fall into any of the female lead tropes you often find in crime novels.
I've not continued with the series as it's starting to get too confusing for me, but I may revisit it in the future! Have you ever read any of Stella Rimington's novels? Or another novel where the author has a direct relationship with the setting? Let me know any recommendations!
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