The Devil's Bargain by Stella Rimington

Once again Stella Rimington has proved she is a master of spy fiction. This one could be her best yet.
We are introduced to Peter Robinson MP , but is he The man we think he is ?
A brilliant plot with edge of your seat suspense and intrigue .
Can't wait to see what the author comes up with next.

A good fluid read, which has you from the beginning wondering what is going to happen.
The book starts with an incident years ago and then to the current day with those characters and a "sleeper" being revealed.
Looking forward to the next book from Stella Rimmington.

quick-paced spy vs spy story laced with paranoia and twisty late cold war politics. it worked well enough for me but has been done far better. watch the americans!

As ever Stella Rimington has written an absolute gem.

There is nothing not to love, the writing is incisive, the characters are thrilling. You will not be able to put this down.

So good! The start of a new series featuring CIA analyst, Manon Tyler. This book moves along briskly and proves a very satisfying thriller. I have loved the Liz Carlyle series and this is an excellent beginning starring a new protagonist. Thanks to Netgalley

As a young policeman Harry Bristow fell into a trap, now he is blackmailed to keep his secret. Peter Robinson, rising political star, has a secret that he doesn't want revealing. With the old Soviet regime in disarray, both the West and East still play power games and spy relentlessly but what if one side had a hidden asset?
This is an assured novel from one who knows! OK, it is formulaic at times and the dialogue can be a bit creaky but the plot is tight and clever. It's just a quick bit of light entertainment and sometimes that's no bad thing

If you've read Stella Remington's spy series before then you more or less know what you're getting. Characters, even main ones, may change but the basic plotting and style remain. To be honest it's what I'd describe as an airport novel. A book to dip into if you want a quick and undemanding read rather than the labtynthine depths of a John le Carre or Henry Porter. Good for a lighter spy story with usually contemporary relevance.

Thanks to Stella and NetGalley for allowing me to read The Devil’s Bargain before the publication date.

This is a spy story which introduces the workings and interactions of the British, American and Russian intelligence agencies in London.

20 years earlier, the USSR placed their operative, Pyotr Romanov, into the UK with instructions to infiltrate the highest level of government. When Romanov’s handler left Russia for the USA, there was no handover to his replacement, leaving Romanov to operate unmonitored.
The documentation relating to him has now been uncovered in Russia and questions are being asked.

Meanwhile Peter Robinson, is a successful businessman in Liverpool and a newly elected MP.

Soon, all three intelligence agencies have an interest in Robinson.

Stella takes the reader into the world of spooks and tradecraft.
The reader is left to wonder which side the characters are really on, or perhaps that depends on the demands being placed upon them on the day.

An enjoyable and easy read.

I found the book impossible to read as although am aware it is an ARC and not the finished version the formatting sent to ARC readers was shockingly bad,tried twice but unable to read it

An interesting turn which reignited my interest but also made me hate the main character. Nevertheless an easy weekend read. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Really good spy thriller which kept me gripped. I could imagine it being televised! Would absolutely read this author again - authentic and well written.

I never repeat the blurb. Wow - what a read. I must admit, I do miss Liz Carlyle and co, but this is set up as a possible new series. Even more striking is the bang-on discussion about old and new Russia, Soviet Communism v. modern Russia, especially accurate and poignant given the events of the last few weeks. Fascinating analysis of older and younger Russians and old and new ways, the latter seemily very much under attack. Great plot. Love it.

I love a good spy thriller and this was definitely that, cleverly plotted and full of twists and turns. In 1988 young policeman, Harry Bristow, turns a blind eye whilst working in the docks, letting Igor off the Bulgarian ship and taking a bribe to keep quiet; little does he realise what he has let himself in for. Sailors are meant to return to their ships but Igor never does.
Over the years he plans to admit his guilt but as he rises up the ranks he is frightened for his job and does not want to bring shame to his family. He never spends the money but ends up ruining his life nonetheless. The guilt eats away at him as he fears he may have betrayed his country.
When he sees Igor again it is many years later and he is a successful businessman and newly elected MP for a Liverpool constituency, Harry realises that things are definitely not right.
Manon is a CIA analyst who is newly arrived in the UK and she has an interest in “illegals”, spys secreted abroad by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. She is a great character and I loved seeing the world of the CIA through her eyes. Cool and calm in a crisis she has all the makings of an excellent agent.
These two plot lines come together in a really exciting way as the book progresses at a cracking pace.
There seems to be a lot of authenticity in this espionage story- it is obvious the author knows about the subject. Unlike some books which become bogged down with extraneous detail when written by an expert author this one moves along at breakneck speed as only important facts are used to create the spycraft background.
I loved the climax set in Oxford as I know the city well having visited my son who was a student at the College at the end of “Norham Gardens” This part of the novel was brilliant and made for a great ending.
I hope that Manon and her friends will appear in another book and if they do I will certainly be keen to read it.
Definitely a five star read and perfect for spy thriller fans! Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc.

Shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union a KGB General had set up a highly secret programme infiltrating ‘illegals’ (Russians but with carefully constructed back stories so as to appear to be natives) into the USA, the UK and other locations. The break-up had ruined this plan, except for one man who had sneaked into the UK by tricking a young Special Branch officer (Harry Bristow). Many years later, this man is now successful businessman, and newly elected MP, Peter Robinson. Harry recognises him but is blackmailed into silence and, after reigning from Special Branch, is hired as his driver. Meanwhile back in Russia, the secret programme is discovered and contact is made, reactivating Peter. Simultaneously, a young CIA agent, Manon, has been transferred to the UK branch and is assigned to make contact with a student at Oxford who is the daughter of a senior Russian diplomat suspected of spying. A classic triangle, except that several other people are wheeled in and out largely as plot devices rather than necessity.
The tale unfolds in a more or less linear fashion, there are no real twists, no real red (no pun intended) herrings. The style is on the Le Carré side in being slowly paced and with authentic seeming touches, but it doesn’t ramp up the tension to any extent (not that there is much to begin with), nor is there a mystery to solve. The characters are well enough written but none of them feels real, and some of the action is hard to credit in context. Overall, I’m not sure that seasoned readers of spy thrillers, or lovers of complexity, will enjoy this pot-boiler. I’m pitching at about 2.5 so 3 is a rounding up.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

An utterly suspenseful spy thriller telling the story of a sleeper spy and the person that helped them infiltrate the UK and now trying to stop them from taking an important part in politics and threatening the country’s safety.

A good espionage thriller starting with the disappearance of a Bulgarian sailor in a northern port who befriended the Special Branch officer who oversaw the shore leave from the ship. Each time they met a small present was offered until a large sum of money was given on the night he vanished. The policeman kept the money but hid it as he wrestled with his conscience. Many years later now promoted to a senior position he spots the man in Liverpool now a successful businessman and local councillor. When they meet at a function and recognise each other the policeman is sent photographs of their previous meetings and when the councillor is elected to Parliament the story gets even more exciting. This is a clever believable yarn with secret service agents from both sides of the Atlantic and Russia involved ,well worth a read!

The first time I’ve read Stella Rimington and I had high hopes for this intriguing spy thriller.

And whilst it hits some notes with fine pacing and a well drawn and put together plot, I found the characters to be almost weak wooden stereotypes that are a little well to do and that took away from any feeling of authenticity I was expecting and hoping for,

Sadly not blown away by this at all. It was ok

This was the first spy thriller I have read in quite some time and my first by Stella Rimington also and I was completely blown away with how brilliant it was I loved it.
This is obviously a writer who knows her stuff by the nature of her former job and boy does that show in the quality of the storyline and the writing it moved at a fast pace and had some really interesting characters my favourite being Manon and I would love to read more about her and other characters in the future so fingers crossed for more books.
I have had a bit of a concentration problem lately due to being in hospital so this book was just what I needed I flew through it and stayed up late to finish it it was everything I had anticipated and actually even better than I though it would be and oh don’t you just love it when you read a book that is that good so more please Stella Rimington !
So altogether a fabulous 5 star read and one I can highly recommend.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion,

Interesting political / spy thriller from someone who certainly knows what they're talking about! Well-plotted and entertaining.

Having read titles by Stella Rimmington in the past I knew what I about to get into and I wasn’t wrong..
A good, fast flowing read, as are all of her books and once finished it leaves you looking forward to her next one.
Recommend.