Secret Asset

June 4, 2007
How smart of Random House Audio to hire as a reader noted British stage and television actress Fielding, whose prowess brings to life Rimington's own stint as director of the British spy outfit called MI5. (If Remington were brought to the screen, Judi Dench would play her as she plays M in the recent James Bond movies.) With perfect British reserve, Fielding catches the hard-driving Liz Carlyle-Rimington's alter ego-without sacrificing any of Carlyle's energy or excitement. Fielding does the same cool job on all the other characters, from an Islamic bookseller nicknamed Marzipan (no jokes about him being a sweet guy: he's not) to Liz's young assistant, Peggy Kinsolving. This well-edited abridgment cleverly removes some of the book's talkier sections. The result is a perfect choice for listeners who love political thrillers but have only a limited time to enjoy them. A simultaneous release with the Knopf hardcover (Reviews, Apr. 30).

April 30, 2007
After four months’ convalescent leave, MI5 spy Liz Carlyle, returning from her debut in Rimington’s At Risk, confers with her agent Marzipan, an Islamic bookshop clerk who has discovered a probable terror plot in the making. Soon after, Liz is charged with finding an IRA mole within the ranks of MI5. With the aid of fresh-faced co-worker Peggy Kinsolving, Liz goes about the task of ferreting out the mole, despite disappointment at being taken off the terror case, which she can’t quite let go—with, it turns out, good reason. Much is made of the authenticity of Rimington’s tradecraft (she was the first female head of MI5 in real life), and rightly so. But lots of writers get the details right, and for many readers, Rimington’s ratio of action to personal detail will seem skewed: every character, no matter how minor, gets heavily profiled, and it slows things down. Still, those interested in old school British intelligence thrillers will find much to like in the smart, enterprising Carlyle.