WATCHMAN

This moody 1980s' thriller from the author of the bestselling procedurals about Scotland's Inspector Rebus is clearly influenced by John le Carré's Smiley novels about MI6 and double agents. And that's fine, for this is well written enough to hold our interest, and excellently read by John Lee. Lee offers fine shadings of a wide range of characters--our world-weary Scots hero, Miles Flint, a spy determined to unearth a mole in his organization; an IRA terrorist who is more frightened than frightful; a tired, old English journalist; and a panoply of British agents. Lee also maintains a tight pace through the novel's occasionally overlong scenes, ensuring that listeners stay glued to the book until the end. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2008]