Alice “Slim� Parsons is a third-generation spy (she learns on her mother’s deathbed). She works for MI5 as an undercover operative as a large operatioAlice “Slim� Parsons is a third-generation spy (she learns on her mother’s deathbed). She works for MI5 as an undercover operative as a large operation is launched at a rich and amoral Briton. When, having emerged as the businessman’s chief aid, he tries to rape her, she fights back, injures him, escapes and flees with his highly incriminating laptop. Her MI5 masters lash out but reassign her as an undercover agent with a very liberal journalistic team that is investigating massive corruption within the British government. She is very good at both investigative journalism and living on the very edge. The two assignments dovetail (dangerously for Slim) but she is resourceful, determined, and brave and continues, though at great risk, to a successful ending.
Along the way, Porter introduces more than two dozen distinctly drawn characters. It is a dense book, but worth the time and concentration. I liked it a great deal, even the parallel scenes involving dangerous airplane flights with maniac....more
John Scalzi has written a lot of science fiction novels. All late good. The Last Colony is very good. I would give it a 4.5 rating, if such ratings exJohn Scalzi has written a lot of science fiction novels. All late good. The Last Colony is very good. I would give it a 4.5 rating, if such ratings existed. It is about John Perry’s appointment ( together with his wife, Jane) as administrators for a new colony on an alien world.� John and Jane have been soldiers, but it is their interpersonal skills that matter the most because their colony is made up of people from ten different worlds. The universe that Scalzi imagines has many groups within it, and those groups tend to belong to one of two competing federations. Competition can easily escalate into war. And the Perrys� planet is located at the vortex of the two federations� competition So Perry has to run a colony that could easily become a target with very limited defenses and imperfect sources of information. How the Perry’s manage makes for a clever, interesting tale....more
Third in a series, this lyrical book about dark times (late 6th century in Scotland) establishes Arthur (Artie), Merlin’s sister, Saxon interlopers (AThird in a series, this lyrical book about dark times (late 6th century in Scotland) establishes Arthur (Artie), Merlin’s sister, Saxon interlopers (Angles), the PICTs, Uther Pendagon, magic, second sight, heartbreak etc. ...more
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