Watchman [Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

While Rendell, James and Walters jostle for the position of Britain's Crime Queen, things are much more straightforward when it comes to male writers: the appearance of Ian Rankin's early thriller Watchman is a reminder that Rankin is securely at the top of the tree in terms of sales, and pretty near the upper echelons in critical acclaim. His series featuring the troubled DI Rebus, with its brilliantly realised urban Scottish settings, has consolidated a powerful reputation, although later entries in the sequence may have lacked the sharpness of their predecessors.

Watchman is something of a collector's item among Rankin enthusiasts--out of print for 15 years, this stand-alone thriller (not featuring the doughty Rebus) has been changing hands on the Internet for very large amounts--but now it's possible to catch up with one of Rankin's most intriguing books at a reasonable price.

Miles Flint is low-level operative in the world of espionage, with a watching brief that satisfies him perfectly; he's not a man who craves more active duty. But IRA bombs are wreaking havoc on the British mainland, and Miles finds himself with all kinds of problems. His professional career is in trouble, as is his marriage--his involvement with a seductive Irish woman is problematical, and his attempts to avoid a persistent newspaperman are failing. Miles is sent to Belfast, where he finds that his job is much more than merely watching people; the stakes are very high (UK security being the trump card now), and his life has become a ploy in a dangerous game.

There are shades here of two of Rankin's illustrious predecessors in the thriller genre, Gerald Seymour and Len Deighton, but Rankin (even at this early stage of his career) was very much his own man. Miles is a distinctive and conflict-filled protagonist--very different from Rebus, though sharing a messy private life--and the action is handled with pulse-racing panache. The espionage genre was not to prove Rankin's métier, but this sole effort is essential for Rankin fans--and that means most of us. --Barry Forshaw --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'Very impressive...If you're worried you'll miss the comfortable presence of Jack Rebus, don't - this is totally involving stuff, delivered with the kind of panache that hallmarks the Edinburgh-set thrillers' (Barry Forshaw DAILY EXPRESS )

'What is impressive in the novel is Rankin's ability to handle a complicated plot, so that in the end its various strands cohere' (Allan Massie THE SCOTSMAN )

'WATCHMAN is one for Rankin aficionados, interesting in itself, but also revealing as to a direction he might have taken with his fiction, following his first novel, KNOTS AND CROSSES, which introduced us to Inspector Rebus' (Keith Jeffery TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT )

'A riveting read that will have you turning page after page until there are none left' (Alex Gordon PETERBOROUGH TELEGRAPH )

'A curiosity from the pen of Ian Rankin: a hardback re-issue of an early, pre-Rebus novel. Though it's not a bad read, it shows he has improved' (Allan Laing GLASGOW HERALD )

'This splendid piece of espionage fiction has not worn badly with age, nor does it seem the work of a yet immature talent. Brilliantly subdued, it has the air of a le Carre...Atmospheric and subtle, Watchman shows just how long Rankin has been our best genre novelist' (GOOD BOOK GUIDE )

'Intriguing to compare it with his Rebus books. It's less introspective, but still a must' (GLASGOW EVE TIMES )

'Watchman is of its time, of course, but it moves along at a fair old clip and shows Rankin to be as adept at writing thrillers as he is at putting together more meditative crime stories' (Peter Gutteridge OBSERVER )

'This is a biting and superbly wrought thriller that will enthrall' (WATERSTONES BOOKS QUARTERLY )

'more than holds its own among recent spy thriller fare, despite its age' (Mark Evans IRISH EXAMINER )

'Essential for Rankin fans - and that means most of us' (CRIME TIME ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'Intriguing to compare it with his Rebus books. It's less introspective, but still a must' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'This is a biting and superbly wrought thriller that will enthrall' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'more than holds its own among recent spy thriller fare, despite its age' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

'Essential for Rankin fans - and that means most of us' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Bombs are exploding in the streets of London, but life seems to have planted more subtle booby-traps for Miles Flint. Miles is a spy. His job is to watch and to listen, then to report back to his superiors, nothing more. The job, affording glimpses into the most private lives of his victims, appeals to Miles. He doesn't lust after promotion, and he doesn't want action. He wants, just for once, not to botch a case. Having lost one suspect - with horrific consequences - Miles becomes too involved with another, a young Irishwoman. His marriage seems ready to crumble to dust. So does his home. But Miles is given one last chance for redemption - a trip to Belfast, which quickly becomes a flight of terror, murder and shocking discoveries. But can the voyeur survive in a world of violent action?

Ian Rankin was born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960. In 1997 he was awarded the Macallan Gold Dagger for Fiction for Black and Blue. His subsequent Rebus novels have all been international bestsellers. He lives with his wife and two sons in Edinburgh. Roger Allam done a lot of radio work, and won two Olivier Awards recently including Best Actor in 2002. Roger trained at Manchester University. He was a founder member of Monstrous Regiment and has been in seasons at Birmingham, the Glasgow Citizens and the Contact Theatre, Manchester.