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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An "honourable" series of novels, 1 Nov 2002
Gavin Lyall has hit a winning streak with his series of novels about the "honourable" men of Britain's miniscule and amateur Secret Service in the years leading up to World War 1. His two main characters - Ranklin, the very English army officer with his career under a cloud, and O'Gilroy, the Irish republican who ends up teamed with him after the strange events of the first novel - are real human being, and one likes them both. They are honourable while prepared to be ruthless, and neither of them is the superman type of so much spy fiction. Indeed as Ranklin says at one point, if you put the two of them together you might end up with one adequate spy.In "Honourable Intentions" they are on home territory, dealing with the strange case of an American anarchist who claims to be the King's natural son, and trying to work out and deal with the various groups who want him alive and talking or dead and silent. The author moves the story ahead briskly while not skimping on the detail needed to make the reader understand these people and their world. Read this book. In fact read the series.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply recommended!, 24 May 2004
A simple case of arson becomes a matter for the Secret Service when the latter gets word that the arsonsist might proclaim himself the King's illegitimate son in court, causing a royal scandal. So Captain Ranklin and O'Gilroy take it onto themselves to stuff the skeletons back into their closets; but soon they realize that they're not up against a boy and his mother, but rather against an international anarchist conspiracy…"Honourable Intentions" is the fourth and last novel in Gavin Lyall's series, and probably comes closest to the delightful "Spy's Honour". Lyall's vividly and intriguingly painted characters (including Corinna Finn) and the interesting plot make for a thoroughly entertaining read. Instead of exotic locales, we get diplomacy and police investigations this time (and thankfully, at least in my opinion, Lyall has knocked back on the airplanes that were a major part of "Flight From Honour"). I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read just a good, old-fashioned adventure novel. While reading the previous books can doubtlessly be recommended, too, it isn't necessary since the novels stand well on their own.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Book by a Great Writer, 12 Feb 2008
Gavin Lyall's first seven books, thriller/adventure stories, would mark him out as a great writer if he had written nothing else. His Major Maxim series, four books in all, are even better. Best of all, in my opinion, are the 'Honourable' series, set before the first world war with Captain Matthew Ranklin and Conner O'Gilroy trying to establish the British secret service in the days of its infancy, with a lot of help from the amazing Corinna Finn, daughter of an American millionaire banker. The books are witty, based on characters you can't help identifying with and wanting to know more about, brilliantly plotted, full of atsmosphere, and altogether the sort of book to read, and re-read, and re-read. The tradegy is that Lyall died before producing any more. This reads as a very selfish comment, I suppose, but perhaps you know what I mean. Get hold of the whole series (and all his other books if you haven't got them!) as soon as you can!
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