Rate this book

De Overlever (2009)

by Tom Cain(Favorite Author)

3.8 of 5 Votes: 4

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

The House of Books

series

Samuel Carver

review 1: [Audiobook review] I'm new to Tom Cain's books and the spy genre in general, but I found this one interesting and well-paced from beginning to end. The characterizations, the plotting, and the writing overall are flawless. Not once did I cringe or roll my eyes (I'm recently coming off of the Deathlands novels so, much eye fatigue there). In a nutshell, the book starts out with a single fact: Russia has lost over 100 briefcase nuclear bombs hidden throughout Europe (or perhaps the world). The plot jumps off from that startling but real life truth. Enter madman billionaire who narrowly escapes an accident/assassination by our protagonist, Samuel Carver, The Spy Who Creates Accidents (one gripe: why does everyone call him Carver, even the love of his life at the end of the b... moreook, what woman refers to her man by his last name only). Billionaire gets religious, doesn't like what he sees in the Middle East, and gains info on one or more of these lost suitcase nukes. The Russian FSB (formerly KGB) and the Americans get involved. Carver himself is more London/MI-6 based, more Daniel Craig, less Roger Moore. The story takes some odd twists, like Carver becoming a mental invalid after severe torture and his Russian seduction specialist becoming his caregiver. Oh, the Russians are stereotypical and cold-blooded for the most part but written delightfully. The FSB matriarch in the novel scares me. Things come full circle by the end with a bit of Hollywood action. All in all, an enjoyable read with a constantly moving plot, and some fun insights into The Trade.
review 2: Follow up to the morally dubious Accident Man.Absolutely identical sense of style, short pacy chapters, assassins, international locations, beautiful girls to the first book. Cain is obviously writing with a view to getting the film rights to the next James Bond. This doesn't shound like a great endorsement but it is.... as a no brainer, thrill a minute, can't put it down book this knocks others, Lee Child included, into a cocked hat. In fact, we need Sam Carver to take on Jack Reacher in some cross polination show down.There is a prologue, when Carver fails to quite knock off an evil business man through a plane crash. His subsequent survival turns him into an evangelical god bother, convinced the rapture is coming. He has a large part to play in the ongoing story.This book starts off proper from where the last one finished and even has a sense of realism. Carver is recovering from his torture at the end of the last book. His lover, Alix, is struggling to make ends meet, taking a job in a swiss beer hall. Carvers recovery takes some time. When the action kicks off, he even goes through some Rocky 4 style training to get his mojo back.The stort has the aforementioned christian trying to buy ex soviet nuclear suitcase bombs which he can detonate over Jerusalem to start a holy war. (Realism goes a bit here).Cue the russians from the previous books, the british and the americans all trying to stop the attrocity. But you know that only one man can come up trumps.Very well written. Identical to the first book. Summer thriller reading at its best but unlikely to bother any a level reading lists. less

Download links for: De overlever

Advertising