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eyezac's review
3.0
A good solid book with a predictable ending. Some of the plot points are not fully fleshed out and feel rushed, however it was hard to put down.
mandylovestoread's review
4.0
In 2021, I heard Jack Beaumont talk at Bad Crime in Sydney. I was fascinated by his stories, as an former spy in France. I bought The Frenchman and my husband snapped it up. His review:
A spy thriller written by a former spy.
This is a fast paced story of Alec de Payns, an operative in the secretive Y division of the DGSE, France's foreign intelligence service.
It is a well written and informative tale of what happens when a well prepared routine mission goes wrong, and the consequences for Alec, his family and his co workers.
The story feels real, less James Bond, more real world, and as it is written by an insider, is gives it a depth with real world know how.
Really enjoyed it, even if I had to look up the odd French word!
A spy thriller written by a former spy.
This is a fast paced story of Alec de Payns, an operative in the secretive Y division of the DGSE, France's foreign intelligence service.
It is a well written and informative tale of what happens when a well prepared routine mission goes wrong, and the consequences for Alec, his family and his co workers.
The story feels real, less James Bond, more real world, and as it is written by an insider, is gives it a depth with real world know how.
Really enjoyed it, even if I had to look up the odd French word!
isaacbarron's review
3.0
A good solid book with a predictable ending. Some of the plot points are not fully fleshed out and feel rushed, however it was hard to put down.
jgwc54e5's review
4.0
This book was hard to put down. The attention to detail was impressive and made all the scenarios seem very authentic. The main character is a French spy and he’s married with a family. He maintains various identities that he uses in various missions and there’s all the spy stuff you’d expect, dead drops, avoiding tails, using burner phones etc . There’s plenty of tension and I didn’t really guess the plot twists. The characters apart from the main guy aren’t really developed, the story is driven by action and mystery. After an initial operation in Palermo is compromised there is a possibility of a mole and there’s a lot of suspense and paranoia wondering who the traitor is. The author is described as a former French intelligence operative which makes it all the more believable.
An excellent spy thriller that I really enjoyed. In my house we’ve been working our way through the 10 seasons of Spooks so this fitted right in!
An excellent spy thriller that I really enjoyed. In my house we’ve been working our way through the 10 seasons of Spooks so this fitted right in!
hllew's review
3.0
A bit tedious. Supposedly written by a real spy. Bogged down with boring detail. Not pacey.
louisecalder's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Kidnapping
A great read and fast paced.pina's review
3.0
I was a bit disappointed with this book. The title alone and the blurb that it was written by a real French spy had me immediately on board to read it. Sadly though, in this case, being a French spy doesn’t make you a writer of fiction. The book was lacking in character development, descriptive content. It was all so very bland and would have made a great Spies for Dummies.
joads's review
5.0
Really enjoyed this book. The pages just kept turning! It was so easy to read, the hardest thing was finding time. Look forward to future books by this author as he is now on my favourite authors book.