The Labyrinth Makers

De: Anthony Price

Narrado por: Simon Schatzberger

Winner of the Crime Writers’ Association Silver Dagger.

When an RAF Dakota, presumed lost at sea in 1945, is discovered in a drained lake in Lincolnshire, together with its pilot and a cargo of worthless rubble, it falls to David Audley of the MOD to puzzle out just why the Russians are so interested in the discovery - and what the plane was carrying that is important enough to kill for.

©1971 Anthony Price (P)2013 Audible Ltd

Outstanding Book

I’ve read or listened to this book at least once a year for decades. Combines WWII history, Cold War possibilities, a superb puzzle to ponder, a romantic prize for a lonely academic with his own great old boys network, and a dash of Elizabethan architectural design. This feeds a hungry brain so well.

A great cold war series

I've read all the books and enjoyed the writing and intellectual intricacies. This episode is well read and promises much for the audio series.

Not bad but a bit long winded

I liked the earlier books. This is well written and moves along but I became impatient and raced to the predictable end.

Cold War English Spies

New series, start with this one since audible does not have these numbered yet, I went to amazon to find out where to start. I have listened to three of these treasures before writing this review. I find these spy novels a little more accessible than Le Carre and less prurient than Littell (both of which I totally love). These novels are perhaps a little quieter and the characters deeper. Although the plots are no less intricate and satisfying. I find a bit of Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham here too. Please forgive the name dropping, but if description fails, simile seems to do the trick. If any of these authors appeal, and even if they don't, give this author a try, I do not think you will be disappointed.

Good place to start.

The stories in the series dip back and forward through time and follow different characters.
After doing my usual search I did find the chronological order of writing.

(1971) The Labyrinth Makers;
The Alamut Ambush (1972)
Colonel Butler's Wolf (1972)
October Men (1973)
(1975) Other Paths to Glory
Our Man in Camelot (1975)
War Game (1977)
The '44 Vintage (1978)
Tomorrow's Ghost (1979)
The Hour of the Donkey (1980)
Soldier No More (1981)
The Old Vengeful (1982)
Gunner Kelly (1983)
Sion Crossing (1984)
Here Be Monsters (1985)
For the Good of the State (1986)
A New Kind of War (1987)
A Prospect of Vengeance (1988)
The Memory Trap (1989

I also learned there are a few good entry points, so I started at 'The Hour of the Donkey' and it does really seem that each is a stand alone story.

As Audible has all 19 books, this one is also a good starting point. Simon Schatzsberger does read very well and I am following the books he reads, first.
As a series I really like them, because they do move in time and central characters.
I did enjoy 'The Labyrinth Makers' more than 'Other Paths to Glory' that won the Gold Dagger..
My expectation is that after hearing all 19 I am likely to go back, and yes I do anticipate I will be following Anthony Price for quite a while.

Even though the stories are fiction, I think many of the events described in the stories are based in history. They cover World War1 and 11 and the Cold War period.

Interesting Story from WWII

What did you like best about The Labyrinth Makers? What did you like least?

Interesting perception on the situation. Waffled on a bit in some places

Would you be willing to try another book from Anthony Price? Why or why not?

Yes

Did Simon Schatzberger do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

We were able to distinguish which character was speaking.

Could you see The Labyrinth Makers being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yes. I don't know who would be good for the parts, a non action hero for David and Miss Jones could be played by a younger version of Meryl Streep.

Complex yet satisfying

In 1960s Britain, intelligence analyst Dr Aubrey suddenly has to switch from Middle East desk work to a daunting field operation: countering a mysterious Russian spy’s interest in a WWII downed plane. Despite fingers in many pies, Panin (pain-in) seems an unknowable cypher. What could he want with a dredged-up wreck two decades old?

Aubrey is fun to follow; clever, creative, and sometimes solving the wrong problem. I enjoyed this human-centric outlook on the problems of international intelligence that did not treat its characters solely as stereotypical cutouts. I also found the conflict resolution satisfying like a great baseball game. I got the sense of “We won this round, but they’ll be back next year.” Well done.