The Moscow Sleepers is the 10th and most recent book in the Liz Carlyle series written by Stella Rimington.

Four apparently disparate incidents are scrutinised by Britain’s security services: a suspected Russian illegal is seriously ill in a United States hospital; a Russian army officer requests a clandestine rendezvous in Germany; a long-term undercover Russian agent in Belgium is considering defecting; and activities at a boarding school in England are being investigated by the authorities.

Rimington’s fans know she prepares well and writes a good yarn oozing with authenticity. This time, with so many red flags popping up, there’s a more-than-usual need for concentration to keep track of the abundance of characters.

It’s two years since Martin Seurat, Liz Carlyle’s much-loved partner, was tragically killed in Paris; she has thrown herself into her work in an attempt to deaden the pain. Out of the blue, Richard Pearson, a high-ranking policeman, leaves a message indicating he’s moved from Manchester and is now living closer to London. Liz and Richard had recently worked well together on a counter-terrorism operation. She has fond memories of her time in Manchester but hasn’t yet returned his call.

The Moscow Sleepers is slow to begin as we are introduced to one possible spy after another but eventually the various strands come together. Surprises, crumbling plans, deaths and joy lead to an ending that quickens the heartrate.

Reviewed by Clive Hodges

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dame Stella Rimington (born 1935) was the first woman to become Director General of the Security Service on her appointment to that position in 1992. The following year she became the Service’s first publicly acknowledged DG.

She joined the Service in 1969 and worked in a variety of roles, including counter-subversion and counter-terrorism. She became the first woman to be promoted to the rank of Director of a Service branch. Under her management as Director General, the Service took on the lead role in the fight against Irish republican terrorism. Dame Stella also instituted a policy of greater public openness that included the beginning of an ongoing programme of releasing historical Service files to the National Archives.

Dame Stella retired from the Service in 1996. She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath in the same year and published her autobiography, Open Secret, in 2001. Since then she has published a number of novels set in the world of intelligence and counter-terrorism.