London Match cover art

London Match

Penguin Modern Classics

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London Match

By: Len Deighton
Narrated by: James Lailey
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Long-suffering spy Bernard Samson has, against all the odds, enticed a Soviet agent to defect to London - but this proves to be the start of something even bigger. For he learns that there is treachery within his own Service, and no one is free from suspicion. To discover who really controls the game of spies, he must attempt a desperate gamble. As the Game, Set and Match trilogy reaches its shattering finale, who will make the winning move?

A Bernard Samson Novel

©1985 Len Deighton (P)2021 Penguin Audio Espionage Spies & Politics Thriller & Suspense Fiction England

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Critic reviews

"Spying at its most captivating and intricate." (The Times)

"Deighton has woven an intricate and satisfying plot, peopled it with convincing characters and even given a new twist to the spy story. But then he is a master of the form." (Washington Post)
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Fantastic reading. Compelling. Thrilling. Well described characters. Plot twisting and turning. Main character believable. Recommend.

Fantastic reading.

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Brilliantly read by James Lailey, whose measured speech relays to the listener the best Benard Samson one could imagine.

Great book, a classic loved it!

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Really good story, loved every bit except perhaps the endless fawning over the 19yr old.

Great

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Keep me interested throughout the story. Will read more by Len Deighton. Perhaps Harry Palmer ones.

Good FictionalYarn

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The conclusion to Len Deighton’s ‘Game/Set/Match’ trilogy is another enjoyable journey through the intricate machinations of the Cold War spy game, not to mention the multifarious internal political jostlings going on within the London office — much to its hero Bernard Samson’s perpetual frustration!

Indeed, the ‘London’ of the title is not so much the city as the London office of MI6, as its various competing interests threaten yet again to undo any of its earlier good work (without giving too much away!). In fact — and as Len Deighton himself says in the ‘Author’s Note’ following the novel — this is really a story about Berlin, the city where much of the ‘action’ happens.

As with its two predecessors, this is a fine yarn which keeps the listener engaged throughout. The characters are all well drawn to a man. One of the most humorous scenes involves the aged and mind-befuddled Director General managing simultaneously to have a high-level operational meeting and a fitting from his tailor!

‘London Match’ is, however, by far the most preposterous and far-fetched of the three novels in the trilogy. It succeeds in being a completely believable story up until the launderette scene in Chapter 17; this being the moment where it overpasses the bounds of credulity, and it remains thus to the end. Even so, it continues to intrigue the listener, and I found myself wanting to find out the ending all the same.

Narration

James Layley’s narration is excellent. He handles the novel’s many foreign expressions capably, mostly German but also a little Latin and others. He has a nicely-tuned accent and voice for every character, which in just about all cases fits the character well. Mostly in the dialogue sections it’s easy to tell who the speaker is by the voice and accent, although I did occasionally find myself rewinding to work out ‘who said what.’

Overall, this is a very fine and enjoyable audiobook, well worth a listen — as long as you’ve listened to the previous two instalments first.

Preposterous and far-fetched, but still enjoyable

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The series gets better as we go. Marvellous. I don’t want the triple trilogy to ever end.

Twists and turns abound

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Now about to start book four . I think I am addicted .I have my own ideas about the outcome of some characters and feel I am actually in the room observing and part of the action in some minor way . As ever James Lailey keeps me captivated with his wonderful voice able to express himself easily into each character. Must go now another book to start

Full of twists and turns to keep up with

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This was a real surprise, and I will now go back and listen to the other books in the Sampson series.... Intricate plots and counter-plots, realistic characters, descriptions of places and people that show them to you in your mind..... All in all a great journey into the cold War spy world. A bit ponderous, like le carre, but stick at it and it becomes addictive.... You simply can't put it down....

A surprising good read....

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After listening to all three of Game, Set and Match I’m struggling to think of a better series. Fast, funny, clear yet full of suspense, a masterpiece with brilliant characters. Is there anything better than this?

Exceptional story telling

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A good tale of intrigue and espionage taking one back to the murky days of the Cold War.

Great listen

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