Game Without Rules

by Michael Gilbert, Alex Segura (Introduction)

Overview

Miss Marple meets John le Carre in these linked short stories of espionage and mystery, with two middle-aged British Intelligence agents (and a dog!) as sleuths.

Game Without Rules features Samuel Behrens and Daniel Calder, two secret British Intelligence operative who work in the “E” (External) Branch of the Join Services Standing Intelligence Committee. Under the direction of Mr. Fortescue—a mild-mannered bank manager and secret spy-master—Behrens and Calder will sleuth, entrap, and, if necessary, assassinate whomever dares to threaten the peace of Britain and its inhabitants.

Whether they are investigating the identity of a dead officer in a secret bunker, infiltrating a dangerous circle of fellow spies, or rescuing a double agent, Behrens and Calder will keep the realm safe with precision, efficiency, and British camaraderie.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454954262
Publisher:	Union Square & Co.
Publication date:	07/30/2024
Series:	Herald Classics
Pages:	264
Sales rank:	562,392
Product dimensions:	5.38(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Michael Gilbert (1912–2006) was a lawyer in London for many years before turning to writing. Over the course of his career, he penned police procedurals, spy novels, courtroom dramas, classical mysteries, adventure thrillers, and almost every possible combination of these, all with the same competence and dry, detached wit.

Editorial Reviews

★ 05/20/2024

In this exceptional story collection, first published in 1968, Gilbert (1912–2006) flexes his gifts for clever plotting and rich characterization. In 11 interconnected stories first printed in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Gilbert follows the exploits of unassuming British intelligence agents Samuel Behrens and Daniel Calder, both of whom have ostensibly retired to the small village of Lamperdown after long careers with MI6. The best friends’ quiet afternoons spent beekeeping and dog-walking belie their continued adventures defending England as part of the Joint Services Standing Intelligence Committee. “On Slay Down,” a highlight, finds the duo hatching a plan to take down a typist at the British Air Ministry suspected of passing classified secrets to foreign governments. Equally stirring are “Prometheus Unbound,” which sees a previous mission to liberate Albania come back to haunt Behrens and Calder, and “The Road to Damascus,” in which they try to determine how a bullet-riddled corpse ended up in a sealed underground shelter. Throughout, Gilbert combines the comforts of a cozy mystery with the ingenuity of John Le Carré. Espionage fans will cherish this rediscovered gem. (July)

Publishers Weekly

"In this exceptional story collection . . . Gilbert (1912–2006) flexes his gifts for clever plotting and rich characterization. . . . [and] combines the comforts of a cozy mystery with the ingenuity of John Le Carré. Espionage fans will cherish this rediscovered gem."—Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review
 

From the Publisher

There may be readers who can put Michael Gilbert aside unfinished, but I'm not among them.

St. Louis Dispatch

Splendidly done.

Philadelphia Inquirer

It is hard to say what element is most effective in these tales: the smooth ingenuity of plotting or the manner of telling. These are short thrillers, and also works of art.

New York Times

Entertaining and exciting reading.

New York Times Book Review

Mr Gilbert has given us an evening of pure joy.

The New Yorker

"There may be readers who can put Michael Gilbert aside unfinished, but I'm not among them."

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Splendidly done."

The Philadelphia Inquirer