Dirty Tricks by Chapman Pincher is to be re-published this year by Lume Books, a small indie publishing house. First published in 1980. Mr. Chapman is best known for his journalistic work as the “spy-catcher” outing George Blake as well as others who may or may not have been spies. Two of which Roger Hollis the DG of MI5 and Harold Wilson the Labor PM.
In Dirty Tricks, Pincher is able to weave these two characters as part of a fictional account into a counter intelligence plot between the US, Britain and the Soviet Union. As it is fiction, Pincher is able to make an extremely complicated plot of espionage of spy vs. spy vs. spy between the three Intelligence powers. Who is deceiving who as all three sides are trying to prevent WW III from potentially commencing? I will provide one spoiler; they succeed. However, at the completion of the book all three sides still have secrets unknown to the other two in terms of either why or who worked for who.
This is my type of espionage book in that there is no James Bond type nor sex to get into the way of a very good story. Well, no sex upfront but of course it is impossible to have a spy book with Soviets involved without a bit of compromising photos.
Finally, this book has not only a good plot, well developed but also well written as only an experienced journalist could produce. Well done Mr. Pincher.