The Bell Ringers - Hardcover

"A top-notch Cold War thriller . . . Beautifully researched and rich in Incident and intriguing characters, this tour de force, on a par with John le Carre, has as many twists as a mountain road but is never confusing." -- Ronnie H. Lerpening "A first-rate thriller . . . [Brandenburg Gate] exhilaratingly testifies to the thriller genre's ability to transcend its primary role as entertainment." -- John Dugdale "If you thought Cold War thrillers were old hat and that, in any case, Deighton and Le Carre had comered the market, think again." -- Sue Arnold "[Porter] continues to breathe new life into spy fiction." -- Bill Greenwell For those who like political thrillers, this is one of the season s best scary, informative, and, alas, eminently believable. "The Economist" A sophisticated, engrossing, and important political thriller. Patrick Anderson, "The Washington Post" Porter has battled for years against the insidious creep of government snooping. If you worry about too large a dollop of didacticism, fear not: "The Bell Ringers" is a thriller, and Porter is a stylist who enjoys a bit of theatrical flourish. You ll find yourself imagining the movie it would make"North by Northwest" meets "House of Cards." Still, the message is clear, and persuasive. Porter claims that the novel is set in the near future. Don t be fooled. Cullen Murphy, "Vanity Fair" Read it and you'll be hooked. Alan Cheuse, Dallas Morning News Outstanding. "Publishers Weekly" (starred review) A chilling political thriller This gripping novel will appeal to readers of action-packed patriotic thrillers (think Brad Thor) as well as fans of David Baldacci and Brad Meltzer. "Library Journal" (starred review) "The Bell Ringers" is a wonderful novel. I read it addictively and was sorry the minute it was over. It s way too good to be called a thriller. Richard Ford I can think of few writers better qualified for the contemporary thriller than Henry Porter. He s never been afraid to take a standhe has a journalist s natural nosiness and disdain for politicians, wedded to the narrative gifts of a fine storyteller. "The Bell Ringers is a novel with a purpose from a man born to make mischief. Hell, I wish I d written it. John Lawton, author of the Inspector Troy Series The Orwellian parallels are clear, but Porter gives the subject a subtle, complex and well-timed shot in the arm. Adam Woog, "The Seattle Times" Superb. Anna Mundow, "The Boston Globe" Henry Porter writes fabulous novels. "Empire State" was one of my favorites a couple of years back. "The Bell Ringers" is even better, a spy novel for everyone who loves le Carre and Deighton, but with a crisp modern woman in charge. You won't put this novel down until the final paragraph. Margaret Cannon, The Globe & Mail (Canada) In Henry Porter s exciting, timely, and frightening story, a single brave, prescient individual [takes on] megalomaniac officialdom A can t-put-it-down, rattling good yarn. "Literary Review" A vibrant thriller dealing with the surveillance state and the erosion of individual liberty. Although set in the future, it feels as up-to-the-minute as tomorrow s headlines. "The New Statesmen," Books of the Year A daring, stylish, and tensely paced thriller. "Metro" (UK) " "For those who like political thrillers, this is one of the season's best scary, informative, and, alas, eminently believable." --"The Economist" "A sophisticated, engrossing, and important political thriller." --Patrick Anderson, "The Washington Post" "Porter has battled for years against the insidious creep of government snooping. If you worry about too large a dollop of didacticism, fear not: "The Bell Ringers" is a thriller, and Porter is a stylist who enjoys a bit of theatrical flourish. You'll find yourself imagining the movie it would make--"North by Northwest" meets "House of Cards." Still, the message is clear, and persuasive. Porter claims that the novel is set in the near future. Don't be fooled." --Cullen Murphy, "Vanity Fair" "Read it and you'll be hooked." --Alan Cheuse, Dallas Morning News "Outstanding." --"Publishers Weekly" (starred review) "A chilling political thriller ... This gripping novel will appeal to readers of action-packed patriotic thrillers (think Brad Thor) as well as fans of David Baldacci and Brad Meltzer." --"Library Journal" (starred review) ""The Bell Ringers" is a wonderful novel. I read it addictively and was sorry the minute it was over. It's way too good to be called a thriller." --Richard Ford "I can think of few writers better qualified for the contemporary thriller than Henry Porter. He's never been afraid to take a stand--he has a journalist's natural nosiness and disdain for politicians, wedded to the narrative gifts of a fine storyteller. "The Bell Ringers is a novel with a purpose from a man born to make mischief. Hell, I wish I'd written it." --John Lawton, author of the Inspector Troy Series "The Orwellian parallels are clear, but Porter gives the subject a subtle, complex and well-timed shot in the arm." --Adam Woog, "The Seattle Times" "Superb." --Anna Mundow, "The Boston Globe" "Henry Porter writes fabulous novels. "Empire State" was one of my fa

In Henry Porter s novel, "The Bell Ringers," England in the near future appears largely unchanged. There are concerns over the threat of terrorism, the press is feisty, and the prime minister is soon to call a general election. But quietlyand largely unknown to the public or even most in governmentthings have become undeniably Orwellian: cameras with license plate recognition software record every car s movements; a sophisticated top-secret data-mining system known as Deep Truth combs through personal records and identifies petty criminals as well as those disposed to antigovernment beliefs. In the interest of security, the divide between private and public has crumbled, and freedom has given way to control. Once the prime minister s head of intelligence, and one of those who knew about Deep Truth, David Eyam suffered a fall from grace and then died in a terrorist bombing. Now his former lover has been named as the benefactor of his estate. But Eyam has left her more than just his wealth; she is also the heir to his dangerous secrets and unfinished business. Absorbing, eerie, and unsettlingly realistic, "The Bell Ringers" is a fearless work from a talented novelist at the top of his game."