We are nameless and speak in ciphers; we are homeless and work among strangers; and if we claim identity then it lies in the sacrosanct and classified files somewhere in this building whose doors are as nameless as we. (Quiller in The Tango Briefing, 24)
I’ve got such a backlog of book reviews to write, you wouldn’t believe it! For more than two months now, my family’s been traveling the States, and I’ve been buying up books all along the way—more than my car can handle, actually.
One of the first books I got in Utah was The Tango Briefing, the fifth book in Adam Hall’s Quiller series. I’d previously read two other Quiller books and recalled them as fast-paced spy thrillers. This one is somewhat slower but still scratches the thriller itch.
Rough Synopsis
The story begins like many others in the genre: the hero’s just returned to the office from a mission overseas, and while he definitely needs a break, the Agency needs his services even more. We would barely know anything about Q or Miss Moneypenny if Ian Fleming’s 007 never spent time in his own headquarters, so there’s something to be said for these grounding scenes in spy novels, as boring or as information heavy as they might feel.
Through Quiller’s handler, the London Bureau asks him to head into the Sahara to find a downed aircraft and to unravel the mysteries of lost personnel and the plane’s mysterious cargo. Quiller must find a way to reach the plane without drawing the attention of possible enemies and thus must parachute in from a glider and with minimal equipment, scenes which raise the bar of suspense. His discoveries and quick thinking in the desert keep the book moving as well.
Scenes of Suspense
As in other books, Quiller experiences incessant scrapes along the way, though these scrapes rarely seem forced or there only for thrills (as happens in spy movies). Instead, Quiller is hunted by unknown and faceless enemies searching for the plane that only Quiller can locate. Sometimes they want him scared, and other times they want him dead.
What I love about these scenes is Hall’s ability to bring up the reader’s own heartrate through his writing. By removing punctuation for whole paragraphs at a time, Hall forces the reader to experience these dire situations quickly and without a break. He writes Quiller’s thoughts, desperate and occasionally jumbled, so we’re inside the spy’s head, understanding his fears and following his logic.
Interrogation and Suffix-9
I also really enjoyed watching Quiller face up to interrogations in this book. Hall describes at one point that the “Quiller-9” designation means that Quiller has proven himself trustworthy under duress, or “reliable under torture.” I assume there’s a backstory to this, something that occurred in previous books in the series, so it would be interesting to go back and read those—but sadly, I’ve only been reading the Quiller books as I find them in thrift stores, and this is the only one I’ve found all summer!
Quiller has this helpful advice to offer when it comes to interrogations:
The only possible way is to remove the mind from the body and to look at the situation objectively—the pain is expressed in the nerves and is perfectly natural but it doesn’t have any significance; it’s totally physical and there’s no message; you merely want it to stop and you could say the word but you couldn’t live with yourself afterwards so you might as well die now and if you’re prepared to die then they’ve had it because once you’re dead you’re no more use and they know that. (175)
Conclusion
Overall, this was another fun addition to the Quiller series. There’s a small amount of language in it—maybe rated PG-13—so it’s not one I’m going to recommend to my kids. But for an adult-level afternoon escape, I find that Quiller is just as exciting as James Bond.
©2024 E.T.
Read More from Adam Hall:
- The Tango Briefing (1973)
- The Peking Target (1981)
- Quiller Bamboo (1991)
Read More from Ian Fleming:
- Casino Royale (1953)
- Moonraker (1955)
- Diamonds are Forever (1956)
- From Russia with Love (1957)
- The Spy Who Loved Me (1962)