Product Description

A diplomat and an Israeli master-sniper plan to walk by night into the Beqa'a valley in east Lebanon, home of Palestinian revolutionary groups, in search of one man. They are far into the Beqa'a, out of reach, when their cover is blown and Syrian Intelligence are alerted to their approach.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #140481 in Books
• Published on: 1999-11-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 460 pages

From the Publisher
A thrilling classic from a master of the genre.

From the Back Cover
Peter Holt, a young diplomat, witnesses the horrific murder of his fiance and the British Ambassador within days of a new posting to the Soviet Union. The report of the murder lands on the desk of a British Intelligence officer who suspects Palestinian involvement, although the Russians insist that it was not a terrorist attack.

The British government are determined to extract revenge and Holt is the only man able to identify the assassin. He is sent to the Lebanon and the perilous Beqa'a Valley, which serves as a stronghold for the most extreme guerilla groups. Unauthorised access to the valley is virtually impossible, and capture by the Syrian Army would result in torture and death. His only company is Noah Crane, an Israeli expert sniper, who acts as his mentor and guide. But when Syrian Intelligence learn of their presence, their cover is blown. And now it is too late to turn back.

About the Author
Once a reporter for Independent Television News, Gerald Seymour has lived in the West Country for several years. His bestselling novels include Harry’s Game, The Glory Boys, Field of Blood, Killing Ground, A Line in the Sand, Holding the Zero, The Untouchable, Traitor’s Kiss, The Unknown Soldier, and Rat Run.

Customer Reviews

Riveting read - even for those not in to military novels
This story is essentially about two men . The inexperienced Holt and the ex-SAS Wylie.They are sent on a suicide mission to assassinate an assassin in the Beqa'a Valley.Seymour has interwoven the characters' thoughts and it's not long before you start to feel for each of them. The plot keeps you on tenderhooks right through. A definite read for anyone - don't wait as long as I did -15 yrs since being given the book.One of my all time favourites!

"Don't be childish, Holt!"
Jane Canning has a minor spat with her lover Holt. A few minutes later, a lone gunman kills Jane, the personal secretary to the British military attaché in Moscow, along with the British Ambassador to the USSR outside their hotel in Yalta. Holt, the latter's private secretary, sees it all, including a close-up view of the assassin's distinctively scarred face.

Comparing Holt's description of the murderer to a database of surveillance photos, MI6 in London identifies the killer as Palestinian fighter Abu Hamid. Since Jane was also the Secret Intelligence Service's agent in Moscow, the MI6 Director General recruits Holt to accompany Noah Crane, an Anglo-Jewish veteran sniper on loan from the Israeli Army, into Lebanon's dangerous Beqa'a Valley to exact vengeance. The plan is for Crane to shoot Hamid after Holt positively identifies him. Haunted by Jane's last words, "Don't be childish, Holt", the young and inexperienced Third Secretary in Her Majesty's Diplomatic Corps agrees.

AT CLOSE QUARTERS is another in a series of excellent covert action novels by Gerald Seymour whose writing embodies the best of John le Carré and Adam Hall. Le Carré's spy stories emphasize the subtleties of character and plot development, while Hall's focus on the plot twists and close run things that bedevil his hero Quiller through many sagas. In this case, the character evolution is all Holt's as he's chaperoned by the crusty and non-communicative Crane into harm's way. Crane calls Holt "youngster", and instructs him, for survival's sake, to watch everything he does - and learn. It's OJT out on the sharp edge. In the meantime, the intelligence operatives of Syria, Israel and Great Britain are all conniving for better or worse in the background.

In most of the espionage or conspiracy thrillers I've read, the end is nice and tidy, and the hero walks away with the girl. There are no shades of gray in a world once again kept safe for democracy from the diabolical scheming of the Great Unwashed. What I like about Seymour's novels, AT CLOSE QUARTERS included, is that the winners are left almost as damaged as the losers, and the victories won have a certain hollowness. This, I think, is more like real life.

Not my cup of tea
Did not enjoy this book one bit, I totally disliked the whole style of writing and the story itself.