Deadly Variations

by Paul Myers

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0814909191
• ISBN13: 9780814909195
• Release Date: January 1986
• Publisher: Vanguard Press
• Length: 197 Pages

Customer Reviews

How times have changed --

To find out just how much our world has changed in the last ten to fifteen years, one has but to read a 'thriller' or 'espionage' type novel of the late 1980s. When the Iron Curtain descended for the final time, this entire genre of novels became almost superfluous. Almost--but not quite, especially if they were well done and believable in the first place.To me, thankfully, the 'Deadly . . .' books by Paul Myers are in this latter category, as classical music is one of my passions, and Mr. Myers knows very well whereof he writes! Having spent his working career as a producer and recording engineer for some of the biggest names in the classical music world, (The Cleveland Orchestra and George Szell among them) he is very well equipped to write about the musical world. His travels, obviously, also provided him with background information about the major cities and concert halls in his world. The reader may never be fortunate enough to visit these marvelous venues in person, but the six books in this series will take you to a good many of them, as Mark Holland does dual-duty as an artist's agent and previous-but-dragged-into-it-again undercover agent for the UKs 'Department'. This first book, written well in advance of the curtain's descent leans heavily on the rescue of an East German scientist twelve years before the story opens. It appears that he's now stumbled on an important discovery -- a deadly formula for germ warfare. Since Mark is the man who brought him out from behind the Wall, he trusts him -- and only him -- so Mark is brought back into the department. Temporarily. Of course, it doesn't work quite that way -- once an agent, always an agent, it seems. In spite of his protests Mark finds himself in Vienna, New York and London before returning home to Geneva and yet more treachery. Music lovers will enjoy the tidbits of gossip, while trying to figure out 'who is this?' whereas those readers who like espionage- type thrillers should be satisfied with this fast-paced story that abounds in twists and turns. The final clue is a dandy! It could only have happened in a musical world. I'm off to re-read Deadly Cadenza, the next book in the series. Too bad the series can't be re-issued!