Amateur
Amateur
Amateur
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Description
Description
A spy thriller classic from the author of "The Company"
Before Robert Littell vaulted onto the bestseller lists with "The Company, The Amateur," which has been long out of print, established him as a contemporary master of the espionage thriller. In this sleek and murderous novel, Charlie Heller is an ace cryptographer for the CIA, a quiet man in a quiet back-office job. But when his fiancee is murdered by terrorists and the Agency decides not to pursue her killers, Heller takes matters into his own hands. The fact that he is an amateur makes him all the more dangerous. Mind-blowing in its intelligence, pulse-pounding in its suspense, "The Amateur" is a stunner."
Before Robert Littell vaulted onto the bestseller lists with "The Company, The Amateur," which has been long out of print, established him as a contemporary master of the espionage thriller. In this sleek and murderous novel, Charlie Heller is an ace cryptographer for the CIA, a quiet man in a quiet back-office job. But when his fiancee is murdered by terrorists and the Agency decides not to pursue her killers, Heller takes matters into his own hands. The fact that he is an amateur makes him all the more dangerous. Mind-blowing in its intelligence, pulse-pounding in its suspense, "The Amateur" is a stunner."
About the Author
About the Author
Robert Littell is the author of twenty-one other highly acclaimed novels, many about the Cold War and the Soviet Union, including his masterwork, New York Times bestseller The Company, and the Los Angeles Times Book Award winner for best mystery-thriller Legends. An American born in Brooklyn, Robert Littell now lives in France.
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
Praise for The Amateur
"It's time for Jack Reacher, Jack Ryan, Ethan Hunt and Jason Bourne to step aside to give Charles Heller--a CIA cryptographer looking to take revenge on the terrorists who killed his wife--his time in the spotlight."
--E! News "A taut, chilling plot and a protagonist as memorable as one of Len Deighton's, or le Carré's Smiley."
--The New York Times Book Review "A first-rate thriller . . . Littell is a terrific writer."
--Chicago Tribune "One of the best . . . a thoroughly professional and surprise-filled work."
--Los Angeles Times
"An espionage novel that will rival Gorky Park."
--The Minneapolis Tribune
"Truly outstanding."
--The Denver Post "This elegant spy novel has everything: honest emotions, shifting moods, a likeable hero and heroine, despicable villains, intrigue, action, surprise twists, economical writing, lively dialogue . . . The Amateur is the work of a real pro."
--The Cleveland Plain Dealer "[A] slick, edge-of-your-seat mystery."
--Electric Literature "[A] fast-paced thriller . . . The rapid-fire action and variety certainly keep the reader engaged."
--The Complete Review Praise for Robert Littell "If Littell didn't invent the American spy novel, he should have."
--Tom Clancy
"America's greatest living espionage novelist."
--Sarah Weinman, The Crime Lady "Since his Cold War classic, The Defection of AJ Lewinter, Littell has been steadily creating his own subgenre, the counter-thriller, witty and highly original tales that play off clichés of the Cold War thriller and subvert them."
--The Washington Post
"It's time for Jack Reacher, Jack Ryan, Ethan Hunt and Jason Bourne to step aside to give Charles Heller--a CIA cryptographer looking to take revenge on the terrorists who killed his wife--his time in the spotlight."
--E! News "A taut, chilling plot and a protagonist as memorable as one of Len Deighton's, or le Carré's Smiley."
--The New York Times Book Review "A first-rate thriller . . . Littell is a terrific writer."
--Chicago Tribune "One of the best . . . a thoroughly professional and surprise-filled work."
--Los Angeles Times
"An espionage novel that will rival Gorky Park."
--The Minneapolis Tribune
"Truly outstanding."
--The Denver Post "This elegant spy novel has everything: honest emotions, shifting moods, a likeable hero and heroine, despicable villains, intrigue, action, surprise twists, economical writing, lively dialogue . . . The Amateur is the work of a real pro."
--The Cleveland Plain Dealer "[A] slick, edge-of-your-seat mystery."
--Electric Literature "[A] fast-paced thriller . . . The rapid-fire action and variety certainly keep the reader engaged."
--The Complete Review Praise for Robert Littell "If Littell didn't invent the American spy novel, he should have."
--Tom Clancy
"America's greatest living espionage novelist."
--Sarah Weinman, The Crime Lady "Since his Cold War classic, The Defection of AJ Lewinter, Littell has been steadily creating his own subgenre, the counter-thriller, witty and highly original tales that play off clichés of the Cold War thriller and subvert them."
--The Washington Post
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
Publisher:
Soho Crime
Pub date:
2025-03-11
Length:
368 pages
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