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At Risk, Stella Rimington
Hutchinson
Reviewed by John Whelan (Courtesy Taranaki Daily News)

If there's one person qualified to write a novel about the goings-on in Britain's secret service it would most likely be one of their ex-Director Generals. This book, therefore, is straight from the horse's mouth. Stella Rimington, with her 30-year career in MI5, the last four spent running the organisation, has the credentials.

The main character is said to be largely autobiographical, which adds a certain spice to the story, but we are reassured other people and the plot itself is pure fiction. That said, it's very realistic and uses the now all-too-familiar threat of imminent terrorist attack as the main source of tension.

Liz Carlyle is a career intelligence officer who has had to fight numerous battles within the male-dominated organisation. The personal sacrifices she has had to make to get where she is have taken their toll – she's a toughie, but a nice toughie. She also has to cope with the friction between MI5 and the police and the overseas-focused MI6.

At Risk quickly and cleverly develops into a classic thriller. It has a highly plausible plot and a race against time that keeps the momentum going. The bad guys have to be found before they can do their worst.

At Risk is an enjoyable page turner with the added interest of inside gossip and practical know-how. I especially enjoyed some of the techy titbits sprinkled into the story, such as, when using a map, never use a finger to trace a route as traces of oil can later be detected on it; details of how to make a bomb; how to break a steering lock and how to hot-wire a car.

The tension is cranked up page by page. Plenty of: Who? What? Where? Why? One of those books where I wasn't too worried about the style, I just wanted to see how it ended.