Review of Private Eye, Secret Spy
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Erni Nawir
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- Latest Review: Private Eye, Secret Spy by Ian D. Withers
Review of Private Eye, Secret Spy
[Following is a volunteer review of "Private Eye, Secret Spy" by Ian D. Withers.]
Taken as an autobiography, the book is "Private Eye, Secret Spy," about a former British private investigator named Ian Withers, with an offbeat career of a couple of decades. In the process, the book digs into Withers' fascinating career from the 1960s through the 2000s and his experience in an array of high-profile cases: international child abduction recoveries, corporate espionage, and even political intrigue. Captivating narrative delves into the lives of corrupt businessmen and notorious gangsters and a near brush with the IRA.
The book is in chronological order, with each chapter considering a particular case or period in Withers' life. The narrative is quick and interesting and is very helpful in keeping the readers in compelling lines. This also allows us to observe these behind-the-scenes power struggles of political power struggles, as Withers was involved in high-profile cases like the Jeremy Thorpe scandal and the Seychelles coup plots. It's a character, a man of determination, resourcefulness, and loyalty, all to his clients, who seemingly withers himself. It's also full of the kind of wonderful characters: politicians, spies, movie stars, even a notorious gangster. Besides giving information about the characters, Withers' interactions with these characters make the story richer and the events much more complex.
While the book is great to read, some readers will be a little dry at times with surveillance and investigation methods. The book also might not engage a readership whose taste runs to political intrigue and espionage and not to more personal and emotional ones. A deeper examination of Withers' personal life and motivations on the part of the author would probably benefit this book also. Certainly, delving into his emotions and relationships would further complicate the plot, so we forgave him for paying attention to his career. 'Private Eye, Secret Spy' gets 5 out of 5 stars.
The editing of the book is, for the most part, well done, with clear and concise writing. 'Private Eye, Secret Spy' is highly recommended read for everyone interested in the world of private investigation, espionage, and political intrigue.' The firsthand experiences of Withers add a different and compellingly so dimension to some of the most controversial cases of the late 20th century. While the book lacks something, for example, when it comes to developing characters and polishing prose, the book is filled with an intriguing cast of characters and narrative that is bought in at an extremely fast pace.
******
Private Eye, Secret Spy
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Taken as an autobiography, the book is "Private Eye, Secret Spy," about a former British private investigator named Ian Withers, with an offbeat career of a couple of decades. In the process, the book digs into Withers' fascinating career from the 1960s through the 2000s and his experience in an array of high-profile cases: international child abduction recoveries, corporate espionage, and even political intrigue. Captivating narrative delves into the lives of corrupt businessmen and notorious gangsters and a near brush with the IRA.
The book is in chronological order, with each chapter considering a particular case or period in Withers' life. The narrative is quick and interesting and is very helpful in keeping the readers in compelling lines. This also allows us to observe these behind-the-scenes power struggles of political power struggles, as Withers was involved in high-profile cases like the Jeremy Thorpe scandal and the Seychelles coup plots. It's a character, a man of determination, resourcefulness, and loyalty, all to his clients, who seemingly withers himself. It's also full of the kind of wonderful characters: politicians, spies, movie stars, even a notorious gangster. Besides giving information about the characters, Withers' interactions with these characters make the story richer and the events much more complex.
While the book is great to read, some readers will be a little dry at times with surveillance and investigation methods. The book also might not engage a readership whose taste runs to political intrigue and espionage and not to more personal and emotional ones. A deeper examination of Withers' personal life and motivations on the part of the author would probably benefit this book also. Certainly, delving into his emotions and relationships would further complicate the plot, so we forgave him for paying attention to his career. 'Private Eye, Secret Spy' gets 5 out of 5 stars.
The editing of the book is, for the most part, well done, with clear and concise writing. 'Private Eye, Secret Spy' is highly recommended read for everyone interested in the world of private investigation, espionage, and political intrigue.' The firsthand experiences of Withers add a different and compellingly so dimension to some of the most controversial cases of the late 20th century. While the book lacks something, for example, when it comes to developing characters and polishing prose, the book is filled with an intriguing cast of characters and narrative that is bought in at an extremely fast pace.
******
Private Eye, Secret Spy
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Private Eye, Secret Spy by Ian D. Withers
