A damn good read (Contact Zero - David Wolstencroft)

Member Name: MisterReview

Product:	Contact Zero - David Wolstencroft
Date:	28/07/09 (16 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Has all the elements of Spooks without being Spooks

Disadvantages: None

I am a big fan of Spooks the TV series created by the Scottish writer David Wolstencroft.

Contact Zero is also written by David Wolstencroft.

I saw this on ebid.net and was in two minds as to whether to buy it or not. I was worried it might turn out to be like the 'put together' authorless "[Spooks] Harry's Diary: Top Secret" (see the review link below) - I'd had my suspicions that this was also written by David Wolstencroft.

I still don't know who wrote Harry's Diary, but I am fairly confident after reading Contact Zero that it wasn't David Wolstencroft (no doubt someone will prove me wrong).

Anyway back to Contact Zero. I decided to take a gamble and bought this on ebid. I was gripped right from the beginning - anyone who has read any of my other book reviews will know I don't like to give anything away about the actual plot - I prefer to attempt to get the feel of the book across.

The book begins with a series of happenings, the climax of each one I won't say, and eventually settles on two, maybe three (but that would be telling) characters to propel the story forward - for the early parts at least.

We have the inevitable jump back in time, and some wonderful backstory elements.

I obviously can't say where this story goes, it would just spoil it for you. Aren't I wicked!

This is not a Spooks story, but it definitely feels like Spooks in many respects i.e. the team, the camaraderie. Making character comparisons with Spooks, I imagine Ben Sinclair to be a dead-ringer for Spooks' Tom, Jamie Gallagher to be an Adam type and Lucy to have a bit of the Ros Myers about her.

There is also a feel of Le Carre, although some would definitely argue a well dumbed-down version of Le Carre.

Where Spooks concentrates on the goings on at Thames House, Contact Zero puts those working from across the river in the limelight.

I really would love to tell you what happens. I have looked at other reviews, that just tell the story outright, but I couldn't possibly spoilt it for you. It is full of intrigue and I would say involves a higher degree of realism, over the 'creative' licence used in Spooks.

See also the review for Harry's Diary
http://members.dooyoo.co.uk/printed-books/
spooks-harry-s-diary-top-secret/1220713/

Summary: A must for the Spooks fan