This ending to the splendid Samson series is frankly, a train wreck. How to start? First and most obvious, Rudi, owner of the sleazy Berlin club Babylon is back from the dead, ok, Len forgot how he died a few books ago. 2nd, Now it seems that Prettyman killed Thurkettle, but we know that it was Werner who shot him, did Len forget again? In truth, I really can't blame Len, if Werner kills Thurkettle, it makes for an even more torturous trip for Tessa's brooch (the sapphire). Thurkettle pockets it while he's hack-sawing off Tessa's head, guess a brooch gets in the way. Then Werner goes through Thurkettle's pockets like any good field agent should and gives it to Prettman? Prettyman gives it to his Canadian nurse then gets it back?
'Sorry hon, can I have that bauble back'? 3rd, Bernard drops his father's webly while running under fire back to the van during Fiona's exfiltration on the autobahn? Thurkettle somehow finds it up and drops his own shotgun? This all happens in the mud of a highway construction site in East Berlin at night.. The webly is found with Thurkettle's body but the shotgun is not. Now, Bernard and Fiona are speeding away like hell's bells, as they should, but Thurkettle moves with the speed of light, he hacksaws off Tessa's head, finds the webly that Bernard would in no way drop, puts the body in the car with the head that has dentistry courtesy of Gloria's father, douses the lot with petrol and lights it up. Bernard and Fiona are apparently still so close, Bernard can see the explosion in the rear view. HUH? Other issues remain about this whole operation, it's both complex and rather elegant. Thurkettle is instructed to tell Werner that Fiona didn't make it. Werner is instructed to kill Thurkettle if Fiona doesn't escape. Werner killes Thurkettle, brilliant. But this is far too complex to believe that Silas is the sole mastermind. Since when does Werner take his instructions from Silas? He doesn't even KNOW Silas. The moral issues are equally disturbing. The entire Fiona operation leaves so many innocent victims for witch she bears responsibility. Her abandoned husband and children, Bernard HAS to have his heart ripped out, his genuine and profound anguish has to be visible from Moscow, for her COVER. Anyone remember Blum? He was the East German who tried to defect, but Fiona turned him in just to nail her bona fides at the time she 'defected'. Fiona then saw him in East Berlin, he had been electro-shocked into a semi zombie. Fiona apparently lost no sleep over this guy or her family, sailing on a lake with her KGB lover. Through it all, only one person stands by Bernard without reservation, Gloria. She bends and breaks rules, loves him and does everything she can for him and the children. Even Werner lies to Bernard. And in the end? Silas gets a pass, citing his mental health. Dicky was told to bring Tessa to Berlin to her well planned death, but skates. Brett has been the focus of much of Bernard's class envy throughout the whole series. He is the cold hearted master puppeteer. Bernard would never work out with Gloria because, we are told, he's old enough to be her father. She sends the final knife into Bernard's heart by consenting to marry Brett who is old enough to be her grandfather. The mark of a good story is how engaged, how invested with the characters and the story, the reader becomes. Judging by that, the Samson series was brilliant, but Len really screwed the pootch with 'Charity'.

I've now read all 9 books - in order - in the 3 Bernard Samson trilogies - Berlin Game, Mexico Set, London Match, Spy Hook, Spy Line, Spy Sinker, Faith, Hope, and now Charity - and I really liked them all - and I do recommend reading them that way. I've also read his lengthy book, Winter, which has a tangential interaction with these books - and which I liked but feel is not necessary to enjoying these. Deighton says each book stands on its own, but I'm probably not a good judge of that. I've said the pace can seem slow in spots - in all the books - but then it speeds up, so on average it is pretty steady. And the slower parts tend to contribute much to his deep character and location development. Of course his attempt to make all books stand alone means there is some repetition in character and location development, but it is tolerable. All in all I highly recommend them all.

I have lovely memories of many Bernard samsons in my life. Honest, strong, determined and many other adjectives that describe dependable people. After nine books he is part of my family and I am sorry to see him go. I wasn't comfortable with Sinker because it was more about people who don't mind cheating, or prefer it that way. The books have a character because the characters, places and scenes are real, they grow, change, develop. Very few writers seem to be able to sustain it the way Mr Deighton has managed and it makes his books a real pleasure to read. Thank you.

Remember that potato chip commercial slogan "Bet'ya can't eat just one?" That would apply to this Len Deighton spy novel series. It's addictive. Somewhere in the middle of the novels, I was wondering if there was a Betty Ford Center for readers hooked on his novels to turn to; nevertheless, I gave in and continued. The man is brilliant. His novels exciting and engaging. His characters human. Worth the small amount of money for the good experience.

I would have given this 5-stars since I've read nine (9) Bernard Samson books by this author but the ending failed me. After all this time with "Bernrd" you would have thought that he deserved something more at the end of a long literary journey than a 'hopeful' letter from his wife (not even addressed to him) that things might get better. Left me very disappointed. Maybe another book is coming????????

Lots of ends tied off some more successfully than others. The personal lives less satisfactory than the plotlines in this regard but a solid end to an enjoyable 10 book series. I do have some regrets that the series ended before the wall came down despite the last few books being written years later but I accept this as the author's choice.

I love the memorable life-like characters the author creates and builds for his stories. My only criticism with this particular trilogy is there are (unfortunately for me) a few elements of the story line that are just a little too much of a stretch to be absolutely credible. However, as a lifelong fan of this author's work in total, I can easily overlook these few "loose ends" at the end of the story and would gratefully consume voraciously yet another "Bernard Sampson" yarn, in a heartbeat. Thanks LD for the wonderful entertainment