A Gathering of Spies

Rating:
Summary: fast paced and impossible to put down
Review: One of the best thrillers since follett's Eye of the Needle. Leaves you breathless from beginning to end. It would have earned five stars if not for one or more spots where the German spy is bulletproof and the English are helpless - a bit hard to believe. Nonetheless, a good book and you will be entertained.

Rating:
Summary: a superb read
Review: reminded me of early Ken Follet with Day of the Jackal overtones. I read this one straight through. Not quite as good as Black Cross but an excellent novel. Hard to believe this is Altmans first novel. An exceptional talent.

Rating:
Summary: Loved The Book!
Review: This was one of several books I got at Christmas, and it did not disappoint. As a fan of the genre, I think Altman is a welcome new addition. This spy book is definitely NOT the same old, same old. I couldn't put it down once I started it. Bravo!

Rating:
Summary: A Fast Read But Lacks Credibility
Review: John Altman's debut novel, A Gathering Of Spies, is a WWII spy thriller that provides a fast read and lots of action. Unfortunately, I can't give this book more than just a "fair" rating (i.e. 2 stars) for two reasons. One reason is that Altman's characters lack sufficient depth for me to care about any of them. The second reason is that while the plot takes many twists and turns, many of them lack credibility and are too predictable. I think Altman has the potential to be a future bestselling author and a writer of well-written books. However,unlike some other reviewers, in my opinion, this particular work does not deserve for Altman to be compared to some of today's better spy thriller authors. Maybe he'll be deserving of this comparison in the future, but not now.

Rating:
Summary: style and intrigue
Review: I bought this book on a friend's recommendation and wasn't disappointed. It's full of intrigue, an old fashioned page turner! The antogonist, Katrina, is like a latter day Charlie's Angel, butworking for the bad guys. It would make a great movie.

Rating:
Summary: Very Impressive Debut!
Review: This is the debut novel of writer John Altman whose talent is obvious on every page. Although this book requires you to suspend disbelief at certain points, it is totally entertaining and engrossing. It's reasonable to have great expectations for Mr. Altman and I eagerly await more books from him!

Rating:
Summary: Loved The Book!
Review: An exciting, page-turning thriller, not to be missed.

Rating:
Summary: awesome plane read
Review: I'm scared to death of flying... bought this in the airport at JFK and made it back home through an hour of turbulence without once looking up. Katrina makes La Femme Nikita look like the Avon lady, and the final showdown ROCKED. Altman might have restored my faith in spy novels.

Rating:
Summary: great entertainment!
Review: If you're looking for pure entertainment with a fascinating historical background, this novel is for you. There's not one dull page in the whole book, and that's saying something. I expect more good things from this first time author with obvious talent.

Rating:
Summary: Nice plot but...
Review: I thought this author had a decient plot, some very very good ideas. I only have 2 main problems. one his writing style which Is no biggie, I could over look that, But he has almost NO charecter devolpment, Those two flaws made me yawn and yearn for the ending of the book. However this is his debut novel, and the plot was good enough so with the proper evolution of his writing skills he could devolp into a decient writer. I strongly suggest waiting for the paper back or going to the library for this one.