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Running Blind
It all begins with a simple errand - a package to deliver. But for Alan Stewart, standing on a deserted road in Iceland with a murdered man at his feet, the mission looks far from simple. Set amongst some of the most dramatic scenery in the world, Stewart and his girlfriend, Erin, are faced with treacherous natural obstacles and deadly threats, as they battle to carry out the mission. The contents of the package are a surprise for the reader as much as for Stewart in a finale of formidable energy.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
34 people are currently reading
1060 people want to read
About the author
Desmond Bagley
128 books164 followersDesmond Bagley was a British journalist and novelist principally known for a series of best-selling thrillers. Along with fellow British writers such as Hammond Innes and Alistair MacLean, Bagley established the basic conventions of the genre: a tough, resourceful, but essentially ordinary hero pitted against villains determined to sow destruction and chaos in order to advance their agenda.
Bagley was born at Kendal, Cumbria (then Westmorland), England, the son of John and Hannah Bagley. His family moved to the resort town of Blackpool in the summer of 1935, when Bagley was twelve. Leaving school not long after the relocation, Bagley worked as a printer's assistant and factory worker, and during World War II he worked in the aircraft industry. Bagley suffered from a speech impediment (stuttering) all of his life, which initially exempted him from military conscription.
He left England in 1947 for Africa and worked his way overland, crossing the Sahara Desert and briefly settling in Kampala, Uganda, where he contracted malaria. By 1951, he had settled in South Africa, working in the gold mining industry and asbestos industry in Durban, Natal, before becoming a freelance writer for local newspapers and magazines.
His first published short story appeared in the English magazine Argosy in 1957, and his first novel, The Golden Keel in 1962. In the interval, he was a film critic for Rand Daily Mail in Johannesburg from 1958–1962. Also during this period, he met local bookstore owner Joan Margaret Brown and they were married in 1960.
The success of The Golden Keel led Bagley to turn full time to novel writing by the mid-1960s. He published a total of sixteen thrillers, all craftsmanlike and nearly all best-sellers. Typical of British thriller writers of the era, he rarely used recurring characters whose adventures unfolded over multiple books. Max Stafford, the security consultant featured in Flyaway and Windfall, is a notable exception. Also typically, his work has received little attention from filmmakers, yielding only a few, unremarkable adaptations. Exceptions were The Freedom Trap (1971), released in 1973 as The Mackintosh Man by Warner Brothers, starring Paul Newman and Dominique Sanda; and Running Blind which was adapted for television by the BBC in 1979.
Bagley and his wife left South Africa for Italy in 1960, and then England in 1965. They settled in Totnes, Devon from 1965–1976, then lived in Guernsey in the Channel Islands from 1976-1983.
Bagley also published short stories. When not traveling to research the exotic backgrounds for his novels, Bagley spent his time sailing and motor-boating. He loved classical music and films, military history, and played war games.
Desmond Bagley died of complications resulting from a stroke at a hospital in Southampton. He was fifty-nine. His last two novels Night of Error and Juggernaut were published posthumously after completion by his wife. His works have been translated into over 20 languages.
Bagley was born at Kendal, Cumbria (then Westmorland), England, the son of John and Hannah Bagley. His family moved to the resort town of Blackpool in the summer of 1935, when Bagley was twelve. Leaving school not long after the relocation, Bagley worked as a printer's assistant and factory worker, and during World War II he worked in the aircraft industry. Bagley suffered from a speech impediment (stuttering) all of his life, which initially exempted him from military conscription.
He left England in 1947 for Africa and worked his way overland, crossing the Sahara Desert and briefly settling in Kampala, Uganda, where he contracted malaria. By 1951, he had settled in South Africa, working in the gold mining industry and asbestos industry in Durban, Natal, before becoming a freelance writer for local newspapers and magazines.
His first published short story appeared in the English magazine Argosy in 1957, and his first novel, The Golden Keel in 1962. In the interval, he was a film critic for Rand Daily Mail in Johannesburg from 1958–1962. Also during this period, he met local bookstore owner Joan Margaret Brown and they were married in 1960.
The success of The Golden Keel led Bagley to turn full time to novel writing by the mid-1960s. He published a total of sixteen thrillers, all craftsmanlike and nearly all best-sellers. Typical of British thriller writers of the era, he rarely used recurring characters whose adventures unfolded over multiple books. Max Stafford, the security consultant featured in Flyaway and Windfall, is a notable exception. Also typically, his work has received little attention from filmmakers, yielding only a few, unremarkable adaptations. Exceptions were The Freedom Trap (1971), released in 1973 as The Mackintosh Man by Warner Brothers, starring Paul Newman and Dominique Sanda; and Running Blind which was adapted for television by the BBC in 1979.
Bagley and his wife left South Africa for Italy in 1960, and then England in 1965. They settled in Totnes, Devon from 1965–1976, then lived in Guernsey in the Channel Islands from 1976-1983.
Bagley also published short stories. When not traveling to research the exotic backgrounds for his novels, Bagley spent his time sailing and motor-boating. He loved classical music and films, military history, and played war games.
Desmond Bagley died of complications resulting from a stroke at a hospital in Southampton. He was fifty-nine. His last two novels Night of Error and Juggernaut were published posthumously after completion by his wife. His works have been translated into over 20 languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
December 31, 2011
My literary sweet tooth is cheesy formula thriller writers from the 60s and 70s: Alastair MacLean, Hammond Innes, and Desmond Bagley. Of the three, my sense is that Bagley has best survived the changing times and literary fashions. To be sure, none of them wrote the 800 page brainkillers that became popular in the 80s; but their 250-page novels are well-plotted, expertly written, and rarely feel over-long.
"Running Blind" is a pursuit story: a spy courier is attacked on a milk run, he suspects his boss is lying to him, his fiance becomes involved, and they chase and are chased across Iceland. The spy knows his guns, naturally, but is a Scot and his weapon of choice is his sgian dubh (the small knife Highlanders carry in their hose under the kilt). His gun lore extends beyond movie cliches: buildings do not provide protection against gunfire, so at one point the hero outside the house shoots the baddies (how can you not think of stories like this in terms of the hero and the baddies?) as they hide beside windows inside the house.
One by one, though, the books I've returned to since childhood are losing their potency. Alastair MacLean's alcoholism lets down all but his first books, and it takes fewer novels to bore me every time I dive back into Dick Francis. "Running Blind" still shines, but even its luster is fading: the early reveal and long mcguffin-driven chase mean it's a novel that focuses on action rather than on suspense or mystery. If it were written today, the editor would request a last-minute reveal and a change in the character over the course of the book. But it was written in the 1970s and square-jawed men fighting off swarthy rogues is what the time demanded, and I can't fault its delivery on that front.
"Running Blind" is a pursuit story: a spy courier is attacked on a milk run, he suspects his boss is lying to him, his fiance becomes involved, and they chase and are chased across Iceland. The spy knows his guns, naturally, but is a Scot and his weapon of choice is his sgian dubh (the small knife Highlanders carry in their hose under the kilt). His gun lore extends beyond movie cliches: buildings do not provide protection against gunfire, so at one point the hero outside the house shoots the baddies (how can you not think of stories like this in terms of the hero and the baddies?) as they hide beside windows inside the house.
One by one, though, the books I've returned to since childhood are losing their potency. Alastair MacLean's alcoholism lets down all but his first books, and it takes fewer novels to bore me every time I dive back into Dick Francis. "Running Blind" still shines, but even its luster is fading: the early reveal and long mcguffin-driven chase mean it's a novel that focuses on action rather than on suspense or mystery. If it were written today, the editor would request a last-minute reveal and a change in the character over the course of the book. But it was written in the 1970s and square-jawed men fighting off swarthy rogues is what the time demanded, and I can't fault its delivery on that front.
June 4, 2022
Still an awesome read, and I've read this one so often the spine's disintegrating. Well-written, literate, and intelligent spy-thriller.
May 7, 2018
Alan Stewart has been out of the "Department" for a few years and is finding life in Iceland to his liking. Then he ends up with a dead stranger at his feet and is quickly subsumed into a situation where Russians, British and mavericks seem to collide in a Cold War themed thriller.
With very sound descriptions of Iceland, its countryside and features, there are bad guys and good guys, and some who seem good but are certainly bad, trying to get track each other and obtain some things that are important to all.
Desmond Bagley's story is a little formulaic in 2018, but in 1970 it was a big-seller and his plots had strong links to the real , including the politics of the day, and importantly too the technologies being used and pushed ever further in capability by scientists.
An enjoyable and quick read with spies, chases and love all present in volcanic Iceland.
With very sound descriptions of Iceland, its countryside and features, there are bad guys and good guys, and some who seem good but are certainly bad, trying to get track each other and obtain some things that are important to all.
Desmond Bagley's story is a little formulaic in 2018, but in 1970 it was a big-seller and his plots had strong links to the real , including the politics of the day, and importantly too the technologies being used and pushed ever further in capability by scientists.
An enjoyable and quick read with spies, chases and love all present in volcanic Iceland.
November 15, 2010
I re-started reading Bagley after a friend of mine said he aged well. And he's right - Bagley reads much better than Maclean now that I'm older.
June 6, 2025
3+ stars for the story itself, but another 1+ for the unique setting and excellent narration (see below).
I've never read Bagley before, but have read about him (and many others) in Mike Ripley's wonderful Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang: The Boom in British Thrillers from Casino Royale to The Eagle Has Landed, and so was happy to learn that Hoopla has a number of his works available as audiobooks. Bagley writes and reads much like early Alistair MacLean, which is both good and bad; he also (at least here) succumbs to many of the clichés of the genre at the time — repeated captures and escapes, a whole lot of cross-country running (to the point that it frequently reminded me of The Thirty-Nine Steps), and the most MacGuffin-y MacGuffin I've ever run across. But the story certainly held my attention during a long drive from Virginia to Chicago, and again, that setting.
Far too little fiction is set in Iceland, and certainly too few thrillers, (perhaps understandably, in that Iceland doesn't have a standing army and only a minimal intelligence capability). But Bagley manages to not only set a riveting story there, but along the way give his audience a wide-ranging but still-plot-relevant tour of the island at the same time.* On top of which, narrator Paul Tyreman not only nails all the Icelandic names and location, but also does a similar job with the various Scottish terms — in particular, hero Alan Stewart's trademark "Sgian Dubh" (pronounced 'ski-en doo') throwing knife, which he keeps in his sock and uses a lot.
Bagley's following book — The Freedom Trap — was a sequel of sorts; but interestingly, it focuses not on THIS story’s protagonist (Stewart), but is connected through the book's villain...which I will probably listen to on the drive home.
Anyway...definitely a product of its time, but just as definitely a whole lot of fun.
* Including not only the major cities of Reykjavik and Akureyri, but natural attractions like Asbyrgyi Canyon, Surtsey Island, Strokker Geyser, Dettiflos waterfall and others…in fact, you can see an entire article about "Bagley’s Iceland by road, air and sea" here: https://thebagleybrief.com/2018/12/03...
I've never read Bagley before, but have read about him (and many others) in Mike Ripley's wonderful Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang: The Boom in British Thrillers from Casino Royale to The Eagle Has Landed, and so was happy to learn that Hoopla has a number of his works available as audiobooks. Bagley writes and reads much like early Alistair MacLean, which is both good and bad; he also (at least here) succumbs to many of the clichés of the genre at the time — repeated captures and escapes, a whole lot of cross-country running (to the point that it frequently reminded me of The Thirty-Nine Steps), and the most MacGuffin-y MacGuffin I've ever run across. But the story certainly held my attention during a long drive from Virginia to Chicago, and again, that setting.
Far too little fiction is set in Iceland, and certainly too few thrillers, (perhaps understandably, in that Iceland doesn't have a standing army and only a minimal intelligence capability). But Bagley manages to not only set a riveting story there, but along the way give his audience a wide-ranging but still-plot-relevant tour of the island at the same time.* On top of which, narrator Paul Tyreman not only nails all the Icelandic names and location, but also does a similar job with the various Scottish terms — in particular, hero Alan Stewart's trademark "Sgian Dubh" (pronounced 'ski-en doo') throwing knife, which he keeps in his sock and uses a lot.
Bagley's following book — The Freedom Trap — was a sequel of sorts; but interestingly, it focuses not on THIS story’s protagonist (Stewart), but is connected through the book's villain...which I will probably listen to on the drive home.
Anyway...definitely a product of its time, but just as definitely a whole lot of fun.
* Including not only the major cities of Reykjavik and Akureyri, but natural attractions like Asbyrgyi Canyon, Surtsey Island, Strokker Geyser, Dettiflos waterfall and others…in fact, you can see an entire article about "Bagley’s Iceland by road, air and sea" here: https://thebagleybrief.com/2018/12/03...
February 7, 2017
Retired British secret agent Alan Stewart is blackmailed into doing a simple job. He just has to drop off a package to his contact in Iceland and then he can spend the rest of the summer with his Icelandic girlfriend Elin. However, things go pear-shaped from the outset. Has he been set up? And what do the Americans and Russians have to do with it? There are plenty of twists and turns as Alan and Elin trek halfway across Iceland to escape double-crossers and would-be assassins. What's in the package that's so important? And who will get out of this mess alive?
I've read a few Desmond Bagleys, but this is the first in a long time. It's a bit "boys' own" for my current tastes, but there was still a lot to enjoy. Bagley knows how to craft a well-paced adventure story with lots of suspense, and it was interesting to see how Alan and Elin would get out of one death-defying situation after another. It was also a Cold War 'blast from the past' and easier to follow than some of the more intricate modern spy thrillers. I liked the way that Iceland's natural setting played a main part in the action. It's a country I don't know much about, so I was happy to go along for the ride. It also raised some interesting issues about ethics in espionage. For example, is it moral to sacrifice good men for a greater cause?
It was published in 1970 and would have been cutting edge at the time, complete with a couple of mentions of the moon landing from the previous year. Apparently Neil Armstrong and other Apollo astronauts did some training there due to the similarity of Icelandic geological features and those on the moon. Though I had a chuckle at one piece of outdated technology. Alan phones his boss Taggart in London and asks him to find out some information about another agent. When his boss says it will take a couple of hours, Alan says that the answer is just a button press away: "The fast, computer-controlled retrieval of microfilm combined with the wonders of closed circuit television would put an answer on to the screen on his desk in much less than two minutes providing the right coding was dialled". Ahh ... technology!
There were a few lapses of political correctness, but then it was the 70s. I liked the characters enough that I wanted them to beat the bad guys, but I didn't really feel an emotional connection to them. It was more of a plot-driven book than a character-driven one, even though it's written in first person POV from the main character. Overall, an enjoyable holiday read.
I've read a few Desmond Bagleys, but this is the first in a long time. It's a bit "boys' own" for my current tastes, but there was still a lot to enjoy. Bagley knows how to craft a well-paced adventure story with lots of suspense, and it was interesting to see how Alan and Elin would get out of one death-defying situation after another. It was also a Cold War 'blast from the past' and easier to follow than some of the more intricate modern spy thrillers. I liked the way that Iceland's natural setting played a main part in the action. It's a country I don't know much about, so I was happy to go along for the ride. It also raised some interesting issues about ethics in espionage. For example, is it moral to sacrifice good men for a greater cause?
It was published in 1970 and would have been cutting edge at the time, complete with a couple of mentions of the moon landing from the previous year. Apparently Neil Armstrong and other Apollo astronauts did some training there due to the similarity of Icelandic geological features and those on the moon. Though I had a chuckle at one piece of outdated technology. Alan phones his boss Taggart in London and asks him to find out some information about another agent. When his boss says it will take a couple of hours, Alan says that the answer is just a button press away: "The fast, computer-controlled retrieval of microfilm combined with the wonders of closed circuit television would put an answer on to the screen on his desk in much less than two minutes providing the right coding was dialled". Ahh ... technology!
There were a few lapses of political correctness, but then it was the 70s. I liked the characters enough that I wanted them to beat the bad guys, but I didn't really feel an emotional connection to them. It was more of a plot-driven book than a character-driven one, even though it's written in first person POV from the main character. Overall, an enjoyable holiday read.
February 5, 2017
Fun. A very nearly perfect thriller. Fast, intense, twisty, ironic, Icelandic.
May 19, 2016
"It'll be simple," his contact had said. "You'll be a messenger, that's all."
Ex-British Intelligence agent Alan Stewart foolishly thought he had retired from the game and was safely hidden away among the plentiful Stewarts found in Scotland. But when his old boss needs a courier for a top-secret package, he blackmails Stewart into playing the game one more time. It's supposed to be an easy hand-off in Iceland, no problem at all for Stewart who speaks the language like a native and who has the cover of a girlfriend in the country and regular fishing trips to Iceland to mask his real purpose.
Stewart isn't buying the purported cakewalk nature of the job, though, and his instincts prove correct when less than an hour after he lands in Iceland he finds himself on a lonely road standing over the body of a man who had ambushed him and planned to make off with the booty. Stewart is reassured to know that his instincts are still sound and his reflexes as sharp as ever. What bothers him is the fact that he thought nobody but his own team knew he had traveled to Keflavik International Airport. It soon becomes apparent that not only his position is compromised, but so is the safety of Elin, the girl he loves. The two of them become embroiled in a cross-country race for their lives with a fairly violent denouement in store, made all the more difficult because Stewart no longer knows whom he can trust.
Running Blind (1970) by Desmond Bagley is far less a mystery than a spy action thriller with definite ties to the time period. Not that it's so dated that it loses much of its entertainment factor. Bagley writes a quality spy thriller with lots of action, lots of killing, but a solid story surrounding our hero and the reasons for his adventures. It's a good taste of the Cold War days with the MI6 good guys teaming up with those CIA yanks and taking on those Russian KGB thugs. There are spies and counterspies, and double-agents all mixed in with a good piece of misdirection and misinformation. The only drawback is the rather longish, extended chase through the mid-section of the book--that got to be just a bit too much. Otherwise, a good solid espionage story ringing in at ★★★ and a half--rounded to four here.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
Ex-British Intelligence agent Alan Stewart foolishly thought he had retired from the game and was safely hidden away among the plentiful Stewarts found in Scotland. But when his old boss needs a courier for a top-secret package, he blackmails Stewart into playing the game one more time. It's supposed to be an easy hand-off in Iceland, no problem at all for Stewart who speaks the language like a native and who has the cover of a girlfriend in the country and regular fishing trips to Iceland to mask his real purpose.
Stewart isn't buying the purported cakewalk nature of the job, though, and his instincts prove correct when less than an hour after he lands in Iceland he finds himself on a lonely road standing over the body of a man who had ambushed him and planned to make off with the booty. Stewart is reassured to know that his instincts are still sound and his reflexes as sharp as ever. What bothers him is the fact that he thought nobody but his own team knew he had traveled to Keflavik International Airport. It soon becomes apparent that not only his position is compromised, but so is the safety of Elin, the girl he loves. The two of them become embroiled in a cross-country race for their lives with a fairly violent denouement in store, made all the more difficult because Stewart no longer knows whom he can trust.
Running Blind (1970) by Desmond Bagley is far less a mystery than a spy action thriller with definite ties to the time period. Not that it's so dated that it loses much of its entertainment factor. Bagley writes a quality spy thriller with lots of action, lots of killing, but a solid story surrounding our hero and the reasons for his adventures. It's a good taste of the Cold War days with the MI6 good guys teaming up with those CIA yanks and taking on those Russian KGB thugs. There are spies and counterspies, and double-agents all mixed in with a good piece of misdirection and misinformation. The only drawback is the rather longish, extended chase through the mid-section of the book--that got to be just a bit too much. Otherwise, a good solid espionage story ringing in at ★★★ and a half--rounded to four here.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
February 25, 2017
As a child/teenager I absolutely loved the ”simple” suspense novels by Desmond Bagley & Alistair MacLean, eating up every word. Triggered by an audio adaption of Landslide I fell upon, I decided to revisit Desmond Bagley to see if the Novels could withstand the wear of more than 35 years.
The first (pleasant) surprise was that even though I thought I had read all the books, not all were translated to Danish at that time, so I could start out with a couple of new experiences.
The Golden Keel (1963) , High Citadel (1965) , Wyatt's Hurricane (1966)
The first 3 books, all new to me, were pleasant surprises and it was plain to see why Bagley so quickly became a best-seller novelist, the stories are well written with a fast pace and a sense of detail which makes them readable even today.
Landslide (1967)
Landslide was a revisit and one of my favorites both back then and now, the story is catching and has a definite film manuscript feeling about it,
The Vivero Letter (1968)
Another “new” novel, it was not as strong as the first 4 but still enjoyable.
The Spoilers (1969)
Another new novel and a definitely low point, the story is weak and utterly unbelievable.
Running Blind (1970)
Another reread and another favorite, maybe his best novel, the story is strong, the setting in Iceland is brilliant and characters, simple as they are, are believable.
The Freedom Trap (1971) , The Tightrope Men (1973) ,The Snow Tiger (1975), The Enemy (1977)
Flyaway (1978), Bahama Crisis (1980), Windfall (1982), Night Of Error (1984), Juggernaut (1985)
The first (pleasant) surprise was that even though I thought I had read all the books, not all were translated to Danish at that time, so I could start out with a couple of new experiences.
The Golden Keel (1963) , High Citadel (1965) , Wyatt's Hurricane (1966)
The first 3 books, all new to me, were pleasant surprises and it was plain to see why Bagley so quickly became a best-seller novelist, the stories are well written with a fast pace and a sense of detail which makes them readable even today.
Landslide (1967)
Landslide was a revisit and one of my favorites both back then and now, the story is catching and has a definite film manuscript feeling about it,
The Vivero Letter (1968)
Another “new” novel, it was not as strong as the first 4 but still enjoyable.
The Spoilers (1969)
Another new novel and a definitely low point, the story is weak and utterly unbelievable.
Running Blind (1970)
Another reread and another favorite, maybe his best novel, the story is strong, the setting in Iceland is brilliant and characters, simple as they are, are believable.
The Freedom Trap (1971) , The Tightrope Men (1973) ,The Snow Tiger (1975), The Enemy (1977)
Flyaway (1978), Bahama Crisis (1980), Windfall (1982), Night Of Error (1984), Juggernaut (1985)
April 25, 2021
This was a real treat. As a kid, my dad had a pile of Desmond Bagley, Hammond Innes & Alistair MacLean books. Many of the books are out of print now so it was nice to find Desmond Bagley's books on audio now. I really enjoyed this one. I tend to find a lot of modern "Men's Adventure" novels fairly uninteresting but I feel the godfathers of Men's Adventure like Bagley did it right. Running Blind is a really enjoyable thriller and more than stands up after all these decades.
August 8, 2021
Forrygende spændingsroman fra Den Kolde Krigs tid, hvor intet og ingen er, hvad det/de foregiver at være. Fint billede af Islands udfordrende natur. Trods en ret altmodisch kvindesyn absolut læsværdig.
Genlæst i 2021, delvist ifm. en rejse i Island. Det gjorde ikke genlæsningen ringere!
Genlæst i 2021, delvist ifm. en rejse i Island. Det gjorde ikke genlæsningen ringere!
July 8, 2021
I admit that this book doesn’t feel shamefully dated (first published 1970) and it is pretty well written for an old spy thriller, but it is not good when your favorite part of the book is the Icelandic setting.
February 8, 2011
Bagley is right up there with my favorite mystery authors even though he isn't as prolific as some.
May 10, 2013
Like a more action packed 39 Steps set in Iceland.
May 26, 2010
Nifty Cold War thriller set in Iceland. Lots of action and a nicely done ending.
May 21, 2018
I was advised to read this to get a sense of the Icelandic landscape. It delivered on that score and was also a decent enough thriller, though the relentless stream of action and plot twists without any real character depth gets wearing after a while. The Fontana edition has a peculiar cover, more Haynes manual than adventure story.
July 15, 2025
Running Bling is easy and compelling read. It’s like a cross between hard-boiled noir and James Bond.
June 16, 2016
I was reluctant to read this book because I was concerned that a spy novel of the 70s might have technology that are too dated and make the characters & their actions seem inefficient. I was wrong, it was fine. The action was still solid. This was spy vs. spy vs. spy plus yankees.That main character is a retired British gentleman/deadly spy. His love interest is a TOUGH Icelandic woman. A very solid spy novel.
MAJOR SPOILER/BOOK SUMMARY:
So I think what happened was... American scientist came up with a useless device but then decided to trick the Russians into thinking it was something major. The Brits then, in cahoots with the Americans, pretended to be annoyed and "stole" a piece of the device. They leaked info to Russia so that the Russians, in turn, would steal it and generally be super worried and research something that doesn't actually exist. The Brits pick up Alan to do the "losing" of the device but doesn't let him in on it. Things gets even MORE complicated because Alan's mid-boss is actually a Russian double agent who's trying to climb up the ladder and he's hauled in Alan's ex nemesis (whose balls he shot off) Kennikin. BUT ALSO Kennikin was unknowingly betrayed by the same mid-boss back in the day so the mid-boss could move up the ladder. Alan, not knowing he was supposed to lose the device, got too clever about not handing it over. Lots of agents on both sides die due to this little spy mindfuck game.
MAJOR SPOILER/BOOK SUMMARY:
So I think what happened was... American scientist came up with a useless device but then decided to trick the Russians into thinking it was something major. The Brits then, in cahoots with the Americans, pretended to be annoyed and "stole" a piece of the device. They leaked info to Russia so that the Russians, in turn, would steal it and generally be super worried and research something that doesn't actually exist. The Brits pick up Alan to do the "losing" of the device but doesn't let him in on it. Things gets even MORE complicated because Alan's mid-boss is actually a Russian double agent who's trying to climb up the ladder and he's hauled in Alan's ex nemesis (whose balls he shot off) Kennikin. BUT ALSO Kennikin was unknowingly betrayed by the same mid-boss back in the day so the mid-boss could move up the ladder. Alan, not knowing he was supposed to lose the device, got too clever about not handing it over. Lots of agents on both sides die due to this little spy mindfuck game.
October 16, 2014
I read this book back in the Seventies and I was delighted to find it available on ereader. Frankly I wondered whether it would be dated, but it really hasn't. OK you have to get used to the lack of mobile 'phones, the fact that people smoke and that there is still a cold war on!
However, people can forgive the classics because they're set in the past, no reason they can't do the same for this excellently paced, tight plotted thriller. The writing is still fresh and easy to read. It transports you to, and makes you want to see, Iceland and it gives you the feeling of authenticity with every word.
Really enjoyed it!
However, people can forgive the classics because they're set in the past, no reason they can't do the same for this excellently paced, tight plotted thriller. The writing is still fresh and easy to read. It transports you to, and makes you want to see, Iceland and it gives you the feeling of authenticity with every word.
Really enjoyed it!
July 29, 2018
Running Blind is my favourite Bagley book, where our hero is trying to deliver a package in Iceland while being chaed by the Russians. Total page-turner thriller where you never know what will happen next. It's a great read for anyone that is interested in Iceland - dozens of places are visited in the book and each is authentically described by the author. All the great places in Iceland you've heard of like Geysir and Gullfoss. I love this book and have re-read it many times.
April 7, 2020
Bagley in excelsis: the narrative starts in media res with the stakes high. The pace only increases and the stakes only get higher. The tension is constant, the action scenes handled with aplomb, and the Icelandic setting is evoked with the kind of descriptive skill that Hammond Innes was known for. ‘Running Blind’ marks Bagley’s shift towards the espionage genre, and he handles the transition with skill and confidence.
September 2, 2017
A book stolen from my fathers cache of books when I was a teen, it was my entry point into Bagleys particular style of action thriller, and led me to seek out his other books at the public library, I've not read it in over 20 years, but it inspired me to visit Iceland, and for that alone it's one of my fave books.
August 5, 2025
2023 Update. My new Kindle reader needed a good start, so I got the Kindle version of my favorite book from my youth. Still love it, and great to read it off my kindle
2022 Wonderful book. I have read it to pieces all my life, and now I got the audiobook version. And I love it.
Desmond Bagley is SOOO good - also almost 50 years after...
2022 Wonderful book. I have read it to pieces all my life, and now I got the audiobook version. And I love it.
Desmond Bagley is SOOO good - also almost 50 years after...
June 3, 2020
Somewhat dated compared to more modern entries in the genre, it nonetheless has a certain classic charm, an exotic location, well-rounded characters and a dynamic thread that never lets up until it's conclusion.
My favourite Bagley book, it's on my annual read list.
My favourite Bagley book, it's on my annual read list.
June 11, 2016
One of my all time favourites. Desmond Bagley's novels make you feel nostalgic about those bygone eras of 70s and 80s. I must re-read most of his books 3 times on average. His books are packed with feel-good stuff.
March 10, 2019
One of first books I ever read and an absolute thriller. Its a trademark Desmond Bagley novel with his focus on weapons and nail biting close calls. With a hint of sarcasm and humour here and there, it makes for a very interesting read.
December 6, 2008
Nice trip to Iceland, Reyjavik !! Well written & needless to say action- packed!!
August 30, 2013
Enjoy Bagley. He writes an entertaining thriller
March 26, 2020
First Desmond bagley And i kind of liked it. In the end, the package was a deception and the Russians were playing a double blind!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2010
My favorite DB book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews