Line #46 Literature/BernardSamsonSeries


1	A trilogy of trilogies, with an epic thrown in for good measure, this is the second best known series of Creator/LenDeighton. (His earlier series was known as "The spy with no name" in the books, who was called "Harry Palmer" in the movies).
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3	It stars a British spy called Bernard Samson who is as much a Berliner as an Englishman, having grown up as the child of an Allied Occupation officer who attended [[UsefulNotes/GermanEducationSystem German schools]] and over the course of the series discovers that his wife, also a spy, is working for UsefulNotes/EastGermany.
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5	The books in the series, divided by their trilogy:
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7	Trilogy 1: ''Game, Set and Match''.
8	* ''Berlin Game''
9	* ''Mexico Set''
10	* ''London Match''
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12	Adapted into a TV series in 1998. It was a ratings failure and Len Deighton disowned it. He has since bought the rights and has prevented it being re-released on DVD.
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14	The Epic:
15	* ''Winter''- The story of two brothers living in Germany from 1900 to 1945. Background to the series.
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18	Trilogy 2: ''Hook, Line and Sinker''
19	* ''Spy Hook''
20	* ''Spy Line''
21	* ''Spy Sinker''- ''Hook'' and ''Line'' from points of view rather than that of Samson.
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24	Trilogy 3: ''Faith, Hope and Charity''
25	* ''Faith''
26	* ''Hope''
27	* ''Charity''
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30	!!This series contains examples of:
31	* TheAllegedCar: With so much action in UsefulNotes/EastGermany, Trabants and other Soviet-bloc cars figure heavily (and all [=MI6=] can obtain are older used ones).
32	* AuthorAppeal: It wouldn't be a Len Deighton work without copious descriptions of what the characters are eating.
33	* {{Bookends}}: Each book in the 'Game, Set and Match' trilogy begins and ends inside a car.
34	* DeadpanSnarker: Bernard, to the irritation of his superiors.
35	* ClearMyName: Fiona's defection throws suspicion on Bernard too.
36	* FeedTheMole
37	* GunsDoNotWorkThatWay: In-universe example. After killing a KGB agent, Bernard Samson has to explain to his superior that no, he couldn't have just shot to wound, hitting someone with a gun is difficult enough without aiming for specific body parts.
38	* IncrediblyObviousTail: In London Match. Naturally, it turns out to be a trap.
39	* TheMole
40	* ObfuscatingStupidity: In the 'Game, Set and Match' trilogy, it is strongly rumoured that the Director-General of [=MI6=], Sir Henry Clevemore has gone totally senile. The second trilogy reveals that this is anything but the case.
41	* OvertOperative: In the first novel, ''Berlin Game'', Bernard becomes suspicious of two KGB officers who are deliberately behaving like KGB Officers [[spoiler: and reasons that they are trying to draw attention to one double agent in SIS to draw attention away from a better placed agent]].
42	* RedHerringMole: Giles Trent in ''Berlin Game''.
43	* SpyMaster: Brett Rensselaer is revealed as this.
44	* UglyGuyHotWife: Bernard and Gloria.
45	* UnreliableNarrator: According to WordOfGod we're not meant to take Bernard's view of his colleagues too seriously; they're not really as stupid as he makes out.
46	* WannabeSecretAgent: Subversion. Werner Volkman desperately wants to work for the British as a secret agent, and when given the chance to do so, is incredibly good at it. Julian [=MacKenzie=] in "Mexico Set" plays this straight, with tragic consequences.

Context Literature / BernardSamsonSeries