Bernard Samson Books in Order
Bernard Samson is a British intelligence officer in his forties, once a star field agent in Berlin, now desk-bound in London. The nine books, in three trilogies, follow the Cold War and his marriage to Fiona, a high-flying colleague who defects to the East.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Series facts
- Books
- 9
- Published
- 1983 to 1996
- First book
- Berlin Game
- Latest
- Charity (1996)
- Setting
- Set in Berlin
The reading order
Every Bernard Samson book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
- 1Berlin Game1983With Bernard SamsonBernard Samson, a former field agent stuck behind a desk in London, is sent back to Berlin to help bring out an agent known as Brahms Four, who believes there is a traitor in London Central.Buy on Amazon
- 2Mexico Set1984With Bernard SamsonBernard Samson goes to Mexico to persuade a KGB officer, Erich Stinnes, to defect, while his colleagues in London suspect his own loyalty.Buy on Amazon
- 3London Match1985With Bernard SamsonErich Stinnes is being debriefed in London, and Bernard Samson tries to find out whether there is still a traitor in the Department.Buy on Amazon
- 4Spy Hook1988With Bernard SamsonBernard Samson finds that money has gone missing from the Department, and suspicion falls on him.Buy on Amazon
- 5Spy Line1989With Bernard SamsonBernard Samson is a fugitive in Berlin, falsely accused of treachery, and must evade his own service while uncovering a conspiracy.Buy on Amazon
- 6Spy Sinker1990With Fiona SamsonThe events of the Bernard Samson books told from the point of view of his wife, Fiona.Buy on Amazon
- 7Faith1994With Bernard SamsonBernard returns to Berlin, suspecting that his superiors in London are hiding things from him about his wife, Fiona.Buy on Amazon
- 8Hope1995With Bernard SamsonBernard tries to rebuild his life amid doubts about Fiona and what really happened in the East.Buy on Amazon
- 9Charity1996With Bernard SamsonBernard keeps digging into the death of his sister-in-law, Tessa, on the night Fiona came back from the East.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read the three trilogies in order: Berlin Game, Mexico Set and London Match; then Spy Hook, Spy Line and Spy Sinker; then Faith, Hope and Charity. Winter is a related novel about the background.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Bernard Samson | Fiona Samson | Werner Volkmann | Dicky Cruyer | Bret Rensselaer | Gloria Kent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Berlin Game | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 2 Mexico Set | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |
| 3 London Match | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 4 Spy Hook | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 5 Spy Line | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 6 Spy Sinker | MMajor | LLead | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 7 Faith | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 8 Hope | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
| 9 Charity | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | ·Minor |
Characters in the Bernard Samson books
6 characters from Len Deighton’s chart, with the number of Bernard Samson books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Bernard SamsonBritish intelligence officer | 9 | Berlin Game 1983 |
| Fiona SamsonBernard's wife, who defects to the East | 9 | Berlin Game 1983 |
| Werner VolkmannBernard's oldest friend in Berlin | 9 | Berlin Game 1983 |
| Dicky CruyerBernard's vain boss | 9 | Berlin Game 1983 |
| Bret RensselaerAmerican senior officer | 9 | Berlin Game 1983 |
| Gloria KentYoung colleague and Bernard's lover | 7 | London Match 1985 |