Agent Zigzag

If someone at British Intelligence wrote a spy novel, it wouldn't be any more convoluted, brimming with intrigue, or shocking than this true account of Edward Chapman, one of WWII's most colorful spies. John Lee's voice is appropriately smooth or smarmy, upper crust or lower class as he presents Chapman, the small-time crook, escaped convict, and wily con artist trained by the German Secret Service for sabotage against Britain. Instead, Chapman becomes an effective double agent, leaking disinformation to Germany and supplying Britain with valuable intelligence. Lee brings listeners a Chapman who "out-Bonds" Bond. He loves beautiful women, luxury, and his country. As Chapman handles his German spymasters and the British, who call him "Agent Zigzag," Lee displays a biting sense of the ironic. Fascinating listening. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine