Barry Norman (1933 – 2017) was a house-hold name in the UK, where he was a beloved, hugely popular movie critic, TV host, radio broadcaster, and journalist. He was a regular columnist for The Observer and The Guardian, and the author of many acclaimed novels and non-fiction books.
Norman hosted the long-running BBC TV series Film… from 1972-1988, as well as numerous other non-fiction series, including Omnibus (1982), and the documentary series Hollywood Greats (1977-1983) Barry Norman’s Guide to American Soaps (1985), Talking Pictures (1987), and Soaps Down Under (1991). He also hosted many BBC radio shows, including Today, The News Quiz, Going Places, Breakaway, and The Chop Shop, among others.
He wrote a dozen books, including the novels The Hounds of Sparta, End Product, To Nick a Good Body, The Birddog Tape and Death of Sunset and the non-fiction books The Movie Greats, Talking Pictures, The Story of Hollywood, and Barry Norman’s Good Night In Guide, The 100 Best Films of the Century.
Reluctant spy Paul Baker travels to Crete, Scotland, London, and places in-between, searching for a missing germ-warfare scientist while being pursued by an assassin, seduced by a deadly brunette, and shot at by just about everyone... and he's not entirely sure why. But that's what happens when amateurs are drafted as secret agents. The trick is to survive.