M, King's Bodyguard
A Novel
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
A thrilling, "action-packed page-turner" (Wall Street Journal) based on a true story of anarchy and assassination in Edwardian London, centred around one detective’s mission to preserve the life of his king and prevent a bloody war in Europe.
From humble beginnings in Ireland, William Melville has risen through hard work, intelligence, and occasional brute force to become head of Scotland Yard’s Special Branch, personal bodyguard to Queen Victoria and her family, and the scourge of anarchists at home and abroad. But when the aged Queen dies in January 1901 and the crowned heads of Europe converge on London for her funeral, Melville learns of a conspiracy, led by a mysterious nihilist known only as Akushku, to assassinate Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany at the ceremony.
Racing to prevent the atrocity, Melville and his German counterpart Gustav Steinhauer find themselves tangled in a web of adultery, betrayal, and violence. As the funeral looms ever closer, Melville realizes that Akushku is the most resourceful and vicious foe he has yet encountered—but is the greater threat from Melville’s enemies, or his allies?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
An assassination plot drives this suspenseful historical thriller from Leonard (the Crusher trilogy). In 1901, Queen Victoria's grandson Kaiser Wilhelm arrives in England shortly before her death. Wilhelm is slated to take part in the funeral procession in London, along with the new British monarch, Edward VII, and other dignitaries. Det. Chief Supt. William Melville, the real-life head of England's Special Branch, who's considered "Europe's most feared policeman" for his strenuous efforts to protect his country, gets a tip about a plot to kill the Kaiser during the procession and labors desperately to foil it. He's aided by Wilhelm's bodyguard, Gustav Steinhauer, who agrees to keep the danger from his charge, but whose true allegiances are uncertain. Melville must also maneuver around his superior, Assistant Commissioner Robert Anderson, who achieved his rank from political connections and is jealous of Melville's skills. After some of his best men are killed, Melville suspects a leak. Leonard makes his lead sympathetic without glossing over the brutality Melville employs to do his job. Fans of The Day of the Jackal will be pleased.
