The Keys of Hell
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- ¥1,400
Publisher Description
The third thrilling novel featuring British expatriate Paul Chavasse from New York Times bestselling author Jack Higgins.
Paul Chavasse is about as tough as they come. For years, he has made a dangerous living running men and intelligence across the Adriatic Sea from Italy to the communist country of Albania. But his ideals are about to be tested—more than he ever thought possible.
The Albanian government, seeking to crush a religious resurgence within its borders, wants to find and destroy the Madonna of Scutari—a legendary statue of ebony and gold that has protected the faithful for a thousand years. Before government forces capture them, priests hide the carving deep in the marshes along the coast.
Now, Paul Chavasse must outrun an entire army in a race to save the priceless relic—and the lives of thousands of believers...
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Originally released in the U.K. under the pseudonym Martin Fallon, this newly revised, long-lost gem from 1965 follows the exploits of British agent Sir Paul Chavasse, a James Bond like hero who is a frequent player in Higgins's early novels (Midnight Never Comes, etc.). The novel opens in the present day with a much older Chavasse, now the Belfast Bureau Chief, preparing to meet Mafia Don Tino Rossi. En route, he's waylaid by Rossi's "nephew," Mario Volpe, who claims to be acting on his uncle's behalf. Volpe hands Chavasse a report describing one of the former agent's 30-year-old assignments. As he reads, Chavasse is transported back in time to a communist-torn Albania, where he and his friend and covert colleague, Guilio Orsini, are engaged in helping the sexy but duplicitous Francesca Minetti rescue a religious icon believed to have miraculous powers. While recalling their near-death chase in the Buene Marshes, Chavasse wonders how this past escapade connects to the Rossi family. Higgins's characters are only marginally developed, but he deftly weaves past and present-day adventures together with sparse exposition and maximum action to create a tale that will delight his many fans.
