Spectres in the Smoke
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
It’s black-market–riddled England, and MI5 has pushed cat burglar and jewel thief Jethro out onto the rooftops of London - again - in defense of the Realm. Ever looming in the background are the twin spectres of the growing communist menace and a resurgence of fascism. Things turn decidedly deadly when Jethro stumbles across a Royal cover-up and an extreme right-wing plot to topple Britain’s new Labour Government. He must pull off a very dodgy and dangerous caper, the success or failure of which could save England from going to the dogs or spell curtains for Jethro.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
As in Broadbent's first post-WWII British spy caper to feature cat burglar Jethro, The Smoke (2002), his second lighthearted thriller finds British intelligence enlisting Jethro's criminal expertise in the national interest. To thwart a resurgence of fascism just a few years after the Nazis' defeat, the thief must recover some compromising records that implicate a member of the royal family in a right-wing conspiracy. Complicating Jethro's efforts to serve his handlers is a gangland war that threatens those dearest to him. Unfortunately, the author fails to match his engaging, roguish hero with a suitable plot. Despite the fast-paced action and diverting appearances by David Niven and Ian Fleming, the last-minute, hairbreadth rescues (including one of an attractive woman apparently intended as a sacrifice) strain credulity and diminish the impact of the political issues raised.
