In a departure from her Jack Haldean mysteries (Trouble Brewing, 2012, etc.), Gordon-Smith presents an exciting spy thriller...
A British doctor turned spy battles an unknown traitor.
Anthony Brooke would rather be helping the wounded on a World War I battlefield, but his excellent German makes him a natural for espionage in Kiel. When dying Irish-American reporter and spy Terence Cavanaugh gasps out a cryptic message—something about Star’s Anger, a spy in England and reading Frankie’s letter—Brooke, his cover blown, barely escapes. Back in England, his boss, Sir Charles Talbot, asks him to uncover the German spy in their midst, warning him that it might be an Englishman. By chance, he sees a familiar gentleman and a stunning woman on the street. When the woman mentions Star Anger, he tracks the pair down. The couple are publishing magnate Patrick Sherston and his French wife, Josette. By agreeing to give Sherston the story of his thrilling escape from Germany, Brooke wangles an invitation to Sherston’s estate, Starhanger(!), where he meets Sherston’s sister-in-law, a widow working for Ireland’s freedom, and her daughter Tara. Tara, an intelligent young woman, falls for Brooke, but he only has eyes for Josette. When Brooke discovers that a popular gossip column in one of Sherston’s magazines is called “Frankie’s Letter,” he realizes that he is on the right track. The column is full of coded messages giving the Germans priceless information. But no one knows who writes the column, which Sherston claims is sent to him anonymously. Sir Charles knows the Germans are planning something big, but it’s up to Brooke to learn the truth before disaster strikes.
In a departure from her Jack Haldean mysteries (Trouble Brewing, 2012, etc.), Gordon-Smith presents an exciting spy thriller full of period charm.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7278-8217-2
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Severn House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2013
O'Brien proves to be the Oliver Stone of literature, reiterating the same Vietnam stories endlessly without adding any insight. Politician John Wade has just lost an election, and he and his wife, Kathy, have retired to a lakeside cabin to plan their future when she suddenly disappears. O'Brien manages to stretch out this simple premise by sticking in chapters consisting of quotes from various sources (both actual and fictional) that relate to John and Kathy. An unnamed author — an irritating device that recalls the better-handled but still imperfect "Tim O'Brien" narrator of The Things They Carried (1990) — also includes lengthy footnotes about his own experiences in Vietnam. While the sections covering John in the third person are dry, these first-person footnotes are unbearable. O'Brien uses a coy tone (it's as though he's constantly whispering "Ooooh, spooky!"), but there is no suspense: The reader is acquainted with Kathy for only a few pages before her disappearance, so it's impossible to work up any interest in her fate. The same could be said of John, even though he is the focus of the book. Flashbacks and quotes reveal that John was present at the infamous Thuan Yen massacre (for those too thick-headed to understand the connection to My Lai, O'Brien includes numerous real-life references). The symbolism here is beyond cloying. As a child John liked to perform magic tricks, and he was subsequently nicknamed "Sorcerer" by his fellow soldiers — he could make things disappear, get it? John has been troubled for some time. He used to spy on Kathy when they were in college, and his father's habit of calling the chubby boy "Jiggling John" apparently wounded him. All of this is awkwardly uncovered through a pretentious structure that cannot disguise the fact that there is no story here. Sinks like a stone.
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1994
ISBN: 061870986X
Page Count: 320
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1994
A mind-bending mystery, an insightful exploration of parent-child relationships, and a cautionary tale about bitterness and...
A young man seeking catharsis probes old wounds and unleashes fresh pain in this expertly crafted stand-alone from Edgar finalist Gaylin (If I Die Tonight, 2018, etc.).
Quentin Garrison is an accomplished true-crime podcaster, but it’s not until his troubled mother, Kate, fatally overdoses that he tackles the case that destroyed his family. In 1976, teenagers Gabriel LeRoy and April Cooper murdered 12 people in Southern California—Kate’s little sister included—before dying in a fire. Kate’s mother committed suicide, and her father withdrew, neglecting Kate, who in turn neglected Quentin. Quentin intends for Closure to examine the killings’ ripple effects, but after an interview with his estranged grandfather ends in a fight, he resolves to find a different angle. When a source alleges that April is alive and living in New York as Renee Bloom, Quentin is dubious, but efforts to debunk the claim only uncover more supporting evidence, so he flies east to investigate. Renee’s daughter, online film columnist Robin Diamond, is preoccupied with Twitter trolls and marital strife when Quentin calls to inquire about her mom’s connection to April Cooper. Robin initially dismisses Quentin but, upon reflection, realizes she knows nothing of Renee’s past. Before she can ask, a violent home invasion hospitalizes her parents and leaves Robin wondering whom she can trust. Artfully strewn red herrings and a kaleidoscopic narrative heighten tension while sowing seeds of distrust concerning the characters’ honesty and intentions. Letters from April to her future daughter written mid–crime spree punctuate chapters from Quentin's and Robin’s perspectives, humanizing her and Gabriel in contrast with sensationalized accounts from Hollywood and the media.
A mind-bending mystery, an insightful exploration of parent-child relationships, and a cautionary tale about bitterness and blame.Pub Date: July 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-284454-5
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2019
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