THE FOURTH CROW

According to the deputy press attachÉ at London's Polish Embassy, a meeting's been arranged between a KGB higher-up and an English lefty journalist named Brown, who's been under British surveillance (codename ""Crow"") for over a year. But when the Brits converge, the stakeout's empty: Was there a leak? Detective Chief Inspector Harry Fathers (Fathers' Law and Serious Crimes, not reviewed) is brought in to investigate the various MI-5 agencies and personnel--including those in Special Branch--while his police team of Yarrow and Queen continue work on a child-kidnapping ring and a gang-war involving London underworld honchos Gaston and Connors. Furthermore, the overworked Fathers' wife Sarah may be having an affair, and his mentor at the Yard, Baskin, is retiring--soon to be replaced by Fathers' nemesis, the stickler-for-the-rules Myers. Three separate sorties into the spyworld later, Fathers pinpoints the surprising causes of the leak, in a turnabout that brings light and reality into this ""wilderness of mirrors."" Then he triumphs over London's lowlife, but breaks his heart over his wife's indiscretion. Crusty, bone-tired Fathers makes a strong, three-dimensional hero in this literate, involving study of lies.