Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Helen MacInnes, Cloak of Darkness

Helen MacInnes, Cloak of Darkness
Titan Books (ebook)
ISBN 978-1-7811-64310


A competent espionage novel.  Robert Renwick, the founding partner of a private intelligence outfit (InterIntell) located in London is drawn into an investigation of two businesses, Exports Consolidated and Klingfield & Sons, and the hunt for a radical-leftist terrorist (Erik) who has escaped from prison.  The businesses have moved from legitimate activities into smuggling weapons (and arming terrorists); Eric seems to be hooked up with the boss of Klingfield, Klaus Sudak.  The investigation and the chase take us from London to Washington to Geneva to Zurich.  MacInnes always did this sort of thing well, and although I am somewhat skeptical of two longstanding businesses with good reputations (and obviously not corporations, probably proprietorships) getting involved in something like this, the narrative moves right along, providing a sufficient amount of suspense to make it worthwhile.  The pace is not as frantic as in a couple of this sort of book I've read lately (and I’m not sure where the title came from), but neither does it drag.  Worth the time.

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