Spectres in the Smoke - Softcover

Broadbent, Tony

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1849821534 ISBN 13: 9781849821537

Publisher: MP Publishing, 2012

Synopsis

Jethro, the renowned Cockney cat burglar and jewel thief, has been pushed out onto the slippery rooftops of London again by Colonel Walsingham of MI5. Jethro does ‘a creep’ in the posh Mayfair house of a certain Baron Belfold that sets in motion a tale of dark and deadly dealings amongst England’s aristocracy that mixes sex-orgies and blackmail with politics. In a tale that not only touches upon a Royal cover-up of the Duke of Windsor’s alleged dealings with Adolf Hitler during the War, but also on the Government’s attempts to root out Fascist sympathisers and Communist moles from the corridors of power in Whitehall.

Meanwhile, Walsingham’s secret string pulling has had unintended consequences in London’s gangland, and has resulted in Jethro’s best friend, Seth, being savagely beaten up by “the Emperor of Soho's” thugs. Seeking retribution, Jethro turns to Jack Spot, another of London's gang bosses, for help and then burgles Walsingham’s house to show him that no deed is ever without its consequences. The burglary leads to a confrontation that results in Jethro again taking action in “Defence of the Realm.” This time, it’s a break-in at the headquarters of the shadowy New Order of Britain Party, a powerful neo-Fascist society with serious political aims. And what Jethro uncovers confirms Walsingham’s worst suspicions, that there is indeed a plot by a secret group of high-ranking aristocrats to bring down Clement Attlee’s Labour Government. Fearing that even MI5 has been penetrated by spies, Walsingham again turns to Jethro for help in tracking down the sinister group’s ‘Keys to the Kingdom’, a collection of Red Books that reveal “who’s secretly who and what’s secretly what.”

The only difficulty being, Jethro has to pass for ‘a gentleman’ amongst the English upper classes. For help Walsingham turns to his old chums, David Niven and Ian Fleming. Then, suitably polished up, Jethro sallies forth with Walsingham’s trusted assistant Simon Bosanquet to tackle “the enemy within.” The trouble is, there’s a mysterious American OSS agent roaming around London that looks set to bugger everything up. And all of this the precursor to a very serious bit of burglary at a certain country house; the success or failure of which, could mean England saved from going to the dogs or spell curtains for Jethro. And if that wasn't enough, if Jethro manages to survive it all, Jack Spot is looking for Jethro to pay off the big favour he owes him by helping to pull off the-never-before -attempted 'Great Airport Robbery’. (And no excuses this time. Jethro’s in the gang proper or he's out of the game, permanently.) As Jethro would say, It never rains, but it pours.”

About this title

About the Author:

Tony Broadbent was born in Windsor, England. He was an art student in London in the late Sixties (from Revolver to Let It Be). He then worked as copywriter and creative director at some of the best advertising agencies in London, New York, and San Francisco, before opening his own agency. He's now a consulting brand strategist, planner, and ideator for clients in the U.S. and Europe. Tony is married and lives in Mill Valley, California.

Review:

One of the best Spy Novels of 2006.

(Booklist)

...the second entry in this series starring a London cat burglar is every bit as tense and fascinating as its predecessor...Broadbent's physical descriptions of Londoners crawling out from the ruins are vivid and powerful, as when he likens a street to a mouth with missing teeth. He is also instructive, without being overbearing, on the political and social history of the times. But what will make readers clutch their books a little tighter are the cat burglar's accounts of hanging from ropes outside of homes, dropping in, allowing all his senses to scan the area, and, when trouble looms, pulling off his gravity- and death-defying escapes... Terrific details on the cat burglary and embattled London, liberally laced with Jethro's sardonic wit.

(Booklist (starred review))

Vintage atmosphere, great writing, perfect story ...nails the period better than I have ever seen it done before.

(Lee Child)

Broadbent honors―with understated admiration and moments of high-quality local humor―the spirit of London's (postwar) inhabitants. Cary Grant could have played Jethro perfectly.

(Dick Adler, Chicago Tribune)

As cheeky and endearing as ever, Jethro―"a gifted irregular" in the words of MI5―gets the job done with the same aplomb he demonstrated in his first caper, The Smoke...

(Tom and Enid Schantz, The Denver Post)

As thrillers get bigger I keep moving back towards a smaller stage where I can actually believe the peril(s) facing the protagonist. British Broadbent's wonderfully imagined cat burglar―remember the immortal To Catch a Thief?―Jethro returns in Spectres in the Smoke...

(Barbara Peters, Poisoned Pen)

In Spectres in The Smoke, Tony Broadbent well and truly claims post-war London as his manor. With a view from the rooftops through the eyes of Jethro the cat-burglar―a most likeable rogue if ever there was one―we are steeped in the characters, color and history that followed Britain's finest hour. Spectres in The Smoke is a page-turner that takes us from the inner sanctum of Britain's Secret Service to underworld territories run by the kings of crime. With royalty gone bad along with the communists and facists for good measure, it's a broth of intrigue that you will not put down until the last page. I loved every minute of it!

(Jacqueline Winspear)

Fans of Tony Broadbent's memorable debut, The Smoke, will be delighted to find his (not quite) reformed cat burglar hero back in action and in trouble up to his Cockney ears on the colorful streets of post-war London. If you enjoy the adventures of Raffles, The Saint and Richard Hannay, this is for you.

(Otto Penzler)

About this edition

• Publisher: MP Publishing
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1849821534
• ISBN 13: 9781849821537
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336