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Mystery/Thriller Book ReviewsPage One of ThreeDeclare by Tim PowersWilliam Morrow, January 2001.Hardcover, 517 pages. ISBN: 0380976528. Ordering information: Amazon.com. | Amazon.co.uk 
John Le Carre meets Dean Koontz in Tim Powers'
latest edge of your seat thriller. Andrew Hale was
inducted into Britain's secret service when he was only
seven years old. After serving as a top-level spy during World War II
and afterwards, for the last ten years he has been living the quiet
life of an academic at Oxford. But he is suddenly recalled
into the "Great Game" in order to finish up his last
operation of the war, known as "Declare". Hale is
plunged back into a gray world of spies, assassins,
secret codes and betrayals as he attempts to complete
his mission, which failed the first time he attempted the
dangerous exercise on the top of Turkey's Mount Ararat,
the resting place of Noah's Ark. But there is more to Hale's
mission than meets the eye, and Hale is faced with
a terrifying opponent of supernatural origins, and the
possibility of the permanent loss of his one true love,
superspy Elena.
Tim Powers takes a classic Cold War story of intrigue and the infamous Philby/Burgess/McLean spy scandal and comes up with a gripping paranormal thriller which will delight his many fans. Powers takes the true historical facts (such as the many odd details surrounding the life and activities of the infamous British traitor Kim Philby and the amazing life of Lawrence of Arabia), and gives an incredible, alternate explanation for the true reasons behind the Cold War. Skillfully weaving true facts with fantastic explanations is Powers' hallmark, and he exhibits his skill to great effect in Declare. --Claire E. White Evan Can Wait by Rhys BowenSt. Martin's Minotaur, February 2001.Hardcover, 240 pages. ISBN: 0312265875. Ordering information: Amazon.com. | Amazon.co.uk 
Evan Evans, constable of the tiny Welsh town of Llanfair,
has his hands full with a most unpleasant assignment. He has
been ordered to assist a group of documentary filmmakers who
are in Wales to film the raising of a German plane which was shot
during World War II, and is currently lying at the bottom of
an icy mountain lake. Naturally, all the townspeople want to
get involved, and Evan must keep them away from the
film location, while enduring the obnoxious company of
producer Grantley Smith. When Grantley is found murdered
at the bottom of a mine shaft, Evans is faced with a large
cast of characters whom all detested Grantley and would
have been happy to see him dead. Evan's investigations
take an interesting side turn when they turn up the fact that
during the Blitz, the same mine was used to store
valuable paintings from the National Gallery. And most
distracting of all, his lady friend Bronwyn is totally preoccupied
with someone from her past who is showing signs of
wanting to rekindle his relationship with her.
In this fifth book in the popular Evan Evans series, Rhys Bowen takes us on a fascinating journey into the past. Interspersed with the story of the modern day murder mystery is the journal of Trefor Thomas, who was a young man during World War II when the National Gallery stored its paintings in the local mineshafts. Thomas' narrative is compelling, and is blended perfectly into the modern storyline, until the two storylines meet up at the end of the book, for a dramatic denouement. The dialogue is crisp and funny, the scenery is beautiful, and the characters of Llanfair are immensely entertaining. If you haven't yet made the acquaintance of Constable Evans, by all means do so. You'll be glad you did. --Claire E. White Mystery Reviews Page One | Page Two | Page Three Click Here to Return to the Book Reviews Index ** To visit the archives of mystery books reviewed in The IWJ, please click here. |