From Publishers Weekly
British veteran Egleton (One Man Running, etc.) is the pipe and slippers of the thriller trade, a great comfort after a day of dealing with flashier and more trendy stories. True, his material is somewhat dated (though published in the U.K. in 2002, this latest Peter Ashton novel refers to upcoming intelligence budget meetings for 1997-1998), and he's guilty of the occasional cliche (virtually all fights are "tooth and nail"). But Egleton's characters and settings are familiar and credible, and his tales of British SIS infighting and backstabbing usually ring true. Ashton, the newly appointed head of Eastern European intelligence, is learning new administrative skills. "Listen to me, Peter," says his boss, Sir Victor Hazelwood. "You're no longer a foot soldier; the days when you were the cutting edge have gone for good... Do I make myself clear?" Ashton bites the bullet and keep his upper lip as stiff as possible, delegating most of the investigation into the suspicious suicide of an agent in the Asian division to capable underlings. Meanwhile, Ashton's former flame, Jill Sheridan-who's risen to be Hazelwood's deputy director-finds herself drugged and starring in a porno movie in Miami. Of course, Ashton soon resumes his old cutting-edge persona, slicing through both messes with admirable skill. Egleton might not have the literary grace of a le Carr‚ or a Deighton, but his staying power, 28 novels and counting, is impressive.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Description
SIS agent Peter Ashton, currently the department head for the Eastern European desk, finds himself facing the touchiest - and most dangerous situation of his career as the SIS itself comes under siege from persons or groups unknown. Someone who is clearly ferreting out some of the most closely held secrets of the intelligence agency and using them to make some not-so-veiled threats.
At the same time, Jill Sheridan, one of the most senior SIS people, is off in Florida, trying to stay well out of the way while her lover's wife involves her in a very nasty, very public divorce. While there, however, she is compromised and finds herself being blackmailed by an Islamic terrorist group.
When a large quantity of an illicit chemical agent turns up in rather unlikely place, it falls to Ashton to evaluate these three very disparate turns of event. Somehow, these seemingly unrelated but troubling events are all part of the same careful, complex and very deadly plot - one that threatens the highest reaches of England's security service. With few leads and very little time, Peter Ashton must uncover and neutralize his most deadly enemy to date.
