The End Game

by Michael Gilbert

The London Regional Crime Squad is trying to nail a financial empire involved with organized crime and drug smuggling. David Morgan goes undercover and is hired by a travel company to act as a tour guide around Europe, but is in fact being used as a drug mule. Eventually, he also finds himself posing as a homeless vagrant in order to track down a former employee of the financial empire who knows of the whereabouts of incriminating documents. This is a “snakes and ladders” operation with twists and ranges from London to Florence.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Suspense, Crime

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Born in Lincolnshire in 1912, Michael Francis Gilbert was educated in Sussex before entering the University of London where he gained an LLB with honours in 1937. Gilbert was a founding member of the British Crime Writers Association, and in 1988 he was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America - an achievement many thought long overdue. He won the Life Achievement Anthony Award at the 1990 Boucheron in London, and in 1980 he was knighted as a Commander in the Order of the British Empire. Gilbert made his debut in 1947 with Close Quarters, and since then has become recognized as one of our most versatile British mystery writers.

He was the father of Harriett Gilbert.

Reviews

[Lisa Kucharski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mystery of business intrigue and crime... sometimes when someone is doing to well, it means they did something bad to get it.

A wonderful story involving a lot of suspense and wonderful characters trying to unravel the past through the present. Not a traditional murder mystery (don't worry there are skeletons about) but a mystery that takes one through the intricacies of business fraud and manipulation.

As usual, Gilbert is truly a master of taking the details and making them appear ordinary and brilliant at the same time.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, compelling mystery set in London, England, about 35 years ago (the book has a 1982 copyright, so I'm assuming it was penned a year or two before). Not a British "cozy," this -- it's more of a cat-and-mouse mystery with several cats and several mice, enough so that it really does take awhile to determine who are the main cats and who are the mice! Gilbert introduces a number of characters and names of their acquaintances and colleagues quite early, which made me a little confused about who was important enough to remember and follow and who might be less consequential, but never fear; even the seemingly inconsequential folks reappeared in the later narrative.

The protagonists are David Rhys Morgan and Susan Perronet-Conde, lovers who have a nasty break-up early in the book and whose lives go different ways. David seems a scoundrel -- a drinker who has trouble holding a job and who, early on, is looking for the goods on his boss so he can blackmail him. Susan, an accountant by training and a secretary by profession, works for a printing ink company and, by dint of her research skills and work ethic, begins working her way up a corporate ladder she didn't even suspect existed. Or is it possible that she DID know about it? What, exactly, is David after? And why does Susan seem to be interested in people whose names come up in David's world, as well? Connections exist, but they are sufficiently tenuous and obscure to keep even a very observant and clever mystery reader interested until the end. And despite the fact that the book is more than 30 years old, there is still a modern feel to it -- just accept that technology has advanced and go from there.

The copy of this book which fell into my hands via a friend is yellowed and care-worn enough that it held no appeal to me at first. But I tried it, anyway, and I'm so glad I did. I'll be looking for more of Michael Gilbert's mysteries, and I suggest that anyone who enjoys the genre look for this one; it's engaging and clever and lots of fun.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a happy find on the Friends of the Library open book sale shelf! How have I missed this wonderful crime author whose books spread over the second half of the 20th century and spill a bit into the 21st. Complicated financial crime with thrills and chills, not the least being life among the homeless in a squat. Complicated plot but easy to follow and a real page-turner! Surprise at the end, too! The scary part for the hero at the end is quite different from contemporary takes which tend to be violent rather than clever. Outstanding!

[Frank McAdam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely slow paced British suspense novel that doesn't really have much suspense at all. Most of the criminal activity is limited to murky years old financial dealings and some small time heroin smuggling. The book's biggest problem, however, is the protagonist, a Welshman named David, who for most of the story is so arrogant and obnoxious that it's impossible for the reader to feel any sympathy for him.

[Mike Opferman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very slow book consisting almost entirely of mundane dialogue between forgettable characters. The writer doesnt even reveal what the mystery is until halfway through, so you just have no context to engage with the story. Theres maybe one chapter worth reading.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining. I enjoyed this Michael Gilbert crime story.

[Tess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cool. I'm sad to say it took me about 50 pages to realize what was going on. But once I did it was a lot of fun. Great mystery, doesn't make you feel dumb at the end, and likeable characters. A little dated with the technology, but nothing too bad. Great story & I'll look for more by this author.

[Russell Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rivetting, best book I've read in a long time.