Tango

by Alan Judd

Life is suddenly looking up for William Wooding. Thirty-five, overweight, sedately employed and unhappily married, he is given the chance to escape to a new life in South America. There he runs the English Bookshop and discovers a different kind of anarchic staff, a beautiful prostitute called Theresa, intrigue at Maria's Tango Club (the local house of pleasure) and a country heading for a bloody coup. Wooding discovers that the country's young president is an old school friend and as a consequence finds himself recruited by the mysterious Mr Box of British Intelligence to investigate what is going on… Tangois a hugely enjoyable mixture of sexual escapades, revolutionary politics, and intelligence-gathering in exotic landscapes. It confirms Alan Judd as the contemporary successor to Evelyn Waugh. 'Very entertaining…it makes you want to turn the pages. No mean achievement' Sunday Telegraph'Well-constructed, witty and at times moving' Independent'An enjoyable book which made me laugh out loud… Alan Judd has a real gift for satire' NewStatesman'The breezy satirical blend of carnival and cruelty is never less than nicely judged' Observer

324 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 15, 1989

About the author

Alan Judd is a pseudonym used by Alan Edwin Petty.

Born in 1946, he graduated from Oxford University and served as a British Army officer in Northern Ireland during 'The Troubles', before later joining the Foreign Office; he currently works as a security analyst. He regularly contributes articles to a number of publications, including The Daily Telegraph, and The Spectator as its motoring correspondent. His books include both fiction and non-fiction titles, with his novels often drawing on his military background.

He lives in Sussex with his wife and daughter.