Knights of the Cross

by Piers Paul Read

Junior Defence Minister George Harding is found drowned in the River Saar, Luxembourg. Two old Cambridge friends, Latham-an expert on Soviet affairs, and Taylor-a newspaper editor, decide to find out quite how George came to be floating in the Saar with the marks of sadomasochism on his body. Was it sex or murder that killed the Europhobic MP? Their starting point is an accident on a German autobahn involving a British armoured car and an articulated lorry found to be carrying arms. The lorry was hired by a company controlled by a charitable trust- the Knights of the Cross. Was Harding murdered not for his political views but because he was about to blow the gaff on the Knights of the Cross? In the guise of a Russian priest, Latham teams up with Federal Russian Agent, Nikolai Gerasimov, and infiltrates the Knights of the Cross. Amidst the intrigues of undercover politics and religion he finds unexpected love and terrifying betrayaG

Genres: Fiction

388 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

British novelist and non-fiction writer. Educated at the Benedictines' Ampleforth College, and subsequently entered St John's College, University of Cambridge where he received his BA and MA (history). Artist-in-Residence at the Ford Foundation in Berlin (1963-4), Harkness Fellow, Commonwealth Fund, New York (1967-8), member of the Council of the Institute of Contemporary Arts (1971-5), member of the Literature Panel at the Arts Council, (1975-7), and Adjunct Professor of Writing, Columbia University, New York (1980). From 1992-7 he was Chairman of the Catholic Writers' Guild. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL).

His most well-known work is the non-fiction Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors (1974), an account of the aftermath of a plane crash in the Andes, later adapted as a film.

Reviews

[Lysergius · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written fast paced kowledgeable page turner.

[Sherry Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enthralling!

[Rico · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth sticking with!

A spy book about Nazis, Templars, glamourous women and sleazy men, but a subtle journey that lingers long in your mind...

I found the first section of this strange book, written in a diary format quite slow. There is a lot of introducing characters and setting the scene without a lot of activity. I'm glad I kept going.

Things pick up when the action moves to first Russia and then Germany. These sections are excellent, despite some slow plotting again. When developments come they arrive quickly and with skill. This is an author who knows his craft. The narrator's charade as a Russian priest is excellently brought to life whilst the undercurrent of exploring relationships is interwoven throughout the book.