The Loo Sanction

Jonathan Hemlock #2

by Trevanian

"A masterpiece . . ." THE NEW YORK TIMES
The scene is London, where Jonathan Hemlock is blackmailed into performing another "sanction" -- a top-secret political assassination -- in a nerve-wracking web involving dirty dealings among high-ranking British government officials and a British counterespionage group. Once again Hemlock's life hangs in the balance -- but this time the game is deadlier, the penalty for failure more grotesquely lethal than ever before "From the Paperback edition."

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Espionage, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Spy Thriller, Suspense

351 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Rodney William Whitaker was an American film scholar and writer who wrote several novels under the pen name Trevanian. Whitaker wrote in a wide variety of genres, achieved bestseller status, and published under several other names, as well, including Nicholas Seare, Beñat Le Cagot, and Edoard Moran. He published the nonfiction book The Language of Film under his own name.
Between 1972 and 1983, five of his novels sold more than a million copies each. He was described as "the only writer of airport paperbacks to be compared to Émile Zola, Ian Fleming, Edgar Allan Poe, and Geoffrey Chaucer." Whitaker adamantly avoided publicity for most of his life, his real name a closely held secret for many years. The 1980 reference book Twentieth-Century Crime and Mystery Writers listed his real name in its Trevanian entry.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has a brilliant title which gave me interesting visions of what Jonathan Hemlock would be up to. The title and the previous novel The Eiger sanction were enticing enough to pick up a copy and read it.

This is a novel about the dark side of spy craft, it leaves nothing intact of the romanticized idea of spies in the UK, it is more than shady it is kind of awefull. The retired assassin Hemlock is doing a series of lectures in the UK and he gets caught in a situation where a dying man is found on his toilet, also known as loo in the UK. Instead of paying him to do a service a spy agency by the name of "the Loo" blackmails Hemlock into doing a job for them. Everything that happens in this book has something less than tastefulness about it, none of the characters are sympathetic, including the leading character. the story takes a time to get started and when it does nobody ends up looking good.

It is a spy story that is aimed at showing how bad that world can be compared to the flashy 007 stories and their ilk.

The book is well written but the story is kind of a downer, and is perhaps meant like that but it is also a step down from the previous novel which might have been a parody but did offer a far better story.

Not really recommended for reading, unless you feel like a bit of soft SM.

[S.P. Aruna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I did enjoy this book, even though it lacked the originality of the The Eiger Sanction. According to Trevanian, it was a spoof of The Eiger Sanction … a spoof of a spoof! Of course the title itself should give the reader a clue, "loo" being the British word for toilet! And of course we have the usual play on names, such as Vanessa Dyke, who, lo and behold, is a lesbian. Her nickname is Van Dyke, LOL!

Trevanian's word mastery is also present in this one, starting from the first paragraph:

His pain was vast. But at least it was finite. Sharp-edged waves of agony climaxed in intensity until his body convulsed and his mind was awash. Then, just before madness, the crests broke and swirled over his limen of consciousness, and he escaped into oblivion

So that's how it feels to be impaled through your anus!

The reason I only gave this book 4.5 stars comes down to this: As I mentioned at the start regarding originality, if you had a mutually exclusive choice to read either this book or the Eiger Sanction (not both), I'd go with the latter.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a 3.5 rounded up. Hemlock is back, in England, so the title pretty much screams Trevanian's intention to sneer at all things English, artsy, & everything else, while wrapping it in an international thriller peopled with memorable characters. Hemlock isn't James Bond, though. He's smarter & every bit as ruthless, if not as prone to as much action. There's plenty of murder & mayhem taking place around him as the twisted motivations slowly emerge.

I didn't like this as much as The Eiger Sanction, but almost. There were several important caricatures, not true characters, & while they served the purpose, they were also a bit too obvious. Call it a lack of subtlety. While Trevanian's sneering take on the world is rather fun & funny, I can't endure it for too long. I probably should have let more time slip by after the first.

I didn't care much for the end, but I think that was on me. I didn't really get it. A group I belong to will be reading it soon & I'll be curious to see what others say. I might update this review after that.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trevanian's sequel to his classic The Eiger Sanction is awful. Absent are the humor, adventure, and all-out fun of that previous work. The plot is obvious with physically disgusting characters that nauseate the reader. Of course, there's Jonathan Hemlock's characteristically macho sexuality, along with out-of-this-world sexy fully naked women, but they're not even slightly erotic this time.

I have no problem with an author quickly capitalizing on momentary success to make a lot of money in a sequel: go for it! But...please...it is clear that this novel was written is about one week and it shows, painfully. Will readers—including myself—ever stop expecting sequels to be any good? Of course not!

[Dilge Kodak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seneler sonra ikinci sortide yine çok beğendim.

[Eric_W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone is no doubt familiar with the movie "Eiger Sanction" based on a book of the same name by Trevanian, pseudonym for a university professor who wrote a series of very popular genre novels. Miffed that critics and many readers did not get the spoof intended in the Eiger Sanction, he wrote the Loo Sanction which is not only a very successful spy thriller but a broad lampoon of British (and American) academia and the espionage community. The puns surrounding the word "loo," the name of the British section that evolved into MI-6-like sanction operation are ubiquitous and the scene in which Hemlock is giving a lecture on film criticism to a packed house of grad students while being approached by a evil set of agents is both hysterical, parodic and masterfully written. I was listening to this book while mowing and must have been a sight chuckling out loud and I tried to mow a straight line around trees.

Jonathan has been blackmailed (by killing a man in his apartment and leaving evidence of Jonathan's culpability) into helping the "Loo" bring down Maxwell Strange (I can't believe the names assigned to characters are coincidental) who runs a sexual debauchery house called "The Cloisters.) (Given the current scandals in the Catholic Church, perhaps Trevanian was prescient.) The Cloisters has been making films of the peccadilloes and sexual perversions of men high up in the government - not threatening overt blackmail, but the threat they might is omnipresent. Jonathan is charged with recovering the films and bringing down Strange - not shutting down the Cloisters, since it will then become a Loo operation and used to make the Loo self-sufficient budgetarily and of course will be used judiciously to keep the country on the proper path and finally settle that pesky "Irish problem."

There is a delightful scene as the Vicar and Jonathan walk through the countryside in the rain to discuss his proposed task. "Oh dear, you really should be more careful where you tread in a cow pasture, much like Paris streets," said the Vicar as they discuss Jonathan's task. "It does seem odd that a man who was so expert at mountain climibing should find a walk in the country so fraught with difficulty. . . . Permit me to hold this barbed wire up for you, oh well, you said you were not particularly fond of this jacket." "

He is quoted in his Wikipeadia entry as saying the following of his fans: "The Trevanian​ Buff is a strange and wonderful creature: an outsider, a natural elitist, not so much a cynic as an idealist mugged by reality, not just one of those who march to a different drummer, but the solo drummer in a parade of one."

Masterfully read by Joe Barrett. He does the Vicar with exactly the right amount of pretentoiusness and smug arrogance. The book is a nice mix of intelligent lampoonery with traditional thriller/hero/action.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

[Terry Cornell · Rating 2 out of 5]

A really fast read. I was expecting a classic thriller, but was surprised that it was such a campy book with such comical characters. Really a two and half star rating. Some humor caught me off guard, and some really clever lines here and there. I thought I had read 'The Eiger Sanction', the first book in the series--but I'm probably remembering the Clint Eastwood movie. Same basic plot, but definitely without the campy spy-fiction satire. I really liked 'Shibumi' another of the author's books, but it incorporated history, and not any humor that I can remember.

[Başak Ebru Tarım · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trevanian'dan 3. kitabım Hesaplaşma da az önce bitti. İnfazcının kahramanı Prof. Jonathan Hamlock bu kitapta da karşıma çıkınca şaşırdım biraz. Nedense ben kahramanımız Prof. Hamlock'la İnfazcıda vedalaşdığımızı düşünmüştüm. Bu kitap İnfazcıyı bıraktığımız tarihten 4 yıl sonra başlıyor. Adamımız CII'dan ayrılmış, adam öldürme, suikastçilik işlerinden kendini emekli etmiştir. Artık tek geçim kaynağı akademisyenliktir. Kendisine yapılan bir iş teklifini kabul ederek bir yıllığına Londra'ya gelmiştir. Biz de tam o esnada yeniden karşılaşırız onunla.

Ama Jonathan'ınki gibi bir geçmiş insanın peşini kolay kolay bırakmaz. Çünkü sahip olduğu yetenekler öyle bir kalmede vaz geçilecek türden değildir. Bir çeşit kaynak israfı da diyebiliriz. Netekim o geçmiş peşine takılır ve Jonathan kendini birden bire Ingiliz hükümetinin âli menfaatlerini kurtaracak bir işin içinde bulur. Üstelik İngiliz vatandaşı dahi değildir. Görevi kendisine verenler onun hayır deme ihtimalini ortadan kaldıracak tüm önlemleri almışlardır. Görevin zorluk derecesi on üzerinden ondur ve mücadele edeceği adamlar en az işi verenler kadar korkutucudur. Şimdi tek amacı bu aşağı tükürsen sakal, yukarı tükürsen bıyık diye tabir edebileceğimiz durumdan kendini kurtaracak bir yol bulup, günün sonunda canlı kalabilmektir. Tabi aşk hep vardır.

Hesaplaşmayı da büyük bir keyifle okudum. Özellikle türün meraklılarına tavsiye ederim. Şimdi sırada 20. Mil var.

[Bob Mayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went back in time to reread these favorite thrillers. They're a reminder that spies and odd political things have always been fodder for great thrillers. And you can depend on his research.

I always enjoy reading thrillers that have the tradecraft down. I enjoy that more than the CGI battles we see so often in films.

[Tim Karr · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is by far my least favorite of the Trevanian books.

It was just too corny and gross for my taste. There were a few comical lines and situations. In the end, it was just too long for what little entertainment it delivered.

[Canavan · Rating 2 out of 5]

✭✭

[Hüseyin Çötel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ilk Jonathan Hemlock kitabindaki dag tirmanisindaki yogun his zorluk bu kitapta bulunmuyor. Ama bu kitapta da Villain karakter cok guzel gelistirilmis yine harika bir cerezlik okuma.

[Hali · Rating 3 out of 5]

A reread of this book and I have to say it didn't quite live up to my memories and it definitely doesn't live up to the billing of it's more well known prequel - The Eiger Sanction.

Jonathan Hemlock is in London doing a series of lectures, he has cut ties with CII, the spy organization that had supported his art habit by hiring him out to do "sanctions". But as most of us know we can never fully leave our past behind. Hemlock is drawn into the spy and killing game again but this time by a British spy agency called "the Loo" and of course no one and nothing is what it seems. Who is genuine and who is playing whom is only part of the question and we have some of the familiar twists and turns of plot that made the Eiger Sanction such a seat of the pants read. We know who the bad guy is and what he is trying to do, or at least we think we know. And we know who the good guys are, or we think we do. But we do know that there is going to be a lot of hurt going around and we are hoping that Dr. Hemlock will be dishing it out and not receiving too much of it. There are many inconsistencies with Hemlocks personality between this book and the Eiger Sanction - In the Eiger Sanction it was repeated many times that Hemlock only had 3 friends, and by the end of the book only 1 was still alive, yet he introduces Vanessa Van Dyke as one of Hemlocks "old art friends". And then there is the continued relationship with Mollie and his reactions at the end of the book. Unfortunately this book had a big yardstick to live up to and although being a good read it just didn't quite make it to the same level that the previous book was at.

[George Stankow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I miss Trevanian. He was never a prolific author, but each of them was a perfect little jewel. Even this one, his only sequel, is a knowing wink toward the very idea of the thriller sequel. While not approaching the deconstructionism of "Incident at Twenty-Mile," the second Sanction book shows that same sense of understanding the heart of the idea. Read this between more po-faced spy novels as a palate cleanser.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Loo Sanction by Trevanian is a satire that takes potshots at - well just about everything: Great Britain, the USA, art, spies, education, love, sex, and life in general. The novel is much more somber than the Eiger Sanction, almost bitter in its critiques. Joe Barrett's performance is wonderful. He brings each character to life, making Trevanian's exposition of their frailties more apparent and tempering the author's rather harsh deconstruction of the human condition.

[Joe Noir · Rating 3 out of 5]

The parody is broader here than in The Eiger Sanction and that may be why it's less "edge of the seat". It's still a good, fun, read. There is an art theft in this novel, and according to Trevanian.com, after the Italian version of this novel was published there was an art theft in Milan using the method described in this book.

[Chuck · Rating 1 out of 5]

My experience with Trevanian has been a mixed bag; big winners and equally big losers. In my opinion, this one falls into the losers category. It is a dull, dark, sordid tale of assorted criminals and their activities. A total waste of time.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Trevanian. Some of my all time favorite spy thrillers. I liked this one better than Eiger, but they were both great.

[Bahadır · Rating 3 out of 5]

İlk kitabın etkisini veremese de güzel bir Trevanian kitabı. Çevirisinden kaynaklı anlam güçlükleri vardı kitapta. Yeniden elden geçirilirse hoş olur.

[Thrillers R Us · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving at a fast clip from galleries, fembots, bangers, mashers, and bullets, THE LOO SANCTION exposes the dirty side of espionage and will take your breath away...

1990 ended the luxuriously self-indulgent 80s and broke in the new decade with a flock of sequels that celebrated and perhaps defined both its preceding decades. Among the resurrected was EXORCIST III, DIE HARD 2, GREMLINS 2, ROCKY 5, PREDATOR 2 and of course the ill fated and reviled THE GODFATHER Part III. Most famous for Al Pacino's gray buzz cut, Sofia Coppola's bad acting and that ONE line, THE GODFATHER PART III didn't do much for fans or the advancement of cinematic art, perhaps because of the sixteen year gap since number two. Not wasting any such Godly time, Trevanian busted out THE LOO SANCTION within a year of THE EIGER SANCTION, bringing back the quaint American PhD with a nasty streak. The only problem is that he's out and they want to pull him back in. He's the most secret of secret, the most efficient of efficient. The new mission, THE LOO SANCTION, is unconventional, extraordinary--a delicate matter and might require a sportsman or a hunter. The only problem is that he's neither--he's the violent kind. He's a killer.

Somewhat like Indiana Jones just without the scar and the dry wit, Dr. Jonathan Hemlock tilts towards art and's got the perfect eye, meaning anyone would try to sneak the fake article past him at their own peril. Fully embracing the persona of University prof, writer, mountain climber and collector of black market paintings, Jon would rather keep his dealings for Uncle Sam in the shadows. After four years of the average Joe transition, the US government likes to remind Jon of the six counter-assassinations aka sanctions under his belt and its ability to smear him with murder charges if things go that route. This of course doesn't fly for an early 70s renaissance man. The vaunted art critic vows to dredge up his skills from a brutal, bloody and distant past to stymie anyone who's looking to impinge on his freedom. Facing adversaries who only deal in violence and terror, Hemlock's aggressive American personality is exactly what's needed; the equity kicker: saving the effective control of British government being auctioned off to the highest evil-doer bidder.

Revolving about political blackmail and incriminating film in possession of a bold and brazen foe who detests Britain, THE LOO SANCTION is aptly relevant in today's political climate and the nascent problems the 47th US presidential administration is (still) facing and fighting. Exemplifying the verve and cheek of a James Bond flick, THE LOO SANCTION is an entertaining read with time-capsule phrases like dumpling tarts, sperm blind, and gentle combat smile. Trevanian is a skilled raconteur, delighting with opinion that it's fun to be both beggar & chooser, that it's every man for himself when dealing with MI-5/MI-6 and that nothing is more communicable than bad taste. High honed and aggressive, THE LOO SANCTION is a grass fire of the senses, landing somewhere between STUDIO 54 and EYES WIDE SHUT and a brutal shootout with dumdum ammo that will tear you limb from limb. Moving at a fast clip from galleries, gorgeous babes, bangers, mashers, and bullets, THE LOO SANCTION exposes the dirty side of espionage and will take your breath away.

[Alex Gherzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed The Loo Sanction, Trevanian's follow-up to The Eiger Sanction. A spy thriller structurally similar to an Ian Fleming Bond book, it was intended as a spoof of those novels, and you can see that in it, but it works as a straightforward story too.

Jonathan Hemlock has left CII, his secret spy organization, but another intelligence group wants his services and forces him into a mission to acquire some blackmail material that could bring down the British government. Meanwhile, an acquaintance of Hemlocks is planning an art heist.

The beginning of The Loo Sanction is meant to reintroduce us to Jonathan Hemlock, and it's a lot of fun because he's a great character. He's charming and witty, but with an irreverent streak that seemingly belies his cultured tastes. But these early chapters also plant the seeds for the story to come, and I was constantly flipping back to see how the various plot elements were set up.

When the plot kicks in, it's constantly moving from setting to setting, with Hemlock having to deal with another spy group, the outlandish hostess of a strip club, a bacchanalian crime ring, and British Intelligence proper. All of these places are fascinating creations, and Trevanian stuffs enough imagination into The Loo Station for several novels.

My only disappointment comes with the ending, which I wish were a bit more satisfying, especially where the Loo organization is concerned. But it's still a fast, fun read, and I made sure to pick up Shibumi today as well.

[Paul Cornelius · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first saw the title, I misread it as The Lao Sanction, as in the country just north of Thailand. But it turns out it's the Loo Trevanian is writing about, as in "toilet." He explains it as the British counterpart of the Search and Sanction Division of American intelligence his hero, Jonathan Hemlock, worked for in The Eiger Sanction. It's name origin he writes comes out of the rooms domestic and foreign intelligence were initially assigned in Britain's Military Intelligence, this being MI-5 and MI-6. British counterassassination worked out of a converted toilet. Trevanian still playing with spy spoofing, I guess.

The Loo Sanction works well enough as a follow up to Eiger. It actually has a better pace and more action-adventure than that previous work, although not so well structured as Eiger. There are changes. A self-admitted broken man at the end of Eiger, Hemlock carries the scars of previous work as an assassin into Loo. As a result, he has developed a conscience, something he notably lacked earlier. He worries about other people this time around, even if they "betray" him. Betraying Hemlock meant being excommunicated in Eiger. All to no avail, however, because Jonathan still ends up isolated and alone. The only difference? Now, he's a drunk.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here is another book by a widely touted 1970's author that upon reading for the second time -- the first being in the early 1980's -- leaves me disappointed.
Disappointed because the protagonist basically blindly muddles through the plot in the book, always one step behind those out to use him or kill him, and causes the death of two people whom he claims to hold dear because of his poor tradecraft and poor judgement.
In the end we are left with the protagonist drinking away his sorrows. I guess I should have taken an exposition in the middle of the book delivered by the protagonist where he tells the evil genius that his work as a "counter-assassin" wasn't so hard because all he had to do was kill someone after someone else identified the target for him. So I shouldn't be surprised that he's surprised at every turn and finally, only just, escapes the clutches of the villain with improbable dumb luck. Unfortunately that dumb luck does not extend to those whom he supposedly cares for. No, they are murdered in particular horrible ways. Deaths that are heinous and protracted with suffering. No wonder he's drinking at the end, I wanted to drink as well.

[Florence Renouard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jonathan Hemlock, critique d’art renommé, a cessé de travailler pour la mystérieuse organisation au service de laquelle il accomplissait des « sanctions » mortelles.
Mais les services secrets britanniques viennent le tirer de sa retraite, le forçant à remplacer un agent retrouvé empalé dans un clocher Londonien ; la mission de Jonathan est d’anéantir un horrible maître-chanteur, et de récupérer des films compromettant des dignitaires du Royaume, amateurs de parties fines et de chair fraiche…
Tiens donc, un roman écrit dans les années 70 mais qui résonne avec l’affaire Epstein !

Dans un rythme trépidant, Trevanian emmène le le lecteur dans une enquête riche en rebondissements, où le très élégant Jonathan Hemlock devra utiliser toute son intelligence et sa clairvoyance pour espérer survivre.

Un roman d’espionnage brillant et drôle, diablement caustique envers l’Angleterre et les Anglais !

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Des personnages éclectiques, des dialogues finement ciselés, un humour subtilement satirique. Quel plaisir de vivre les années 70 sous la plume de Trevanian. Forcément très politiquement incorrect et absolument délectable.

Blurb :
Jonathan Hemlock, génial alpiniste et collectionneur d'art, trouve les moyens d'assouvir ses passions en exécutant des assassinats pour le compte d'une mystérieuse organisation secrète. De passage en Angleterre, Hemlock se voit assigner une mission qui vient de coûter la vie à un agent des services secrets britanniques assassiné de manière atroce. Lancé sur la piste de films compromettant de hauts dignitaires du Royaume, il devra exécuter une nouvelle et ultime "sanction". Sa cible : l'élite des criminels londoniens pervertie par la débauche.

[Bob Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looking back (2 days) it was probably a mistake to listen to the second in the series so quickly after listening to the first. (Or maybe reverse the order) Oh well.
There are good things about this book. The beginning is ok and the Hemlock character is solid. But, as opposed to the Eiger Sanction, the plot seems to be muddled and confused. The story bogs down in the middle and is retrieved only by an explosive ending.

The humor is dialed back, the satire appears occasionally, but it's not as biting as Eiger. The ending is more explosive and more in the nature of a thriller, but not as clever as Eiger.
Had I read this one first or more time had passed since I read Eiger I might have a different rating. It's good enough, just not another Eiger.

[AJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this back in high school also. All I remembered was the opening scene and the lotioning habits of the bad guy. Second time reading and a little disappointed. I loved the Eiger Sanction. This felt more like the publisher pressed the author for a sequel and the author lazily coughed one up. Starting with the ridiculous story of the "Loo Division." In the Eiger Sanction Hemlock is devoid of emotions and has no friends, the perfect government assassin. Suddenly in this book he's emotional and smitten with a woman and cares about friends. What? The book still has good action and a twist at the end that I didn't see coming but the final chapter right down to the last sentence has to be one of the worst novel endings in history. Almost better off skipping it.

[Bhakta Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had really enjoyed The Eiger Sanction when it came out and had meant to read this sequel but somehow only got around to it this year. I bought a used copy from our local library. I'd have to say it is not nearly as entertaining as The Eiger Sanction was and I'm not surprised it was never filmed. The first book was great escapism and the hero was in the mold of James Bond, even though the organization he worked for was very different. In the second book everything that made Jonathan Hemlock likeable was gone. It felt like the whole thing was written by someone in a bad mood. I can't recommend it at all.

[Darius Ostrowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK, this wasn't a perfect spy novel, but one has to understand what the author's intent was here: a campy, over-the-top satire of all the worn out troupes that filled 1970s spy novels. Silly-named villains and characters? Check. Gross, overly-complicated ways of dying? Check. "Retired" agent being blackmailed into one last job? Check. Maniacal evil villain out to destroy the world (or at least the British part of it)? Check.

So, not Trevanian's best by a long shot. But enjoy it for what it is.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read The Eiger Sanction many, many years ago. Over the years I've read one or two other books by Trevanian but missed this one. Glad I finally read The Loo Sanction. Very much a piece of its time - early 1970s - and I enjoyed the use of language, the accurate depiction of society (one brief section on which workers were striking and which were coming off a strike rang so true to me....)

Borrowed this from the library and one or more patrons had underlined words that I assume they didn't know.