Шах — мат

Charles Pol #2

by Alan Williams, Алън Уилямс

Шахмат — или Смърт на Царя.
Това е смъртоносна игра, която един от най-могъщите хора в света играе срещу самия себе си.

Защо Владетелят на една от най-богатите петролни държави подготвя собственото си убийство?
Нает да осъществи замисленото срещу два милиона лири стерлинги, Чарлс Пол, майстор на интригите, шпионажа и революциите, предпочита да не си задава този въпрос. Но когато НАЗАК, създадена по подобие на ГЕСТАПО организация, охраняваща вътрешната сигурност на държавата, започва да подозира хитрата и смъртоносна игра, Пол и неговите хора се оказват въвлечени в нещо, от което биха желали да се измъкнат колкото се може по-скоро…

Genres: Thriller, History

346 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Alan Emlyn Williams was a journalist and foreign correspondent, reporting from notable hotspots worldwide including Hungary in 1956, Algeria, Vietnam and Northern Ireland. In 1962 he started writing thrillers which brought him the accolade "the natural heir to Ian Fleming" but it was his well-researched spy stories such as The Beria Papers and Gentleman Traitor (which featured real life traitor Kim Philby) which brought him international success.

Reviews

[Paul Cornelius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another exceptional adventure story from Alan Williams. This is the fourth in the Charles Pol series, and Pol takes center stage for much of the first half of the book. Usually, Pol remains in the background in these novels, but as an international conspiracy to kill "the Ruler" (the Shah) of an unnamed Middle Eastern country (Iran) builds in Switzerland and France, Pol is at the center, attending parties, lining up dupes, arranging finances. The dupes in this case are Owen Packer and his girlfriend, Sarah. The two Britishers, one looking for love and the other a way to refinance her family's dwindling fortune, easily get themselves involved in the plot. Eventually, the conspiracy moves from Switzerland to Beirut and then to the Ruler's country. The climax is a worthy one. And both the unlikeable English get what they were looking for.

Appearing in this volume, once again, is also Sammy Ryderbeit. This is his third appearance in the series. I've come to like Ryderbeit, despite his drunken, greedy, murderous ways. A lot of my fondness for him has to do with his first appearance in the earlier book, Snake Water. That novel was made into a film, The Pink Jungle, starring James Garner and Eva Renzi. But it is George Kennedy's role as Ryderbeit that I can't forget. And now every time I see him in a subsequent novel, I think of George Kennedy's portrayal. Wonder if Sammy will be back in the next volume?

[Paul Ataua · Rating 5 out of 5]

In which, the Shah of an unnamed Middle Eastern country hires a mercenary to assassinate the Shah himself. Yet another in this fascinating series involving the enigmatic French Charles Pol, who has no qualms about who he works for or what he does as long as the monetary rewards are in six figures. In this, Pol acquires an ex-military man, his girlfriend, and a crazy one-eyed Rhodesian mercenary to bring off an impossible assassination. As in the other books in the series, all the characters are flawed in one way or another, just people who will do just about anything for money, and we find ourselves willing them to do the job and get away. It’s fast-moving and never slows down. Yet another in the series that is such a good read.

[Haman · Rating 2 out of 5]

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