Thu 16 Feb 2023
An Archived Review by Bob Adey: TED ALLBEURY – The Lantern Network.
Posted by Steve under Reviews[3] Comments
TED ALLBEURY – The Lantern Network. Peter Davies, UK. hardcover, 1978. Mysterious Press, US, hardcover, 1989.
Another first class novel of espionage by one of my three favourite British spy writers {the other two are Deighton and le Carre). In this one Commander Nicholas Bailey of the Special .Branch is called upon to carry out a routine interrogation of a man not really suspected of anything concrete.
To his surprise and horror the man commits suicide, practically in front of him and the big question is why. Bailey eventually finds the reasons but only after a long flashback (more than half of the book) in which we learn in detail of the wartime career of Captain Charles Parker with the resistance in France. How Parker organizes the resistance teams against the Germans and how this all fits in with the suicide make fascinating reading.
Mr. Allbeury knows his stuff and certainly can write.
February 16th, 2023 at 9:41 pm
Though he was in print here, Allebury never really got the attention he deserved as one of the best and most serious practitioners of the modern spy novel, as serious as Le Carre, but as exciting as Deighton.
February 16th, 2023 at 10:41 pm
All the people who’ve read them have all agreed with both you and Bob Adey. Problem is, I can count the number of people here in the US who’ve read them with the fingers of one hand, not including the thumb. Back in the UK, I think he’s a whole lot better known.
February 17th, 2023 at 11:57 pm
Wow! High praise indeed.