ISBN: 9781848545816
Publisher: John
Murray
Pages: 472
Price: £9.79
via Amazon
Released: 16
August 2012
Lieutenant Sebastian Wolff returns for another
adventure in Andrew Williams’ latest novel, released yesterday.
It is 1915 and Europe is at war. The latest assignment for Wolff is to
discover the plans of a known Irish rebel who is using the pre-occupation of
Britain’s war with Germany to organise a rebellion that will free Ireland from
the yoke of English rule. However, a conspiracy
to sink British ships carrying vital supplies across the Atlantic is uncovered. The trail takes Wolff from Berlin to America,
where an even more sinister plot to develop a poisonous gas to be used against
the British is uncovered.
Williams has created a series of novels, this being the
third, which could be described as a “niche” product. Set in the era of the First World War, Williams
knowledge of the time, combined with a talent for story-telling, means his
historical thrillers are compelling and extremely enjoyable. Williams skilfully creates a character that is honest,
ruthless and flawed. The author allows you to get
under Wolff's skin and you can feel his dilemmas, his amoral behaviour with women and the
steely determination with which he ensures each mission is successful. The modern era of spycraft is being born and
developed by the newly created Secret service Bureau; dead-drops and sewing
tissue paper filled with sensitive information inside linings of coats are some
of the imaginative ways Wolff smuggles his findings back to his superiors.
The Poison Tide is a thoroughly enjoyable read. The technical and historical detail is
unencumbered, allowing the reader to follow the plot without distraction. I have always enjoyed spy novels and there
are times when the antics of the hero are implausible, but this is not the case
with “The Poison Tide”. Williams has
created a character that will appeal to a predominantly male audience, but I am
sure women will see him as a early 20th century Jack Reacher and
enjoy these novels too.
Sir Read-A-Lot gives “The Poison Tide” 4 crosses!
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