Description

1950. Chief Inspector Troy learns that his sergeant has been conducting an affair with the known mistress of infamous London racketeer Otto Ohnherz. Troy is immediately intrigued by the mysterious origins of Ohnherz’s second-in-command, Jay Fabian, who is a major contributor to all three British political parties and claims to have survived the concentration camps, yet lacks any identification beyond his word. Why would a refugee be trying to buy influence? So begins a novel of swapped identities in the aftermath of World War II and the Holocaust, each chapter adding a new layer of intrigue.

With a twisting plotline, crackling dialogue and the return of beloved characters, Smoke and Embers is an exciting new addition to John Lawton’s masterful canon of Cold War thrillers.

Publisher Review

Lawton’s ongoing recreation of Cold War chicanery is one of the great pleasures of modern spy fiction — Mick Herron Short chapters and snappy dialogue help speed the kalidoscopic narrative along, though not at the expense of character development or emotional power. Lawton remains a force to be reckoned with * Publishers Weekly * Lawton’s reputation as one of the best authors of espionage fiction is burnished by Moscow Exile…all the action and intrigue of an old Len Deighton trilogy * Wall Street Journal on MOSCOW EXILE * Another virtuoso performance in what continues to be an espionage series of uncommon depth and breadth . . . Lawton infuses the entire troupe with sparkling life, using crackling dialogue and rapier wit to bring a Technicolor sheen to the moral ambiguity of the Cold War * Booklist (starred review) on MOSCOW EXILE * [A] lush historic novel . . . The resilience and determination of his Charlie, Coky and eventually Joe Wilderness provide a strong portrait of Lawton’s real-life sense of espionage: calculating, well-armed, self-defined * New York Journal of Books on MOSCOW EXILE * A wonderfully rewarding thriller that makes me want to go back and reread all its predecessors to enjoy the subtleties and pleasures on display — Maxim Jakubowski * Crime Time on MOSCOW EXILE * Beautifully written and cut with flashes of sardonic wit, it is, nominally, the fourth of Lawton’s ‘Joe Wilderness’ novels, but also features members of the Troy family from his primary series which has been delighting the discerning reader for more than twenty-five years now and as a body of work, is shaping up to be one of the most impressive achievements in spy-fi * Shots on MOSCOW EXILE *