Customer Reviews

Day Of Absolution: A Novel

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Recently retired Foreign Office employee Charlie Gauntlet marries Metropolitan Police Detective Bex Olesker. Since she works in the Anti-terrorist Branch, Charlie has had a difficult adjustment because his former job has taught him how dangerous her work is.

Bex's latest case involves the deadly, legendary Alchemist, a wizard who has eluded police around the world for more than a decade. As Bex follows her lead, traitor Kit Palfrey visits Charlie with a tale about ancient Christian scrolls found in Moscow. While Bex journeys to Ireland, Charlie travels to Scotland to substantiate the scrolls that allegedly provide a new light on the last days of Jesus. However, neither Charlie nor Bex realize that their two divergent cases will soon intercede at a point that could leave both of them dead.

DAY OF ABSOLUTION is a great thriller that expeditiously combines elements from espionage, political, police procedural, and religion into a classy tale. The story line is fast-paced, filled with action while containing two major subplots that cleverly blend into a wonderful climax. The lead characters are fully drawn and the assassin is shadowy enough to seem real. This novel proves that John Gardner is the Man.

Harriet Klausner

John Gardner is wham-bam back on pedigree form with Day of Absolution, his best book since Werewolf Trace, Dancing Dodo, Complete State of Death, Every Night's a Bullfight (don't settle for 'The Director', the bowdlerised version) and Garden of Weapons (if you haven't read these books, you should get out more!). JG is the best - complex where Le Carre is merely complicated, out-detailing Deighton and, with his penetrating Greene-like insights into the human conditon, relegating the rest of the spy-hacks (with the exception of Eric Ambler)to also-rans. Read this book and then go back and enjoy the complete canon. JG is the spy writer's writer.