Customer Reviews

Spectres in the Smoke (Felony & Mayhem Mysteries) (Jethro)

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The second book in the Jethro series is better than the first. The plot is more sophisticated and the range of characters introduced in the first book become more fully developed in this welcome sequel. There is tremendous period detail on every page and fascinating insight on what it was like to be in London after the war. It certainly was not all tea and crumpets for the common people. When you read this book, you'll not only be entertained, but educated as well.

Spectres in the Smoke is the first of the Jethro novels I have read. Like some of the other FelonyandMayhem titles it not only is a good mystery but gives a history lesson of Britain in Post WWII, Combined with stories like The Cambridge Theorem,and A Gathering of Saints it helps provide insight into the world of espionage and state secrets that helped shaped Britain and the world after WWII. The title character in Spectres is blessed with an unusual set of skills which get put to use by the British intelligence services to help save post war England from radical extremists. Jethro is a likeable character with a coterie of friends and associates who pop up at times in the story to provide help and information to help move the story along. Even though he is working for the Eton/Cambridge boys to save Britain from extremists he still manages to impart a criminal mind to his job which helps him succeed. I look forward to reading more of Jethro's adventures as this one was so enjoyable

This story is told by Jethro, a cockney cat burglar in London who finds himself pressed into service by the government to break into certain posh homes belonging to suspected fascists. His mission is to find and steal secret documents showing post-WWII plans for a far-right (fascist) takeover of Britain's government. Part of the story involves the idea that the Duke of Windsor (who abdicated, and was thought to be a Nazi sympathesizer) might regain the throne with the fascists running the government. While the historical threads used in this novel are interesting, the telling of the tale is too long and boring, and Jethro is simply not believable. We are asked to accept that he is a cockney who can switch back and forth between being an East-Ender with all the special slang, and then alternatively be a guy who can pass as a gentleman at aristocratic weekend parties. About half the way through I gave up on this book, just after Jethro meets David Niven and Ian Fleming at the most exclusive men's club in London, introduced to them so he can acquire some of their polish. Bleah. I could see then the story wasnt going anywhere good. While some reviewers thought the book evoked the hardships of life in London following WWII, I didnt get that. It could have been the late 1950s instead of the late 1940's. As for the characters, I felt I could hear the author's voice, but not theirs. They all sounded alike, and didnt come to life as memorable beings. Phooey on the whole thing.