Review: Deadly song bird
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 19, 2012
"For my money, Johnny Fedora, professional killer for British Intelligence, more than deserves to take over James Bond's avid audience," wrote the book reviewer for the New York Times after the publication of Desmond Cory's second spy thriller, This Traitor, Death, in 1952.This title was another from the author who became a leading exponent of "Brit Grit", who entertained his many international readers, reading translations in 12 languages his Fedora mystery series of 15 titles."Le Rossignol", The Nightingale, is Hitler's beautiful and deadly spy. Because she has millions in unrecovered German gold, this song bird is the only person who can return the Nazis to power. British Intelligence again needs to depend on our suave assassin Johnny Fedora to kill this nightingale.With a new face, a new name, and a government licence to kill granted a few years before 007, our hero is off to take a shot at the Nightingale.Published for the first time on Kindle, in this second book I again enjoyed being taken behind the civilised veneer of European cities, to be caught up in murderous pursuits. Again I enjoy Cory's stylish and economical writing that very quickly draws the readers in.The character of Fedora too is real and very believable. Who knows how many real-life Fedoras, working as British agents or those of other countries, were lurking about in dark alleys, seedy bars and luxury hotels and towards the end of World War 2, and even now.