Jack of Spies
With his celebrated John Russell series, which began between the wars and extended through WWII, behind him, Downing launches a new series about a different war. It’s 1913, and tensions between England and Germany are escalating. Jack McColl is a luxury-car salesman whose travels take him around the world, offering plenty of opportunity to hear rumors and report back to the fledgling Royal Navy Intelligence Service. Spying is in its infancy, easily romanticized, and McColl is happy to see himself as a player in a global game in which men from various nations tested their wits against one another. From China to San Francisco to New York, McColl plays at espionage while finding time to fall for a radical newspaperwoman whose family may have ties to the IRA. Then the bodies start dropping, and the Great Game reveals itself as much more than matching wits. There’s maybe a bit too much scene-setting in this opening salvo, but it’s clear that the talented Downing is off and running once again, with an agreeable new hero and another richly atmospheric historical backdrop.            HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Backed by a $150,000 marketing and ad budget and the author’s first tour, Downing’s series debut may also become his biggest seller yet. --Bill Ott