First edition - 1980 Fontana paperback
I feel MacInnes is really back on form with The Hidden Target. It is a longer and 'deeper' book than some of her previous ones. The characters, 'good' and 'bad' were drawn out and, in the case of the former, more likeable. Perhaps, it was pleasing to get away from the decent amateur American hero and concentrate on actual agents - again, on both sides. There is as much detail, and explanation (not condoning their belief or actions, however) given to the anarchist/communist individuals as to the NATO figures. From an urban guerrilla cell in Essen, West Germany to a finale in Washington, the book takes in London, Belgium, a camper van's trip across Europe to Turkey, Iraq, Iran and India and further activity in New York and California.
Three top Western agents are killed - one by an umbrella tipped with ricin (MacInnes certainly kept up to date: Georgi Markov had been assassinated on a London street via a micro-engineered pellet containing ricin, fired into his leg from an umbrella wielded by someone associated with the Bulgarian Secret Service. It is likely the Russian KGB helped. The attack took place on 7 September 1978. He died in hospital four days later.) There are also attempts on other NATO/CIA lives.
MacInnes makes reference to her previous book, Prelude to Terror, as a bit of a side player in that story, Robert Renwick, reappears in one of the main roles this time. The Vienna escapade is recalled, as well as the girl agent killed at the very end. Crefeld's (Dutch counter espionage chief) eyebrows knitted. "Why the hell do we have to employ women, Bob?" he burst out. "Because they are often better than a lot of men." Renwick thought of his own loss, back in Austria. Almost two years now. Avril Hoffman ... no, he couldn't forget her... He cut off his memories. Avril was dead. "Also," he went on, "they volunteer. They want a mission that will mean something. Just try keeping women out of intelligence work, Jake, and you'll be picketed from here to Greenland." Ironically, it is three women enemy agents who are used quite effectively: the first, Crefeld's own trusted secretary, Luisa, ensures his death-by-umbrella; secondly, Greta, enrolled at University College, London as Dr. Ilsa Schlott from Stockholm on a course on tropical diseases, is responsible for ensuring Nina O'Connell and Madge Westerman, two American students studying in London, are enticed on to the camper van trip. This is led by two Communist-trained agents, and joint founders of the People's Revolutionary Force for Direct Action, Marco and Kurt Leitner (really Ramon Olivar, born in Venezuala) masquerading as Tony Sawfield, an Englishman, and James Kiley, an American. Their plan is to set up/encourage revolutionary cells all along their route to the Far East. The third woman, Therese Colbert, is having an affair with Renwick in Brussels. A skilful communist agent, she very nearly achieves the main aim of the enemy plot - to bomb the American President. Thanks to Renwick and O'Connell, in their different ways, it is nullified and Colbert is arrested.
When the camper stops in Amsterdam there is a chance meeting up between Nina and Robert Renwick. Six years ago, as a 15 year-old, Nina had met the then 33 year-old in Geneva when Renwick had been at a disarmament conference as a NATO expert. The eighteen-year gap in age was less important than Nina's youth - as we find out during the book! MacInnes uses all her narrative skills to drive the quite intricate plot forward. Another link with Prelude to Terror, is that money sent to Geneva by the Communist scheme then, now ends up financing the Sawfield/Kiley trip.
The ending doesn't appear forced. By this time both Marco and Kurt have been arrested, as have Greta and Therese; their main handler, Theo (Herr Otto Remp aka Herman Kroll, KGB agent) and his sidekicks have been killed or committed suicide; and Renwick and Nina set to get married - they had better, having had sex since their time in Bombay! An idea, drawn up by Renwick and others of like minds, to create Interintell - like Interpol - for international sharing of intelligence against enemies such as communists and anarchists, begins to bear fruit. Watch this space, and the next book!
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I looked up reviews on her books on the Amazon website and was not surprised to find comments such as 'dated', 'period piece', 'from the WWII generation'... However, one reviewer was more thoughtful - and correct! - when they added but the ethical dilemma isn't outdated. Too true. MacInnes charts the threats from totalitarian states and anarchists, from the Nazis in the 1940s to the Communists (usually Russia) during the Cold War. Well, we still have an authoritarian system in Russia, even if the USSR has been dismantled; and it has been joined by the far more dangerous and powerful totalitarian Chinese People Republic, led by a ruthless dictator with more power than Stalin ever had at his finger tips. Whilst not forgetting the dangers from the maverick North Korea, the evil theocracy of Iran, the near anarchy of the Isis threat, the monomania of Putin; the awful likelihood of a Third World War breaking out emanates from China above all. Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, India, Vietnam and other south-east Asia countries are very aware of the enemy in their midst. Let us hope we have not left the neutering of this vermin too late.I hadn't intended to read another MacInnes novel straightaway, but I saw that Robert Renwick was again a major player in the next one - Cloak of Darkness. So, off I went!
First edition - 1982 Fontana paperback
Cloak of Darkness deals with the secret, shady world of international arms dealers. Robert Renwick now takes centre stage. He is now married to the delicious, much younger Nina; his brainchild, Interintell (International Intelligence against Terrorism) has been set up with its HQ in London; and Erik is on the loose again - all subjects dealt with in The Hidden Target. Keppler, based in Switzerland reappears (from Pray for a Brave Heart) an there are the usual twists and turns. The sense of place and MacInnes's strong moral code are firmly entrenched, too. The story switches from London to Washington (and Colin Grant, now running the late Victor Basset's 20 acre museum, also in Prelude to Terror) and then to Chamonix. Renwick is one of those on a Death List and there is also a List of important Westerners who have been compromised. There is a tense outcome in the High Alps, an uncovering of a once-trusted friend and a happy reunion for Renwick and Nina: 'Magic, you are pure magic, darling.' He picked up her suitcase and slipped an arm around her waist as they began walking toward the street.
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