A Ted Feit Book Review Trio
Portobello
Ruth Rendell
Scribner, 2010
ISBN: 978-4391-4851-8
Hardcover
This is not an easy book to read. Nor is it a mystery. It is a somewhat disjointed story of some disparate characters joined only by the Portobello, a winding street in London filled with stalls and shops where one can find almost anything at any price.
The novel alternates telling about each of the characters, sort of in turn, and how, in the end, their lives kind of intertwine. There is Eugene Wren, a fastidious personality who becomes addicted to a sugar-free sucking candy, a habit that could cost him his fianceé, Dr. Ella Costend. Then there is a minor thief, Lance, who is arrested for an arson and murder, but not for his burglaries. Lance’s girlfriend and grandfather play important roles in his life, along with here live-in mate, Fize and his friend, Ian. Ella’s private patient Joel, who has a near-death experience during a heart operation, provides the author the opportunity to delve into deep psychological issues.
There is little plot to speak of, only descriptions of the Portobello neighborhood and the actions of the individuals, either by themselves or in relation to each other. Except for Joel, who has almost no relationship with anyone except his doctor and no role in the erstwhile story. It is easy to wonder while reading the book what it is all about; at least, until in the final pages, when it all seems to come together. On that basis, as well as for the beautiful writing, Portobello is recommended.
Reviewed by Ted Feit, December 2010.
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Operation Napoleon
Arnaldur Indridason
Translated by Victoria Cribb
Harvill Secker, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-846-55285-4
Trade Paperback (UK)
Long before there were Erlender and Sigurdur Oll, Arnaldur Indridason wrote this imaginative novel. In fact, it was copyrighted a decade ago, and only now has been published in Great Britain and Canada. (U.S. publication is scheduled for the fall of 2011, and the next Reykjavic Murder Mystery, Outrage, is to be published in the UK in 2011.) It is a pity we have had to wait this long for an English translation of this work, but all the more reason to be grateful that that has now been done.
Just before the end of World War II a German bomber crashes on a large Icelandic glacier with American and German officers aboard. One of the senior German officers attempts to reach a nearby farm, while the others remain on the plane only to be buried by a blizzard and ice; then he disappears as well.
Over 50 years later, after a few failed attempts to find the plane by U.S. intelligence, they are finally successful, and a secret mission is undertaken to remove the plane and its contents.. Coincidentally, two young Icelanders on the glacier in a training mission spot the Americans and are captured, one killed and the other seriously injured. Before the capture, one of the men had contacted his sister, Kristin. She undertakes to discover the truth of her brother’s fate, placing herself in danger in the process.
The tense plot follows Kristin as she challenges the Americans in an effort to find out what happened to her brother, leading her on an arduous journey to learn the facts of Operation Napoleon. The descriptions of the various elements of the story are overwhelming: the freezing weather, the subterfuge of the Americans, the divergent views of Icelanders vis-à-vis relations with United States authorities, and other conflicts. Written with a sharpness to which we have become accustomed from this author, the novel is highly recommended.
Reviewed by Ted Feit, December 2010.
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Our Kind of Traitor
John le Carre
Viking, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-670-02224-3
Hardcover
This novel could easily have been entitled The Money Launderer Who
Tried to Come in Out of the Cold. It is the story of Dima, a Russian gangster, the Mickey Cohen of the Russian Mafia, who launders all the billions amassed in illegal activities. He makes contact with a visiting English couple on holiday in Antigua and leads them to contact British intelligence in an effort to defect with his extended family, exposing his erstwhile cohorts, as well as British politicians and notables.
The plot evolves around plans to extract Dima et al by a few intelligence operatives who not only have to free the Russians, but fight their own organization’s superiors. The characterizations of each of the principals is outstanding, with the foibles, strengths and weaknesses of each displayed to the utmost. That’s more than can be said for the various subjects under study: money laundering, banking, the Mumbai stock market and other supposed contemporary themes intended to replace the author’s past dependence on the Cold War and its brand of spies.
Despite his reputation for research and detail, le Carre treats these essential topics in summary form, rather than in the depth one would expect from the list of experts he consulted. For instance, Dima gets a telephone call telling him to “sell Mumbai,” only a while later to be informed to buy it back. For this, one has to consult a pro? And not even mention inside information. As for Dima’s specialty, money laundering, there is virtually no hard description, just sort of a lackadaisical recounting of common knowledge. Despite this criticism, the author has written an entertaining tale, and it is recommended.
Reviewed by Ted Feit, December 2010.
May 30, 2011
Tags: Antigua, England, espionage, general fiction, Harvill Secker, Iceland, mystery, Russian mob, Scribner, Viking, WWII & contemporary Posted in: Full Reviews
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