I loved traveling with author Hector Lassiter, his fellow friend Ian Fleming, and his devastating companion along the way, Haven Branch. Felt like I was right there with them on the planes and trains and in the restaurants, cafés and clubs. Combining writing, spying, and secret lives was perfectly executed and totally believable. Returning to Japan to claim his dead wife’s final writings, Hector is caught up in a conspiracy he can’t avoid. Once more the unlikely hero is called on to save the world, and by god, he’ll do it or die trying. He’s not quite a James Bond type, but he’s cut from a similar cloth. Smart, witty, resourceful and a lady’s man, even in his 60s, you have to admire his style. Great dialogue, good plot, and just enough neurotic angst to sound like a real author. Plenty of fast-paced action, dangerous villains, good whiskey, and humorous characters. I haven’t read the other Hector Lassiter tomes, but I think I’ll have to get started on them now. With Ian Fleming as his muse, Craig McDonald gives us more of the Bond flavor in this period novel without being a parody. Loved it, can’t believe now that I’ve found him, there’s only one more novel to come. But then, I’ve got all the previous ones to enjoy.
~Review by Sandy Penny, Founder, SweetMysteryBooks.com – Five Stars
Betimes Books 