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The Czar's Spy
The Czar's Spy
The Mystery of a Silent Love
We could tell you what this book was about, but then we'd have to kill you.
Book Excerpt
the consumption of himself and his friends.
No. Philip Hornby had some strong motive in paying a heavy bribe to avoid the visit of the dogana. If he really had paid, he must have paid very heavily; of that I was convinced.
Was it possible that some mystery was hidden on board that splendidly appointed craft?
Presently the gong sounded, and we went below into the elegantly fitted saloon, where was spread a table that sparkled with cut glass and shone with silver. Around the center fresh flowers had been trailed by some artistic hand, while on the buffet at the end the necks of wine bottles peered out from the ice pails. Both carpet and upholstery were in pale blue, while everywhere it was apparent that none but an extremely wealthy man could afford such a magnificent craft.
Hornby took the head of the table, and we sat on either side of him, chatting merrily while we ate one of the choicest and best cooked dinners it has ever been my lot to taste. Chater and I drank wine o
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There's no real spy in this 1905 thriller, but rather a complex criminal conspiracy across England, Scotland, Italy, Finland and Russia. While some of it touches on conditions in Czarist Russia before Bloody Sunday, the spying going on has little to do with official espionage. Gordon Gregg, an Englishman living in Italy and serving as an acting consul, becomes the victim of a hoax when a visiting countryman invites him for dinner on a luxurious yacht. On board, he finds the photo of a lovely young woman, torn in pieces. Then he returns to shore to find the consulate's safe burgled. The yacht, meanwhile, has set sail for parts unknown. Later, Gregg meets the yachtsman in Scotland under a different name, and finds out the young woman of the photo holds a deadly secret, to both her and his own peril. The mystery holds to the very end, and while the solution and denouement are a bit of a letdown after the high action of the rest, the plot is very absorbing and the writing good.
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This is a very good novel of multiple crimes and political intrigues. Don't hold your hopes too high of figuring it all out, not even the characters know what is happening. Good entertainment.
01/08/2015
Perfect spy detective novel. I recommend.
02/23/2014
A very well-written mystery novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and highly recommend it.
01/26/2011
Well worth reading. Complex plot. Lots of action and plenty of head scratching mystery. Lots of parts of the story made me lose complete track of time.
09/22/2009
Good intriguing plot, excellent characters, mysterious romance, keeps you in the dark until the end.
12/16/2008
Nnyeeh...it was okay. The scenery was painted nicely, but the indelible luck of the hero was a bit over the top. Kind of like a very innocent Bond.
12/20/2007
Oh, of course you got to read it, but don't tell to anyone.
Difficult to stay "yourself" after reading Czar's Spy"!
Thanks a lot...
Difficult to stay "yourself" after reading Czar's Spy"!
Thanks a lot...
05/02/2007
excellent
08/15/2006