Into Battle

With almost 30 books tales to his credit (most recently, Ring of Terror), Gilbert reaches back to WWI in this entertaining story of fledgling counter-espionage agents and their equally fledgling spy agency. Luke Pagan, first seen as a London policeman in Roller Coaster, joins up with the nascent intelligence outfit M.O.5 just prior to the outbreak of war. There are no high-tech spy toys in this outfit--eavesdropping, tireless observation, slogging through intercepted letters, painstaking code-breaking and infiltration are the tools of the day. In three sequential episodes, more like short stories braided together than a seamless novel, Pagan and his cohorts counter the efforts of German spy Erich Krieger. In Portsmouth before the war, Luke and his assistant, Joe Narrabone, help discover how German intelligence is keeping track of the British Navy's comings and goings. In London, after war has begun, they take part in the dismantling of the deeply entrenched German spy ring operating throughout the country, finally flushing out even the wily Krieger. Finally, Pagan and Narrabone take their hunt to France where desperate battles are straining the British forces to the breaking point and the clever Krieger is poised to destabilize the British rear. Gilbert artfully melds history and espionage into an interesting and intriguing tale. (Feb.)