"Old Enemies", by Michael Dobbs

Book 4, in the Harry Jones series

This is a story of international conspiracy where more than one life is at stake, an exhilarating race against time where the past will come back and decide the future. It starts in the Swiss Alps, a teenage girl is thrown from a helicopter and her boyfriend is severely beaten and abducted to Trieste, a city filled with undercurrents of past hatreds. This is no ordinary kidnapping; it is about power rather than money. 

The main plot centers on the kidnapping of a 16 year old boy used as a bargaining chip to pressure his father into withholding the publication of a diary written by one of South Africa’s most influential people. As one of UK’s most powerful man in the newspaper industry, he has a strong say as to whether the career killing information is to be released to the public. The revealing details about the acting President could jeopardize his chances in the upcoming elections and many supporters are willing to go to great limits to make the diary disappear or at least suppress it until after he is back in full power.

The boy’s terrified mother contacts Harry Jones, her former lover who she walked out on many years ago. Harry soon finds himself drawn into a high stakes political game one that is much higher than he can ever imagine and along the way he discovers personal secrets that have been held from him for many years, secrets that were never intended to be revealed. 

The storyline has all the ingredients to make it a sizzling thriller and the action slowly builds suspense as secrets of those involved are uncovered. The action is mostly played out in the picturesque city of Trieste Italy and showcases an evil African politician and the extremes he and his sadistic followers will go through to attain wealth and power.

It is always a plus to read a series in sequence but Mr. Dobbs provides enough background to plunge anyone in Harry’s adventures without being lost. This is a first-class novel that is very hard to put down and will probably simulate the readers’ interest in following other exciting exploits of the writer’s protagonist.