July 14, 2004
The Cassandra Christa – not just an exotic name, but also a well-known pleasure boat. Its owner deep in
debt, that is until its final destination and delivery of cargo, an enigmatic young woman.
The sinking coincides with that of another ship, on the same night off Calais. The accident captures Jack Constant’s attention that in turn passes this information up the ladder
to Michael Barclay, an intelligence technician. Barclay who doesn’t consider himself a spy or any part of the Secret
Service reads between the lines, thus pushing the case further up, bypassing his own boss, Joyce
Parry.
The information reaches London’s Scotland Yard Secret Service - Special Branch. They have only a hint that a
terrorist named Witch may have snuck back home. Few within the bureau even believe she exists. Even so, Commander Bill
Trilling pairs John Greenleaf, a quiet man with an arrogant Hardman Doyle to investigate.
It doesn’t take long for Parry to point out Barclay’s grave mistake and brings in a retired agent named,
Dominic Elder. Witch is a known ghost from Elder's past. Elder, is
an obsessed British agent who longs his career hadn’t ended, but is persistent in freelancing this final assignment. This time to lure the enemy to her ultimate defeat.
Witch, herself has the ability to
change her identity, seduce her opponents, and complete the kill. She is the ultimate cold-blooded professional assassin.
Her very life depends on keeping up a charade, on cloaking her intentions. She can
trust no one but herself, and keeps an eagle eye on Elder himself!
Elder joins Greenleaf and
Doyle at the end of one trail, while Barclay hones in from another direction with the help of an attractive Parisian novice
detective named, Dominique Herault.
Characters, each with their
own agendas, wage shadowy war against one another with the highest stakes imaginable. The counterspy agencies and police force
eventually come to work as a team in turning over stone upon stone from Paris to Germany and back. Racing against time, leaving
only few questions unanswered: Is the target a delegate to the International Summit, or does Witch have a personal
agenda?
If you're not accustomed
to reading spy thrillers, and you can handle a gritty story, you might want to give this a try. If you are a fan of the genre,
and you haven't read this one, you're probably missing something.
With a cynical sense of humor Witch Hunt moves forward quickly with several plots
tied together. Every part of the story is interesting and engaging. Where other novels would still be setting up the
premise, Witch Hunt has already started playing the game!
Reviewed by M. Romero
