No Exit Press Pbk - £4.99
Due to a brain injury that destroyed his sleep centre Evan Tanner
has time to spare, the third of his life which the rest of us spend unconscious in our
beds. He uses that time wisely, learning dozens of languages and researching numerous
groups and associations, from flat-earthers to conflicting terrorist splinter groups he
supports.
What Evan does not have is a mission. He leaves the ideals and passion to others,
switching his allegiance according to the demands of the moment. This makes him the
perfect Secret Agent and, as such, he is sent by his mysterious boss across Europe to
rescue a Nazi war criminal awaiting trial in a Czechoslovakian jail. His many contacts
help him on his way. He persuades everyone that he is on their side and so gets the job
done. But morality eventually begins to prick him and he starts to question himself;
"With Kotacek I had played the earnest Nazi, with Ferenc the liberal anti-fascist
revolutionary…….. I thought of the Red Queen’s advice to Alice. "Speak
French when you can’t think of the English for a thing, walk with your toes turned
out , and remember who you are." Remember who you are. It was not all that easy , and
getting harder all the time."
But, never fear, Tanner does remember in the end and eventually acts on his own account.
The fact that you are reading about the political situation of 30 years ago is very
obvious but, as always, with Lawrence Block "The Cancelled Czech" is a
completely compelling read with not an adjective wasted. He manages to sell us Tanner,
despite his moral ambiguity, and convinces us that consorting with terrorists, starting
uprisings and fathering children across Europe is not such a bad way of conducting your
life. We never felt the same about James Bond , did we? Amanda Caven
