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Stephen Leather is known for his large scale international thrillers. Despite having studied biochemistry, during his university career he heard of the delights of the life of a journalist and, after graduation, trained as one. His first few books were, in fact, written while he was still a working journalist. Pay Off and Long Shot saw the beginning of the making of Leather's reputation but it was not until he wrote The Chinaman that he achieved best sellerdom and was able to concentrate on full time fiction writing. The Vets, The Solitary Man, The Double Tap , The Birthday Girl ,The Fireman , Hungry Ghost, The Bombmaker , The Tunnel Rats and The Stretch have done nothing to diminish his reputation as a writer of thrillers. Interestingly, Leather enjoys dabbling in different genres but his publishers do not encourage his experimentation, to the extent that his fantasy novels as well as what could be classed as a horror novel, Once Bitten see publication only on the Web. Private Dancer, his very popular novel depicting all aspects of relationships between bar dancers in Thailand and their clients is likewise generously available as a free download from the author's web site. Many of this writer's books are set in South East Asia - Stephen Leather has spent many years in that locale so when his novels are located there, the reader may trust the authenticity of his descriptions of the places. Tango One , by contrast, is set predominantly in London. Den Donovan is the number one crime figure of London and is designated Tango One, the first target. The law enforcement agencies have been attempting to place undercover police in Donovan's operations so that their men may get close to him and betray the criminal so he may reap his merited just desserts. Donovan finally gets tired of their efforts and causes the murder of one of their operatives and films the process, sending the result to the policeman's employers. Three young hopefuls have applied to become police officers and are due to begin their education at the college. They are diverted from their course on its presumed first day and taken to an interview with the Assistant Police Commissioner. They are invited to go deeply undercover without training so they will be able infiltrate Donovan's operations without being suspected by him as they will lack the trademark behaviour patterns instilled into typical officers. The trouble is that each of the three has managed to extricate him or herself from an unfortunate background and hopes to have a clear future in the police force. By going undercover they will be forced to resume disreputable careers : the woman - who formerly worked as a prostitute - as a lap dancer, the black gay man as a drug dealer and the white man as a corrupt, drug taking art dealer. The three, each unaware of the existence of the other two, accept the assignments, though not without misgivings, and take up their new employment. Three years later circumstances change. Den Donovan's wife and his accountant betray him and Donovan is forced to return from a safe self imposed exile to track down both the accountant and the erring wife together with the sixty million pounds the two have stolen. A further complication is Robbie, the Donovan's nine year-old son , who witnessed his mother's infidelity and who must now be cared by his domesticity challenged father. Donovan's life is not only fraught but appears to be hostage to money he owes to Colombian drug lords amongst other bloodthirsty miscreants. The book, while perhaps not quite as fast paced as Indiana Jones, does not lag too far behind that figure in Saturday afternoon matinČeish thrills. The grue and general gore sodden scenes are not for the faint hearted but the prose is enjoyably literate. My chief concern, however, is Mr. Leather's penchant for the twist in the tail of the tale. Yes, the ending was very unexpected but I found it detracted from what began as an excellent and engrossing story. Certainly, write a book about topsy turvy morals but why spoil it with a gimmick? To my mind, it lowered the quality of what had gone before Despite this, the thriller is eminently readable. Perhaps the reader could further entertain himself with a parlour game of supplying a more satisfactory ending to the opus than that provided by its creator. Editoržs Note: Apparently, Stephen Leatheržs books are not published in the US. Try Crime in Store (CrimeBks@aol.com)
Reviewed by Denise Wels, May 2002
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