Caravan to Vaccares by Alistair MacLean

I have come to the end of the list of books by this author that I have reviewed. This was another book that I had not read in a long long time, though I have seen the film a few times after reading the book. It is right there with the other books by Alistair MacLean, in its plot intricacy and suspense.

The prologue sets the sinister tone to the novel. There is a young man being chased into the caves by knife welding men and murdered. The novel starts with the hero Neil Bowman dining with a young lady Cecile. Cecile’s friend Lila is dining at another table with Le Grand Duc, an impressive man in more ways than one.  They have watched the gypsy caravans coming and setting up camp on the grounds outside. Just then there is a disturbance in the camp and it appears that a young man has gone missing and his mother is crying. Some men have been sent by the leader to drive back on the route they have just travelled over. Indeed police is called when they return without finding the young man. However, the area that has not been searched in the caves and no one wants to go in there in the dark. It appears that there is a close relationship between the Duc and the gypsies, as he wanders over to find out what the matter is.

Neil also wanders over with Cecile trying to get details of the event. All he can ascertain is that there are a few ladies with the missing man’s mother and all look very worried and scared. Neil decides to go out later in the night to gather information. He does overhear the leader talking about some assignment but he is seen when trying to get to the caravan with the ladies in it. Three of the gypsies including the leader’s son chase Neil who tries to find refuge in the hotel. Then he races up into the hills with the men armed with knives and a gun. What will he discover in the caves in the hills which he is forced to run into? The way out of the caves is tricky and will he get out of there alive? It is a touch and go but he thwarts his pursuers and goes back to the hotel to collect Cecile and make his escape.

On the run but keeping with the groups of gypsies which include the leader and the caravan with the ladies in it, Neil attempts to find out what the gypsies are hiding. There is some sinister plot and to get to the bottom of it Neil and Cecile change their appearance and get closer to the various gypsies. What is one of the young ladies doing buying bandages and medicines? Where is the other young lady Tina? The Duc is following the gypsies but is he just a historian as he says or there is something ominous about his relationship with them?

Since Neil and Cecile are strangers and buy change of clothes from a local shop the gypsies find out and set a trap to catch them. They mingle with the crowds at the local bullfighting ring before going to the caravans again. Neil gets caught while trying to find out why 3 men are being kept prisoners in one of the caravans. His punishment is to fight a bull to death, one that has been specially prepared for the purpose of killing Neil. They hold on to Cecile to make sure he does not try and escape.

Will Neil survive the bull fight? What is the mystery of the prisoners? Is Duc directing the nefarious operations? The plot is good and it is not easy to guess what the heart of the mystery is, unlike most of the other novels. It is in the last few chapters that the whole picture emerges with the suspense being maintained right up to the last page.

This novel has the usual mix of mystery, suspense, and humour that Alistair MacLean is known for. A wonderful read at any time with the story slowly emerging page at a time.

Circus by Alistair MacLean

This is a good story that is set in the days of the cold war. There is a formula for making anti-matter behind the iron curtain and using it as a potential weapon. The CIA wants to get its hands on it with a view that it is better in their hands than those of hard line communists. The problem is that this formula and its creator are in a well secured castle in East Germany. The CIA decides to recruit the renowned trapeze artist Bruno. He and his brothers form the daring and brilliant trapeze troupe, the Blind Eagles, where they perform blindfolded up on a high wire.

The arrangement is to get the circus with its cream of performers to tour Europe with many shows in the countries behind the iron curtain. Sadly even before they leave for Europe tragedy strikes and warns that their plans are known to the enemy. The CIA also sends 2 operatives with the circus, one as the doctor and other as the secretary to the owner of the circus. The plan is that this young lady will be the go between the owner, the doctor and Bruno so they do not have to communicate in the open.

Why is Bruno keen to do this suicidal job? Is this is revenge for the death/disappearance of his family? The plans are half formed and pretty near impossible. While the circus gets a lot of positive publicity, the thought of what is yet to come seems to make everyone, except Bruno, edgy. The usual cloak and dagger stuff of bugging, listening devices, shadowing are all in full force right from the onset. What will happen when they actually get to see the fortified castle and realise the enormity of their task? What happened to his brothers on their way to Crau? Will they find what they have come for? Will the secret police manage to capture them and use it to denounce the West? The daring feats of the circus and showmanship are well detailed and maybe make it more glamorous than it was, but the wonder and delight at this fantastic world is evident in the writing. The action is low key but it is a nail biting finish.

What can I say? Alistair MacLean has always been one of my favourite authors as his was one of the first ‘older person’s novel’ I read as a teenager. Since then mystery and thrillers have been my escape into the fantasy world. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.

The Satan Bug by Alistair MacLean

Another old friend that I got reacquainted with this last week and it was such a pleasure reading this book. While this is a thriller, it has not been set during any war time as such. The plot starts with Cavell, a private detective, being contacted by someone who wants him to courier a package to Europe. This package supposedly had a vaccine to the most virulent bug created by a research lab, which could protect people should this bug be used as a weapon for bio warfare.

This bug that has the potential to wipe out all life on earth has been created by the Mordon Laboratories under the auspices of the defence department. This would be the ultimate lever for peace in the cold war. Cavell used to be the head of security there, before he had to resign. As the story progresses we find that Cavell has to return to the research lab to investigate the murder of his friend and successor at the lab. The head researcher is also missing and getting into the lab where the most dangerous of bugs, the botulism and Satan bug, are being researched on had become imperative. What if this is a communist plot to steal the Satan bug and thus change the balance of power?

If it is not the communist then who could be mad enough to steal it? What is the gain from holding the government at ransom of complete destruction of the lab? Cavell is working with the government to thwart this plot but can he work fast enough, as the deadlines to release the Satan bug are very tight? He is convinced that this is an inside job and that the supposed break in through the perimeter defence was just a red herring. The pool of suspect surely lies within those working in that specific lab? It is a matter of meticulous interviewing and background plus financial checks of each individual to get to the villain of the story but all this takes time. Cavell works round the clock without sleep and in adverse conditions to get to the bottom of this mystery.

It is quite interesting the number of times you think that you have got to grips with the crux of the plot only to have it turn into something else. It was hard to put the book down and I read it as fast as I could to get to the resolution of the problem. I shall read it again in a few weeks to get the fine details of the plot. I would certainly hope others read this good story.

The Last Frontier by Alistair MacLean

It must be about 30 odd years since I read this book. When I was young I had bought all the books by Alistair MacLean and I was most upset when I found that my mother had given away all after I had left home. Over the years I managed to buy one or two, until, a couple of years ago I got all as ebooks. I have been slowly making my way through them and it is like getting reacquainting with old friends.

This book also is a war time spy story where the hero is sent out to bring back an important scientist who has been forced to defect to the Communists. His wife and son had been taken and held as a lever to get him. Now the West would take them back and use them again as a lever to bring the scientist back. The story begins with Reynolds getting caught trying to enter Budapest. He is picked up from the police by the secret service officer and taken off to be interrogated.

How is he going to complete his mission if he going to be taken to the dreaded secret service HQ as no one returns from there? How will he meet up the resistance group who are supposed to help him get the scientist out of the country? The story does give a lot of details of history of the war as it pertained to Hungary during the cold war. The argument put forward by the leader of the resistance, who is himself an old soldier, for peace and not revenge is compelling. It is even true for today’s world as it was for the time that is written about. There is, of course, the usual heroism of the central characters that are larger than life in the story. There is also a careful weaving of the plot but by far the large part of the book is given to this history and the ideology of peace arising from it. The story twists and turns with the luck changing time and again, but for once I will not go into the details of the plot as the suspense begins on page 1.  It is hard to give more than a fleeting background in the fear of giving too much away.

Since it has been so long that I have read this book, I have a feeling that I will have to read it a couple more times to get to grips with the ideology discussed, for as usual with the first reading I am eager to know that the hero has been successful and so skim through some of the details. It is thus different from other books where generally the moral of the story is implied or just alluded to. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and will do so again soon, no doubt.

Force 10 from Navarone by Alistair MacLean

This is the sequel to Guns of Navarone and also been made into a movie. As usual I must say that the book is so much more exciting to read. It is still set in the time of the World War 2 but in the region of former Yugoslavia. Just as Mallory, Miller and Andrea finish the mission to blow up the guns of Navarone and are on the ship for the return journey they get a message from their boss saying they are urgently needed. This means returning to the island of Navarone to pick up Andrea who they had left behind.

They are to be parachuted into Yugoslavia on the side of the Partisans who were fighting for liberation from the Germans. The politics of the place as well as its geography always leave me feeling lost for some reason but the idea is that Mallory, Miller and Andrea along with 3 commandos are to go and rescue the 4 people sent in earlier and to find out where the leak was as the Germans got hold of the information of their arrival and captured them as they landed. Along with that they had to convince the Germans that the Partisans were expecting an attack from a certain place. Mallory however has been briefed separately and so it leaves one wondering what the real agenda is?

They land and are immediately picked up by a group of soldiers and after going some way they find that it is the Germans who have captured them. Mallory and his group immediately pretend that they were happy as they were runaways from Italy. They would help the Germans in getting the information they want from the Partisans. The young commandos are not entirely happy as they have not been given any information and keep questioning their orders. They trek through the snow and mountainous terrain to reach the partisans and return with the information. Their guides are a blind man and his sister who move about without any fear as people are generally fearful of this blind singing minstrel.

They have found out where the men they have come to rescue are being held and capture the German commander and his next in command to help them reach the prisoners. So how will they escape from the country? The story seems to be coming to an end and you are still midway through the novel. It is then you find out what exactly is the mission. Will the impossible task ever be achieved? But then if anyone can achieve the impossible it is this team. I think the phrase ‘mission impossible’ actually applies to the Guns of Navarone and Force 10 from Navarone. How will they cope with the enemy chasing behind them and need for speed as well as highly difficult task in the dead of night and occasional bright moonlight which is not really helpful? Will they be able to save the boxed Partisans from the German tank and artillery divisions’ assault?

This is a wonderful story and as per usual the writing of Alistair MacLean is superb. The story grips you and does not give you a chance to breathe. It rushes headlong but has lighter moments with the usual dry humour to stop it being too intense. The wonderful description allows you to ‘see’ the places in your mind’s eye clearly. The central characters are heroes of this war and they are modest just doing their job which just elevates them into a league of their own. I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who loves to read thrillers and mysteries.