Phrases such as “taut writing,” “extreme tension,” “involved plot” seem to be in use for almost every book on the market today that concerns itself with spies and intelligence gathering. Perhaps even that hoary old cliche “torn from the headlines!” will rear up. But I have to tell you I found “Night Heron” by Adam Brookes to be all of those and more. I neglected chores, put off other delightful pastimes and generally abandoned myself to this book. The author is a journalist with experience in the East and Mid-east and he brings an authenticity to his writing that cannot be denied.
Prisoner 5995 escapes a Chinese Labor Reform camp after twenty years incarceration, and returns to Beijing. There he makes contact with a freelance journalist, Mangan, using him as a conduit to send a message to British Intelligence. The message comes to the desk of Trish Patterson, late of Army Intelligence but now newly in the civilian side. To her, a former intelligence source, named Peanut (an interesting play on the prisoner’s real name), has resurfaced after a twenty year hiatus. Mangan is terrified of the contact fearing the Chinese as he already walks a thin line because of his reporting on the “Fellowship.” And Peanut wants what is owed him by the British.
Proposing a one-off job Peanut promises more top secret information to come. But is this really Peanut making this offering? The Brits can’t be sure. Perhaps he is a “dangle” trying to set up either Mangan or even the British Intelligence Service. But the proposed information is important and after a series of high level meetings involving several Departments the decision to go ahead is made.
But in this age of digitized data espionage is no longer conducted by slipping into offices and photographing secret papers. A new approach is necessary and Patterson has it in the form of a “gadget” developed by one of their outside contractors. Sent to Peanut through Mangan the plot enters a new and even tenser section as the “gadget” is put to work and retrieves far more than the designers apparently intended. General jubilation all around. But a new force is felt lurking in the background, who or what cannot be determined.
Things go awry for both Peanut and Mangan when an American infatuated with a lovely Taiwanese girl inadvertently lets slip a piece of information that she reports to her Chinese masters and they must run for their lives. A hurried contact with Patterson and she sets up an extraction point but can they get there ahead of both the Chinese and the secretive lurkers?
If you are any kind of a spy, espionage, secret service type of fan, get this book. If you are not a fan read it anyway and find out how a well written spy thriller can keep you up all night!
