Author: David R. Stokes
Publisher: Telemachus Press
Pages: 330
Summary:
When a Dad tries to dig a hole in his Northern Virginia yard to bury the remains of the family pet, he chances upon something buried years before--a mysterious briefcase. Its contents include a journal with cryptic writing. The father turns to his friend--and boss--Templeton Davis, a former Rhodes scholar and popular national radio talk show host, for help figuring out what he's found.
They soon realize that they are in possession of materials that were hidden more than 60 years earlier by a notorious deep cover agent for the Soviet Union--Kim Philby. And buried with the materials were clues to the identity of the most effective spy in the history of Cold War espionage.
Long a mere footnote in history, the story of this man's treachery reaches the pinnacles of power and geopolitics. It's a story that begins just before the Second World War breaks out and reaches the depths of the decades-long stand off that followed.
The trail leads to a picturesque town in Vermont, the streets of New York City, the corridors of power in Washington, DC--but most importantly, Oxford, England, where Davis realizes that the beautiful city of spires on the Thames was once also a city of spies.
The Oxford spies may never have reached the level of public notoriety as those from that other British stronghold of academia--Cambridge--but clearly the story had never been completely known--or told. And it was a very dangerous mine of detail in which to dig, a fact borne out by a couple of suspicious deaths left in the wake of Templeton Davis's travels.
Davis would discover that at the moment when the world came closest to unparalleled disaster, secrets were being betrayed at the highest levels. He would also come to understand that what he had learned connected to a time of great sorrow for mankind--the Kennedy assassination.
At a crucial moment, Templeton Davis quickly develops a bond borne of necessity with a beautiful young woman from Russia--someone with her own secrets. And when what she knows is combined with what the famous broadcaster has learned, the two unlikely heroes find themselves in grave danger, yet poised to rock the world. (Goodreads)
My Thoughts:
A man is attempting to dig a grave for his family dog when he uncovers an old briefcase that was buried in his yard. Inside the briefcase was a journal filled with a coded message that he couldn't decipher. He hands the journal over to his boss, Templeton, to see if he could figure it out. Templeton is extremely interested in it and travels all over the world following clues hoping to uncover the mystery of this journal. Learning these secrets may just cost him and those around him their lives.
I love anything having to do with spies and espionage so I really enjoyed this book. It was a very interesting story and it held my interest from beginning to end. There was some history mixed in with the fiction which made it even more intriguing. It really makes me want to research more about this topic to find out what was history and what wasn't. It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat wondering who was going to make it out alive and who would die for these secrets. I look forward to reading more by Stokes.
*I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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How funny, I thought this might have something to do with King Arthur by the title, but spies and espionage is fun too! And the Kennedys info must be interesting! Great review!
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting! Thank you!
Deleteinserting ,like it
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I love more than spies, is a Russian spy! Is missing the Cold War a bad thing? ;) This looks like a good read.
ReplyDeleteIt was! :)
DeleteThis sounds right up my alley!
ReplyDeleteWell you should definitely add it to your TBR list then! :)
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