THE LAST RED DEATH

Paul Johnston

Hodder & Stoughton £10.99 (trade paperback)

Reviewed by John Esctott

When, in 1976, American diplomat, Trent Helmer, gets his throat cut by members of a Greek terrorist group, one of the witnesses is his small daughter, Grace. Twenty-five years later, Grace comes back to Greece intent upon discovering the identity and whereabouts of the man who killed her father. She enlists the help of half-Greek, half-Scottish private investigator, Alex Mavros.

The chameleon-like head of the terrorist group, Iraklis, has been in exile in the USA but would appear to back in Greece. Is he behind the recent murders of two prominent businessmen, or is somebody else responsible for the killings and for leaving behind the trademark piece of olivewood that Iraklis used to leave after an atrocity?

As Grace and Alex become enmeshed in the tangle that is Greek politics and recent Greek history in their highly dangerous search for Trent Helmer`s assassin, members of the old underground resistance movement become aware of the gathering shadows that threaten their very existence.

This is an accomplished thriller in almost every respect – characterisation, plot, pace and with some nice sardonic humour. It`s a complex story, with a number of (sometimes confusing) flashbacks to wartime Greece. I can`t honestly say that I found it gripping, but maybe that`s because my interest in recent Greek history is minimal and therefore this aspect of the novel tended to slow down the action for me. However, there is no question that Paul Johnston is a polished and talented thriller writer.