Book review: Old Enemies - Michael Dobbs

Title: Old Enemies

Author: Michael Dobbs

FICTION

Genre: Crime

Ranking: 6.5 out of 10.0

Buy: Maybe

Borrow: Yes

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004HYGI42/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Summary: In the Swiss Alps a teenage girl is thrown from a helicopter and her boyfriend, Ruari, is brutally abducted to Trieste by two South Africans supported by several Romanian criminals. 

Ruari is the only son of Irish media owner J J Breslin. The kidnappers make impossible demands regarding Nelson Mandela's diaries which Breslin had just acquired for his newspaper. Ruari's terrified mother, Terri, contacts the only person she knows can help her son: Harry Jones, her former lover, who she walked out on many years ago. It later transpires that Harry is Ruari's father.

Time is running out for Ruari and Harry, as Harry uncovers that the kidnappers are in Trieste and alerts the police there. But due to mishandling the police rescue fails. So Harry gets personally engaged, involving Sean, Ruari's grandfather in the process. 

Main review: 

The story starts in the Swiss Alps where two tenagers, Casey and Ruari are due to go heliskiing. Instead, Casey is thrown from the helicopter and Ruari, s brutally abducted to Trieste by two South Africans supported by several Romanian criminals. 

Ruari is the only son of Irish media owner J J Breslin. The kidnappers make impossible demands regarding Nelson Mandela's diaries which Breslin had just acquired for his newspaper. Initially demanding them in exchange for Ruari, but later modified for their non-disclosure for six months. Their sponsor is Chombo - a Zimbabwe politician - standing for election as president. He claimed to have been a freedom fighter alongside Mugabe but in fact was having a comfortable time in the US as a student then. And the diaries would have exposed him.

Ruari's terrified mother, Terri, contacts the only person she knows can help her son: Harry Jones, her former lover, a senior British politician and former soldier, who she walked out on many years ago. It later transpires that Harry is Ruari's father.

Time is running out for Ruari as Harry uncovers that the kidnappers are in Trieste and alerts the police there. But the chief detective's secretary and lover is Romanian and is also a lover of the Romanian leader amongst the kidnappers. She alerts her friend to the police raid and the rescue fails. Instead of Ruari, they find two dead South Africans.

So Harry gets personally engaged, involving Sean, Ruari's grandfather in the process. They proceed to Trieste and finally finds the kidnappers. As usual, all ends well with the kidnappers killed and Ruari freed, but sadly Sean dies in the rescue operation.

Further reading suggestion: The Reluctant Hero - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reluctant-Hero-Michael-Dobbs-ebook/dp/B003JDCP1C/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1473513859&sr=8-2&keywords=michael+dobbs%2C+harry+jones