Hammond Innes' The Trojan Horse

"As a criminal court barrister you will know my name. You will, therefore, realize how urgent it is that I see you."

Paul Severin, as he introduces himself, or maybe Frank Smith, or Franz Schmidt, is wanted for the particularly grisly murder of his partner and is now on the run. He forces his way into the office of Andrew Kilmartin, a noted defense lawyer. But he doesn't want to turn himself in and go to court. The case is more complicated than that.

It's London, early in 1940. Germany has invaded Poland, but France and Norway still stand. The Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union has started.

Schmidt (as he's usually called in the book, though Franzie to his daughter) is an engineer of genius and he's discovered a new alloy both light and strong that will revolutionize airplane engines. He's a Jew who was born in England, but mostly grew up in Austria, and got out only after Anschluss. Germany wants that alloy and Schmidt doesn't want to give it to them. He was framed for that murder, he says. But the Nazis have agents in high places and he can't go to jail.

This was a mystery/spy thriller with lots of good chase scenes. That's Kilminster emerging from the London sewers into the Thames basin (fortunately low-tide) after being captured and pursued. In the final chase there's a shipment of military cargo, including the prototype airplane engine, supposedly on its way to support Finland, but the bad guys plan on sending it to Germany instead. The final showdown starts in Norwegian territorial waters. This chase involves two British destroyers, both German and British air support, and a tank blasting away onboard that ship.

This was the first Hammond Innes I've read and I thought it was really good. Do you know: did I just happen to hit one of the best or are they all so good?

Vintage Mystery Scavenger Hunt

Golden Age (1940).  Body of Water.