The Smoke
“The Smoke” is London in thief slang, the foggy London of 1947 fresh out of WWII. We feel it, live in it through the eyes and senses of Jethro, a top notch cat-burglar who goes through a series of adventures from simple robbery at the Russian Embassy to confrontations with crime bosses and government agents. The level of violence, absent at first, grows in a crescendo until it explodes into an insider’s view of torture. Despite his unlawful profession which he covers by doing work as a stagehand in theatres, Jethro is a lovable character, true to himself, his family and friends, caught in a tug of war that tweaks his emotions. Through a first-person account of Jethro’s trade – too meticulous and tedious at times – his penchant for disguises, his love affair with the city which is an integral part of him, we get to share his transformation. The capers are inventive and well-described but rely too heavily on the timely actions of an outsider to the story. Despite this, it is a solid first novel, worth the interesting, well-written and action-filled visit to post-war London.
