Review date: 19/1/2001
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton, 1980
Published: 1979
Susie Burke is an actress, one who obtains parts more for her looks than her ability. She also carries out slightly shady jobs on the fringes of the intelligence world, entertaining people who need to be kept out of the way for one reason or another. She is also having a clandestine affair with Home Secretary David Hallam.
The various threads of her life become entagled when she is involved in the search for Eva Pech, a senior Hungarian official who has disappeared in England - possibly kidnapped, possibly in hiding before attempting to defect.
Written from Susie's point of view, The Joker is an amusing thriller. Susie is not as dumb as she acts, but it does take her a fair amount of time to work out wexactly what is going on. She does so just in time to provide quite a tense ending. Enjoyable, undemanding, fun.
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