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| WW II |
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| WW II continued... |
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| On to the big money in D.C. |
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| Off to L.A.... |
Ready for a great series of books about an uncanny spy who isn’t? Luis Cabrillo didn’t come out of the cold and he’s always swimming in the raw lava of intrigue. From his humble beginnings in the Spanish Civil War, he rides his brand of cons and schemes to wherever. No risk is too great. No escape is too narrow. Riches? Ruin? Cabrillo fits somewhere between James Bond and Inspector Clouseau, with a little more "easy come, easy go" thrown in.
With hilarious results, Luis flirts with Nazi dangers and British stuffiness. When he smells money, he’s at his best and when the cards are dealt, he knows how to swagger and bluff his way to a winning hand. But, he has some help in the form of Julie Conroy, a New York cutie that’s savvy as a cheetah catching the scent of blood.
She takes crap from no one, including the flirtatious and slightly irresistible Señor Cabrillo. From 1941-43 together they scam the Nazis (The Eldorado Network), then it’s the British who get their tails twisted (Artillery of Lies).
With the war over, Luis and Julie go their separate ways, or do they? Not quite. In Washington D.C., Luis once again catches the scent of mountains of cash, and the man who opens the vault is Senator Joe McCarthy (Red Rag Blues). And finally, hunted by every spy and law enforcement agency with an acronym, Luis and Julie take their con game to L.A., via a circuitous route. This time it’s the mob who’s caught up in easy money and Luis’ gift for slight of hand and slight of truth, (Operation Bamboozle).
Quite a ride, with snapss and turns that not only make you shake your head at Luis Cabrillo’s uncanny and ingenious way of slipping in and out of trouble, but laugh out loud at the quirky and outrageous characters. The plot keeps you glued. The humor keeps you holding your sides, and the believable, but terrifying twists keep you on the edge of your seat and flipping pages like a pancake chef with a small bladder.
Derek Robinson, a writer whose originality crackles with humor, is one of my favorites. The Luis Cabrillo series is only one of several series he’s constructed around historical events.
Others include flying tales of World War I and II. I’ve previously reviewed books from both of these fine series that also sparkle with twists and tangles, humor and the grim tragedy of war as was fought by men in the RAF.
Almost all of Robinson’s books are available on Kindle and he’s written a pile of them, each and every one of them hard to put down. My two words of advice for the author: Write Faster!
