Assignment in Brittany by Helen MacInnes

Here's the teaser from the back of the book:

"Hearne looked at the man in the hospital bed and saw himself....Even Matthews, his commanding officer, had been fooled by the Frenchman's resemblance to Hearne. But once Matthews knew the truth, he decided to make good use of it. So Martin Hearne would become Bertrand Corlay, right down to the birthmark and the missing tooth. Then he would go 'home' to Brittany--and try to stay alive long enough to win the desperate game he was about to play."

We can add: "....and get the girl." Because there's always an aspect of romance in a MacInnes political thriller. Which I really like.

I didn't like this book as well as I like some others of Helen MacInnes'. For one thing, the premise made me on edge to begin with--going into a dangerous situation almost totally blind. From the very beginning of Hearne's stay in Brittany it became clear that there were big and important things that he didn't know about Corlay, things that could all too easily become fatal for our hero. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop through every single chapter. I guess that's what suspense is all about, right? But it made me uncomfortable, so this ended up being a book that I kept on picking up and putting down, until about halfway through when I became so drawn in that I didn't stop until it was all resolved. Oh, and the ending, well, it was a little bit ambivalent. Sigh.

Still, Helen MacInnes is, as you know, one of my very favorites. And I have a big pile of hers waiting for me--all found during my latest used bookstore orgy. I'm looking forward to them all. Of course, you'll be seeing them all too. Soon.

Bad language: none (or if there is any, it's very mild and forgettable)
Sex: none