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The Joker — Helena Osborne
Susie Burke looks like every man's secret dream of beauty, and acts like an eager but undertrained retriever. That, at least, was one critic's conclusion about her latest television performance. The comment doesn't bother her too much, but then nothing bothers her much except that she hasn't worked for months and is more than usually broke. For side money, she does favors for a lawyer named Gladstone--who is probably much more than just a lawyer, but Susie doesn't ask questions. She's paid well to entertain Arab sheiks while their hotel rooms are ransacked--and she has her ongoing affair with the British Home Secretary, David Hallam, to provide all the excitement she needs.
But when Eva Pech, a Hungarian with explosive knowledge of the Soviet inner circle, disappears in London, Susie is drawn into an unfamiliar world of false identities, hidden motives, intricate political partying--and violence. Susie's brother-in-law, a wealthy Hungarian emigre who has made millions in soft porn flicks, is a prime suspect in the disappearance, Hallam suddenly sees in his love an exploitable contact, and the unemployed actress finds a casual favor leading to a personal stake in the fate of the missing defector. The British and Soviet governments, the free Hungarian's, the CIA, and even the enigmatic Gladstone want Eva. All are looking, but she can't be found.
And the the Joker takes a hand. "I have Eva Pech. How much do you bid?" The letters are delivered to the interested parties. But has he really got her? What's his price? Above all, who is the Joker? Susan Burke, among professionals much more qualified for the ruthless game, is determined to find the answers despite the risk.
Set mainly in London, this stylish written tale of suspense and romance blends the worlds of smart society, fringe theater and Hungarian political exiles in a carefully crafted plot that keeps the surprising solution to the final page.
But when Eva Pech, a Hungarian with explosive knowledge of the Soviet inner circle, disappears in London, Susie is drawn into an unfamiliar world of false identities, hidden motives, intricate political partying--and violence. Susie's brother-in-law, a wealthy Hungarian emigre who has made millions in soft porn flicks, is a prime suspect in the disappearance, Hallam suddenly sees in his love an exploitable contact, and the unemployed actress finds a casual favor leading to a personal stake in the fate of the missing defector. The British and Soviet governments, the free Hungarian's, the CIA, and even the enigmatic Gladstone want Eva. All are looking, but she can't be found.
And the the Joker takes a hand. "I have Eva Pech. How much do you bid?" The letters are delivered to the interested parties. But has he really got her? What's his price? Above all, who is the Joker? Susan Burke, among professionals much more qualified for the ruthless game, is determined to find the answers despite the risk.
Set mainly in London, this stylish written tale of suspense and romance blends the worlds of smart society, fringe theater and Hungarian political exiles in a carefully crafted plot that keeps the surprising solution to the final page.
