Ring of Terror (novel)

Along with its fictional characters and situations, there are references to actual events of the time, such as the Siege of Sidney Street, and Winston Churchill plays a minor role as Home Secretary.

Because Luke has learned Russian and French and has an ear for other languages, he is soon recruited by various authorities to help in their battle against an increasing number of émigré anarchists, criminals, and terrorists now causing considerable problems in the metropolitan London area.

From Publishers Weekly, which writes pre-publication reviews for the publishing industry and libraries: Set more along the lines of a lean spy novel than a police procedural, veteran Gilbert's latest propels young Luke Pagan and Joe Narrabone of the Metropolitan Police into a web of complex geopolitics one year before the outbreak of WWI.

Leave it to Gilbert to keep readers hooked while making his tale reverberate with all kinds of historical chords, including the invention of dynamite and the beginning of the modern intelligence agency.

[3]From Booklist: As usual in Gilbert's always entertaining period mysteries, the atmosphere is palpable, the protagonist is admirable if just a bit naive, and the plot moves quickly and logically.