Witch Hunt

The titular Witch is an assassin whose identity has stumped MI5 for years. They have a thick file on her but little clue as to her whereabouts—that is, until a shady financial dealer is brutally murdered in his home in Scotland, with some gruesome calling cards that leave MI5 certain Witch has returned. The race is on to find her before she kills again, especially because there’s a world summit being held in England. There’s cross-Channel drama, international cooperation, and spies coming out of retirement to get their hands on this elusive killer.

This is the first of Ian Rankin’s novels written under the pseudonym of Jack Harvey. It’s certainly not a Rebus novel; the Rebus books contain more humour. It’s written solidly show more enough, but it took me a while to get into it. Part of this is likely the result of distraction or awkwardness associated with reading a 700+ page omnibus of the three Jack Harvey novels, but part of it could be that I’m comparing it with Rebus. Would I have read this if I hadn’t known that this was an Ian Rankin book? Maybe no show less

I was working my way through Ian Rankin’s acclaimed John Rebus police procedural series, when I happened upon this title. The Rebus series is excellent and this is less so, but in this case I don’t want to offer faint praise. This is a well written spy novel, with some good tradecraft, interesting characters and a suspenseful plot. While it might not appeal to all Rebus fans, it is a very good read and I am glad I found it, since I might have passed it by as a non-Rebus, which would have been my loss.

This book also helped clarify something about my reading profile. It is what this book, Le Carre and Laurie King’s Mary Russell series have in common and what I like about them. As I was working through La Carre’s The Night Manager, show more he called his character a careful observer. I like careful observers. Sherlock Holmes is a careful observer, as are George Smiley and Mary Russell. Careful observers can walk into a room and understand the dynamics, see someone and understand them and their motives, see a situation and plan for the inevitable future.

Do I like careful observers because I am one? Please! Not a chance. I think there are two factors here. The first is that I am a very oblivious person, not observant at all. I don’t particularly like to read about people like me. I want to read about other types of people. I like the very cynical musicals Evita and Chess (British version please), not because I am cynical and manipulative, but because I am not.

The second is that a world with such observant people is much like science fiction. It does not correspond with any reality I know. It is elsewhere/elsewhere, just as much as Neil Gaiman’s Sandman or series by C. J. Cherryh, Le Guin, Tolkein or Donaldson. I know that elsewhere/elsewhen is an important part of my reading profile. It now seems that spy novels, if they focus on a different enough arena fit my profile. Mere action adventure does not. show less

As might be guessed from the fact Rankin wrote this book under a pseudonym it is a departure from his Inspector Rebus novels. Nevertheless it was as gripping and well-written as the Rebus books and I am glad I have the other two Jack Harvey books in store.
A terrorist has entered England just prior to a summit of the nine most powerful heads of state. Naturally MI5 and other security agencies are turning up the heat trying to find her. Yes, her. They believe it is a woman assassin who has been called Witch since they don’t know her real name. A retired spy, Domenic Elder, who has followed Witch for years is consulted at his cottage in Wales by Michael Barclay, a young desk jockey in MI5. Elder takes a shine to Barclay and tells Joyce show more Parry, Barclay’s superior to send him out into the field. When a banker is killed in Scotland in a particularly grisly manner it is thought that Witch was the perpetrator. Elder knows that this is not the ultimate target because Witch finances her political work by taking on other jobs. Soon Elder is back in London following leads with two police officers from Special Branch, Doyle and Greenleaf, and Barclay is in France working with Dominique Herault from the French equivalent of MI5. This ad hoc team gets results and seems to be zeroing in on Witch. She still has a few tricks up her sleeve though.
Any fan of the Rebus books will like this book I think. I certainly did. show less

This venture by Ian Rankin (writing as Jack Harvey) was the first of 3 novels under that pseudonym. Rankin moves into the world of MI5, spies, and assassinations and WITCH HUNT feels as if it owes a lot to the style of John Le Carre. Certainly the gravelly voice of narrator Peter Capaldi contributes to that feeling. This is very different to his Rebus novels.

The novel begins with a set of seemingly disconnected events: the scuppering of a fishing trawler in the English channel, the murder of a banker in a love nest in Scotland; but to Dominic Elder who took early retirement because of a terrorist incident, they point to one thing: Witch is back!

The plotting in WITCH HUNT is intricate and the novel is part thriller and part police show more procedural.
It makes very enjoyable listening. show less

Witchhunt. Ian Rankin. 1993. I have read at least one of Rankin’s Inspector Rebus series and enjoyed it. This is a good international thriller. I think I would have enjoyed it more, if I had finished it sooner—too much stop and go reading...The Witch is a serial terrorist for lack of a better term. A mysterious explosion aboard a commercial ship whose owner was in financial trouble is connected to “The Witch,” and British security is determined to find her and her target before she kills another government official. The plot switches back and forth between the British Intelligence personnel and The Witch. Interesting and mildly suspenseful

Witchhunt. Ian Rankin. 1993. I have read at least one of Rankin’s Inspector Rebus series and enjoyed it. This is a good international thriller. I think I would have enjoyed it more, if I had finished it sooner—too much stop and go reading...The Witch is a serial terrorist for lack of a better term. A mysterious explosion aboard a commercial ship whose owner was in financial trouble is connected to “The Witch,” and British security is determined to find her and her target before she kills another government official. The plot switches back and forth between the British Intelligence personnel and The Witch. Interesting and mildly suspenseful.

This is a satisfying read, albeit I would not rank it as great literature. Good stuff about taking professional risks. Good stuff about professional relationships among colleagues. Turns on a family drama with some overtones of Greek tragedy.