Edward Phillips Oppenheim

"Tony Blair has it all: power, success, flair, an adoring family and a face for every occasion. Admired in the US, grudgingly respected in the EU, this self-styled saviour of the world bounces back from any crisis, slur or scandal with an unfazed shrug even his enemies can only admire. Having single-handedly rebranded the Labour Party, he took Britain into an arguably illegal war in Iraq, provoking hostility both at home and abroad, and saw his own name become synonymous with 'liar' - yet he cruised through another general election to win a historic third term in office. Is it skill, cunning or just sheer luck that has since seen him bag the Olympics for London, stamp his mark on the latest G8 meeting and steady the country after the 2005 London bombings?"--Jacket.

"Rome, 1934. Martin Fawley leaves the American secret service and is recruited by General Berati, the most feared man in fascist Italy, as a spy. After a brief encounter with a glamorous yet murderous Italian princess, Fawley's mission takes him undercover in Monaco. Suave and worldly, Fawley is quite at home in the casinos and golf courses at Monte Carlo--but he is soon entangled in a game with higher stakes. As the nations of Europe vie for power, Fawley discovers the secret weapon that will determine the outcome of the looming war"--

A young American on his yacht, the Bird of Paradise in the harbour at Antibes, is puzzled by the desire he finds in visitors coming aboard at different times to buy the vessel from him. His first mysterious experience is when he finds a girl in full evening dress swimming alongside. The next is when a man occupying an important position in the French Cabinet, who is accompanied by a well-known banker, calls with a demand for sale at a high price. A French gunboat slips into the harbour and drops anchor close to the yacht and remains there. A fascinating danseuse is a visitor. And so on, and with the material of conspiracies, French politics, love and adventure the story is woven around the yacht with that peculiar polish in dialogue and fascinating colouring characteristic of the popular author. The reader early gets an inkling of what is afoot but the air of mystery never lapses and the necessity for finding out what the ingenuity of the writer is leading up to will be found to continue and grow right through to the end.

A romance set against a background of high finance in the city of London.

Contains 'Michael's Evil Deeds', 'Peter Ruff and the Double Four', 'Recalled by the Double Four' and 'Jennerton & Co.'