The Gatekeeper - Softcover

Philip Shelby

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0002257424 ISBN 13: 9780002257428

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1998

Synopsis

"Gatekeeper" features a labyrinthine setting -- from the chambers of the American embassy in Paris to the stoops and back alleys of New York City -- stocked with characters whose ambition, cunning, and technological sophistication are intolerant of any threat to their conspiratorial will to power. Hollis Freemont has arrived in Paris to begin her job at the American consulate. Her return to Paris forces her to revisit tragedy: the assassination of her parents by a sniper's bullets fifteen years earlier. Hollis, a beautiful young woman, soon attracts the notice of Paul McGann, deputy chief of mission, whose ardent attention to Hollis is matched by his violent temper. Hollis's involvement with McGann leads her into the anals of the clandestine paragovernmental alliances colluding to create a new world order at the expense of certain high-level officials and unfortunate individuals, such as Hollis herself, who stray into the sights of a hired assassin -- the Handyman. As she struggles against all odds to elude the Handyman and his colleagues, it becomes evident that she can trust no one, not even those whose confidences she holds most dear. From the opening scene in an assassin's hideout to the stomach-churning climax at the Statue of Liberty, "Gatekeeper" is electrifying.

About this title

Review:

It's no coincidence that Philip Shelby's thrillers (Days of Drums and Last Rights) caught the attention of readers just as old masters like John Le Carré and Frederick Forsyth were winding down. There's nothing like an expertly crafted, essentially moral story of intrigue and espionage to quicken the blood and restore order to a chaotic world. What Shelby brings to the table once again in his latest book is a righteous heroine plunged almost accidentally into the center of a dangerous situation. Fans of Eric Ambler will recognize U.S. Foreign Service officer Hollis Fremont as a modern descendant of his trademark lead characters--people who are smart, resourceful, and not quite as innocent as they first appear. Conned by her lover into sneaking a hired assassin known as the Handyman back into America for a high-level hit, Hollis then joins forces with Sam Crawford (the titular Gatekeeper, who works for an agency known only as Omega) to keep the killer from his appointed rounds. Despite the self-parodying nicknames, Shelby's work is full of intelligent suspense and satisfying resolution. --Dick Adler

About the Author:

Philip Shelby is the author of Days of Drums and Last Rights. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0002257424
• ISBN 13: 9780002257428
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352