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Traitors Gate by Jeffrey Archer: book review

 


Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Australia, I have access to an uncorrected advance edition reading copy of Jeffrey Archer’s pre-published novel Traitors Gate (2023).  

 

Set in London from 1996, where Chief Superintendent William Warwick and his second-in-command Inspector Ross Hogan of the Metropolitan Police have been in charge for the past four years of the annual secret operation of the movement of Queen Elizabeth II’s Crown Jewels. Specifically, jewels in this case are the State Crown and Sword – from the impenetrable Jewel House in the Tower of London to the State Opening of Parliament and back again the next day. The code word for this operation is ‘Traitors Gate.’

 

Businessman and master criminal Miles Faulkner is back in London after four years of self-imposed exile in New York. On his Manhattan apartment wall is the painting by Peter Paul Rubens, Christ’s Descent from the Cross, that he stole from the Fitzmolean Museum. A forgery, in its original frame, is on display, fooling everyone. Miles Faulkner wants to exact revenge on Warwick, Hogan, and Commander Hawksby – in that order – for reasons of his own. 

 

Coincidently, Chief Superintendent Warwick’s wife Beth has just won the top job as director at the Fitzmolean. Miles Faulkner’s wife, Christina, a member of the board at the Fitz is the only person to oppose Elizabeth Warwick’s appointment, unbeknownst to Beth. Also unbeknownst to Beth, her husband suspected Faulkner of the heist all the time.

 

Inspector Ross Hogan hears that Miles Faulkner is back in London, and the Inspector has scores to settle with Faulkner: ‘In case you’ve forgotten, that man was responsible for my wife’s death,’ he reminds Chief Superintendent William Warwick.

 

William Warwick and Ross Hogan have 24 hours to stop the most outrageous and audacious heist in history. What they don’t know is that Miles Faulkner has a person on the inside. 

 

Author Jeffrey Archer has set the scene for revenge and the battle of wits. Suspense ensues. Timing is everything. From here, it’s an utter page turner.

 

I love the chapter ‘The Golden Hour’ as the clock ticks down for the Crown Jewels operation. Fifty-eight minutes, fifty-seven minutes … sixty seconds: ‘Oh my God,’ said the Hawk. ‘You don’t think he could have …’ he begins to ask Chief Superintendent Warwick.

 

This novel is sparce in descriptive passages, rich in dialogue, and bejewelled in suspense, plot twists, secrets, betrayals, and all that is hidden in plain sight.

 

 

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

#TraitorsGate   #NetGalley

HarperCollins Publishers Australia, HarperCollins

Traitors Gate: https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/296066




Tower of London




MARTINA NICOLLS

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Martina Nicolls is an Australian author and international human rights-based consultant in education, healing and wellbeing, peace and stabilisation, and foreign aid audits and evaluations. 

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