| Nicholas Whistler is a very unlucky young | | | | to where the true Menorah was hidden. He also |
| man, debt-ridden, and an easy target for | | | | wins the heart of his assistant. The history |
| someone who wants to recruit him for | | | | is so vivid and the codes so challenging that |
| something illegal and dangerous in the Cold | | | | I was immediately convinced that this was the |
| War 60s. But Nicholas has little choice in | | | | greatest treasure hunt novel ever written, |
| the matter and agrees to travel to Prague to | | | | better far than all of Indiana Jones' |
| fetch important state or technological | | | | adventures. It also became the benchmark for |
| secrets. The Night of Wencelas is non-stop | | | | my own novel, The Cellini Masterpiece, as I |
| adventure as his simple mission becomes | | | | perfected it over the next two decades.From |
| life-threatening and he suddenly realizes | | | | his website I learned that he was born in |
| what he has become involved with. No longer | | | | Hull, Yorkshire. He left school early to |
| a tourist, he is now a hunted man in an enemy | | | | become an office boy at The Spectator in |
| city and must find his way to the British | | | | London. Later he joined the Keystone Press |
| Embassy to make his escape.As I read the book | | | | Agency. In the Second World War he served |
| I realized that Lionel Davidson had managed | | | | with the Royal Naval Submarine Service. In |
| to work his magic twenty years after the book | | | | 1946, he returned to the Keystone Press |
| was written. I eagerly read the Rose of Tibet | | | | Agency. He travelled all over Europe as a |
| and the Menorah Men in quick succession. | | | | reporter. On one of these trips he got the |
| Though I enjoyed The Rose, it didn't quite | | | | idea for his first thriller. His first book |
| have the same hold on me that Night of | | | | was a tremendous success and he gave up his |
| Wencelas had produced. Then I started on The | | | | job to become a full-time writer. It turtned |
| Menorah Men. My eyes bugged. Wow! Talk about | | | | out to be a good move. He has won the Gold |
| mind candy. I couldn't put it down.Imagine | | | | Dagger three times: in 1960 for The Night of |
| what it would be like to be a young | | | | Wenceslas, in 1966 for A long way to Shiloh |
| archaeologist who is sudeenly and | | | | (US title The Menorah Men) and in 1978 for |
| unexpectedly recruited by the government of | | | | The Chelsea Murders (US title Murder |
| Israel to find a treasure that was thought to | | | | Games)Davidson lived in Israel for a time and |
| have been destroyed in Roman Times, but may | | | | then returned to England. In 2001 he was |
| still exist hidden somewhere in the Sinai. | | | | awarded the Diamond Dagger. Davidson lives |
| Young Casper Laing is intrigued, but | | | | and works in London.I have never had the |
| unconvinced. He is even more hesitant when he | | | | pleasure or opportunity of meeting this giant |
| realizes that Arabs from Jordan were also hot | | | | in the mystery field, but I do hope I will. |
| on the trail of the artifact. His partner in | | | | For all of you who haven't had the pleasure |
| the search is a beautiful young Israeli | | | | of reading his work, I invite you to find |
| soldier who has an archaeological background. | | | | copies. You're in for a wonderful treat.John |
| She is also engaged to a Yemeni officer in | | | | Anderson is a fan of Mystery/Adventure |
| the Israeli Army. Along the way, Laing is | | | | Suspense. The Cellini Masterpiece is set on |
| kidnapped, shot at, takes a prolonged bath in | | | | the island of Malta and involves a secret |
| the Dead Sea and untilmately unlocks the code | | | | dating to the mid 1500s. |