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Lucifer Box - the gorgeous butterfly of King Bertie's reign, portraitist, dandy and terribly good secret agent - is feeling his age. Assigned to observe the activities of fascist leader Olympus Mons and his fanatical Amber Shirts in a snow-bound 1920s New York, Box finds himself framed for a vicious murder. Using all his native cunning, Box escapes aboard a vessel bound for England armed only with a Broadway midget's suitcase and a string of unanswered questions. What lies hidden in the bleak Norfolk convent of St Bede? What is 'the lamb' that Olympus Mons searches for in his bid for world domination? And what has all this to do with a medieval prayer intended to summon the Devil himself? From the glittering sophistication of Art Deco Manhattan to the eerie Norfolk coast and the snow-capped peaks of Switzerland The Devil in Amber takes us on a thrilling ride that pits Lucifer Box against the most lethal adversary of his career : the Prince of Darkness himself.… (more)
User reviews
I enjoyed the plot of The Devil in Amber more than that of the first book. The mystery of The Vesuvius Club has more than a touch of the silly to it and while that was fun, I was never quite invested in it as a plot where our hero is in danger (nor do I think one is really meant to be). The stakes are higher in The Devil in Amber, perhaps because things are more personal for Box this time around. And, it's post-WWI, and, well, the world has changed. The Devil in Amber is only obliquely about WWI, but it does thread through the novel, and the moments when the ways the war have touched Box's life poke through the story are those which elevate the novel above just a competently-done spy novel. Recommended.
Once past the slow beginning then the rest of the book flies by and that's why I'll probably continue with book 3 at some point (as long as it pops up cheap somewhere) but I'm in no hurry to rush out and buy it immediately. Just on a precautionary note, this book does contain scenes of a sexual (MM & MF) and violent nature so be warned if that's not your cup of tea.
Sadly, The Devil in Amber isn't as entertaining
So, all in all, this was a letdown, like most sequels, I suppose. Should this turn into a trilogy, however, I will gladly pick up a copy.
I enjoyed both books, very funny main character who is a bit of a dandy, sleeping with anyone he can find and having all sorts of jolly fun while he manages to save the world. Great holiday read.
In this book he gets involved in investigating Olympus Mons, the leader of F.A.U.S.T (the Fascist Anglo-United States Tribune), an American fascist organisation whose members are known as Amber Shirts. This leads him from New York to a Norfolk convent and on to a castle on the French/Swiss border, following Olympus Mons, who turns out to have a rather unorthodox plan for gaining power.