A 1960s London PI’s search for a missing au pair leads to sinister evil in this classic spy series opener by the author of The Rainbird Pattern.

Meet Rex Carver, the suave and laconic private investigator.

His job is to track down a German au pair, Katerina Saxmann, who has gone missing in Brighton. But when the security services show up at his apartment within hours of him accepting the assignment, he realizes there is far more going on.

As the search leads Carver around the pleasure spots of Europe, the investigation, and his feelings for Katerina, get more complicated. But when a specter from the continent’s past rears its head, Rex discovers he might be in too deep . . .

With cut-glass dialogue and panache in spades, Rex Carver is the James Bond of private investigators, perfect for fans of John le Carré and Ian Fleming.

Praise for the writing of Victor Canning:

“Mr. Canning’s inventiveness never flags for a moment.” —The Daily Telegraph

The Whip Hand