Tango One [Audiobook] [Englisch] [Audio CD]

Two of my favorite thriller writers are the English authors Gerald Seymour and Stephen Leather. The former impels his heroes, otherwise rather average British citizens, into harm's way in ideological conflicts at the world's grotty margins, and forces them to survive while winning victories that are, at best, Pyrrhic in nature. In Seymour's world, there is no absolute right or wrong, only gray areas, and his characters, like the reader, are carried along by currents more powerful than the individual. In contrast, Leather defines characters that drive the plot and reveal both their good and bad natures in the process. In Leather's thrillers - at least the few I've read to date - the protagonist straddles the line between law-abiding and not, perhaps demonstrating what each of us is capable of if the right pressure is exerted.

Here, TANGO ONE, i.e. the individual "most wanted" by Her majesty's Customs and Excise, is international drug dealer and London resident, Den Donovan. In the book's first 80 pages, which set up the remaining 400, Donovan comes across as a right bloody SOB - capable of orchestrating and filming the torture execution of an undercover agent, and sending the video to C&E as a warning taunt. This event causes Customs and MI6 to recruit as new deep cover agents three young applicants to London's Metropolitan Police - Jamie, Tina and Warren, all of whom have a history of minor criminality that will likely hinder their careers as uniformed officers, but will make them believable members of the underworld as they try to get close to Den and his illegal enterprise. The narrative then jumps ahead three years to when Donovan's 9-year old son, Robbie, catches his mother, Vicky, in bed with Den's accountant, Sharkey. The adulterous pair flee the country to escape Den's wrath, while Robbie moves in with Den's sister and her husband. Donovan now must return to England from overseas, where he's been busy setting up his next big drug deal with the Colombians, to sort out his family problems. On his return, Den discovers that Sharkey also absconded with $60 million of his money - some of which was to be used to pay the Colombians, who don't take kindly to being stiffed. As Den struggles to solve his personal, business, and financial difficulties, he eventually comes into contact with the trio of undercover agents, who surface about halfway through the book.

As TANGO ONE begins, the reader might be forgiven for believing that the plot's protagonists will be Jamie, Tina, and Warren. Not so. The novel's "hero", or at least the character the reader will likely end up cheering on, is Den himself, especially as the trio's MI6 controller ultimately reveals an agenda of his own that would not amuse Her Majesty. Furthermore, as Donovan explains the Game between drug importers and drug enforcement, the former have the opportunity for riches while the latter have the opportunity to advance their careers, and the mass of citizenry in the middle only suffers no matter who wins. So, while Donovan would perhaps not be someone you'd want marrying your daughter, he reveals a human and sometimes quasi-honorable side that goes a long way to ameliorating one's first impression, at least to the point that you might be willing to have a pint with the man.

The essence of a Stephen Leather hero is his (or her) capacity for both good and evil. And though a Leather plot invariably has a nice and tidy ending far different from the beguilingly ambiguous conclusion of a Seymour thriller, it's the chameleon-like quality of Stephen's protagonists that places all of his books on my Wish List.

In London, three recruits prepare for their first day in the Metropolitan Police. However, much to their surprise, a driver picks them up and delivers them to Assistant Commissioner Peter Latham who recruits them for deep undercover work in an effort to ensnare drug dealer, Den Donovan otherwise known as Tango One meaning he is atop the most wanted list. The rest of the story belongs to Den Donovan and the personal problems in his life including the emptying of his bank accounts by his wife's lover who happens to be Den's accountant. As we wonder through Den's trials and tribulations, we wonder if and when the police operatives will make an appearance.
This gripping tale provides not only a suspense filled story but also rests on the strong characterizations. Fiction about drug dealers seemed to run rampant several years ago. This tale offers a unique take in that Stephen Leather personalizes Den Donovan into an almost sympathetic figure. We also must try to discover which of the supporting cast are the police operatives. Overall, a very well done book worthy of recognition.

It's one of life's great mysteries why Stephen Leather isn't better known in the US. Until recently his books haven't even been on sale there, yet he is head and shoulders above most US thriller writers...

Tango One is gripping from the start, as it details an undercover operation to trap a big-time drugs dealer. Like most of Leather's books, the good guys aren't always good and the bad guys are several shades of grey.

It's exciting right until the end, with lots of twists and turns along the way...