Carr, John Dickson - Captain Cut-Throat (1955)

Review by Nick Fuller

3/5

An adventure / espionage thriller set during the Napoleonic Wars, on the eve of the invasion of Britain. Plenty of tension and action, including a splendid scene at the Field of Balloons, and a lightning-fast and razor-sharp duel of wits between the hero and Joseph Fouché culminating in the staggering revelation of Captain Cut-throat's identity. There is, however, far more riding and rescuing than ratiocination, so the book does not really compare with the more detection-oriented historical novels.

Combines historical romance, high adventure and detection, masterful storytelling. Nice impossible murder, unusually (for Carr) underplayed. Balloon scene superb. Found it much better than 10 years ago. Best historical Carr along with Fear is the Same.

Henrique Valle