The Undercover Gentleman

Anthony Pour
Marlborough Publishing (2009)
ISBN 9780615275956
Reviewed by Ron Standerfer for Reader Views (11/09)

 

Hank Teeple, the hero of Anthony Pour’s latest novel, “The Undercover Gentleman,” is no gentleman.  That much becomes clear in the early chapters of the book.  Instead, he is the product of a vicious, rough and tumble existence as a CIA agent and he is very good at what he does.  So good in fact, that he is destined for bigger and better things in the organization.  Then things fall apart.

The story begins innocently enough when, as a young man, Teeple’s heart is broken by a beautiful girl who lived on a neighboring ranch.  She marries his rival, who goes on to become one of the richest and most powerful men in America, and disappears from his life.  Fast forward thirty years and Teeple finds himself monitoring a brash young operative who has managed to gain access to a dusty, old warehouse in Malaysia which is suspected of housing nuclear material.  It is a routine operation that ends very badly.  When it is time to extract the agent he is found staked out on the floor with his eyes taped open and left to die a horrible death.  Clearly someone had betrayed the operation, but that does not matter.  Teeple is the agent in charge and therefore, is recalled to Washington, DC to be summarily dismissed from the CIA.  But he has one last ace up his sleeve - a mentor well placed in the organization who arranges for him to redeem himself while working outside the agency.  This is when the story gets really interesting.

As might be expected from a spy novel, the storyline is fast moving and complicated and there is a rich cast of characters that range from devious and self-serving Washington bureaucrats to murderous and duplicitous agents from the Middle and Far East.  All these elements are skillfully woven together to tell a fascinating story that avoids enmeshing the reader in the details.  On the other hand, “The Undercover Gentleman” contains an element not usually found in spy novels; a gentle and heartwarming love story with a surprise ending that is not revealed until the end of the book.

It is tempting to compare “The Undercover Gentleman” with Ian Fleming’s James Bond series of novels and to measure Hank Teeple against the impossible standards set by Agent 007.  That would be a mistake.  Bond has traditionally been an elegant, sophisticated character capable at times of performing impossible acts.  Teeple, on the other hand, is much more human; clever and courageous, yet vulnerable and prone to occasional mistakes.  He is one of us, which is why I can relate to him and prefer him over James Bond.

People buy books for a variety of reasons.  Some buy books for education or self improvement, or perhaps to learn something about themselves.  Others simply want to know what the latest best seller is all about.  “The Undercover Gentleman” by Anthony Pour is the ideal companion for that next long business trip or vacation; or perhaps to help while away a few quiet hours in a favorite hiding place.  It’s a great book and I heartily recommend it!

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