The Whip Hand

The thrilling first novel in the classic Rex Carver mysteries, from the author of The Rainbird Pattern.

Meet Rex Carver, the suave and laconic 1960s London private investigator.

It starts with an easy job: Carver agrees 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 job, he realises 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 spectre from the continent's past rears its head, Rex realises 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 Victor Canning

'Mr Canning's inventiveness never flags for a moment' Daily Telegraph