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X for Extortion, 14 Manchester Square (Seventh of December book 2)
BY Garrick Jones
IndieMosh Books, 2021
Five stars

The second in the Seventh of December series is every bit as fascinating and compellihg as the first was. Garrick Jones has woven a vivid tapestry of history and fiction, centering it on the clandestine wartime romance between Australian Tommy Haupner and American Heinrich Reiter.

While the plot revolves around a suitably dark and byzantine blackmail plot—the beginnings of which appeared in the first book—two strong themes that intertwine through the story are the necessary secrecy of Tommy and Henry’s relationship, and the profound influence of German culture among the English elite. The fact that both Tommy and Henry have German ethnic roots and speak fluent German simply underscores this important truth.

The seventh of December is the date that marks the true beginning of Tommy and Henry’s romance. Its second, historical significance will come into play in this book. However intriguing the extortion story is, and how important it is to the overall action, Jones looks closely personalities and relationships throughout his narrative. The people really matter in this, and not just the main protagonists.

There is a moment in the book, a party, at which most of the British Royal Family is present, that is both completely believable and entirely surreal. Tommy Haupner—whose life changes dramatically in this book—is at the center of everything. Everyone knows him as an internationally celebrated violinist; some of them know his work for the Crown; a small circle of family and friends understand his real relationship with the tall, handsome American officer known fondly as Shorty. It is a brilliant moment, mixing anxiety and happiness; a confluence of cultural, social, and political realities.

Tommy Haupner is a remarkable character, and the dark wartime setting—toward the end of the London Blitz—is the perfect backdrop to help us understand him in all his complexity. I am not a particular fan of war stories—too upsetting, and parts of this book are very dark; but Jones has created a group of characters the reader can really hold onto, root for, care about.

The story ends with a clear understanding that it is not finished, leaving the reader hungry to find out what comes next. And, by the way, 14 Manchester Square is a real place. Look it up.