Pelham on Parole by Carl Plummer ★★★★★ / BY STEVE QUADE / OCTOBER 12, 2020
A cheeky and impertinent spy novel that is sure to please even the most stony-faced reader.
Pelham Hardimann has been busy for his near-forty years. An ill-fated upbringing and a stint in the military culminate in Pelham’s being incarcerated for stealing priceless art and fine jewelry. Upon his theatric and unusual release, he is compelled into a new kind of service. It is now 1939 and the world is on the brink of another war. He is told, “England expected before and England expects again.” Pelham is instructed to retrieve a suitcase, the contents of which may influence the trajectory of the impending conflict. With little reassurance, he is put to work, having to rely on his ample wit to keep him alive. Filled with deceptions and surprises, Pelham on Parole is a story that holds a lot of secrets.
Between knitting needles and U-boats, Carl Plummer has delivered a cheeky and impertinent spy novel that is sure to please even the most stony-faced reader. With a trip back in time, filled with nuances from the period and the subtle yet fully acerbic humor proffered by our protagonist, Pelham on Parole is intensely irreverent and wholly hysterical. I was positively in stitches reading of Pelham’s genteel visit to a local tailor that was nearly spoiled by an ill-tempered bad guy and a gun! Loads of pop-culture references from the era prove to be a comedic history lesson for younger readers. If you enjoy historical fiction with tongue-solidly-in-cheek, Pelham on Parole is a glib sort of mystery novel that will keep you guessing while the author keeps jesting!