The Prefect Plot by Glen Canary.
Pinnacle Books, Copyright 1974
Looking at the cover, I thought this was going to be something similar to "The Destroyer" or "The Butcher" series. It is not. It's an interesting international suspense story, that starts in a prison in the USA and ends in the Middle East.
After botching a bank robbery, Alan Prefect and his wife Ann are doing twenty years in prison. A secret U.S. agency offers them a deal-help out Uncle Sam and you're free from your prison sentence. They are to infiltrate an extreme Muslim terrorist group in the Middle East and obtain information about a planned detonation of nuclear bombs in L.A. and NYC. The agency makes it looked like they escaped from prison, and are on the run with $500,000 in cash to "buy-in" to the Muslim terrorist group.
It may sound a little far fetch, but it works. Plenty of twists and turns. People are not what they make out to be and groups have other agendas then what you expect. Alan Prefect is by no means a hero-type. In fact he is a mild, unsuccessful writer. He's stuck in the middle between two powerful organizations and even commits adultery while his wife is kidnapped. The secret government characters come off convincing. And, there is a Bin Laden type called Mahdi, leading the terrorist group. Written in 1970's, the terrorists come off a bit soft compared to what is happening in the Middle East today. Also, the ending has a little letdown, mainly because everything works out for Alan Prefect. But, it doesn't take away from the novel.
Glen (Glenn) Canary is a pretty good writer. I know he wrote some short stories in the 60's for Manhunt and AHMM. There are some other novels out there, two are the Monarch Books "The Damned and the Innocent" and "The Sadist" I liked his novel and would like to know whatever happened to him.
Monday, December 31, 2007
The Prefect Plot by Glen Canary
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3 comments:
August, Thanks for reviewing this book. It's no classic, I guess, but it turns out to be rather hard to find. I'll be doing a blog entry on the author Glenn Canary tomorrow, not that I know a lot more about him, only the following:
CANARY, (HILARY) GLENN. 1934- . One time news reporter for Massillon Evening Independent (Ohio); later worked in the Doubleday book club department.
Besides this book I list the following as crime-related:
The Trailer Park Girls. Monarch, 1962. Setting: Ohio. [Three women meet three men who are planning a $30,000 robbery.]
A Walk in the Jungle. Pinnacle, pb, 1975. “There was no question in his mind-his wife had been killed by a pro [...] and Sam should know, since he was a pro himself.”
If you ever come across those other two Monarch books you mention, I'd like to know if they're crime fiction also or not. With a title like "The Sadist" you might get exactly what you think you're going to get.
Best
Steve
Thanks Steve. I'll be looking forward to your blog posting on Glen Canary.
Hi,
My name is Jessica Canary and my father was Glenn Canary. I read your blog on his writings. I would be very interested in buying any copies of books of his that you may havce in your possession.
My father died on Wednesday, May 7, 2008.
Please contact me at jessica33176@gmail.com.
Thank you,
Jessica Canary
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