False Faces:
Further Adventures from the History of the Lone Wolf
Louis Joseph Vance
1918
4/5 stars
Michael Lanyard is a former gentleman thief, known as "the Lone Wolf". In the early days of the Great War, he suffers private loss of enormous magnitude, leaving him with a personal vendetta against all Germans in general, but one spy in particular. When the Allies accept his proffered talents, Lanyard travels to the U.S., and becomes embroiled in danger, espionage, intrigue, and revenge while still at sea, which dogs his steps all the way to a final encounter in New York City.
This was a completely entertaining adventure. Vance's stark depiction of the trenches made a gripping hook, and, despite being overly melodramatic at times, False Faces remained absorbing through the final scene. Lanyard is a surprisingly well-drawn character -- still tempted by the illicit, but striving to remain a lawful gentleman in his actions, even when life is at stake. The plot was fast-paced, never dull, and, though unbelievable, still intelligent. I enjoyed the first in the series (The Lone Wolf, my review here), but found this second to be far superior. I will certainly read more of the exploits of the Lone Wolf.
