The Glasshouse Gang #4

 

The Dead Commando (1975) is the final and definitely the most breathlessly-paced of the Glasshouse Gang series. The war in North Africa will soon be coming to an end as the British prepare to attack the Germans at El Alamein. John Offer & his motley gang of deserters and crooks are once again offered temporary immunity from arrest if they carry out a dangerous mission behind enemy lines. They use this immunity to bust a comrade out of a British military prison, but still plan to carry out the mission. John Offer is a crook, but he's honest in his own way.

 

This leads to virtually non-stop action. Circumstances lead to the Gang being beseiged in a fortress they captured from the Italians. There seems to be no escape, but they escape nonetheless. They are accidentally strafed by the RAF, then nearly caught by Germans commanded by an officer who has been pursuing the Gang across the previous two novels. Two of Offer's men are captured, so naturally a rescue must be attempted. Offer's nemesis knows this and plans a trap. Offer knows his nemesis knows, but the nemesis knows that Offer knows he knows. Nonetheless, Offer springs the trap to get to his men, then must improvise wildly as events play out in unusual ways. This all leads to an unexpected but very satisfying conclusion to the series.

 

The action is almost literally non-stop, full of excitement and tension. Try to find time to read The Dead Commando in one sitting, because there's no good stopping point.

 

The Glasshouse Gang series says goodbye with what I consider to be the best of the four novels.