Copley's Hunch

A gripping tale of escape from Nazi-held France.

By a chance meeting, Horton, a Spitfire pilot, and Copley, the commando sergeant of a small raiding party form an alliance to escape Nazi-held France.

The two men carry their courage as they journey through the ravages of war-torn country. From hiding in cider barrels, unlikely allies and involvement in a minor-naval engagement, the pair endure moments of breathless peril, tension and action.

Back home they are hailed as heroes—the pilot, Horton, especially, as he is the third of three brothers to have escaped from Nazi territory. But the sergeant, Copley, has nagging doubts about Horton’s story. He passes his doubts on to Military Intelligence. A very hush-hush investigation begins. And gradually a strange secret is revealed, and an even stranger conspiracy.

An old hand with a new name, Douglas Clark’s venture into the world of Combined Operations is a brilliant success—absorbing as a mystery, gripping as an escape yarn—which is not surprising for he is an old soldier himself.

Douglas Clark was born in Lincolnshire in 1919 and died in 1993. He was educated at the University of London and during WWII he served with the Royal Horse Artillery. He wrote over 20 crime novels and under other names, including James Ditton and Peter Hosier.