The Whitehall Sanction by Jack Gerson

[cromagnonman]

Anyone in the market for a good conspiracy thriller could do a whole lot worse than to track down a copy of this neglected 1983 offering from tv scriptwriter turned novelist Jack Gerson.



When London antiques dealer James Ryder offers a lift to stranded journalist Nora Matheson he can have no idea that his innocent chivalrous gesture will precipitate a nightmarish spiral into a world of secret service shenanigans and cursory murder. From the moment Matheson disappears and Ryder makes an ill-advised attempt to find her he is a marked man. In quick order he finds a body deposited in the boot of his car. He is then chased, coshed, incarcerated and drugged before eventually finding a bomb taped to the underside of his car. Someone is clearly determined to stop Ryder passing on what he knows - or rather what they think he knows: the only trouble is Ryder himself has no idea what that might be.

Surviving through a combination of luck and pluck Ryder eventually begins to fit together the pieces of a high level conspiracy involving maverick politicians and an intelligence agency gone rogue.

This is an excellent page turner, set against the backdrop of a decaying society riven by economic chaos and social division and as such still depressingly contemporary. A pervasive sense of entropy is the book's prevailing theme and one which cleverly reinforces the plot:

"Time was when London was a city of charm, even of beauty. Now the decadence and the poverty of spirit of the second half of the twentieth century had eroded the beauty, deformed the spirit."

The dispirited tone isn't confined to London. Wherever Ryder travels, from Chester to Macclesfield to Scotland, he is struck by the same sense of dilapidation and decay.

Ryder is an appealing hero who rises credibly to the challenges of the plot whilst still floundering in a cloak and dagger world completely outside of his experience. The book clearly owes much to Buchan's THE THIRTY NINE STEPS and even includes the homage of a moorland chase. But ice cool CIA operative Jean Thurman is clearly a product of Gerson's own id; a woman who "could make love with affection one minute and kneecap another human being the next".

The book does have plot holes admittedly but they are only of the sort that become apparant in hindsight and don't detract from the reading pleasure.

I've read a number of Gerson's books recently and each one has been as superb as the last. His output seems to be divided between books with occult themes such as THE EVIL THEREOF, and his best known work THE OMEGA FACTOR, and more conventional thrillers like this one.

As is commonplace Gerson's work lapsed from print after his death in 2012. But thanks to the influence of his daughter, the actress Natasha Gerson and her work with Big Finish on its Omega Factor continuations, audio readings of THE EVIL THEREOF AND THE FETCH are now available. One can only hope reissues of the original books will follow.    

[helrunar]

Hi Richard, 

Thanks for this interesting review. I just finished watching the Omega Factor series, and I've ordered Gerson's novel of the same title. One website I had looked at a couple of years ago claimed that the novel was mostly Gerson's planned continuation of the story (but the BBC never ordered a second series--I think it was simply too offbeat for whoever the controllers were then, though Mary Whitehouse's complaints about how utterly EEE-vil or some such nonsense have been blamed; that had no effect on the BBC's production of Doctor Who, and Whitehouse apparently complained constantly about that show). 

The top villain on Omega was revealed to be a deceptively pleasant, genteel High Tory lady who went around in tasteful suits and pearls and seemed as if she might have been meant as a jab at Mrs M. T. There were some really interesting stories in the various episodes, though I was frustrated by the very abrupt ending of the one featuring Philip Locke in one of his most eccentric roles as some scheming foreign parapsychologist type.

I might look up the other two books Gerson wrote with occult themes you mention. I guess it depends on what I think of the Omega novel. Reviews are mixed.

cheers, Steve

[cromagnonman]

Oct 5, 2019 22:02:27 GMT helrunar said:

Hi Richard, 

Thanks for this interesting review. I just finished watching the Omega Factor series, and I've ordered Gerson's novel of the same title. One website I had looked at a couple of years ago claimed that the novel was mostly Gerson's planned continuation of the story (but the BBC never ordered a second series--I think it was simply too offbeat for whoever the controllers were then, though Mary Whitehouse's complaints about how utterly EEE-vil or some such nonsense have been blamed; that had no effect on the BBC's production of Doctor Who, and Whitehouse apparently complained constantly about that show). 

The top villain on Omega was revealed to be a deceptively pleasant, genteel High Tory lady who went around in tasteful suits and pearls and seemed as if she might have been meant as a jab at Mrs M. T. There were some really interesting stories in the various episodes, though I was frustrated by the very abrupt ending of the one featuring Philip Locke in one of his most eccentric roles as some scheming foreign parapsychologist type.

I might look up the other two books Gerson wrote with occult themes you mention. I guess it depends on what I think of the Omega novel. Reviews are mixed.

cheers, Steve

I can heartily recommend THE EVIL THEREOF to you Steve. It is an excellent supernatural thriller inspired by the real life murder of Charles Walton who was found hacked to death in a Warwickshire field in 1945. The case is commonly referred to as the last ritual witchcraft killing in England and one which famously flummoxed even the renowned Fabian of the Yard.

I haven't got around to reading THE OMEGA FACTOR as yet. I think I overdosed a bit by reading five Gerson books in a row so am letting him lie fallow at present. So long since I've seen the series that I can recall next to nothing about it now. But I think I'm right in saying that BBC Scotland basically resurrected it as Sea of Souls around the turn of the millennium.

[helrunar]

Hi Richard,

Wow, thanks for the further info about Evil Thereof. The case you mention is well-known among those of us who research things such as Pagan survivals and the formation of modern Pagan Witchcraft in the 20th century. If I recall aright, that's the case where the "Witch" was said to have blasted a neighbor's field by driving a small plough pulled by mice or rats over part of his land. I might be confusing that though--I think this was mentioned in Isabel Gowdie's famous deposition from the 1660s.

If you ever wish to revisit, this playlist comprises all ten episodes of The Omega Factor. There are some cases where a minute or less dropped out between the segments the person who uploaded these accidentally eliminated while chopping up the ten shows into 90 pieces. There's also one episode where one segment was uploaded without sound and never fixed.

www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4lhsa5meT4BBeUbpwigPSznqC-eY7IMm

Both Jack Gerson's daughter Natasha and actress Louise Jameson have written scripts for the radio play revival of Omega. It is one of those "Big Finish" things.

Best wishes, Steve

[helrunar]

Also, Sea of Souls is a fascinating series, what I have seen of it. A friend sent me a bunch of episodes back in 2017--I'd seen several earlier on, but have not had time to view this more recently delivered lot. 

H.

[helrunar]

Just weighing in to say I'm about 3 chapters into the Omega Factor paperback (published by the BBC in '79--I had no idea the BBC ever published books).  I am enjoying it as a fan of the TV show looking for more insights into the characters and situations. If you've never seen the show, I don't really know how interesting it would be to you. The writing style is spare and workmanlike, and things move along at a moderately quick clip. A lot of it does involve people talking to one another so it is not something for those who require a lot of action to enjoy a yarn, I would say.

Will post some final thoughts when I've finished the book.

cheers, Steve

[helrunar]

I finished The Omega Factor and quite enjoyed it. The novel is divided into a prologue, part one, part two, and epilogue (the latter is all of one page long). The real interest is in the prologue which describes a crucial episode in protagonist Tom Crane's childhood, and part two (which begins on page 149 of a book that is 223 pages long) which appears to be how Gerson originally envisioned the end of the series. Part two goes much more explicitly into occult thriller terrain, with more material related to sinister magical practices and "black rites," than the series ever did. In the series, the real masterminds emerge as a group of blandly vicious High Tory Illuminati types, a prospect which is rather more frightening, to this reader at least, than the Crowley/Karswell knockoff embodied in the Drexel character.

Example of Gerson's prose--this is a rare naughty bit:

He turned to the girl, Elspeth, again. Crane had always admitted his own sensuality to himself but in this girl it was something else. A carnality possessed her that was at once intense and sadistic. Inside her mind she was writhing in some fantasy of which he, Crane, had been granted a part and could not gainsay the sense of arousal in all that he saw. Their naked bodies ere entwined, sweating with lust, vicious in the patterns of their coupling. And he knew if he allowed himself to enter into such a situation, the culmination, the orgasmic moment would only bring satisfaction to the girl with his death at that moment. Inside her mind he could see her body covered in his blood and her pleasure at the image. 

There are a number of differences from the series in how all this plays out, notably the role of the character of Roy Martindale who goes barely beyond cameo appearances here, but is a major player in the episodes that were produced and broadcast.

One element that makes the novel a must for fans of the series is that the mystery around the death of Tom Crane's wife, which is never at all satisfactorily resolved in the series, is given a plausible explanation and resolution here.

I think the book would stand on its own, especially for those who have enjoyed Jack Gerson's other books--there are no references to things one wouldn't know having never seen the TV show. The main thing to note again is that the book is more thoughtful and more interested in encounters between characters that involve conversation and reflection. The action bits are only intermittent.

H.

[helrunar]

Hi Rich,

I was trying to remember the title of a novel with a Witchcraft theme you've recommended to me a couple of times. I think it must have been The Evil Thereof by Jack Gerson. But if there's another one you mentioned recently, please remind me what it's called and who wrote it. Not that I don't have masses of stuff to read as it is...

I found this interesting blog entry about one of Gerson's scripts.

thebagleybrief.com/jack-gerson-author-and-scriptwriter/

cheers, Steve

[The Lurker In The Shadows]

Oct 7, 2019 18:14:00 GMT cromagnonman said:

But I think I'm right in saying that BBC Scotland basically resurrected it as Sea of Souls around the turn of the millennium.

Sea of Souls was inspired by the work of Dr Archie Roy, who was an adviser on The Omega Factor, and whose novel, Devil in the Darkness, has its own thread here.

As well as continuing The Omaga Factor as three audio drama series and three audio books, Big Finish have also released audiobooks of several Jack Gerson novels: www.bigfinish.com/contributors/v/Jack-Gerson-5163

[cromagnonman]

Sept 10, 2020 1:46:24 GMT helrunar said:

Hi Rich,

I was trying to remember the title of a novel with a Witchcraft theme you've recommended to me a couple of times. I think it must have been The Evil Thereof by Jack Gerson. But if there's another one you mentioned recently, please remind me what it's called and who wrote it. Not that I don't have masses of stuff to read as it is...

I found this interesting blog entry about one of Gerson's scripts.

thebagleybrief.com/jack-gerson-author-and-scriptwriter/

cheers, Steve

Yes Steve, Gerson's THE EVIL THEREOF was the one with the witchcraft theme which I thought you would enjoy. Especially on account of the Charles Walton connotation. I thought it was really good. Sadly there doesn't appear to have been a paperback edition though.

I appreciated the link. There was quite a bit of info there that was news to me. I have got a copy of Bagley's RUNNING BLIND which I bought purely on account of the connection to THE ASSASSINATION RUN. But I haven't read it as yet. 

[helrunar]

Thanks for the info about Dr Archie Roy, Daniel! The Omega Factor is a firm favorite here. I've seen some of Sea of Souls, and a friend very kindly sent me a copy of the entire series--someday I will watch it all from start to finish.

Best wishes,

Helrunar

[helrunar]

Glad you found the link of interest, Rich! I'd never heard of Bagley.

Cheers, Steve