WILLIAM THOMAS COCHRANE

ABOUT THE SERIES

       William Thomas Cochrane is an agent with the F.B.I.
       The first time we meet Special Agent Cochrane, the year is 1939. America in general seems to be determined to maintain neutrality in the fights against Germany in Europe and Japan in Asia, at least Congress it; the President is very much for aiding England and France. Germany for its part knows how dangerous America can be with its shipments of vital war materials so it has secretly invaded the country with its agents acting both as saboteurs and as intelligence gatherers.
       It had been a string of highly suspect incidents which slowed or even stopped vital shipments to England that caused the President to want a special investigator to find whoever was spearheading the attacks. Because of a successful case handled by the Bureau which involved infiltrating a man into Germany who returned with valuable intelligence, Roosevelt had an idea who should be that lead detective and forced Hoover to agree. That agent was Cochrane.       
       Cochrane is, in 1939, 33 years old with sandy, blondish hair. "His eyes were sharp and his complexion slightly ruddy and sun-beaten, the result of long weekend hikes through the Maryland countryside. He looked younger than his years, however."
       He had been an agent with the Bureau since writing directly to Director Hoover applying for a job and explaining how he was been for several years "a banker and an investigator for the international division" of a bank in Atlanta. He went on to explain he was fluent in both French and German and felt, with Europe starting down the road to war, he had traits that would be needed by the F.B.I. It has been the rise to chancellorship of Hitler that prompted the move.
       Now with a call from the Director himself, Cochrane will begin a series of dangerous assignments which will greatly affect his life and future.

BOOKS

RELATED LINKS

MY COMMENTS

       I first read the initial adventure of William Thomas Cochrane back in the late 80's. I was not particularly interested in WWII spy adventures at the time but this one caught my eye. It would make me a fan of Noel Hynd from then on with his easy-to-read prose and his terrific history lessons pleasantly imbued in the story such as to not bog things down or worse yet, bore me. In fact, I was greatly interested in them by the way he wrote.
       When I started my compendium of spy series, it was disappointing that I could not include this book since it was a singleton. I would, years later, be able to add a different series of his in Alexandra Luca and the two trilogies about her but Cochrane remained outside.
       Every week I diligently peruse the latest releases to see if there was anything my site needed to know. Imagine my surprise then when looking for new books to consider for purchase, I see Hynd's name and in the description of the plot, mention of a name that rang a bell (dimly, of course, since it had been quite a few years). I grinned as I bought the book and started reading.
       After 34 years, a second book about Cochrane and therefore a series I should add. I gleefully do so now.
       Welcome back, Mr. Cochrane. Let me say you are as much fun to read as you were back then and that was a lot.

GRADE

My Grade: A-

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