Shroud of Concealment — Andrew Towning

A stolen Vermeer painting, liberated from a Boston Museum by a scurrilous gang of art thieves, turns up in a private collection of the enigmatic - and very wealthy - Mr Charlie Hart. The Home Secretary's office would like to return it to the American's, but, for various reasons, sees it as a delicate matter. It asks the not-so-delicate, former army intelligence officer, Jake Dillon to investigate. Maybe his network of underworld connections will lead him into places where the Police and the Security Services fear to tread. But Dillon takes a short cut. He rings up Hart and asks him. And all hell breaks loose. His Porsche 911 is blown up. A contract is put out on him. His lawyer girlfriend and anyone who is seen with him are also targets. But who is the enemy hunting him? And why? Increasingly isolated, Dillon Starts to lift layer by dangerous layer of immensely well concealed information which leads him away from the painting and into the world of organised crime, drug running and an unsolved gold bullion heist that happened over 25 years ago. The closer he gets to finding out the truth, the more determined those involved are to have him killed. Unable to resist a challenge, Dillon delves even deeper into the mysterious backgrounds of several high profile figures and one in particular who has a secret and most incredible past, but with every step there is a landmine...