Duty Free by Manning Coles (1959)

 

About the author: Manning Coles is the pseudonym of two British writers, Adelaide Frances Oke Manning (1891–1959) and Cyril Henry Coles (1899–1965), who wrote many spy thrillers from the early 40s through the early 60s. The fictional protagonist in 26 of their books was Thomas Elphinstone Hambledon, who works for the Foreign Office. (wikipedia)

Major characters:

Robert Brown, British attendant to Prince André

Prince André

*Marcel Avril, poet, author, newspaper editor

*Gilles d'Ecosse, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Instructor of the Children

*Father Denys, The reverend curé

*Henri Tonnerre, winegrower and innkeeper

*Louis Durand, postmaster

*Jean Latour, farmer and stockbreeder

Fishy Pike, a jewel thief; a.k.a. Pasquet the photographer

Adam K. Hopkins, hotel magnate

Betty Hopkins, his daughter

Locale: Principality of Sainte-Roche, bordering France

Synopsis: Englishman Robert Brown is travelling to the tiny Principality of Sainte-Roche to take a position as attendant to Prince André. He finds the only bridge into it has fallen. He gets across with aid from a local. He meets with the prince and the leaders of the small country, known as The Six (marked * above). They hold a staff meeting to deal with a crisis: the cash reserves have fallen to almost nothing, and knowing Brown as a man of the world, ask for his ideas.

Brown relates how the US typically will provide foreign aid (cash) to those countries under threat of turning to communism. The communists are not interested in this tiny country, but an idea is hatched: publicize the idea that they are in danger of  turning communist, in hopes of attracting the US foreign aid. 

The plan is to stage a fake battle between the local militia and the "communists" (portrayed by other locals). The battle is set up and reporters from various European newspapers arrive to cover the story. The locals put on a big, noisy, smoky show of battle as the reporters clamor to use the only telephone to call in their stories.

The ruse works only too well. A big pile of foreign aid will be theirs as soon as the Price and Brown (now his Foreign Minister) travel to Paris to sign the contract. Meanwhile, a frenzy of work begins to bring Sainte-Roche into the 20th century. While in Paris, the prince falls for Betty Hopkins, daughter of hotel magnate Adam K. Hopkins. Everything looks rosy until a disreputable man from Brown's past, Fishy Pike, appears and threatens to reveal the truth about Brown.

Review: A charming and always amusing tale of the challenges of bringing an isolated, simple community up to world expectations. Robert Brown has to play both sides of his character to make it succeed. Several crazy story lines run in parallel with the usual mixture of Manning Coles chaos erupting at every turn. A laugh-out-louder filled with colorful locals.