Souvenirs (Alistair MacLean)

Souvenirs , original English title Puppet on a Chain is a novel written by the Scottish author Alistair MacLean and published in 1969. The action takes place in the drug scene in Amsterdam and other parts of the Netherlands in the late 1960s.

action

Paul Sherman is an experienced agent of Interpol to combat drugs; he usually investigates on his own and is supported in this case by two attractive agents; one is quite experienced, the other is new to the business. Sherman's job in the Netherlands is to smash a brutal drug smuggling ring whose members don't shy away from killing if someone gets in their way.

Before Sherman has even left Schiphol Airport , he has to watch his main contact person being shot down, is knocked semi-conscious by an attacker and has initial problems with the local authorities . Unfortunately, Sherman's behavior towards his assistants is being construed against him. Because his investigations are continually being undermined and he is consistently one step behind his opponents, he is forced to take violent action to turn the tide back in his favor. The action culminates in a life-and-death struggle in which he can ultimately save the life of one of his assistants.

filming

The novel was made into a film in 1972 by the director Geoffrey Reeve under the title The Rats of Amsterdam .