Children of Tender Years

Even 30 years after his childhood captivity in Auschwitz, British agent Jake Malik has nightmares. He's very much a loner, though apparently assimilated into English life. Sent to investigate possible Soviet involvement in anti-Semitic incidents in West Germany, Jake falls in love with his German counterpart's sister and must come to terms with his fear of her compatriots. Meanwhile, he discovers that a group of Israeli and West German businessmen have set up their own plan for retaliation against Soviet-Arab threats to Israel. Malik is ruthless in his determination to squelch this ""unholy alliance'' without informing any official agencies, and eventually someone tells him, ``You would have made a splendid Nazi.'' The fanatic conspirators cause several murders to be commited, and Malik, in anguish, becomes more alienated. After his ``promotion'' to Washington, Malik's MI6 bosses hint that his future is not to be a happy one. Allbeury (No Place to Hide) has written a fast, engrossing and ultimately very bleak thriller. Foreign rights: Blake/Friedmann. November 22