Murder on the Rue Catinat

About the Book

It is 1950—the Year of the Tiger. Saigon, once the Pearl of the Far East, is now a city spinning out of control. Down every tree-lined boulevard, on every outdoor terrace, in every nightclub, dance hall and restaurant, the French colonials fear for their lives. The communists are waging a war and have clandestinely infiltrated the city. Deadly bombs and grenades are now the daily norm. Spies from all sides are everywhere.

French intelligence officer Pierre Bertrand has formed a secret pact with the ruthless crime syndicate that controls Saigon’s illegal and immensely lucrative gambling halls, brothels, and opium dens. In return for ridding Saigon of communists, Bertrand legalizes their businesses and begins sharing the profits.

American journalist and former OSS officer Jack Shaw has been hired by the CIA to investigate the unholy alliance and expose those involved. As Shaw confronts Saigon’s most brutal criminals, he knows a victory will send shockwaves throughout France, crush the criminal enterprises, and pave the way for greater American involvement in Vietnam. If he fails, it could mean his life. But when a woman becomes torn between the two men, they form a love triangle of passion and deception that will lead to the moment of truth and a deadly decision for all.

In this fast-paced Cold War thriller, two spies on opposite sides in their quest to control Saigon become immersed in love and betrayal as the future of French Vietnam hangs perilously in the balance.

About the Author

John Charles Gifford earned two degrees from the University of Minnesota, served in the Peace Corps in the Republic of Liberia, and taught high school for twenty-eight years in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He currently lives and writes full-time in Brossard, Quebec. Murder on the Rue Catinat is his third novel.