The 63 Steppes

by Keith Edmondson

A chance encounter with an old university friend leads a newly qualified priest, James Brittain, to accept an invitation to participate in the CND Aldermaston march in April 1963, where he unwittingly learns of a plot to assassinate President Kennedy during his forthcoming visit to the UK. As a result, he is drawn into the sinister worlds of extreme church politics, secret service intrigue and ex-Nazi collaborators, resulting in him being hunted for a murder he did not commit, and suffering from recurring doubts about his faith. All this is carried out against the backdrop of the cold war, at its height, and the imminent Profumo scandal. Can James avoid elimination and unravel the plot before the President arrives?

164 pages, Paperback

First published April 25, 2013

About the author

I was born and bred in Bradford, West Yorkshire, and still live there willingly! I was trained as a chemist and became a wool research scientist at the IWS Technical Centre in Ilkley. Following the collapse of the wool market in the ‘80’s, for which I vehemently deny having any responsibility whatsoever, I was ‘encouraged’ to find pastures new and started working as a private consultant, trading as Envirocare, assisting companies with the new health and safety and environmental regulations. The endeavour was successful and Envirocare Technical Consultancy Ltd was formed in 1994, based in Bradford.
A few years ago I stepped down from the day to day running of the business and hastily drew up a ‘bucket-list’ of things I wanted to tick-off before finally hanging up my spatula. I ventured into producing collage artworks, made entirely from stamps, with brightly reactive phosphor bands under UV light. Three large collage impressions of famous Bradford people; David Hockney, J.B Priestley and Sir Ken Morrison were created. A fourth collage; (‘Bradley Baht ‘at’) was done to celebrate the Tour de France coming to Yorkshire and exhibited at the Fabric Gallery in July 2014.
I’ve also had a stab at writing and published The Sixty Three Steppes after being inspired by re-reading John Buchan’s The Thirty-Nine Steps.
I enjoyed the writing experience so much that I’ve written a sequel which is at the editing stage now. This novel is likely to be called From Czechoslovakia with Love.
I still regard my Twitter profile of mature scientist, very immature author and artist as being pertinent.

Reviews

[Lukasz · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The 63 Steppes" is a compelling classical spy novel and political thriller set during the volatile heart of the Cold War in 1963. Author Keith Edmondson, a new name to me who transitioned to writing after a career in science and freelancing, has crafted a dense, fast-paced plot, drawing inspiration from the spy classic "The 39 Steps" by John Buchan.

The story follows a young Catholic priest who is thrust into the world of espionage with the critical mission of protecting JFK from an assassination plot during his visit to the UK or Ireland.

The book is rich with historical context, covering major events like JFK's famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech in Germany. What I found particularly interesting and a new learning was its deep dive into lesser-known affairs in the UK, such as the Profumo spy affair. This scandal, which forced a cabinet member to resign, strained UK-US relations and made the UK look like an unreliable ally due to fears of confidential information leaking to the Soviet Union.

Edmondson also weaves in the dynamic period of reforms within the Catholic Church, showcasing the internal struggle between old-fashioned tradition and the need for progressive change, including the mention of Opus Dei's role.

While the plot is generally grounded, the inclusion of a main character interacting directly with Soviet leader Khrushchev felt like a stretch—though perhaps necessary to emphasize the high stakes and tensions following the recent Cuban Missile Crisis.

The structure is excellent; the chapters are not very long, making it a quick and enjoyable read. However, the plot is dynamic and dense with twists, requiring me to sometimes reread sections to ensure I hadn't missed a crucial fact. Ultimately, it was a worthwhile experience. I'm already looking forward to reading the second part of the series, "From Czechoslovakia with Love."



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„The 63 Steppes” to wciągająca, klasyczna powieść szpiegowska i thriller polityczny, osadzony w gorącym sercu Zimnej Wojny w 1963 roku. Autor Keith Edmondson, nowe dla mnie nazwisko, który przeszedł do pisania po karierze naukowej i freelancerskiej, stworzył dynamiczną, gęstą fabułę, czerpiąc inspirację z klasyka gatunku szpiegowskiego „39 stopni” Johna Buchana.

Historia śledzi losy młodego katolickiego księdza, który zostaje wciągnięty w świat szpiegostwa z kluczową misją ochrony JFK przed zamachem podczas jego wizyty w Wielkiej Brytanii lub Irlandii.

Książka jest bogata w kontekst historyczny, obejmujący główne wydarzenia, takie jak słynne przemówienie JFK „Ich bin ein Berliner” w Niemczech. To, co uznałem za szczególnie interesujące i nowe, to jej dogłębne przedstawienie mniej znanych afer w Wielkiej Brytanii, takich jak afera szpiegowska Profumo. Ten skandal, który zmusił członka gabinetu do rezygnacji, nadwyrężył stosunki brytyjsko-amerykańskie i sprawił, że Wielka Brytania została uznana za niewiarygodnego sojusznika z powodu obaw o wyciek poufnych informacji do Związku Radzieckiego.

Edmondson wplata również dynamiczny okres reform w Kościele katolickim, ukazując wewnętrzną walkę między staromodną tradycją a potrzebą progresywnych zmian, w tym wzmiankę o roli Opus Dei.

Choć fabuła jest ogólnie ugruntowana, włączenie głównego bohatera, który bezpośrednio wchodzi w interakcje z radzieckim przywódcą Chruszczowem, wydawało się nieco naciągane – chociaż być może było to konieczne, aby podkreślić wysokie stawki i napięcia po niedawnym kryzysie kubańskim.

Struktura jest doskonała; rozdziały nie są bardzo długie, co sprawia, że czyta się ją szybko i przyjemnie. Jednak fabuła jest dynamiczna i gęsta od zwrotów akcji, co wymagało ode mnie czasami ponownego czytania fragmentów, aby upewnić się, że nie przegapiłem kluczowego faktu. Ostatecznie, było to wartościowe doświadczenie. Już teraz nie mogę się doczekać drugiej części serii, "From Czechoslovakia with Love."