Sowerbutt's Tailor

Sowerbutt enjoyed visiting Jack Shakes, born Yacob Shakhnarovich, in his small shop off Whitechapel Road for the conversation almost as much as for his workmanship. Jack, his younger sister and their parents fled Moscow in early 1917 after the Tsar abdicated. Many Russian exiles settled in Paris, waiting in vain for the Romanov family to be restored to the imperial throne. Jack’s father had no false hopes, making Whitechapel their home and starting the tailoring business.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Smoke-London-Sowerbutt-Novels-ebook-x/dp/B00RYR8BWG geoffreyhowe.wix.com/howebooks

Sowerbutt's Job

The Brigadier opened a file on the kitchen table. “Here’s the man you'll be impersonating, Bennie. From youth to the present day. A variety of poses, taken from our limited collection. You’ll see he’s a foreigner, but you won’t be speaking publicly.” Le Vay picked up a photograph, gasped and downed the rest of his Old Bushmills. “Dear God. This is serious stuff, the role of a lifetime. Our Mr Churchill will be involved in this, I’m guessing.”

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Smoke-London-Sowerbutt-Novels-ebook-x/dp/B00RYR8BWG geoffreyhowe.wix.com/howebooks

Sowerbutt's Diamonds

Bozo glanced around the bar. It was a quiet night; an old man dozing over his half of mild and a young bloke and his girlfriend whispering naughty thoughts at one of the tables. “We’re horse and track lads and we look after a couple of brothels and clubs. That’s what we do. But something different has come up, that’s why Mr McDonald thought of you lot with all your contacts.” Nero looked puzzled. “Go on, Bozo. What have you got?” “Diamonds,” he said.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Smoke-London-Sowerbutt-Novels-ebook-x/dp/B00RYR8BWG geoffreyhowe.wix.com/howebooks

Sowerbutt's Offer

The Brigadier took two wads of £10 notes from his overcoat pocket. He slowly counted out £500 onto the dressing table. “That’s my first point, Mr Le Vay. No percentage to your agent. Nothing to do with Inland Revenue. More than you earn in a year. Complete the job successfully and there will be more. Second point. I mentioned before this is a matter of the utmost importance to the war effort. My guv’nor is friendly with Alex Korda. Well-paid openings await you in his films at Pinewood. He’ll be back from the States shortly."

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Smoke-London-Sowerbutt-Novels-ebook-x/dp/B00RYR8BWG geoffreyhowe.wix.com/howebooks

Sowerbutt's Pantomime

The Brigadier was carefully watching the performance of the Chinese Emperor in the pantomime. Stocky build, 5ft 4in tall, about 60, a magnificent moustache with a black wig covering his thick greying hair. A make-up artist could easily pock-mark the face, while it would not be hard to strap the left arm to make it appear shorter.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Smoke-London-Sowerbutt-Novels-ebook-x/dp/B00RYR8BWG geoffreyhowe.wix.com/howebooks

Sowerbutt's Marriage

“The only way to stop her tricks was to get close to the Spider. I wasn’t in any danger – just a mad Englishman. Over the next few weeks, she mentioned a few names and I managed to tip off a couple of blokes. She talked a lot of Republican propaganda, but underneath it all she was a good Catholic girl. One night, we were up in the Sistema Ibérico, behind the Nationalist lines to the north of Valencia. She insisted that we got married and we pulled a monk out of bed who performed the ceremony. I didn’t think twice about it."

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Smoke-London-Sowerbutt-Novels-ebook-x/dp/B00RYR8BWG geoffreyhowe.wix.com/howebooks

Sowerbutt's Past

Sowerbutt said: "A Republican woman, they called her La Arana, the Spider. Once you were lost in her arms, she killed you. She singled out various Nationalists – mayors, officials, officers. Then along came General Cabanellas, the old fool – he was in his seventies. Despite being a friend of Franco, he had been removed from active command and was feeling left out of it. He fell head over heels for the Spider. When he was killed, Franco got himself into a towering rage. I told him that I would sort it out. I know, I should have kept out of it.”

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Smoke-London-Sowerbutt-Novels-ebook-x/dp/B00RYR8BWG geoffreyhowe.wix.com/howebooks

Sowerbutt's Baby

It was a sight Polly would remember for the rest of her life. The big man floated off the settee and stood over her, his eyes wide and mouth dropping. Sowerbutt held her face gently in his hands. “You’re having a baby, you’re pregnant.”

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Smoke-London-Sowerbutt-Novels-ebook-x/dp/B00RYR8BWG geoffreyhowe.wix.com/howebooks

Sowerbutt's Warning

Panda unbuttoned his leather coat, the food inspector wincing as she saw his shotgun. “This is where you scarper, love,” he said. “I don’t care what you food people do elsewhere in the Smoke, but tell your guv’nor not to send any more of you lot down here. Blokes will go in The River, women will get their heads shaved. And I’ll personally track down your guv’nor and pull the trigger on what his wife values dearly.”

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Smoke-London-Sowerbutt-Novels-ebook-x/dp/B00RYR8BWG geoffreyhowe.wix.com/howebooks

Sowerbutt's Coupons

Waving a copy of the Daily Mirror, Panda said: “Been a robbery of ration cards at the Food Office in Romford. Inside job, I know. The paper’s printed all the numbers.” Pointing to the food inspector’s bag, he said: “Two of them are here. A bent officer of the law, trying to get supplies on the side while us lot go without. The magistrate won’t like that at all.”

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Smoke-London-Sowerbutt-Novels-ebook-x/dp/B00RYR8BWG geoffreyhowe.wix.com/howebooks

Sowerbutt's Slapping

The butcher's face was turning pillar-box red. “You witch, you come in my shop, upsetting my wife. I’d knock you out if you were a man.” A housewife in the queue shouted: “Give her a slapping, Tom. We don’t like food snoopers round here.” “Don’t you touch me, you oaf. I’m an officer of the law,” the woman snapped. “Your wife will be getting a summons to appear in court and I’ll lay a charge against you for threatening me.”

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Smoke-London-Sowerbutt-Novels-ebook-x/dp/B00RYR8BWG geoffreyhowe.wix.com/howebooks

Sowerbutt's Rations

“Don’t you tell me what to do, you little pipsqueak,” snapped the woman, peering through her glasses. “I’m a food inspector and this woman was going to sell me a quarter of chuck steak without a ration coupon. That’s a criminal offence and she’s going up before the magistrate."
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Smoke-London-Sowerbutt-Novels-ebook-x/dp/B00RYR8BWG geoffreyhowe.wix.com/howebooks

Sowerbutt's School

Father Goose said: “I have a list of 40 names for our school. Mr Sorbay says there are many more. After the terrible bombing of South Hallsville, some of the children ran wild; their parents dead. Terrible times. I wonder whether we will ever know how many poor souls were called to their Maker on that day."
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Smoke-London-Sowerbutt-Novels-ebook-x/dp/B00RYR8BWG geoffreyhowe.wix.com/howebooks

Sowerbutt's Revolution

"Will the Reds seize the streets of our great city," Churchill growled. "I will call the Army out. Or would it be more tactful to detain them, send them to the detention camps with the Mosleyites?”
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Smoke-London-Sowerbutt-Novels-ebook-x/dp/B00RYR8BWG geoffreyhowe.wix.com/howebooks

Sowerbutt's War

Churchill growled: "Our Royal Air Force, refitted and rearmed, will raze the Jerry cities to the ground. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes. We will take the war to the Nazi lair, burn out the evil canker and make the civilized world safe once more.”

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Smoke-London-Sowerbutt-Novels-ebook-x/dp/B00RYR8BWG geoffreyhowe.wix.com/howebooks

Sowerbutt's Deal

“The heart of our empire ravaged night after night by these evil Jerries," Churchill growled. "Death and destruction raining down on our innocent London families. Houses and offices laid waste. Buildings of great beauty, from the inspired mind of Wren, reduced to heaps of rubble. I will not have it, Brendan, the deal with Deputy Fuhrer Hess was worthless.”

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Smoke-London-Sowerbutt-Novels-ebook-x/dp/B00RYR8BWG geoffreyhowe.wix.com/howebooks

Sowerbutt's Pain

Standing by one of the doors was a large, ginger-haired man who kept grimacing and rubbing his chest. Nero had last seen him spread-eagled across the floor of a bombed warehouse on the receiving end of a thrashing from One-Line.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Smoke-London-Sowerbutt-Novels-ebook-x/dp/B00RYR8BWG geoffreyhowe.wix.com/howebooks

Sowerbutt's Shadow

Nero's sister always joked that nobody ever spotted him in her wedding photographs and he was her late husband’s best man.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Smoke-London-Sowerbutt-Novels-ebook-x/dp/B00RYR8BWG geoffreyhowe.wix.com/howebooks

Sowerbutt's Secret

"The stoppers, the local WarAg and all the other nosey-parker officials have been told we are off limits – national security. Which means, gentlemen, that as long as we are discreet, we can do what we like. We can get on with planting whatever we want and stocking up. We’ll be able to keep animals here for any other farms we buy. The gem-cutting business will be fine without anyone interfering."
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Smoke-London-Sowerbutt-Novels-ebook-x/dp/B00RYR8BWG geoffreyhowe.wix.com/howebooks

Sowerbutt's Dalmatian

The Dalmatian's brown eyes were riveted on the latecomers to the funeral. His head was low, body crouched and tail stiff.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Smoke-London-Sowerbutt-Novels-ebook-x/dp/B00RYR8BWG geoffreyhowe.wix.com/howebooks

Sowerbutt's Dog

The low growl at the back of the Dalmatian’s throat was enough to send shivers up a brave man’s spine.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Smoke-London-Sowerbutt-Novels-ebook-x/dp/B00RYR8BWG geoffreyhowe.wix.com/howebooks