Biggles Takes a Hand

About the book

Biggles is tipped off by Erich von Stalhein that three professional hit men from behind the Iron Curtain are in London. Biggles makes enquiries as to who might be their target.

After a tip off, it is suspected that the target is the family of Hans Roth, an East German official who has been shot for treason. It is believed that Roth's wife and two children have escaped to West Berlin and are expected to come to England.

Biggles flies to West Berlin to visit a family called the Lowenhardts, who are known to be friends of the Roth family, to see if they can assist with their whereabouts. Here he meets Anna Lowenhardt, who is engaged to Hans Roth's eldest son, Moritz. Biggles learns very little from Anna. Returning to England, Biggles see Anna at the airport and realises that not only is she now going to England, but she is also being followed.

 Assisting her in escaping her pursuers, Biggles is told by Anna that she has seen the Roth family and helped them to escape to England. Anna did this by giving the Roths the address of a Doctor Jacobs, a person for whom she used to work in England. Doctor Jacobs would be willing to help refugees, as he was once one himself. However, Doctor Jacobs has now moved house and has left no forwarding address. Biggles desperately needs to find the Roths before the killers do.

Things are complicated further, when Anna's father, Professor Lowenhardt also comes to England to find her and is followed by Iron Curtain agents. Biggles, Algy, Bertie and Ginger have to find Doctor Jacobs and the Roth family and outwit the killers in order to stop murders being committed. The picture on the dust cover of the book shows, presumably, the faces of Biggles, von Stalhein and Anna.