XIII Book 11: Three Silver Watches

XIII Book 11: Three Silver Watches, by Jean Van Hamme & William Vance, Cinebook

SOUTH AMERICAN civil wars rarely end it seems, the opposing forces just change their names. XIII is still stuck in Costa Verde, the wife he can’t remember is now president, and an old Irish lag has just told him he’s his father...

Nothing’s ever plain sailing for this amnesiac adventurer so even while news arrives of rebel forces due to attack the city state from both land and water, our hero is told a story of three young Irishmen arriving in New York, falling in love with three sisters and entering the girls' fathers’ family business only for the local mafia to want a slice of the pie. When the father is killed, the son-in-laws seek revenge but in doing so know they then have to leave to prevent further lives being lost.

Heading for South America, taking with them only the silver watches their father-in-law gave them, they soon become involved with Pancho Villa, and after some time uncover riches stolen that they then claim for their own... Only for two of them to die and the third seek repentance as a priest and then eventually writes home a letter found by one of the offspring they left behind, XIII’s father.

Thereafter, assorted lexi-links to other books in the series form an untrustworthy path – See, I’m just not sure Van Hamme isn’t pulling the rug out from under me every time I think I’m au fait with this story’s direction, so I’m always thinking he’s planting red herrings galore – but it’s done in an epic storytelling manner, despite it becoming a little deux a machina near the conclusion of this volume’s collection.

A sprawling evocative tale, allowing Vance to demonstrate his visual dexterity with aplomb.

For more information on XIII visit Cinebook.

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