The Vichy Treasury

In the shadows of history's greatest conflict, a fortune in gold lies buried beneath the scorching Saharan sands. September 1940. As Nazi forces sweep across Europe, the wealth of nations vanishes into the desert. The gold reserves of France, Belgium, and Poland—a treasure so vast it could determine the outcome of World War II—have been hidden in the badlands of French West Africa. For Gavin Briggs, a debt-ridden smuggler operating out of Dakar, salvation arrives in an unexpected form: Frederick Atkinson of British Intelligence. The shadowy operative offers Briggs and his local partners, the Diagne brothers, a devil's bargain—find the hidden Vichy Treasury and escape the wrath of Dakar's most dangerous crime boss. But they aren't the only ones on the hunt. Rudolph Goethe, the brilliant and ruthless Abwehr agent, follows the same trail of clues across the unforgiving landscape. Meanwhile, Valerie Gaspard, a young French West African socialite with fierce loyalty to her homeland, is determined to protect the bullion from both Allied and Axis forces. As British forces gather on the horizon and the war inches closer to this forgotten corner of the conflict, an unlikely band of smugglers finds themselves caught in a deadly race that will test not just their survival instincts but the very nature of loyalty in a world torn apart by war. From award-winning author Conor Bender comes a pulse-pounding tale of treasure and treachery, where the sands of the Sahara hold the key to victory. Perfect for fans of Jack Higgins and Steve Berry.