Bernard Treves's Boots: A Novel of the Secret Service

"Bernard Treves's Boots: A Novel of the Secret Service" by Laurence Clarke is a thrilling tale set in the early 1900s, where a young man named John Manton gets caught up in a whirlwind of mistaken identity and espionage. Manton, trying to enlist, gets mistaken for a man named Bernard Treves by Captain Gilbert. Despite Manton's insistence that he is not Treves, Captain Gilbert is sure that he is. While they are interacting, Manton alludes to a past entanglement and is trying to repay a debt. As the plot unfolds, Manton's sense of honor is tested. This mistaken identity pulls him into a web of spies, wartime secrets, and dangerous missions, creating a complex exploration of morality and identity. Manton is compelled to take on the persona of another to both stay alive and confront the perilous consequences of this initial error.