The novel “The Secret of the Little Parachutist” belongs to a series of stories about the police commissioner’s assistant, Patrick Dawlish, which were published under the pseudonym Gordon Ashe—while the real author was the English writer John Creasey. A combined blow to the reader’s emotions—mixing melodrama, a tough action thriller, and a subtle romantic touch in the figure of the main hero—can’t miss its mark. And all of this doesn’t feel forced; the major Dawlish is limited to his role, while the images of numerous members of a huge international criminal organization—whose intrigues permeate society from ordinary policemen all the way up to the deputy minister of the interior, bankers, and major businessmen—are entirely believable.