The Smoke (Jethro Mysteries)

It's 1947, and London is being half-crippled by the Peace. It's the coldest winter in living memory, everything is rationed, and even beer, by official order, is watered down. But Jethro doesn't bother complaining much. As a jewel thief, he needs all his wits about him when engaged in redistributing the wealth of the upper classes. The demands on Jethro's wits increase when his skills attract some unwelcome interest, first from London's thuggish crime-lords and then from His Majesty's Secret Service, which wants him to pull a little job on the Soviet Embassy. You wouldn't believe what an honest Cockney cat burglar has to do to survive sometimes.