Just Finished Reading: Trial By Battle by David Piper (FP: 1959) [160pp] 

India, October 1941. 21-year-old Cadet officer Alan Mart is learning the ropes of command. Assigned under overbearing acting captain Sam Hall he can't seem to do anything right or satisfy a man who oscillates between being drunk, cynical or just plain self-destructive. Offered a cushy job teaching German to a bunch of commando-types he surprises himself by turning it down in favour of continuing to be abused by Hall. With the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Japanese attacks across the Far East, Mart finds himself leading a section of Indian soldiers in the jungles of Malaysia (with trucks painted in desert camouflage for their original assignment in the Middle East) against the Japanese onslaught. Initially unsure if he could be responsible for the death of another person – friendly or enemy – he quickly finds himself adapting to confusion, lack of sleep and random death. But that was before the full force of the Japanese advance falls on his section of the frontline. From then on there is only one reality – withdrawal, confusion and loss. 

I've been meaning to continue working through my small stack of Imperial War Museum Classics for a while now. I'm reading them (mostly) in narrative chronological order which makes sense to me. I've said before that my knowledge (and to be honest interest) in the Far East campaign is... limited. For some reason I'm for more focused on the conflict in Europe, Russia and North Africa that in the jungles of East Asia. So, it was 'nice (in an interesting way) to see things at ground level from the view of a young British officer thrown in at the deep end. I think that the biggest thing that struck me was that, despite being two years into the war, the British in India seemed both very laid back and VERY ill-prepared for any kind of attack. I suppose that they thought themselves well out of a European war (with the possibility of being assigned to North Africa still in mind) rather than anywhere closer – despite the fact that Japan and Germany where ALLIES! Which meant that, much like in England in 1939, soldiers and their equipment had to be hastily thrown together using whatever man and material came to hand. It was definitely a "learning on the job" mentality – which is often OK, expect where a single mistake (or just a spot of bad luck) could get you (and your men) killed. 

I did find the first half of the book (in India) rather slow and plodding but this may have been deliberate to emphasise the slow process of the British getting their act together. Once the action (or should I say chaos) moves to the jungle the pace certainly increases and the whole thing becomes more entertaining. Told very much from Alan Mart's PoV (and based on the authors wartime experiences) this was at times a visceral read that managed to get under my skin more than once. Looking forward I think I'll give that side of the war more attention in future. I think it deserves it. Reasonable.      

Just Finished Reading: The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore (FP: 2016) [357pp] 

New York, 1888. Young lawyer Paul Cravath couldn't quite make up his mind. Was the offer an opportunity of a lifetime or the ultimate poison chalice? On its face it looked simply too good to be true. Paul was barely out of law school and had only just become partner in a very minor law firm with few clients and no reputation, so why was George Westinghouse - THE George Westinghouse so interested in having Paul as his companies' main lawyer? What was more perplexing, and a lot more frightening, was the reason the Westinghouse company needed a lawyer so badly. They were being sued by a man unaccustomed to losing and who had deep pockets and many friends in both high and low places – Thomas Edison. The case seemed to the untrained eye a straightforward one but the result - either way – would not only determine the future of both companies but the technology that would illuminate the whole of the continental United States. Whoever won the case to decide who invented and therefore owned the 'light bulb' would make a considerable amount of money in the coming decades. With stakes that high how far would those involved go to prove their points and just how far would Paul go to combat them and stake his claim as a lawyer of note? 

This was an interesting one. It certainly made a very nice change from my usual historical fiction reads which normally revolved around either crime or conflict. The comment on the front of my cover says "John Grisham meets Edith Wharton" but as I've only read (I think!) one Grisham over 100 years ago and have yet to read any Wharton I couldn't possibly comment! As you might imagine a goodly chunk of the narrative revolves around the legal arguments of Edison's patents for his light bulb as well as the argument between the uses (and dangers) of Direct Current, proposed by Edison, and Alternating Current, proposed by Westinghouse, with Nikola Tesla thrown into the mix. Along the way we also meet Alexander Graham Bell and J P Morgan – it's quite a list of characters!  

I know a little about the events covered in the novel. Usually I'm not a HUGE fan of fictionalisation of actual events. If they play too much with the narrative and stray too much into the fiction side they, at least, muddy the historical waters. If they adhere too closely to the history itself then it really stops being a novel and becomes a questionable work of historical non-fiction. It is, I think, a very hard line to walk which is why I tend to avoid this kind of thing. The saving grace here, however, is that the character of Paul (and indeed his love interest) although he existed is historically hazy enough to be used as an entree into the actual events. Many of the events that make up the substance of the novel actually happened and the author has (apparently) made great efforts to be as accurate as possible including using biographical and private diary entries to make his main (real) characters as truthful as possible. 

Both the story itself - the technological side of things - and the setting of late 19th century New York/America are well handled and there was never a time I was jolted out of the narrative by anything unexpected. It did actually make we want to know much more about what actually happened and to know more about all concerned. Strangely Edison was most definitely the 'baddie' here (and not just because he apparently enjoyed taking people to court). That's definitely something I need to read more about. J P Morgan was an interesting character, so I predict at least one book on HIM in the future as well a deeper look at the US as it transformed into a global power in the run up to and after WW1. Recommended. I noticed that the authors last published work was another fictionalisation this time around the emergence of economic warfare in the early days of WW2. Sounds interesting.....     

Just Finished Reading: The Last Sunrise by Robert Ryan (FP: 2006) [303pp] 

Singapore, 1948. Lee Crane was finally leaving South-East Asia before it killed him. He'd been offered a job flying cargo into a besieged Berlin and jumped at it. He even entertained the possibility that a certain girl would be there despite her not returning his letters. But fate, it seems, had other ideas along with echoes from his past. He knew what was coming long before Elsa punched him, throwing her entire weight behind it, in front of everyone. He knew that his ex-copilot would show up eventually and that they would use the memory of Kitten to manipulate him to fly somewhere for something illegal that might get them all killed. It was only a matter of time before he was looking down at the jungle again wondering if the airstrip could handle his arrival or whether he had enough fuel to make it over the mountains. Maybe, just maybe, he'd actually get out and leave the god forsaken place. Maybe... 

Although I've had a few books by this author for a while now this is my first time with him. I'm sorry that I waited so long. Overall this reminded me of the thrillers I read in the 70's with characters down on their luck, hoping to make a quick buck and who are still trying to live with the consequences of previous incidents (often war related) that were left hanging and unresolved but still ate away at them. All the elements were there: Lee is a cynical cargo pilot who had ALL of his innocence kicked out of him during the war in Asia first with the Flying Tigers and then as a cargo pilot flying cargo over 'The Hump' for the Nationalist Chinese. Then we have Else, the femme fatal of the piece (I liked her!) who could throw a mean punch and seduce just about anyone. There was even a love story, well told for once, with the mature and somewhat mysterious Kitten who was the focus of the green and very young Lee as he both found his feet and his wings in wartime. The story – full of crosses, double and triple –crosses – friends, enemies, sudden death, espionage, self-dealing and betrayal – was both complex and highly satisfying. The narrative moved at a steady pace and there wasn't a single moment when I found myself even slightly nudged out of the story. It was a good, solid thriller with more than a few nice moments and some great, very well drawn, characters. The only 'slight' niggle I had was with the number of cliff-hangers (some literal) which I thought was somewhat more than necessary. Whilst there's nothing TOO flashy here and the novel didn't exactly knock me on my heels it was still a very entertaining read and I'm looking forward to his other works Recommended. 

Just Finished Reading: The Last English King by Julian Rathbone (1997) [388pp] 

Europe, 1070. Walt the Wanderer is making his way, slowly and painfully, across Europe to the Holy land to seek atonement. The guilt he is carrying is almost crushing him, the guilt of failure, the guilt of shame and the guilt of survival. When he at last looks across the waves at Constantinople he hears a voice he can understand in a sea of foreigners. Unable to pay the ferryman his new companion Quint offers to pay for both of them. Having nothing to offer in return Walt initially declines until Quint says that he can pay his way by telling the story of his life. After a longer than expected pause Walt agrees and tells a tale of growing up in service to a powerful lord, of learning to fight in single combat and in the shield wall, of becoming an elite Companion and of travelling to Ireland, Wales and to France where he met Duke William, the Bastard. He tells his tale of political manoeuvrers, of broken oaths and of love both found and lost and he tells of battles won and battles lost along with his right hand and of fallen heroes including the last English king - Harold Godwinson. 

I've been looking forward to reading this for some time. As someone who is more than a little obsessed with 1066 'and all that' (actually the title of Part VII of the novel, which made me laugh out loud!) I'm always up for reading anything on the subject be it fiction or non-fiction. Unfortunately, so far, the novelisations around the period have been less than impressive – not so for this very good rendition. Although told mostly in 'flashback' I thought it was an excellent way at looking at the events running up to Hastings and the immediate aftermath of the calamity. Not only is Walt in effect paying for his supper he is also using his narrative to come to terms with what happened (to him, Harold and England) and as a method for dealing with his survivor's guilt plus an unhealthy dose of PTSD. The fact that he is often telling his tale with an audience – up to 5-6 people at some points – with his audience asking questions or countering his narrative with THEIR understanding of the facts – allows for a much more rounded look things. 

I think I was most impressed by the way that the author mixes what we DO know of the events with some very plausible explanations for the mysteries that historians still argue and publish books about – notable the much-discussed oath that Harold was purported to have made to support Duke William's claim to the English throne. The thing that gave me MUCH pause for reflection (and a need to read up far more on the period) were the relationships between some of the main players notably Edward the Confessor. I did have my 'suspicions' in the area of his sexual preferences, but the author really ran with them. What actual credence they have will need some more research on my part! Speaking of sex... there is some scattered throughout the novel and it is moderately explicit at times, although its easily skippable. I think the thing that surprised me more than anything was who was having sex with who and how most of it was at least tolerated or regarded as barely noteworthy. Anglo-Saxon sexual mores are something I know VERY little about so I'll see if I can find out more in my reading. 

Overall, I thought this was at least very good with long moments of excellence. I certainly couldn't fault any of the historical fact (or at least what I know of it) and not a single thing broke me out of the narrative. Harold was obviously the hero throughout and William was portrayed as borderline psychotic which he may very well have been taking into account his early life and his actions post-Hastings and especially after the Northern rebellions. Edward played an interesting role rather different from my expectations (sexual preferences aside) which actually explained quite a bit. The battles of Stamford Bridge and especially Hastings were very well done and dramatic – including the in/famous arrow which did briefly raise an eyebrow to be honest, but I forgave him quickly. Loved it and I'm looking forward to more from this author. HIGHLY recommended especially if you have any interest in Anglo-Saxon England or (more especially) the pivotal Battle of Hastings.

Just Couldn’t Finish Reading: Cunning Women by Elizabeth Lee (FP: 2012) [365pp] 

Lancashire, 1620. Sarah Haworth lives with her family on the edge – the edge of the village, the edge of acceptability and on the edge of starvation. Forced to exist by any means necessary after the death of her father both Sarah and her mother use their knowledge to aid those who come in the night looking for relief from pain, from an unwanted pregnancy or an unwanted husband. But things are about to change. The local disgraced magistrate is leaving, and his replacement is on the constant lookout for troublemakers and problems. It’s only a matter of time before his baleful gaze turns in the direction of the remaining Haworth family. To add to their complicated lives, Sarah has formed a relationship with a local farmer’s son Daniel. Will this be the spark that ignites the villager's fury, or will Daniel be their saviour? Only time will tell. 

I had fairly high hopes for this going in. It was well written with a strong feeling for place and time, and the characterisation was pretty solid throughout... But, after around 140 pages I couldn’t bring myself to continue. Part of the problem I had was that the pacing was slightly better than glacial. There was a lot of character building (along with some world building) but little that I felt I could get my teeth into. There was a sense of menace, but it didn’t seem to go anywhere. But the biggest problem I had was the fact that this was essentially a teenage love story rather than the one I was expecting (and essentially what the blurb promised). There was SOME talk of magic, the Devil, spells and such but very much sprinkled in the gaps between the story of Sarah and Daniel. Personally (and it is just a quirky character trait on my part) I’m not a huge fan of the Romance genre – as you might have guessed by now. I don’t mind a romance element in a story. Afterall you can’t really expect realistic characters to be indifferent to each other especially where jeopardy is involved. Surviving a near-death experience might just result in feelings and even a slice of intimacy too... But what I don’t enjoy is when such things are the primary focus of the novel and the things I’m actually interested in are reduced (of necessity) to the background. So, whilst not a BAD book (as far as I could tell having abandoned it about one third through) this just wasn’t for me.  

Just Finished Reading: The Art of Dying by Ambrose Parry (FP: 2019) [406pp] 

Edinburgh, 1849. Will Raven is back in Scotland. After a year in Europe and now a newly minted MD, he’s looking to a bright, or at least brighter, future. The only fly in the ointment he can see is Sarah Fisher. When he left for the Continent, she was a housemaid in Dr Simpson’s house and, although they were close, he couldn’t see a way forward at that time without putting his career in jeopardy. With Dr Simpson on a call, he asked after Sarah and his heart fell – in the intervening 12 months she had married, not only married but married well, to another doctor. Still working in Dr Simpson’s house as his assistant the two were inevitably thrown together on a daily basis. But bigger issues needed both of their attentions. Sarah’s new husband was ill, very much so, and a new disease seems to be sweeping Edinburgh leaving a trial of bodies behind it. Raven is convinced that uncovering the origin of this strange malady could make his reputation. Sarah is not so sure and is convinced of a much more mundane if disturbing possibility – that one person is responsible to the growing death toll, not as an unknown carrier of a new disease but as a killer, one who dispatches men, women and children with equally chilling efficiency. Worse the killer, whoever they are, is a woman... 

This is a second book in the Fisher and Raven series. I enjoyed the first book a great deal with its mix of medical mystery and a great feeling for the time and place where the events transpire. Despite looking forward to future works it's taken me an age to catch up – as, no doubt it will, for the next books! I was, actually, slightly less impressed by the second book. Part of that was that I thought it was a little slow at times with a little too emphasis on the European ‘backstory’ which, despite being quite interesting, didn’t add a whole lot to the narrative (I couldn’t help thinking that the European angle might have been the author’s initial idea for the whole book but that the publishers wanted the focus to be back in Edinburgh – just my thoughts...). The other thing that slightly irritated me – despite agreeing with every word – was the preaching about the position of women at that time and the hurdles (essentially Great Wall of China sized) stopping them – and Sarah in particular – from progressing as they could if they had been born male. I’ve LONG held the belief that human civilisations across the planet and since the dawn of time could have progressed much further and much faster if half of their population hadn’t been sidelined, under-educated and dismissed as nothing more than vessels to fill with babies. That being said, the *odd* mention of Sarah’s frustrations would have been enough. 

OK, back to what I LIKED about the book. As I had expected both the characterisation (yes, THAT again) was very good and I liked the way that Will Raven’s character developed throughout the novel. He certainly learnt a lot between these covers and not all of it medical. Sarah is an excellent character and I’m looking forward to her progressing as a medical professional in a VERY male dominated environment – both inside and outside the hospital. The secondary characters were well drawn and even the criminal elements managed to be sympathetic ones. One of the MOST interesting was the killer herself. I really liked the way that we spent quite a bit of time inside her head to understand the WHY of what she ended up doing. This didn’t justify the deaths, but we at least got an insight into HOW her mind became so twisted. That was interesting if, at times, rather creepy. 

Overall, despite a few (rather minor) niggles, this was a fun pager-turner. I very much like that fact that the ‘detectives’ are in fact medics rather than the police. I also very much liked the forensic side of things – just emerging as an actual profession – with its emphasis on science as a means to actually PROVE who did what with what method. Oh, one final thing... I did that the impressions that the authors took a particular delight in getting Will Raven splashed with various bodily fluids much to his annoyance and embarrassment. Some readers might want to skip over those bits. Recommended and more to come.

[Highest page count of the year so far: 406pp][+5pp]

Just Finished Reading: Captain Alatriste by Arturo Perez-Reverte (FP: 1996) [248pp] 

Madrid, 1620’s Spain. On his recent release from prison Captain Alatriste (played by Viggo Mortensen in the 2006 Spanish language adaptation) needs three things – a bath, his clothes fumigated and, most importantly, a way to earn a living. With Spain technically at peace the captain, along with many of his fellow soldiers, is out of work and hungry. So, when he hears of a well-paid assignment from a well-placed friend he puts his name forward. The desire of his potential employers to meet in secret behind masks was all the warning he needed. The task was to waylay a pair of foreigners and remove any documentation they carried. Simple enough, except that one of the potential employers wanted the extraction to take place from their dead bodies. It became abundantly clear that Alatriste was fast becoming ensnared in the machinations of political rivals and Holy Mother Church herself. Few, even with the captain’s hard-won skills fared well under such circumstances, especially when he decided to not co-operate.  

I first came across the character of Captain Alatriste by accident. I had been browsing through some foreign language DVD’s (as I do) and came across an odd one starring Viggo Mortensen playing a 17th century Spanish soldier. On watching it, in Spanish naturally, I was totally intrigued and delighted to discover it was based on an entire series of books. Fast forward 20 years and here we are. Obviously whenever the captain appeared in the novel I saw him as Viggo, so I didn’t have to use my imagination overly much. His character was very down at heel, scraping to get by between conflicts and unwilling to become a simple bandit or thief. Driven by his own sense of honour (which gets him into a lot more trouble than some of the other more ‘flexible’ characters) he decides to set himself against the plans of powerful people by disobeying orders at a critical moment. This drives the second half of the novel and, presumably, the future books.  

The feeling for early 17th century Madrid is handled well as is the almost Machiavellian political intrigue of the age (more on THAT later). Alatriste was a great character both simple in some ways and nicely complex in others. The other very good character – and almost a mirror image of the captain – was the Italian swordsman/assassin Gualterio Malatesta who crosses swords with Alatriste more than once. There are several very nice set pieces and some very good dialogue which I enjoyed greatly. The only criticism I had was with the pacing which stuttered on occasion. Overall though this was a good solid read and most certainly both entertained me and made me want to know more about that period of European/Spanish history. I shall be looking out for the other books in the sequence. Recommended (as is the movie if you can track down a copy).  

Translated from the Spanish by Margaret Sayers Peden 

Just Finished Reading: The Accomplice by Joseph Kanon (FP: 2019) [324pp] 

Hamburg, 1962. It was a request that Aaron Wiley could hardly refuse. After suffering a heart attack on the street his uncle was fighting for his life. His uncle, Holocaust survivor, dedicated Nazi Hunter, was convinced that he seen the infamous Dr Otto Schramm in Germany. A man who was supposed to have died in Argentina, a man who had picked his uncle, Max Weill, out of a line of camp inmates to help him with his ‘experiments. It was a face, a way of walking that Max could hardly forget. Aaron was harder to convince but a later incident changed his mind. But what could he do about it? Despite being a desk officer for the CIA, he had no field experience, couldn’t speak the language and had no contacts in Buenos Aires except for the CIA office there. Aaron knew they wouldn’t help him. Why would they? They hadn’t been in the Nazi hunting business since the war ended and they were trying to make nice with the new government now that Peron was out. So, he was on his own. Even Max’s contacts in MOSSAD where less than enthusiastic, especially with the global publicity surrounding the Eichmann kidnapping. But reluctantly, they would help as much as they could, which would be damned little. Aaaron was most definitely on his own... 

I’ve never been disappointed with this author, and he is an auto-buy for me every time I see another of his books in paperback. This was (as expected) no exception to his run of excellent historical/Cold War thrillers. From the first few pages I was hooked. The feel of the novel was somewhere between ‘Marathon Man’ and ‘The Odessa File’ - kind of Cold War, seedy, war criminals hiding (often in plain sight) with higher authorities either turning a blind eye or actively colluding with their disappearance (for a number of reasons – none of them good). One top of this wonderful ‘feel’ we have very good characterisation – you know how I like that – with Max, Aaron, the love interest Hanna (a wonderfully complex multi-layered character) and other less central players. The story itself took turns I wasn’t expecting and surprised me multiple times which I really liked. Nothing worked out quite the way I thought it would. But I think the best part of the novel for me was the completely outstanding dialogue. Not only did it feel REAL it was clever, complex, full of asides and meanings that wouldn’t have been apparent to those without the godlike view of the reader. More than once, I thought that any other character in earshot wouldn’t really know what they were *really* talking about – rather than what they SEEMED to be talking about. It was quite brilliant. 

As you might expect I really enjoyed this – I do seem to be doing very well with novels lately – and the author has confirmed, yet again, his auto-buy status. There is a warning however, being based around the subject matter it is there will be moments of nastiness (to say the least) which some sensitive readers might find rather objectionable. I did have a few nose wrinkling/frowning moments and I consider myself quite Stoic. So, be warned! Obviously recommended but with that caveat in mind. 

Just Finished Reading: The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak (FP: 2021) [343pp] 

Cyprus, 1974. It was a bad time to be in love. It was a worse time to love across divided communities. Both Greek Kostas and Turkish Defne knew this but when has love ever been rational? Both of them knew that their families would be horrified at their relationship and both went to great lengths to hide it, but in a small community it wasn’t long before a few knew and a few more started to suspect. As the violence increased Kostas’ mother (who had already lost two sons to the conflict) decided to send him away to an uncle in England. It was only for a short while, until things improved. 25 years later Kostas returned home looking for his lost love. He wasn’t certain she was still alive or if she had moved on with her life, but he had to find out one way or another. 

London, late 2010s. Ada Kazantzakis, 16 years old, is tasked by her history teacher to write about a family member over the Christmas holidays. Coincidentally, her aunt who she has never met, arrives from Cyprus full of anecdotes and sayings from the Turkish side of the family. After an initial rough start Ada begins to discover details of her parent's lives before they moved to England and to discover the roots she had been searching for. 

This is not, as my regular readers will know, my normal read! It was, in essence, a love story (on the surface a simple Romeo & Juliet pairing but much more than that) although coupled with a (somewhat) coming of age tale. But it is much, much, more than that. For one thing this is a beautifully written book, easily the most beautiful read of the year for me. I can see why the author is so acclaimed and popular. It is also the tale of an island and a community that tore itself apart in the early 1970’s on religious/ethnic grounds which split the country in two where it remains to this day. I knew something of the actual events – watching them unfold on the nightly news in my early teens – but this novel made it far more personal and up close. [Side note: one of my early bosses in London was stationed in Cyprus with UN forces there to ‘keep the peace’ He had some interesting stories to tell]. As well as the conflict itself the author dropped in elements of the island's history going back centuries which, naturally, has prompted me to look for history books on the subject – especially regarding the history of the British there (recently in the news of course). 

I REALLY liked this. It was very well told, and I really liked the author's style. I’ll definitely be looking for more by her. I think a good part of this was the fact that it was a very different read. The other thing that really stood out (apart from the historic background) was the characters who seemed very real indeed. Although it's hard to choose who was my favourite, I think (if forced) I’d have to choose the Turkish Cypriot aunt Meryem who I found highly amusing for a host of reasons. [Another side note: Meryem cooks – a lot – and mentioned Turkish baklava. This reminded me of when one of the bosses in London took the admin team out one lunch time to a local Greek restaurant he liked. It was there that I had Greek baklava for the first time and loved it. I’ll see if I can source some of the (very different) Turkish variety and see if I like that too!] One last thing: although the natural environment figured quite a bit in the story, it's the first time that a TREE was a main character in the tale (outside Fantasy or SF novels where strange creatures are a given). It worked though, which shows how strong her characterisation skills are! Very highly recommended although sensitive souls will need a tissue handy for the sad bits. 

Just Finished Reading: Spartacus by Lewis Grassic Gibbon (FP: 1933) [237pp] 

Italy, 73BC. As soon as Kleon heard the news he knew exactly what to do. Taking a knife, he went into his master’s bedroom and calmly slit his throat. Leaving the house and the city he made his way south meeting up with other runaway slaves who were all searching for one man – Spartacus. Even if it was a dream, it was a dream worth having. They were free. For how long no one knew. It would only be a matter of time before the masters came to reclaim their property or, more likely, to kill them all and to destroy for ever the very idea that mere slaves could revolt without paying the ultimate price. Spartacus the man was almost a myth already – the gladiator who had stood against Rome itself. But he was far from alone. The slaves who gathered around him were far from the rabble portrayed across Italy. Many had fought in the arena and many more were both prepared and able to train to fight. It wasn’t long before the slave army had become the Free Legions and had won their first battle against a hastily put together Roman force. Now with more confidence, more weapons and more recruits they needed to decide what to do next. Would it be crossing the border into freedom or an attack on Rome itself? Only Spartacus could decide. 

As a fan of Spartacus himself (mostly because of the badly aged Kirk Douglas film to be honest) and having read a few history books about the fabled slave revolt I jumped at this fictionalisation of the events back in the Roman Republic. Finding out its age and classic status (completely unknown to me) made me want to read it all the more. I was not disappointed. Despite being slightly slow at times and, at least at times, feeling slightly oddly written – I did wonder if the author was going for a mix of ‘modern’ and classical style – this was both a fun and fascinating read.  

Told from several perspectives (mostly from the Free Legions sub-commanders as well as Spartacus himself and the Roman generals who opposed him) this gave a rounded – if fictional – interpretation of events. Interesting for such an old novel there was a ‘meta’ moment were some of the characters wondered how the revolt would be seen in the future and how much of reality would survive the inevitable mythologisation that was already happening! I found that musing, between battles, quite fascinating and mused on it quite a bit. Although there were a handful of battles described – very well I thought – there was much more going on. We saw various nationalities discussing their gods and other beliefs, and we saw friendships form and relationships develop. All of the main characters were well drawn and believable which certainly helped with immersion into the story. Being the time and event in question there are more than a few moments of violent death which might disturb some readers. Whilst not particularly graphic the narrative doesn’t pull every punch so be prepared for more than a little blood and people being nailed to trees. Recommended for any fans of the classical world or of the slave revolt itself. 

Just Finished Reading: The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley (FP: 2022) [373pp] 

Siberia, 1963. After 6 years in the gulag, prisoner K745 is starting to believe that he can survive the next 4 years of his sentence. However, when the camp administrator informs him one cold morning that a KGB officer was coming to get him, he realised that he was going to die that day. But the surprises just kept on coming. The officer gave him new clothes, food and a railway ticket. His destination was City 40 a place that he, now no longer a number but a man with a name, had never heard of. As Valery Kolkhanov got into the taxi and began his journey to his final destination he was bemused about the whole thing. What did they want him for? Why was so much effort being spent on a political prisoner? Then he saw the trees and began to see. They were dying, everything was dying and the car sped up with windows tightly closed and the ventilation switched off. The signs on either side of the road confirmed his suspicions when they warned drivers to move at their vehicles maximum speed. Only one thing could explain it – nuclear contamination on the massive scale. The briefing he received later that day was ‘off’. The map he was given made no sense. The radiation figures looked like they’d been put together by a team of incompetents. Unless of course that was the point. The ‘explanation’ of whatever happened made no sense either. The radiation levels were obviously far higher and caused by obviously other factors than the official line. The lying, although expected, seemed senseless. He might never find out the real reason for his presence, but the science couldn’t be hidden, at least not for long. Unless he wasn’t meant to survive long enough to discover the truth? 

As is usual for me, I picked this up because it looked interesting, different and would add to my non-UK/US located reading. I’m glad I did. Almost from the outset I was honestly gripped by the excellent narrative. I had thought initially that we would be spending most of our time in the gulag itself, but it was not to be, and I was almost as surprised as Valery was when we shifted to a nuclear disaster area. Seen primarily through the eyes of the main character (who was a brilliant invention) we get insights into both Soviet nuclear science and political incompetence/indifference to its results. In many ways Kolkhanov already considers himself dead and so can view the events that unfold at City 40 with almost Stoic indifference (or so it seems) but as he forms a friendship with the KGB officer in charge (another interestingly complex character) and slowly discovers what is really going on he can’t stop himself from getting involved no matter the threats or danger involved. 

I REALLY liked this. It's a very interesting story (at least part based on fact) that’s FULL of fascinatingly real characters – and you know by now that I’m a sucker for good/great characterisation. As I said before, Kolkhanov is a great character. You believe that he’s a SOVIET citizen with everything that implies (cynicism, fatalism, disgust). He’s also knowledgeable, curious, sensitive and, where required, both focused and lethal. One of the things that made me laugh, and love him all the more, was when he ordered an octopus for his lab just to see if they’d send him one (which they did). His relationship with ‘Albert’ was laugh out loud funny and he turned out to be one of my favourite sub-characters in the book. Although this does cover quite a lot of serious subject matter, I think that most readers will be able to cope with it. Definitely hightly recommended but you might want to pick up a Geiger counter when you turn the last page! A great way to start the reviewing year! 

Just Finished Reading: Keane’s Company by Iain Gale (FP: 2013) [341pp] 

Portugal, 1808. Lieutenant James Keane knew it was a bad idea. Duelling had been banned in the British army and yet here he was. Not that he had much choice as it was a matter of honour. Being accused of cheating wasn’t something that an officer and a gentleman could simply ignore. Naturally he never intended to kill his opponent. He knew now that his conduct would result in more than a reprimand and a fine. It would mean a court-martial and being cashiered from the Army. To leave in disgrace after over a decade of service. When they came for him, he went quietly, expecting the worse. What he didn’t expect was being brought up before the new Commander-in-Chief himself. Recently arrived from England, Arthur Wellesley clearly had other troubles than one careless Lieutenant. But he also clearly required talent if he was to expel the French forces from Portugal. Keane couldn’t have been more surprised when he was promoted to Captain. There was, of course, a price to be paid. Keane was to form a company of men with a variety of talents and to operate primarily behind enemy lines. He was to scout ahead of the army and, where possible, disrupt enemy intentions wherever and however he could. Periodically he would report back to Wellesley himself but, until then, he and his men would be on their own, living off the land, working with partisans, and generally raising Hell. Fortunately, his men, rescued from prison, firing squad and flogging were already practiced hellraisers. Life as an exploring officer was going to be anything but dull. 

Already being a dedicated fan of Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe novels, I just HAD to pick this up when I came across it. I was not disappointed. Not only was Keane a fun creation the whole idea behind the novel was one I had been thinking about for some time. One of my favourite characters in the Sharpe universe was Major Hogan the ‘exploring officer’ doing secret work behind the lines. I’ve been hoping for a while now that Cornwell would produce such a book, but that’s not going to happen. Although this wasn’t EXACTLY what I wanted it was a pretty close fit. The blurb on the back of the book describes Keane’s company as ‘a 19th century Dirty Dozen’ which I completely agree with. The idea works really well in the context of the Peninsular War. Such ‘Special Forces’ groups were force multipliers and Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington) was strapped for troops and strapped for cash, so it made sense to think outside the box and create something like this. I have no idea if such a thing did happen IRL as, sadly, most of my ‘knowledge’ of the Napoleonic Wars comes almost exclusively from Sharpe novels. I mean to address this at some point! 

Needless to say, I really enjoyed this. Keane is an interesting character with room for development (there are three more books in the series to date) and there’s plenty of war/action for him and his men to be involved in. There are some very nice set-pieces – befitting a small fighting group - throughout the book, and I never once found myself disengaged or wanting more. I am very much looking forward to the next book, which I don’t have yet, but I do have the last book in the set so... Definitely recommended for all Napoleonic War fans and most definitely for fans of Richard Sharpe. More to come in this (short) series and from the author. 

Just Finished Reading: An Englishman in Madrid by Eduardo Mendoza (FP: 2010) [380pp] 

Madrid, 1936. It was an opportunity he could hardly refuse. Art expert Anthony Whitelands has been commissioned to appraise a selection of paintings to assess their origin and their value for a high-ranking Spanish family. With the political clouds darkening in that country, it might be the last time for several years (at least) that such a visit to his favourite European city is possible. Of course he accepts. What he doesn’t expect is that his visit is a ruse. There are no paintings, there is just one. One work that will change his career path, one work that will make his name, one work that would be a global sensation. If he can prove it is in fact as advertised, he would be the toast of the artistic world. But the word IF is a very important one. IF it is indeed by the great Spanish artist Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez its owners are sitting on an unimaginable fortune. The secret is, however, already being rumoured. The idea that the painting will be used to create a safe haven for the family outside Spain might be a lie. Will it be used to buy arms for the expected Civil War and will the authorities try to stop the sale? Will the Falangists, so desperate for weapons, intervene? Will the Socialists, or their Soviet handlers, prevent the painting leaving the country, or even worse destroy it? At the centre of everything is an Englishman. An innocent abroad – but innocent for how long? 

As usual with such things I picked this up a few years ago because “it looked interesting and different”. I had no idea, despite it winning the Planeta Prize, that it would be SO good. The blurb on the back, which I honestly usually just skim, called it a ‘perfectly balanced blend of PG Wodehouse (who I’ve never read), Evelyn Waugh (who I’ve only seen adaptations of) and Graham Greene (who I’ve never read a bad book by). It did have a Greene feel to it – so I guess the others must apply too! I wasn’t, at first, sure what to make of it. It was clear from the start that it was (very) well written which definitely helped. The description of mid 30’s Madrid and the Spanish culture of that time was super immersive. I’ve read a little about the Civil War and the circumstances around that conflict (MUCH more later) so I was aware of some of that but this really put you THERE, on the street, in the meetings, in the private smoke filled rooms and made you understand what was what – without the feeling that any great mental effort was involved. It had a quite wonderful FEEL to it that’s (obviously) difficult to describe. 

Then, as always for me, was the characterisation. Anthony Whitehead is a GREAT character. Full of passion for Velazquez and for Spain itself his rather blinkered approach gets him into trouble after trouble, but his mastery of the language and his personality make it difficult for anyone to actively dislike him. Even those who have been tasked to kill him apologise for the event and seem genuinely sad to do so! He becomes involved with teenage prostitutes (complete with babe in arms), high class ladies, aristocrats, both fascist and socialist activists, the Spanish secret police and the British secret service and even the Prime Minister of Spain itself. One of the funniest recurring jokes (there are MANY funny moments in this often-serious book) was the comments from the exasperated staff at the Englishman's hotel who have to deal with a seemingly constant stream of visitors – the police, radicals, prostitutes, spies - looking for him or leaving cryptic messages on his return. It did indeed often read like a classic farce which caused much chuckling and not a few laugh-out-loud moments.  

Needless to say, as you’ve probably picked up on by now, I absolutely LOVED this book. It is, not to put too fine a point on it, totally brilliant and is definitely one of the top ten novels of the year for me. Yet again a translated book knocks it out of the park. If you have any interest in Spanish history (especially around the Civil War period), Spanish culture (especially art and most especially Velazquez) or Spanish politics in the 1930’s, or just a VERY good read indeed that will leave you with a desire to visit that city in reality then this is definitely the book for you. A total and absolute delight and, therefore, very highly recommended. I’ll most assuredly be seeking out more by this author.  

Translated from the Spanish by Nick Caistor.   

Just Finished Reading: The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue (FP: 2020) [291pp] 

Dublin, 1918. Nurse Julia Power has other things on her mind than turning 30 soon. With growing staff shortages due to the Flu, she has been put in charge of the small maternity ward (6 beds in a crowded room) for mothers suffering through fever on top of everything else. Despite not being full nurse Power is on her own until young volunteer Bridie Sweeny is assigned to her. Completed untrained and barely educated, Bridie is more than nurse Power could have possibly hoped for. A quick learner with a natural bedside manner she is a veritable godsend. But trained and experienced as she is nurse Power cannot make decisions about medication – what little they have after almost 5 years of war – or much else besides. What she needs is a doctor, preferably one trained in maternity. The rumour circulating is that a new doctor is about to arrive to fill one of the posts vacated by a sick surgeon. The rumours say that this doctor is not only a woman but one with a political past who the authorities would very much like to speak to. The rumours say that she aided the rebels during the Easter Rising and was only not executed because of her sex. Not that nurse Power cares about any of that. The only thing on her mind is the health of the mothers under her charge and the delivery of new life into a very troubled world. 

I picked this up primarily because it was a fictional account of the Spanish Flu. The location of Dublin, especially not too long after the 1916 Easter Rising, no doubt added to my interest – although I wasn’t aware just how much this event impacted on the story when I chose to bring this home. The feel of a city at wartime – despite being FAR from any front or fighting – is palpable as is the obvious rubble still not cleared from 1916. I can only guess that the evidence of a failed rebellion was left in place, at least in part, as a reminder to any future rebels what happens when you go up against the British Empire in a time of war.  

The majority of the novel takes place over a period of 3-4 days and in the ‘ward’ of 6 beds. It honestly had a feel of a stage play with characters coming in and leaving off-stage to complete tasks only to return when the story demanded their presence. Most of the focus was on Julia Power as she narrated the story and interacted with the two other main players – Bridie and the doctor Kathleen Lynn (who was a real historical person – more later!). The secondary characters were the mothers awaiting their births who passed through the maternity ward throughout the book. While not exactly cyphers they’re not as deeply rendered as the main characters but are still individuals with enough depth to feel sympathy and understanding for. Although Julia Power is front and centre in the plot and is a great character in her own right, my favourite was Bridie Sweeny, and I honestly fell in love with her. Orphaned from an early age and largely uneducated she had survived her brutal upbringing with her native intelligence and ‘soul’ fully intact.  

Now the warnings: Being the time, the place and the particular circumstances of the story you need to be aware that people are going to die and that there will be a not inconsiderable amount of pain and blood displayed from time to time. Although no doubt toned down quite a bit this is not a book for the squeamish! But if you can read about (and imagine!) or have experienced birth and its dangers without feeling faint or sick you should be OK. Finally, if you’re like me and form emotional bonds to characters in a book you’re going to need a few tissues handy at the end. I’m still getting over it... One of the best reads of the year. Definitely recommended with the above warnings! 

Just Finished Reading: A Prayer for the Ship by Douglas Reeman (FP: 1958) [255pp] 

England’s South coast, early in WW2. After several months on armed trawlers, sub-lieutenant Clive Royce is transferred to HMS Royston, a motor torpedo boat mothership. Now second in command of an MTB Royce is both looking forward to action and is worried that he’ll let his squadron down if he doesn’t perform as needed. Learning the ropes, learning command and learning how to fight in the ever-changing environment of the English Channel is a steep enough challenge. What he doesn’t really need is a new commanding officer how is a stickler for the rules and who is jealous of anyone else’s success. Both making and losing friends, worrying about his aging parents and, just maybe, falling in love he has enough to think about on the cold, dark patrols.  

This is yet another of those books I picked up a while back (although WELL after its publication date!) that I’ve been meaning to get around to. Small craft combat in the English Channel isn’t something that gets much attention – in fiction or non-fiction – so I thought it’d be interesting if nothing else. It was, unfortunately, a book of two halves. The main narrative was typical enough: young (but not entirely green) officer recruit learning the ropes, worried about fitting in and being up to the task – especially as he’s never seen combat before. Also, we have the trope of an overbearing officer who can (if annoyed) inhibit if not destroy his military career. Most of that was decently handled. As often with these books the combat side of things is well done, and this was no exception. There wasn’t a HUGE amount of combat sequences – as in real life its mostly waiting for things to happen – but once the shells and the torpedoes where flying the pace picked up and it was all rather well done. 

As often the case though, the more personal aspects of the plot were rather less competently handled – but that might have been more the times it was written in rather than any shortcomings by the author. The hospital scenes with Royce’s parents as he recovered from a very close shave were OK, but it was the love story in the second half of the book that REALLY slowed the narrative down and honestly read like something an inexperienced (but romantically inclined) teenage might produce. I cringed more than once as that particular plot thread SLOWLY progressed. 

Overall, this was generally reasonable although I would have preferred more action and less mooning over a pretty face. I don’t think I have any more from this author in various stacks and am not really looking to buy any more, but I’m sure that I have others to fill the gap.   

Just Finished Reading: The Sea Witch by Stephen Coonts (FP: 2012) [253pp] 

This was a collection of three short novellas by an author I used to read a lot of pre-Blog. The first story was the titled ‘Sea Witch’ (1999) which revolved around an American ‘jinx’ fighter-bomber pilot early in the Pacific War being assigned to be co-pilot in a PBY Catalina (one of my all-time favourite aircraft) after the original and well-respected co-pilot had been killed. There followed the usual trying to fit in trope and it was obvious from the start that the ‘jinx’ would end up saving the day. This he did – but not in the way I’d expected. An above average story overall. 

Next up was ‘The 17th Day’ (2003) which told the tale of an American pilot in the Royal Flying Corps on the Western Front. The pilot's pre-occupation was, as you might expect, survival especially as it's his 17th day in service which is the average life-expectancy of a fighter pilot in that theatre. The question is: will he make it through the day. Despite being a well-constructed story, it didn’t have a lot of tension (can you really imagine the main character dying part way through and the officers in his squadron shrugging their shoulders and saying “Well, them’s the odds.....”. The flying scenes were well handled although, depending on how my memory is, I did think he stole a real incident for his fictional lead to add a bit of addition danger/threat. Still, it was reasonably entertaining. 

By FAR the worst story was the last - ‘Al-Jihad’ (2001). This was a frankly ridiculous story of a retired marine sniper being hired to assist a navy brat whose parents had been killed by Libyan terrorists by blowing up the airline they’d been travelling on. The plot, if you can call it that, was incredibly muddled and barely made sense. Even I could see ten other (and better) ways of eliminating the targets and that’s without getting into the area of extra-judicial killing. The conclusion was a nonsensical cherry-on-top and honestly made me laugh out loud at the stupidity of it all. I can only imagine that the author’s publisher asked him for a quick terrorist related story, and he passed on the task to his teenage son, then made a minimal effort of ‘clean it up’ and put his stamp on it. Terrible. 

This had been (as so often is the case) sitting in a pile of books for YEARS and I decided to finally ‘get around’ to it now. I might have tossed it if the story order had been reversed but that didn’t happen. Reasonable overall but not recommended even for the hard-core thriller reader. I’m SURE that there’s MUCH better stuff out there! 

Just Finished Reading: The Excursion Train by Edward Marston (FP: 2005) [351pp] 

London, 1852. Dubbed ‘The Railway Detective’ by the Press after his successful resolution of the country's first train robbery, Inspector Colbeck is asked for to quickly solve an apparent random murder on an excursion train to an illegal bare-knuckle fight. At first the victim appeared to be someone of little account – a cobbler. This tradesman however carried a wicked knife and a very expensive watch sewed into an inner lining of his jacket. On further investigation the victims true name and occupation changed everything. The man was Jacob Guttridge a public executioner. At a stroke the nature of the crime and the number of suspects changed dramatically. Was it, in fact, a revenge killing? If so, on whose behalf? With pressure from both the railway company and the Inspector’s superior in Scotland Yard, Colbeck and his trusty sergeant Victor Leeming had their work cut out for them. The place to start, it would seem, was the object of the excursion train itself – the bare-knuckle fight of the season! 

This is the 2nd in the series of the Railway Detective, but my third read (I read ahead some time ago with a Christmas appropriate book – the 15th in the series). Not only was it a fast read, and MUCH faster than the previous book which I’d DNFd, it was a fun one too. Colbeck is a great character, open-minded enough to use modern techniques and modern ways of thinking and educated enough (he’s an ex-barrister) to work his way through the intricacies of the investigation. His sidekick, Victor Leeming, is a great foil for the Inspector’s musings and another great character (he’s funny too!). One character I was very impressed by in the 15th book was Colbeck’s wife. She was deeply involved in his first case (and first book) and their relationship continues in this one. One of the things I really liked is just how SLOWLY its going. They obviously like each other a great deal and are not even officially ‘courting’ yet but I can’t help but love how they’re both being ‘correct’ about the whole thing. It’s both sweet and funny. 

The case itself is VERY convoluted. I picked out some of those involved quite early on, but the details and motivations eluded me almost to the very end. I really liked the way that several interweaving plots were slowly brought together for a very satisfying ending. I also became quite intrigued by the whole illegal (but tolerated) bare-knuckle fighting thing (interestingly the fighters wore padded gloves whilst practicing but took them off for the real event). I’ll have to read up a bit about that. I am aware that even women took part – IN the ring! How bizarre Victorian society was – SO many contradictions and complexities. Needless to say, I HIGHLY enjoyed this and look forward to the next book in the series. I already own quite a few, but I’ll need to buy the next two sometime soon to progress with it. Highly recommended for all fans of historical crime or just bloody good story telling. 

Just Finished Reading: Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles (FP: 2003) [299pp] 

Missouri, November 1864. When the Union Militia arrested her father for aiding the Rebels his young daughter, Adair Colley had no option. She would travel with her younger sisters to the nearest Union Headquarters and ask for his release. She never thought that such an obvious plea for justice could lead her even further away from her family, her farm and everyone she loved. Accused of aiding Rebel forces with supplies and intelligence, Adair is sent to a woman’s prison in St Louis where she is interrogated by Major William Neumann who makes it clear that running a woman’s prison in the middle of a war is the very last thing he wants. Determined not to reveal what little information she possesses, Adair concocts a series of outrageous stories to play with and infuriate the Major. Surprisingly for both of them their game of cat and mouse leads to a growing romance. But falling in love across political lines is never going to be easy, especially when the Major finally achieves his long-standing aim and is assigned to a combat unit. Adair is left with only one option, to escape from prison, return home and seek out the Major once the fighting is over. 

I’m not exactly sure why – most probably from the cover to be honest – but I thought that the female protagonist was going to be a Native American woman. I guess I should have paid closer attention to the blurb on the back cover! But that was OK. Once I started reading, I was dropped into a well-drawn time and place and settled right in. The plot was a straight-forward one: girl finds boy, girl loses boy, girl hopes to get boy back after they both have adventures/side-quests. The two main characters are well drawn and believable and even the romance part – which I did find rather slow – was well handled. The character of Adair was feisty and smart so was fun to ‘watch’ as she argued with the often pleasantly bemused Major. The Major himself is also well drawn, and I rather liked him if somewhat less than Adair. They actually made a good couple and complimented each other well. There’s a brief action scene which I was impressed with, and I thought it was very well handled. But... despite ALL of that I thought this was a bit too slow for my liking. It was certainly well written; the plot was well constructed, and characterisation was more than adequate throughout but it never really ‘gelled’ with me. That might say more about me than the author or the book, but there we are.  

Despite my somewhat equivocal feelings towards it this is definitely an above average read and, no doubt, others will enjoy it much more than I did. I’ll give it a reasonable overall but still recommend it too – if it sounds like it's something that will appeal to you.   

Just Finished Reading: The Infernal Device by Michael Kurland (FP: 1979) [259pp] 

It was an opportunity that was hard to turn down. American journalist Benjamin Barret would be at the test of Turkey’s latest weapon of war – a submersible that would be the envy of the world. But just as the sea trials began off the exotic city of Constantinople, tragedy struck, and a huge explosion sent the craft to the bottom. Still dazed by the day's events, Benjamin is arrested for murder and espionage, and it sentenced to death. With no friends and with his own embassy now against him he is forced to face his own demise until an unlikely saviour makes his appearance. Professor James Moriarty is there to make Barret an offer he simply can’t refuse – if the journalist consents to give the professor two years of his life in his service – no questions asked, then he will ensure Barret's captivity comes to an end and this he is spirited out of the country. With no other option he says yes and awaits his salvation. Back in London and now working for the professor Barret is given a special task suitable for one with his skill set. He is to use his journalist contacts and experience to help Moriarty to track down a very dangerous man indeed – a rogue Russian agent committed to one vision, to force the British Empire to engage Russia in all-out war. To do that he must goad the British into action by creating an atrocity that simply cannot be ignored. Only one problem stands in the way of Moriarty – his long time enemy and self-proclaimed nemesis: Sherlock Holmes. 

I’ve been looking into and slowly accumulating what I’m calling ‘Sherlock Holmes Adjacent’ (SHA) works for a while now but have delayed reading any of them until I finished re-reading the original works. This is the first one. One of the things that surprised me from my recent re-reads is just how little Moriarty is mentioned in the Sherlock stories despite him being built up as Holmes’ arch-enemy. Rather amusingly, there’s a comment – from Moriarty to Holmes – in this novel on that point exactly where Moriarty chides Holmes on his fixation with the Professor as some kind of ‘Napoleon of Crime’ despite being nothing of the sort. This is summed up by the quote: He who has one enemy will meet him everywhere.  In fact, Moriarty in this world is Sherlocks mirror-image as a ‘consulting criminal’ advising (though not controlling) criminals in their nefarious endeavours merely as a means of gaining money to continue his scientific research.  

Well written, full of interesting characters (including a more than adequate rendition of Holmes himself) and with a delightful slant on the genre, this was a fun read from beginning to end. I understand that there are four more books in the series, and I’ll be searching them out. Recommended to all Holmes fans. More SHA works to come – modern, strange and Classic.              

Just Finished Reading: News From Berlin by Otto De Kat (FP: 2012) [203pp] 

Switzerland, June 1941. It was a dangerous whisper in a public place. Dutch diplomat Oscar Verschuur was delighted to see his daughter Emma and her German husband Carl on an official trip from Berlin. What he didn’t expect was the content of her whispered message. She had discovered from her husband that Germany was about to attack its supposed ally and invade the Soviet Union. She even had a date, June 22nd, and a name that meant nothing to her: Barbarossa. But what was Oscar supposed to do with this information? Who could he tell? His Dutch colleagues? Hardly. The neutral Americans? The British? Would they believe him? Would they accept any news out of Berlin except as misinformation or simply lies? Even if he managed to pass the information on, even if an Allied contact believed him, would the Russians? They had little love for the capitalists and assumed, rightly to be honest, that they desired to break the Axis-Soviet Pact, so what would their reaction be? What was worse was the fact that Emma’s actions were bound to have been seen and reported back to Berlin. Oscar was often under surveillance and if the warning could be traced back to him then his daughter, and his son-in-law, would be real danger. But to do nothing? To let the attack go ahead unhindered? Could he live with that? The deaths of thousands, or even millions, that his words might avoid... What to do... What to do... 

On the face of things this sounds like a pretty standard “race against time” espionage ‘thriller’. There are some *faint* echoes of that, but this is much, much more. Oscar is a man of secrets. No one is quite sure what his function is and exactly what he’s doing in Switzerland. His family is, like so many others during the war, scattered across Europe. His only daughter is in Berlin under constant threat of Allied bombing attacks. His wife Kate is in London savouring the drop in German air attacks (as the Luftwaffe presumably reposition on the soon to be Eastern Front). Oscar has just started an affair with a fellow Dutch refugee and Kate is still thinking about her first husband who died in Italy before the war. All of the main, and subsidiary, characters have deep believable backstories and motivations for what they do – or don’t do. They’re all real in that sense as is the central tension created by Emma and the leak from the German Foreign Office. We now know that Stalin had been warned repeatedly by the Allies (and by his own military intelligence!) that an attack was coming but refused to accept the fact and his country paid a very heavy price for that denial. Oscar, of course, didn’t know any of this (unfortunately for his sleepless nights) but OUR knowledge of that fact makes his situation all the more dramatic I feel. 

I’d been looking forward to reading this since I picked it up in my Indie bookshop last year. By page 3 I knew I’d picked a winner. The prose is sublime, the characters very well drawn and it was overall a delight from beginning to end. I think the author has 3-4 more books in translation, so I’ll be looking out for them. One of the highlights of the year. Highly recommended for lovers of well-written character driven stories. 

Translated from the Dutch by Ina Rilke.

[Oh, I almost forgot.... There was ONE disappointment. I was hoping that this would add Switzerland to my fictional world tour but, 'unfortunately' the 'action' was too split between Berlin, London, Lisbon (briefly) and various parts of Switzerland to count.]