Format: Hardback
Published by: Canelo
Published: 06.06.24
Synopsis:
Trust no one. Suspect everyone. It’s 1937. Fear and suspicion stalk the Continent. A million have died in Stalin’s Great Purge and the Nazi terror grips Germany. But British intelligence is still trying to work out who the enemy is.
As Europe heads towards war, treason is in the air. British spymasters know there is one Soviet agent in their ranks, codenamed Agent ‘Archie’, and there’s a frantic search to find them. What they don’t know is that he is not the only traitor.
The life of Charles Cooper, a young British writer travelling Europe to research his novel, is about to change for ever…
My Thoughts (spoiler free)
Rating: *****
Firstly many thanks to the publisher for kindly sending a proof copy.
The first in a new espionage quartet and boy what a start, I have a particular love of spy thrillers and this is up there with the best. It has the ability to question the truth, mired in subterfuge where truth and trust are not taken for granted
It is a read that demands your full attention to take in every word, a richly layered, intelligent and structured plot, which slowly unravels as the pages turn
The setting of the book in the 1930’s before the outbreak of war, allows the story to flow between London, Europe and Russia, giving the story more scope to evolve and grow
It is very much about the characters, wonderfully drawn and fully fleshed out, you get a sense of the type of people they are, belonging to the period, it is fascinating watching the characters develop within the book, there is a wariness to each as friends and colleagues may not be who they say they are, it is that level of mistrust that enhances the drama and suspense. Charles Cooper is someone seemingly caught up in a world he doesn’t belong to, trapped between two sides, I loved the way he plays things though.
I particularly liked the pacing of the story, nothing too hurried as the story flows between continents, with its twists and turns
It is a read which has a heightened sense of danger, at times your’e not quite sure who is playing who, there is a strong sense of identity to the narrative.
The quality of the writing shines throughout the book, in what makes for a compelling read, intricate and complex
A compelling and intense read, from the opening pages I was being drawn into the murky world of the spy, from then on the writing held me in suspense with it’s rich narrative, exquisite plot and myriad of characters, It is a gripping and entertaining read
This is going to be an amazing series, one which I can’t wait to continue reading
About the Author:
Alex Gerlis was a BBC journalist for nearly thirty years and is the author of nine Second World war espionage thrillers, all published by Canelo.
His first four novels are in the acclaimed Spy Masters series, including the best-selling The Best of Our Spies which is currently being developed as a television series. Prince of Spies was published in March 2020 and was followed by three more in the Prince series. His latest series is the Wolf Pack novels, with Agent in Berlin published in November 2021, with the second in the series due to be published in July 2022.
Alex was born in Lincolnshire and now lives in west London with his wife and two black cats, a breed which makes cameo appearances in all his books. Alex has two daughters and two grandsons and supports Grimsby Town, which he believes helps him cope with the highs and especially the lows of writing a novel. He’s frequently asked if he’s ever worked for an intelligence agency but always declines to answer the question in the hope that someone may believe he actually has.
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