Review: gripping story, but
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 27, 2013
This starts with Kurt Müller, a Leutnant in the Abwehr noticing that Kleister, an Abwehr agent, dead at his desk due, seemingly, to a bullet in the back of the head. The KRIPO declare this a suicide, but Kurt does not see how anyone could kill himself that way so he begins to ask questions. After some time, he is taken by the Gestapo, beaten up, questioned, but let go. Apparently Kurt is a nephew of Reinhard Heydrich. I will not go any further because to do so would spoil the story, which is particularly plot-driven, except to note there is a group of people comprising "The Black Orchestra", and these have come to the attention of the Gestapo.  The writing is taut, and while I do not really know, the descriptions of Germany in the first two years of WW II seem to be believable. There are prolonged action sequences that are well-written (with one reservation) that maintain good tension, while the characters of Kurt and his friends are well-drawn. With these considerations alone, this is clearly a five-star book.However, the book is a historical novel, and historical details should be followed reasonably. You are at war, an agent is dead in the major intelligence-gathering organization, so who should show some interest? Don't you think "spy" or "enemy agent" might cross someone's mind? If so, the SD would become involved immediately. A Gestapo agent beats up a nephew of Heydrich regarding a matter the SD should be the investigating agent. Really? At that time, beat up a relation of Heydrich, and you had better have a good reason. Then, when Heydrich finds out what has happened, nothing happens? Really? Later, when Kurt is in Ireland, there is a prolonged action sequence that reads as a very exciting account, until you stop and realize that the opposition could not conceivably be so inept. Then, at the end, you learn how Kleister died. Apart from the fact that "why?", and everything surrounding it, is left up in the air, the KRIPO investigation makes no sense.To sum up, this is well-written as long as you do not think too hard about the background, it is exciting, the characters (apart from Heydrich and the Gestapo) are plausible, but there are strands that are left floating.Ian Miller, Author of Troubles