Review: Spies, Intrigue, and History
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 11, 2014
My son recommended this book to me, and as I usually agree with his taste in books, i decided to take his advice. He knows I am a big WWII buff and as soon as I read the summary, I knew that this book would be right up my alley. The backstory of this fictional novel was spot-on and I appreciated an author that would so clearly take the time to get all of his facts right before embarking on such a challenging time period to set a novel in. The name of the main character rang a bell in my mind, but I wasn't quite sure where I had heard her story before, if ever. However, once I was 15 pages in, the writing took over and I stopped concerning myself with details or historical accuracy. The plot was seamlessly constructed, and fascinating to follow. DuArte has a real grip on drama and knows how to inspire allegiance to characters as well.I wasn't wild about the pace of the novel, as it often slowed a bit too much for my liking, before picking up again, as though the author had a few moments (pages) of stalling for time while waiting for the next burst of creativity. However, overall, the entire novel read like a history book with a heck of a lot more action that I am used to in military histories. I was hoping for a bit more espionage action, but the overall ups and downs of the plot, and the brilliant blending of fact and fiction, was more than enough to keep me entertained all the way to the end. I don't know if DuArte has written any other historical fiction, but if he has, you can bet that I'll check it out. A solid story and one of the most interesting ways of portraying an insider's view of WWII that I have ever had the pleasure to read.