Every Spy A Traitor - Alex Gerlis

 

First book of brand new series by prolific Alex Gerlis

Published by Canelo, Every Spy a Traitor, is the first in a prospective four part Double Agent espionage series by Alex Gerlis. The series will cover a dramatic 20 year period from the start of WW2, to the freezing of relations resulting in the Cold War .

It is 1937, as fascism is on the rise across continental Europe, fear is equally in the ascendancy. British Intelligence is trying to work out who the enemy is; whilst they have a spy amongst their own ranks named simply 'Archie'. 

Charles Cooper, a young British writer, is travelling through Europe seeking a story for his next novel. Yet his quest for research means that fact and fiction are going to merge together sharply and put him at the forefront of his next story.

Gerlis who came to prominence with the Spies series in books, is a passionate historian as well as a good yarn teller; those two passions finding a marriage together as the story of Cooper is relayed.

The first half of the book, which shows Cooper travelling the European railways and countries before the Second World War commences when Poland is invaded by Hitler's Germany; Cooper's journey is a romantic one full of notions and impulses of freedom. 

The second half when we become privy to Archie's true identity is heart-racing as Gerlis navigates the political landscape and ever shifting questions of loyalty abound in the back rooms. Little morsels of details such as an assassin dressed in a Cambridge University gown so as not to warrant suspicion on the school grounds is a delight especially; as are the ability to embrace historical fact with a highly digestable story much like Ken Lussey does in his Bob Sutherland novels. 

This is a whip-crack entertaining read full of nuggets of historical detail and full of great characterisation that while of the time also feel relevant to today's day and age. Top notch stuff from an established writer in total command of his powers seemingly.

Every Spy A Traitor is released from Canelo on 6th June on all formats.

My thanks to Canelo for the review opportunity.