A Game of Spies, by John Altaman

 

A Game of Spies, by John Altaman

 

As my three faithful readers know, I’m into World War II spy thrillers.  Why that era?  Perhaps the good and bad, dressed in stark black and white. Perhaps, I lived before and shades of forgotten memories creep into the present.  But, a more common answer is that there are some damn good…Oh, pardon me Martha, I meant to say some darn good writers who have picked out the era to produce novels that envelope you in the time, the excitement, populated with indelible characters, and a terrifically bitter taste of constant danger.

 

Who are my favorites:  For flying, from the skies of England to the scorching sands of the Sahara, there is only one:  Derek Robinson.  No one else comes close.

 

https://stroudallover.blogspot.com/2017/08/a-good-clean-fight-by-derek-robinson.html

 

https://stroudallover.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-splendid-little-war.html

 

https://stroudallover.blogspot.com/2012/03/another-gem-from-derek-robinson-piece.html

 

https://stroudallover.blogspot.com/2012/01/goshawk-squadron-novel-of-breakneck.html

 

 

For the behind the scenes of spying and resistance across the broad expanse of Europe, leading up to and through the war, one name springs out, Alan Furst.  Yep, wrote about his novels, too.

 

https://stroudallover.blogspot.com/2022/05/a-hero-of-france-by-alan-furst.html

 

https://stroudallover.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-world-at-night-paris-1940-by-alan.html

 

https://stroudallover.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-foreign-correspondent-by-alan-furst.html

 

https://stroudallover.blogspot.com/2020/11/mission-to-paris-by-alan-furst.html

 

https://stroudallover.blogspot.com/2020/11/mission-to-paris-by-alan-furst.html

 

https://stroudallover.blogspot.com/2020/10/under-occupation-by-alan-furst.html

 

https://stroudallover.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-spies-of-warsaw-book-review.html

 

 

Now it’s time to add another name:  John Altman

 

Just finished reading A Game of Spies, a twisting, turning, streak of a novel, where nothing is certain, nothing is either believed or doubted.  Yes, spy craft is a game of uncertainty, in a stew of true and false, double crosses, and true believers.   Altman captures both the time and the motives and characters in the steamy atmosphere of France and the Low Countries, as the German army and the German nation’s egomaniac leader plot the beginning of the war.

 

I can’t help but compare this novel to those by Alan Furst.  Same time, same place, however the differences are stark.  Furst takes his time in developing characters and atmosphere. The plot slowly evolves. Altman, on the other hand, feeds the readers a buffet of characters with a streamlined plot and a host of twists and turns.  It is not until the second half of the book that characters maintain clarity, and are distilled into the good and the bad.  Even so, there are still lingering doubts.  All hinges on the kernel of the plot. Will the English find out the German war plan or not.  And, if they do, will they know what to do with it.

 

Many know the broad stroke history of the Second World War, but few of us know behind the scene details on which hinged every major event.  Unless we are historians, our minds infused with letters and other documents, old newspapers, and interviews with the players, we don’t even know what we think we know.

 

Furst especially, but also to a lesser extent, Altman, have done the research for you, and doing so have written intricately woven and finely plotted novels that will immerse you in the time, while keeping you on the edge of your seat.

 

Of the two authors, if you want to linger in the time, smell the cigarette smoke, reach into the hearts of the characters and live in the murky political mud, pick Furst.  But, if you want a racehorse, grab A Game of Spies and hold tight on the reins.

 

For me, it doesn’t depend on the skill of the authors, for both are keenly observant artists. It depends strictly on my mood.  Sometimes I enjoy a smooth ride, observing every detail of the neighborhood, and other times I want to feel the wind in my face.

Flowers From Berlin - A spy thriller

Flowers From Berlin by Noel Hynd, takes place in one of the most turbulent times in the history of the United States, the period encompassing the last years of the Great Depression and the lead-in to World War II.

We know about one attempt on then President-elect FDR’s life, on 15 February 1933, in Miami, Florida.  (In those days, before the 20^th Amendment, the President took office on 4 March.)

This riveting spy thriller, hinges around another attempt on the president’s life.

The last election had given FDR an unprecedented third term, but even so, unemployment was high, and so was opposition to U.S. involvement in Europe.

The European dictators sat stronger than ever.  War clouds bloomed and prominent Americans loudly voiced their opposition to American involvement.  They were in the majority. FDRs hands were bound, but it was no secret he sided heavily with the western democracies. 

By the time the Lend Lease Act, was signed in 1941, the tide had shifted somewhat, although most Americans wanted to help our friends without being directly drawn into the conflict.  Japan viciously invaded China.  Nazi Germany’s army spread across Europe like a virus.  China needed help.  England needed help.  Free France needed help.

What if?  is the one question that pushes a thriller over the cliff and into the abyss.  What if Hitler decided killing Roosevelt would stop the Administration in its tracks and prevent the United States from entering the war that raged in Europe?

In this novel, the war had already come to America.  A sleeper spy, or perhaps more than one ravaged the east coast.

American counterintelligence was in its infancy.  The Black Chamber cryptology effort was closed in 1929.  New attempts to organize CI devolved into clashes between agencies and also clashed with American ethics, most clearly stated by former Secretary of State Henry L. Stimson that “Gentlemen do not read each other’s mail.”

Then there was the distrust, not to mention personal animosity between FDR and J. Edgar Hoover.

Through FDR’s persuasiveness and in direct opposition to Director Hoover’s desires, William Thomas Cochrane, a semi-disgraced and mistrusted FBI agent is thrust into the maelstrom and handed the job of finding the man or men responsible for east coast sabotage. Cochrane must feel his way, with little help from his own agency, as he tries desperately to prevent a catastrophe that could indeed alter the course of the war.

But, it’s not all war.  Toss in a British agent.  And she’s gorgeous.  And Cochrane is single.  In this thriller, you get wartime spies, political intrigue, breath-taking suspense, all wrapped neatly with a romantic bow.

Do not start this book on a whim. Once you begin, you will forget about eating, sleeping, and sex with your favorite wife until you turn the last page.

Flowers From Berlin is a well-written account of what could have happened. It may even be what did happen.  The page on wartime sabotage in the United States is blank.

The book rates 4.5/5 Stars on Amazon and the Kindle edition costs $3.25.  You paid more than that for Girl Scout Cookies.