I was sufficiently intrigued by the cover of this novel to be encouraged to send time and read it. It is striking, as striking as the idea behind the plot. There have been suggestions of alternative histories around World War II before and this follows similar lines of thought, using fact as the basis of a narrative which rattles along.
The writing creates the atmosphere of war time, with welcome details which ring true for Cambridge at that time, as well as the details of the appalling events in Dieppe being accurate.
What of the characters? There is certainly some reliance on suggesting ‘types’ but with sufficient individual characteristics to make engaging with them very easy.
The structure, juxtaposing two places and sets of characters, sets up the intrigue. And yes, I do want to know how these individuals can possibly be linked.
I am not a quick reader but I sped through the material available very quickly. Would I like to read more? Oh yes, I most certainly would.
The writing creates the atmosphere of war time, with welcome details which ring true for Cambridge at that time, as well as the details of the appalling events in Dieppe being accurate.
What of the characters? There is certainly some reliance on suggesting ‘types’ but with sufficient individual characteristics to make engaging with them very easy.
The structure, juxtaposing two places and sets of characters, sets up the intrigue. And yes, I do want to know how these individuals can possibly be linked.
I am not a quick reader but I sped through the material available very quickly. Would I like to read more? Oh yes, I most certainly would.