Seeing that this was a spy novel set during the Second World War, I wasn't expecting to enjoy it - period and spy are not genres that I generally like but this book was thoroughly engrossing.
It is set in Lisbon in 1943, and is the story of Elizabeth...or Cecile....or Solange....or any number of other aliases used by a member of the Special Operations Executive, a group of rule-breaking English agents that Churchill ordered to 'set Europe ablaze'. We first meet her in France and are plunged straight into subterfuge, peril and pacey action. The first few chapters leave you with no illusion that Elizabeth can handle herself and is cunning with a strong survival instinct. As the story moves to Lisbon, we learn more about her and her humanity in the midst of the atrocities of things she knows and does endear her to the reader.
As you would expect with a espionage novel, there are twists everywhere and the allegiance of the cast of characters is often difficult to decipher which leads to you conclusions that are soon shown as incorrect. A truly cracking yarn.
It is set in Lisbon in 1943, and is the story of Elizabeth...or Cecile....or Solange....or any number of other aliases used by a member of the Special Operations Executive, a group of rule-breaking English agents that Churchill ordered to 'set Europe ablaze'. We first meet her in France and are plunged straight into subterfuge, peril and pacey action. The first few chapters leave you with no illusion that Elizabeth can handle herself and is cunning with a strong survival instinct. As the story moves to Lisbon, we learn more about her and her humanity in the midst of the atrocities of things she knows and does endear her to the reader.
As you would expect with a espionage novel, there are twists everywhere and the allegiance of the cast of characters is often difficult to decipher which leads to you conclusions that are soon shown as incorrect. A truly cracking yarn.