I'm new to the Sergeant Troy series so beginning with #8 was not the smartest move. I was, understandably, occasionally baffled and occasionally frustrated by our hero's intriguing reflections upon previous plotlines. And nor can I give an opinion for other readers upon whether this volume is on a par with the preceding ones.
I did take a rather long time to read this story; it took hard work for me to really get a feel for the scenes in pre-war and war-time London and then post-war England and Vienna. But once I'd achieved that John Lawton's atmospheric writing drew me in.
This is a convoluted plot, as you would expect for a story about international espionage. The writer examines all the crossing points in the life of Sergeant Troy and the (real life) spy Guy Burgess. And he creates a full story complete with motives, incidents and conversations by interweaving historical events and people into his plot. A fascinating technique!
I did take a rather long time to read this story; it took hard work for me to really get a feel for the scenes in pre-war and war-time London and then post-war England and Vienna. But once I'd achieved that John Lawton's atmospheric writing drew me in.
This is a convoluted plot, as you would expect for a story about international espionage. The writer examines all the crossing points in the life of Sergeant Troy and the (real life) spy Guy Burgess. And he creates a full story complete with motives, incidents and conversations by interweaving historical events and people into his plot. A fascinating technique!