Patrick W. O'Bryon

Oh this book….. This book was enjoyable, don’t get me wrong, but it definitely does not live up to the first.

The characters and the drama of the story shined. I found myself engrossed back into Ryan’s, Renard’s, and Erika’s lives all over again, this time in Nazi-occupied France. The author has kept their characterizations sharp and built up even more as their life circumstances have changed. I especially liked the look at Ryan as he explores his stealthy spy side in addition to his academic one. The additional characters introduced like Devon and Nicole were also a treat, being very three-dimensional even if they only had a limited bit of page time. Horst, of course, shined with evil villainy goodness.

The story was as tense and suspenseful as ever, following our heroes/heroines through Nazi hands and betrayal by those they trusted. They author showed his dedication to getting the details right, giving his audience a fascinating look at the situation in the early days of Nazi and Vichy France. I was spellbound reading how the resistance in France started to develop through the mistrust of different parties and the disorganization of many hands in one pot. Getting small hints at the approaching darkness for France’s Jews also were enticing to this historical fiction lover. Patrick has a real gift for interweaving historical details with a edgy story-line that kept this reader riveted.

The place where this book really fell down for me was the interweaving of an excessive story-line that seems to serve no purpose other than to lay the groundwork for book three. While Marita’s and Serge’s domination struggle and Marita’s story of survival were intriguing, I felt that the story had a complete disconnect with the rest of the book. At no time does their story-line interact with Ryan’s and the rest, not once that I can think of. At the times the main story broke away to go back to theirs, I found myself grinding my teeth and even skimming some to get through it faster. All I can say is at least the pacing and intensity of storytelling was proportionally the same, filled with danger and espionage.

While with a return to wonderful characters I loved and to a very tense story-line, this book fell victim to “middle-book-itis”. The excessive story thread of Marita and Serge killed the momentum and drive that Ryan’s story-line had with his approaching showdown versus Horst. While the main cliffhanger was from that excessive plot thread and it was the setup for book three, I felt that this book would have fared far better if it would have interwoven the story-lines more or just left the setup for book three to the early chapters of that book. A good spy thrilled in its intensity, but with some serious faults.… (mehr)

Book received via GoodReads FirstReads program in exchange for an honest review. Thanks, Mr. O'Bryon, for the book!

I adored this spy thriller set in the opening years of the Nazi rise to power. The author has managed to create the ambiance and intensity of spy thrillers of old while managing to keep the characters devoid of some of the character flaws those older heroes/heroines had. This is definitely a novel to point out if someone is looking for an intense story set in the early years of Nazi Germany.

The setting in this novel is something else. The streets of Berlin and Marburg literally breathe with life and intensity. The reader could hear the roars of passionate Communist gatherings, feel the heaviness of time in medieval German universities, and experience the ever-approaching darkness of oppression that is looming over our characters. The author has taken the time to create a world and backdrop for story that is second to none and just makes the reader live the story, not just read it.

The reader really connects with the characters in this book. Only a very few secondary, background characters could be considered flat or one-dimensional. Everyone who had any bearing on the story was gorgeously three-dimensional, with good traits and faults to balance each other out.

I especially enjoyed our main character, Ryan, one of his love interests, Erika, and our villain, Horst. Ryan was suave, debonair, intelligent, and able to think on his feet in some pretty sticky situations; just like many heroes of older generation spy thrillers. Yet, we're also able to see that he doesn't always have all the answers in enemy territory, makes mistakes, and doesn't accomplish all his goals in the end. Erika is portrayed as intelligent and courageous woman as well as a beauty. She's dedicated to those she loves but is willing to put it all on the line for the greater good against the looming Holocaust.

Horst was a fascinating character to read about. I think he was my favorite, surprisingly enough. The author was able to bring him alive in a horrible, evil way but, at least to me, I was able to get into his head and really see the mindset of a dedicated SS man at work. I found it enlightening to see how a man like him was able to operate. Even though I grew to hate him, I loved to read about him.

The story kept this reader enthralled page by page. I anxiously wanted to know what was going to happen to our characters all the way up to the end. It's intense as all our characters meet up in a revving pre-Nazi world and as Ryan and Erika struggle to escape Nazi Germany in an escalating journey to the big showdown at the end. The writer grabs his readers from page one and just makes them care about his characters and their situations.

This book stands as a great example of a spy thriller done right. It's got an intense story, a setting that brings the readers imaginations to life, character I grew to love, and a satisfying ending that provides resolution but leaves room for the upcoming sequel (consider me sold when it comes out, Mr. O'Bryon!!). I can't wait till that sequel comes out and highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a great spy thriller set in the WWII years.… (mehr)