Black Orchestra is the first in aa short series of spy/suspense novels. It is an engaging tale and suspenseful enough to keep me reading all the way to the end.
The hero is not the usual pick. He is working for a spy organization in Nazi Germany as a loyal German citizen. nevertheless, he gets tangled up into a few intrigues, each of which is suspenseful and all of which are linked.
The novel is written in a very straightforward style with little time spent in descriptions that would detract from the movement of the story.
I enjoyed the read and actually gave it one more star that I originally thought I would. Its suspenseful nature and well-told story overwhelmed my concerns about the writing style which sometimes seemed too straightforward, providing answers where a little more suspense could have been used. But, as I said, the story was engaging enough that I believe it deserves a favorable rating. ( )

Black Orchestra is the first in aa short series of spy/suspense novels. It is an engaging tale and suspenseful enough to keep me reading all the way to the end.
The hero is not the usual pick. He is working for a spy organization in Nazi Germany as a loyal German citizen. nevertheless, he gets tangled up into a few intrigues, each of which is suspenseful and all of which are linked.
The novel is written in a very straightforward style with little time spent in descriptions that would detract from the movement of the story.
I enjoyed the read and actually gave it one more star that I originally thought I would. Its suspenseful nature and well-told story overwhelmed my concerns about the writing style which sometimes seemed too straightforward, providing answers where a little more suspense could have been used. But, as I said, the story was engaging enough that I believe it deserves a favorable rating. ( )

Striking a page-turning chord
When committed Nazi and Abwehr signalman Kurt Muller discovers the body of a colleague his life changes forever. Police investigate and conclude the cause was suicide. Kurt isn’t convinced. He starts an investigation of his own that leads him to a horrible truth. He had to choose between his conscience and duty to his country.

Complicating his life is Gudrun who has a secret of her own. The love complication is ratcheted up a few notches when Liesel from the Propaganda Ministry comes to write a profile about an Abwehr spy.

As this fast-paced, easy-to-read story unfolds, Kurt is drawn deeper into a mire of danger and intrigue. I was constantly asking: how is he going to get out of this?

Kurt is a likeable, a little naïve and well-rounded character. The portrayal of time and place takes the reader there. The level of detail provides an educative and entertaining experience.

Second World War fiction fans will enjoy this page-turner. ( )

When I started to read this book, I didn't find what I was looking in a book. I must admit I do not really like detective novels. On the other hand, exciting literature bordering on World War II, I like very much, so I gave this book another chance turned out to be true. This is a story of tension that guaranteed to the reader entirely and enjoyable. Worth reading. ( )

Lt. Kurt Muller, nephew of the infamous Reinhold Heydrich, reports for work at the Abwehr one morning only to discover the body of his colleague, an ostensible suicide. It was certainly a peculiar way to kill oneself, pointing the gun to the back of his head before pulling the trigger. Odd indeed and Kurt starts asking a few questions, wondering why the Kripo is taking such little interest in the case. He’s soon promoted to the translation section where they receive all incoming signals which are then translated and distributed. The Gestapo takes an interest in Kurt’s meddling and it’s only because of his relationship to Heydrich that he’s not shot.

Kurt is sent to Ireland, where he was born, to find out what happened to their Irish agents. There he learns of the “Black Orchestra,” originally a college chess club, to which his father (his mother was German) and several others now prominent in the Abwehr had belonged. He finds himself enmeshed in a vicious political battle to take down Hitler but also for control of the Reich’s security forces orchestrated by his uncle.

It’s often a convoluted story with a few gaps but a fun read that barrels along.

Some nice similes: :”Our conversation was like a loose clutch” i.e., slow to start and jerky.” ( )