> Something else was different too, but he only realized what it was when a large sign told him that 'Prague is now driving on the right'. In more ways than one, he thought. ( )

This is good writing, good characters, and fascinating running around all over Germany, a tiny bit in the US, and Eastern Europe all right before Poland and the Phoney War of 1939. And, also, having the protagonist when not travelling everywhere, also zipping between the Gestapo HQ and the Soviet Embassy and Intelligence. Downing has a pretty good conceit going for him in these Russell novels. ( )

As the second book in the John Russell series opens, journalist Russell and his son, Paul, are returning from a trip to the United States to visit Russell’s parents and Paul’s grandparents. They arrive to a Berlin preparing for war. Everyone expects the Germans to declare war against Poland any day now. The only question is whether Britain and France will honor their defense pact with Poland, and which side the Russians will take. Russell’s circumstances are still precarious. He has exchanged his British passport for an American one, which will allow him to remain in Germany near his son and his actress girlfriend should Britain go to war with Germany. However, the new passport came with a price. The Americans expect him to act as a spy for them. The Germans held his girlfriend hostage until he agreed to spy on the Soviets for them, and the Soviets expect him to spy on the Germans for them in exchange for something that happened in the first book in the series. Meanwhile, Russell’s former brother-in-law, Thomas, enlists his assistance in finding a missing Jewish girl. The girl’s uncle, one of Thomas’s employees, arranged a job for his niece but died before she arrived in Berlin and then seemingly disappeared into thin air.

Downing proves adept at juggling multiple plot threads and stringing readers along with just enough danger and suspense to keep them turning pages. Russell and the well-developed cast of supporting characters are all realistically portrayed as decent people who hope that they’ll have the courage to do the right thing at a moment of decision. ( )

Silesian Station by David Downing is the second book in his series about international journalist John Russell who is working for an American newspaper in 1939 Berlin. In this volume Russell is juggling his spying duties for 3 different countries in the month leading up to Hitler’s invasion of Poland. As his son, Paul, is a German citizen and he is romantically involved with a German actress, he wants to stay in Germany to be with them. He has changed his citizenship from British to American as war between Britain and Germany is eminent. Part of the price for his American passport is to gather information for them. Germany is threatening his girlfriend to force him to work for them, and, in order to have an escape path for himself and his girlfriend, he also helps the Russians.

If this wasn’t enough, he has also been asked by his former brother-in-law to help track down a missing Jewish girl who, being harassed in her small town, came to Berlin, thinking it would be safer there. She arrived at Silesian Station but hasn’t been since since.

Although there is both a lot of plot and characters to follow, Silesian Station paints a vivid picture of the rising tensions as well as the day to day life in the Third Reich. As Russell travels to cover various stories we are given a clear picture of how the war escalated. I am looking forward to continuing with this series to learn about the complex life of John Russell as well as getting more insights into this world changing war. ( )

This second installment in the John Russell series is a worthy successor to ZOO STATION. Russell himself is an excellent protagonist who makes for a good and extremely likable hero. Once again, Downing does an excellent job of setting a scene and evoking a place and time, and it was nice to see the further developments of some of the relationships that I was introduced to in the first book in the series. It was also heartbreaking to read about Miriam Rosenfeld and her parents, around whom the main subplot revolves. This one ends in late 1939, immediately after the war in Europe has begun, and I look forward to seeing where the third in the series takes me--and sooner, rather than later. ( )