As the Nazi hold tightens over Germany in 1939, British journalist John Russell is living in Berlin, where he has spent fifteen years working as a freelance journalist. Despite his hatred for fascism and the signs of the coming war, Russell is determined to stay in Berlin to be near his son, Paul, and his longtime girlfriend, the German film actress Effi Koenen. For paying work, which has become hard to find, Russell agrees to take on jobs that take him increasingly deeper into an espionage web. When British, Soviet, and Nazi intelligence all attempt to recruit him, Russell must struggle to survive and maintain his integrity.
This is a solid espionage story with a few too many coincidences even for the genre to make it remotely plausible but its a solid read. Not one that would make you rush out and buy the entire series but if you see them cheap worth picking up.
Strangely, despite the situations Russell finds himself in there is no tension built, the story just rock along to a conclusion that isn't remarkable.
Philip Kerr and Alan Faust are doing this historical crime / espionage stuff much better.
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