Pursuing German spy in England ( )

If you are looking for a page turner, this is it. I read it in less than a day. The plot is well done and just unpredictable enough to keep you going. Warning: more sexual content than I can really recommend. ( )

http://boekenwijs.blogspot.com/2008/0... ( )

Follett masterfully blends racing thrills with deep characterization as he spins a tale that very well may have a grain of truth at its center. The story entertains the idea that perhaps Nazi intelligence was closer than it seems to discovering the allies deception that allowed the invasion of France to be a success. Definitely worth the read for history fans and the average Joe (or Jane, excuse me) alike. ( )

Follett's finely-tuned thriller gives the aura that it might turn into a romance, but don't be deceived. This is a straightforward "spy-on-the-run" adventure that pulses with almost continuous excitement. In fact, the more romantic aspects of the story—German spy Faber's relationship with dissatisfied wife Lucy Rose—are the weaker parts of the book.

Follett spreads his net wide, bringing in figures such as Rommel, Churchil, and Hitler himself into bridging material between the pursuit of Faber as he tries to get out of England with material that could destroy the upcoming Normandy invasion. This strikes an excellent balance between the epic consequences and personal struggle. Although Heinrich Faber, a.k.a. "Die Nadel", is a cold-blooded killer and the villain of the piece, it's easy to get swept away in his desperate attempts to outwit British intelligence and get to the end of a harrowing fight. He's a more interesting character than Godliman, the intelligence officer on his trail (who was pulled from the world of dusty academia back into the espionage game). The real hero of the story is Lucy, who doesn't know the wider implications of the handsome stranger who enters her life, but nonetheles finds herself in a life and death fight to save herself and her son. A page-turner in the old-fashioned, Eric Ambler version of the term. ( )