The Key to Rebecca

This book is really well written and engaging. I'm disturbed by how much I was on the side of the Nazi spy. The whole book takes place far from the horrifying realities for Nazi Germany and the character of Alex Wolff drew me in. As I got to know the characters on the other side I was conflicted. I knew who I should be rooting for, but I didn't want Alex to lose either. An excellent read.

To set the scene: it's 1942 in North Africa and the Germans are winning the Second Great War.
Alexander Wolff is a clever yet psychotic man with a deep seeded grudge against the British. Born to look like and pass as an Englishman but with a German past, he has an affinity for helping Hitler win the war. His good looks, deadly skills and unflinching temperament make him the perfect proficient spy, especially when he is able to seduce any woman he wants into aiding and abetting his every crime.
Major William Vandam is a hard drinking yet dedicated military man with a growing obsession with catching Wolff. A lonely widower with a ten year old son, he struggles to balance a home life while always frustratingly one step behind Wolff. When he show more meets and enlists the help of lovely Elena the burning question is will she help Vandam or be drawn into Wolff's charming ways? As Natalie Merchant warns, "you'll fall under an evil spell just looking at his beautiful face" ("Build a Levee").
At the center of this cat and mouse chase is Daphne du Maurier's famous novel, Rebecca. Buried deep within its pages is code designed to alert the Germans to the British military plans.
This is a fast paced adventure across the arid Sahara and down the darkened streets of Cairo. The characters as well as the action keep you riveted. I read it in four days time. show less

Follett è sempre una garanzia e anche questa volta il racconto merita, sotto tutti i punti di vista.
Il libro, ambientato in Egitto nell’estate del 1942 quando sembrava che i tedeschi stessero per avere il sopravvento sugli inglesi, è una via di mezzo tra una spy story e un thriller storico in parte ispirato anche a un fatto realmente accaduto.
Una vicenda appassionante che coinvolge e conquista, personaggi intriganti e ben caratterizzati, una lettura vivace e molto scorrevole per un altro imperdibile di questo bravissimo scrittore.

Only recently, I learned that the title of this book — and a key part of the story — is based on real events. There really was a German Nazi spy who helped Rommel’s armies using encrypted messages based on Daphne du Maurier’s novel, Rebecca. That’s why I decided to re-read the novel, having first read it when it first came out some forty years ago. I have to say that when I read it then, I enjoyed it very much and many scenes stay in my memory even today.

But following a fresh re-reading today, the novel hasn’t aged well. While the basic premise is an interesting one, the story is formulaic, the characters wooden and the climax absurd to say the least. (Without giving much away, let’s just say that following the incredible show more bungling of the book’s hero, the brave efforts of a young boy leads to the defeat of the legendary Afrika Korps.) The relationship between the four main characters (two men and two women) may have seemed somewhat bold back in 1979 (with scenes involving to bisexual sex, threesomes, casual promiscuity, prostitution, etc), but today it all seems a bit forced — and some of it quite silly. Not recommended. show less

The actual plot of "The Key to Rebecca" by Ken Follett was a good idea. It follows Wolff, a spy currently in Cairo. His mission is to obtain top secret information that can be forwarded to Rommel. Vandam, and English officer, is on his trail, with little to no support from his boss. However, the ongoing sexual exploits of some of the characters, in my opinion, took away from the storyline. I've enjoyed some of Mr. Follett's previous novels. Unfortunately, this was not one of them.

The actual plot of "The Key to Rebecca" by Ken Follett was a good idea. It follows Wolff, a spy currently in Cairo. His mission is to obtain top secret information that can be forwarded to Rommel. Vandam, and English officer, is on his trail, with little to no support from his boss. However, the ongoing sexual exploits of some of the characters, in my opinion, took away from the storyline. I've enjoyed some of Mr. Follett's previous novels. Unfortunately, this was not one of them.

A tightly-written novel based on a German spy behind the lines of British-held Cairo. Good characterization and some fantastic passages that captured the essence of big cities in the Near East.