Alex Gerlis

The debut novel from BBC journalist Alex Gerlis. He attempts to piece together the events leading up to and immediately following the D-Day landings from the perspective of those tasked with deceiving the Germans as to where the landing would actually take place. A variety of characters on all sides are used to detail just how complicated the deception operation was. In that sense, this was an interesting read. I could’ve done without the love story.

What I likedThe book was a great history lesson. It was clearly well researched and provided a plausible interpretation of the events surrounding the Pas de Calais deception prior to D-Day.The second half of the book was entertaining, although some key plot points did feel rushed or skipped over.The interactions between characters, especially those within the British intelligence community, were done well. I also enjoyed the French resistance fighters.What I didn’t likeThe first half of the book feels like a chronicle — a blow-by-blow account of the events leading up to Mercier’s disappearance. I kept wondering why so much of the book was dedicated to preamble.The blurb is misleading. You need to read half of the book before you can even begin to understand what the blurb is talking about.There where too many spelling and grammar mistakes, and there were times when I was sure that a word was missing.Recommendation

Worth it for the history lesson. What didn’t do it for me was just how much of the story was dedicated to the romance — and its aftermath — between Quinn and Mercier. What this story did remind me of was the movie Allied.

The Best of Our Spies was originally published in Kent Babin | Novelist on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.