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The Salzberg Connection
Twenty-one years ago, with the Allies on their heels, the Nazis hid a sealed chest in the dark, forbidding waters of the Finstersee - a lake surrounded by the brooding peaks of the Austrian Alps.
One of the few men who knows of its existence is Richard Bryant, a British agent. Very early one morning, half-hidden by the swirling mists, he sets out alone to discover the secret of the lake - and unleashes a series of violent reactions - and violent deaths ...
One of the few men who knows of its existence is Richard Bryant, a British agent. Very early one morning, half-hidden by the swirling mists, he sets out alone to discover the secret of the lake - and unleashes a series of violent reactions - and violent deaths ...
Hardcover
First published September 1, 1968
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About the author
Helen MacInnes
67 books258 followersHelen MacInnes was a Scottish-American author of espionage novels. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in Scotland in 1928 with a degree in French and German. A librarian, she married Professor Gilbert Highet in 1932 and moved with her husband to New York in 1937 so he could teach classics at Columbia University. She wrote her first novel, Above Suspicion, in 1939. She wrote many bestselling suspense novels and became an American citizen in 1951.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
January 21, 2019
Post-WWII spy thriller about hidden Nazi treasure, by classic suspense novelist Helen MacInnes - buddy reading with the Retro Reads group! This was a very good suspense novel, though complicated, with lots of players on several different teams, and a traitor or three.
Twenty-one years after the end of WWII, Richard Bryant, a British agent, decides to make his move. Many years ago, in the aftermath of the war, a Nazi lieutenant told Bryant about a box containing valuable Nazi secrets that had been hidden in a remote lake in the Salzkammergut area of Austria during the war.
Bryant knows the Nazi has deep undercover agents still watching and protecting the box, but he's figured out where it is and thinks he can sneak in and get the box out from under their noses.
He's almost right. But where is the box now?
And so begins a chase to find the box and its contents. There's a high body count, and several different countries and factions involved, some trying to capture the box so they can see its contents, other simply wanting to destroy it.
It's a complicated story and starts off rather slow, introducing lots of characters whose roles aren't entirely clear at first. I was confused enough (probably my fault for reading too fast) that I actually stopped and skimmed the first 125 pages again, paying more attention to the descriptions of the various characters, who they were and what side they were on ... or appeared to be on. Well, it worked. :) And the last half was excellent, moving along at a fast pace and completely sucking me in.
Despite this having been written by a woman, you see the sixties attitude toward the role of women (which is when this was written, as well as the time period that it's set in). But there's a certain Mata Hari type of spy who gave all the men a run for their money. Oh, and also instalove, hah, but it's a very minor part of the plot.
Recommended to those who like old-fashioned spy novels. And now I really want to go travel in Austria!
Just maybe not go diving alone in isolated lakes for dangerous Nazi secrets.
Twenty-one years after the end of WWII, Richard Bryant, a British agent, decides to make his move. Many years ago, in the aftermath of the war, a Nazi lieutenant told Bryant about a box containing valuable Nazi secrets that had been hidden in a remote lake in the Salzkammergut area of Austria during the war.
Bryant knows the Nazi has deep undercover agents still watching and protecting the box, but he's figured out where it is and thinks he can sneak in and get the box out from under their noses.
He's almost right. But where is the box now?
And so begins a chase to find the box and its contents. There's a high body count, and several different countries and factions involved, some trying to capture the box so they can see its contents, other simply wanting to destroy it.
It's a complicated story and starts off rather slow, introducing lots of characters whose roles aren't entirely clear at first. I was confused enough (probably my fault for reading too fast) that I actually stopped and skimmed the first 125 pages again, paying more attention to the descriptions of the various characters, who they were and what side they were on ... or appeared to be on. Well, it worked. :) And the last half was excellent, moving along at a fast pace and completely sucking me in.
Despite this having been written by a woman, you see the sixties attitude toward the role of women (which is when this was written, as well as the time period that it's set in). But there's a certain Mata Hari type of spy who gave all the men a run for their money. Oh, and also instalove, hah, but it's a very minor part of the plot.
Recommended to those who like old-fashioned spy novels. And now I really want to go travel in Austria!
Just maybe not go diving alone in isolated lakes for dangerous Nazi secrets.
August 11, 2017
I read MacInnes' first novel Above Suspicion a couple of years ago, and thought the story was pretty good but the writing could be clunky on occasion. One thing I can say for The Salzburg Connection is that by this point in MacInnes' career, nearly twenty years later, that issue had smoothed itself out. She still retained the curious trait of suddenly switching character POV within the same scene, even within the same paragraph; what we'd call head-hopping today. Personally I don't mind that trait; it just comes across as a little unusual given that few recent writers employ it.
It's pretty much a no-frills style of thriller writing, though—not, for instance, like a Mary Stewart suspense novel, which sets the scene vividly. Everybody knows how gorgeous the Austrian Alps are (I pretty much picked up this title when in a thriller mood because of...well, the Salzburg connection), but in MacInnes' writing the landscape only enters into the story as it directly affects the plot. And characters are only developed as needed too, for the most part. The main interest of the book likes in the complexity of the spy plot and the constant question of what's going to happen next.
The premise of the plot revolves around a box of Nazi records hidden in the Alps at the end of WWII, and when word of their existence gets about twenty years later, still dangerous or valuable in the eyes of about half a dozen countries—not to mention a few leftover Nazis who are still guarding them in hopes of a future resurgence. The character who becomes our protagonist for the majority of the time is Bill Mathison, an unassuming American lawyer who is sent to Austria on behalf of a publisher client to investigate an odd circumstance surrounding a contract, and discovers that one of the publisher's European representatives has apparently been meddling in international espionage. Drawn into a web of intrigue partly on his employer's behalf, he ends up assisting Western intelligence agents in a number of remarkably hands-on ways. It's a very black-and-white portrayal of international affairs, with U.S., British and Swiss intelligence being the thoroughly white hats, Austria on the right side though not portrayed as too wise, and Russia the main bad guy, with the Nazis and a few lesser black hats to complicate things.
The suspense element kept me turning the pages, as various agents, double agents, amateurs, and an opportunistic civilian or two all maneuver carefully but desperately to try and locate the vital box. I ended up getting a little weary toward the conclusion, though, as the race neared its finish and several character deaths made the tone seem more bleak. That, and perhaps the relative shallowness I mentioned kept me from really connecting with the story the way I have with other books. For something to read when you're in the mood for a bit of page-turning excitement, though, it's not bad.
It's pretty much a no-frills style of thriller writing, though—not, for instance, like a Mary Stewart suspense novel, which sets the scene vividly. Everybody knows how gorgeous the Austrian Alps are (I pretty much picked up this title when in a thriller mood because of...well, the Salzburg connection), but in MacInnes' writing the landscape only enters into the story as it directly affects the plot. And characters are only developed as needed too, for the most part. The main interest of the book likes in the complexity of the spy plot and the constant question of what's going to happen next.
The premise of the plot revolves around a box of Nazi records hidden in the Alps at the end of WWII, and when word of their existence gets about twenty years later, still dangerous or valuable in the eyes of about half a dozen countries—not to mention a few leftover Nazis who are still guarding them in hopes of a future resurgence. The character who becomes our protagonist for the majority of the time is Bill Mathison, an unassuming American lawyer who is sent to Austria on behalf of a publisher client to investigate an odd circumstance surrounding a contract, and discovers that one of the publisher's European representatives has apparently been meddling in international espionage. Drawn into a web of intrigue partly on his employer's behalf, he ends up assisting Western intelligence agents in a number of remarkably hands-on ways. It's a very black-and-white portrayal of international affairs, with U.S., British and Swiss intelligence being the thoroughly white hats, Austria on the right side though not portrayed as too wise, and Russia the main bad guy, with the Nazis and a few lesser black hats to complicate things.
The suspense element kept me turning the pages, as various agents, double agents, amateurs, and an opportunistic civilian or two all maneuver carefully but desperately to try and locate the vital box. I ended up getting a little weary toward the conclusion, though, as the race neared its finish and several character deaths made the tone seem more bleak. That, and perhaps the relative shallowness I mentioned kept me from really connecting with the story the way I have with other books. For something to read when you're in the mood for a bit of page-turning excitement, though, it's not bad.
March 16, 2023
1968
A lake in Austria where Nazis hid a metal trunk. There are still Nazis around, spies from everywhere. I do like her writing. This is the third book I've read by MacInnes. She always incorporates romances into her espionage novels. Probably smart and she wrote many. They were very popular. This one was a movie.
A lake in Austria where Nazis hid a metal trunk. There are still Nazis around, spies from everywhere. I do like her writing. This is the third book I've read by MacInnes. She always incorporates romances into her espionage novels. Probably smart and she wrote many. They were very popular. This one was a movie.
January 14, 2020
Long but quite a page turner, this was an exceptional spy thriller with a great setting in the Austrian Alps. Nazis, communists, British and Americans all converge to look for a box left behind from WWII. This was my first time to read one of MacInnes books, and it was addictive.
July 1, 2009
Ms. MacInnes wrote spy thrillers before almost anyone else. They are still outstanding reads.
March 19, 2018
I discovered MacInnes' books decades ago as a young girl when I enjoyed these Cold War stories of innocent Americans caught up in the machinations of Nazis, Communists, Red Chinese, and the other splinter groups that made up the bad guys in spy novels of that era. What I liked the best was the fact that our protagonists were regular people who found themselves in extraordinary situations and had to use their own resources to survive. It's been a long time since I read one of these and I'm interested to see my slightly different reactions now.
Back in those days I read lots of Austen, Scott, Dickens and other classic writers. In fact the most modern writer I enjoyed was Agatha Christie. Now, many years later, I've kept up with those classics but added a lot more modern books to the mix. I'm pretty sure that's why I thought it took a long time for this book to get going - my perspective has changed. Also, I remembered who the MCs were, and since they don't show up till well into the story I waited rather impatiently for their appearance. Not that the earlier people don't matter, and certainly the author was setting everything in motion and giving us an idea of what our MCs would face - but as used as I am to today's books, it felt slow.
Still, I enjoyed reading about publishing attorney Bill and the confusion brought on by one of the publisher's agents signing a contract for a book the main office had never heard of. It's a tangled web he finds himself in when he arrives in Austria, where everyone he meets is a potential ally or enemy. He's clever enough that I didn't have to yell, "Don't be an idiot! Think, man!" at him, but he also doesn't get everything right, which makes for a good story. When the author's threads start to come together the reader is happy to race through chapters to see how it all works out. There's always a bit of a romance in these books, too, to guarantee an HEA for the good guys.
I'm pretty sure I'll be rereading more of these soon, now that they're available on OverDrive.
NB - Fans of Alistair MacLean should try these, which have more of a female presence than most of his books did. They also bear some similarity to Mary Stewart's romantic suspense, with less emphasis on the relationships.
Back in those days I read lots of Austen, Scott, Dickens and other classic writers. In fact the most modern writer I enjoyed was Agatha Christie. Now, many years later, I've kept up with those classics but added a lot more modern books to the mix. I'm pretty sure that's why I thought it took a long time for this book to get going - my perspective has changed. Also, I remembered who the MCs were, and since they don't show up till well into the story I waited rather impatiently for their appearance. Not that the earlier people don't matter, and certainly the author was setting everything in motion and giving us an idea of what our MCs would face - but as used as I am to today's books, it felt slow.
Still, I enjoyed reading about publishing attorney Bill and the confusion brought on by one of the publisher's agents signing a contract for a book the main office had never heard of. It's a tangled web he finds himself in when he arrives in Austria, where everyone he meets is a potential ally or enemy. He's clever enough that I didn't have to yell, "Don't be an idiot! Think, man!" at him, but he also doesn't get everything right, which makes for a good story. When the author's threads start to come together the reader is happy to race through chapters to see how it all works out. There's always a bit of a romance in these books, too, to guarantee an HEA for the good guys.
I'm pretty sure I'll be rereading more of these soon, now that they're available on OverDrive.
NB - Fans of Alistair MacLean should try these, which have more of a female presence than most of his books did. They also bear some similarity to Mary Stewart's romantic suspense, with less emphasis on the relationships.
February 3, 2019
Retro Read group read for Feb. 2019.
This was my second Helen MacInnis book and I really enjoyed it, very fast moving and lots of twists and turns. However, I did think there were spots that were overladen with discussion when the action slowed down considerably. I will definitely continue with her books.
This was my second Helen MacInnis book and I really enjoyed it, very fast moving and lots of twists and turns. However, I did think there were spots that were overladen with discussion when the action slowed down considerably. I will definitely continue with her books.
January 22, 2019
Very exciting read - my first Helen MacInnes spy thriller, and it was a doozy! I’m glad I read this with the Retro Reads group, as several of the members have read this author before and had good insights when I wasn’t sure what was going on.
Apparently, the “competent amateur” who gets caught up in espionage is a common character in MacInnes thrillers - this time, it’s Bill Mathison, a New York lawyer. He comes to Salzburg to talk to a photographer who thinks he has a book contract with a publisher Mathison’s firm represents; the contract is a fake, the photographer is killed within the first couple chapters in a humdinger of a start to the action, and before he knows it, Mathison is caught in the middle of an intricate and intriguing plot...
No spoilers, but this grand adventure had it all - beautiful scenery, spies of several nationalities, Nazi secrets, tension, intrigue, even a low-key romance; I look forward to reading more of MacInnes thrillers in future.
Apparently, the “competent amateur” who gets caught up in espionage is a common character in MacInnes thrillers - this time, it’s Bill Mathison, a New York lawyer. He comes to Salzburg to talk to a photographer who thinks he has a book contract with a publisher Mathison’s firm represents; the contract is a fake, the photographer is killed within the first couple chapters in a humdinger of a start to the action, and before he knows it, Mathison is caught in the middle of an intricate and intriguing plot...
No spoilers, but this grand adventure had it all - beautiful scenery, spies of several nationalities, Nazi secrets, tension, intrigue, even a low-key romance; I look forward to reading more of MacInnes thrillers in future.
July 31, 2011
I read this book for the first time soon after its original publication in the late 60's. I loved it and inspired an interest in suspense novels and especially all books by Helen MacInnes. Would love to find the time to read it again.
January 12, 2010
First class story- interesting characters, logical yet surprising plot twists, suspense the whole way through!
February 11, 2009
I loved this book, a great suspense, mystery that is CLEAN!!! The book was published in 1968. I think I am going to try and check out other books by this author. Yea!!!
October 11, 2021
The Salzburg Connection was published in the fall of '68 and went to # 1 on the N.Y. Times bestseller list, staying on the bestseller list for 10 months (so it says on the front of the book). Helen MacInnes was a top bestseller for almost forty years. This book concerns the search for a recovered chest of nazi papers, including the names of individuals still sympathetic to that cause. By today's standards the book is slow (most of the action takes place in conversations or in the thoughts of various characters). But in '68, readers had a longer attention span and didn't need constant gunfire and explosions to follow a story. A well done mystery by the former queen of the spy/murder/mystery genre. This book was very difficult for me to read because it had the smallest print I have ever seen in a commercial book. Still recommended.
June 15, 2013
This has long been one of my favorite reads. First discovered as a teenager in my hometown's public library, and reread many times through the years, I am happy to say that it held up beautifully to a recent indulgence! The suspense grips from the opening moments at a misty lakeside in Austria where a box hidden by the Nazis at the end of WWII to the final resolution. the characters are smart and identifiable, the story intriguing. Now of course certain business of the story like the suddenly shorter cord on his hotel phone (which tips the hero off that phone bugged) seem a touch quaint. when first written though the events were pretty contemporary. If you like good suspense with a WWII and Cold War theme, this book is for you. All MacInnes works are being released in digital format. Guess I can finally give up my tattered disintegrating paperback copy!
May 11, 2020
I really have now enjoyed this book, It had me on edge. You start reading and you cannot stop until you get to the end - hoping that all the bad guys will get their deserved end !
I went to look up if I could find the 1972 movie. I should not have done it. What they did to Helen McInnes superb book is an insult to the author. The main plot they did not change, it is still about a hidden chest with ..... in it, but the rest a waste of some good actors. I believe if I had not read the book, I would not even have understood what exactly happened. All five Stars for the author for her excellent spy book. This book can be recommended and it must not be afraid of age.
I went to look up if I could find the 1972 movie. I should not have done it. What they did to Helen McInnes superb book is an insult to the author. The main plot they did not change, it is still about a hidden chest with ..... in it, but the rest a waste of some good actors. I believe if I had not read the book, I would not even have understood what exactly happened. All five Stars for the author for her excellent spy book. This book can be recommended and it must not be afraid of age.
January 25, 2019
Fairly tight and legitimately complex Cold War thriller set (mostly) in Austria in the 1960s. Helen MacInnes was a master of this genre, and in The Salzburg Connection she plays with its conventions in a few surprising ways. There were perhaps a few too many players for the reader's comfort, but it was interesting to see her believable depiction of the Realpolitik of spy culture, where loyalties and motivations are in constant flux and adversaries collude or deceive according to the demands of the moment.
August 22, 2022
Nazis, Russians, Brits, and Americans all converging on the same remote Austrian mountain village. Throw in a few alliances,double-crosses and triple-crosses, amateur and professional spies, a lawyer, an editor and several innocent bystanders mix them all up in Cold War Europe and you have one terrific spy-novel. What's in that Finstersee box anyway?
May 2, 2018
I found this a little harder to get into than most of MacInnes's novels - it's long, with a big cast - but ultimately rewarding. I liked the Austrian setting and the reminder that events from the Second World War remained significant into the Cold War (and today).
March 12, 2008
This is my mom's favorite author and she has me hooked. I really enjoyed this book due to its setting and its high level of intrigue.
October 29, 2009
Out of the box for me, but it was pretty good. The main character kind of bugged me though. Whenever he saw a pretty woman it reminded me of a dog seeing a treat.
March 31, 2021
PROLOGUE - FADE IN TO MOUNTAIN SCENERY
Singing Voice: "The hills are alive with the sound of...(new song) Nazis in hiding and Russians are spying, Proud Boys with packages bursting through seams, these are a few of my favorite things...(new song)...follow every rainbow till...you find...your...FADE TO NUNNERY
ACT 1: A problematic nun is sent away from a nunnery TO FIGURE STUFF OUT. (Rather, a D.C. lawyer is sent away from America TO FIGURE STUFF OUT.)
ACT 2: Our nun loses track of a bunch of kids when their canoe overturns and she IS SENT BACK to the nunnery. (Rather, our D.C. lawyer IS SENT BACK to America cause he loses track of a Nazi treasure chest*)
ACT 3: Our singing nun must gather her courage and rescue the kids from a nasty 'other woman' (and nasty Nazis) during a concert, ESCAPING THROUGH LUSH MOUNTAIN GREENERY. (Ok, well, our D.C. lawyer returns, rescues a woman hiding the chest in her hope chest cause no one would ever look there, then after a concert must decide if the 'other woman' is a nasty Nazi (or not), ESCAPING THROUGH LUSH MOUNTAIN GREENERY. FADE OUT with singing: "Dough, my dear, makes you fat in the..."
This novel came out in 1968, just a few years after "The Sound of Music" movie (set in Salzburg) won a ton of awards but just in time to capitalize on the massive and continued popularity of the film and soundtrack. And yes, seriously, the pace and setting of the film are all right here in the novel. You gotta hand it to MacInnes, though, for simply writing a novel people wanted to read at the time. And she does use some original, for 1968, spy-thriller-elements.
*Chest contains either 1) Hitler's brain or 2) someone's foreskin or 3) pictures of a naked Hitler having sex with young boys or 4) a virus that will destroy the world or 5) a list of really bad people and where to find them or 6) Deleted X-rated scenes from "The Sound of Music". Hint: all of these items except one have been used in spy thrillers.
Singing Voice: "The hills are alive with the sound of...(new song) Nazis in hiding and Russians are spying, Proud Boys with packages bursting through seams, these are a few of my favorite things...(new song)...follow every rainbow till...you find...your...FADE TO NUNNERY
ACT 1: A problematic nun is sent away from a nunnery TO FIGURE STUFF OUT. (Rather, a D.C. lawyer is sent away from America TO FIGURE STUFF OUT.)
ACT 2: Our nun loses track of a bunch of kids when their canoe overturns and she IS SENT BACK to the nunnery. (Rather, our D.C. lawyer IS SENT BACK to America cause he loses track of a Nazi treasure chest*)
ACT 3: Our singing nun must gather her courage and rescue the kids from a nasty 'other woman' (and nasty Nazis) during a concert, ESCAPING THROUGH LUSH MOUNTAIN GREENERY. (Ok, well, our D.C. lawyer returns, rescues a woman hiding the chest in her hope chest cause no one would ever look there, then after a concert must decide if the 'other woman' is a nasty Nazi (or not), ESCAPING THROUGH LUSH MOUNTAIN GREENERY. FADE OUT with singing: "Dough, my dear, makes you fat in the..."
This novel came out in 1968, just a few years after "The Sound of Music" movie (set in Salzburg) won a ton of awards but just in time to capitalize on the massive and continued popularity of the film and soundtrack. And yes, seriously, the pace and setting of the film are all right here in the novel. You gotta hand it to MacInnes, though, for simply writing a novel people wanted to read at the time. And she does use some original, for 1968, spy-thriller-elements.
*Chest contains either 1) Hitler's brain or 2) someone's foreskin or 3) pictures of a naked Hitler having sex with young boys or 4) a virus that will destroy the world or 5) a list of really bad people and where to find them or 6) Deleted X-rated scenes from "The Sound of Music". Hint: all of these items except one have been used in spy thrillers.
May 24, 2016
More reviews available at my blog, Beauty and the Bookworm.
Helen MacInnes has been labeled "the queen of suspense" by some, and I think I would probably agree with that based on my impressions of The Salzburg Connection. The plot revolves around a box hidden in an Austrian lake, and all of the people who are trying to find it or prevent it from being found. This results in there being a lot of moving parts, but MacInnes handles it well. She's also rather unique in the world of cold war spy novelists in that she actually has strong female characters. Lynn adapts remarkably well to the adverse conditions she finds in Zurich and proves to be a good person to have on hand. And Elissa... Oh, what to say about Elissa without ruining anything? Well, she's definitely a clever character, and she does not in any way fall into the trope of the "Bond girl" that is so common throughout spy novels.
This is a somewhat dated book, having been published in 1968, but that doesn't diminish its reading quality. It is devoid of the slick gadgets found in so many spy novels, probably because the primary characters are not spies themselves, and this makes it a much more believable narrative. Mathison, a lawyer who is also the main character of the novel--he is the main character, despite his relatively late appearance--is just trying to figure out what he's gotten himself into and help someone out. He doesn't want to be a spy, and he doesn't really engage in that much spy-like activity. That's all left to other characters, making Mathison extremely engaging. Because we experience the story mostly through his perspective, we get the real experience of what he's going through, rather than jumping right into the shocking doings of the underworld.
MacInnes also has a wonderful layering effect going on throughout the novel. As said before, there are a lot of moving parts, and just when you think you have all of their paths figured out, she adds another dimension--some of which aren't revealed until the very end. They aren't huge twists that will completely change the plot for you, but they do add a lot of "oomph" to the experience and make it seem a much more "full" narrative. I didn't really buy into the romance subplot, because I felt it wasn't worked enough to be really engaging, but that wasn't the main point of the book so I can let it go. Overall, I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes spy stories, mysteries, Nazis, or novels about the complicated relations of the cold war.
4 out of 5 stars.
Helen MacInnes has been labeled "the queen of suspense" by some, and I think I would probably agree with that based on my impressions of The Salzburg Connection. The plot revolves around a box hidden in an Austrian lake, and all of the people who are trying to find it or prevent it from being found. This results in there being a lot of moving parts, but MacInnes handles it well. She's also rather unique in the world of cold war spy novelists in that she actually has strong female characters. Lynn adapts remarkably well to the adverse conditions she finds in Zurich and proves to be a good person to have on hand. And Elissa... Oh, what to say about Elissa without ruining anything? Well, she's definitely a clever character, and she does not in any way fall into the trope of the "Bond girl" that is so common throughout spy novels.
This is a somewhat dated book, having been published in 1968, but that doesn't diminish its reading quality. It is devoid of the slick gadgets found in so many spy novels, probably because the primary characters are not spies themselves, and this makes it a much more believable narrative. Mathison, a lawyer who is also the main character of the novel--he is the main character, despite his relatively late appearance--is just trying to figure out what he's gotten himself into and help someone out. He doesn't want to be a spy, and he doesn't really engage in that much spy-like activity. That's all left to other characters, making Mathison extremely engaging. Because we experience the story mostly through his perspective, we get the real experience of what he's going through, rather than jumping right into the shocking doings of the underworld.
MacInnes also has a wonderful layering effect going on throughout the novel. As said before, there are a lot of moving parts, and just when you think you have all of their paths figured out, she adds another dimension--some of which aren't revealed until the very end. They aren't huge twists that will completely change the plot for you, but they do add a lot of "oomph" to the experience and make it seem a much more "full" narrative. I didn't really buy into the romance subplot, because I felt it wasn't worked enough to be really engaging, but that wasn't the main point of the book so I can let it go. Overall, I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes spy stories, mysteries, Nazis, or novels about the complicated relations of the cold war.
4 out of 5 stars.
February 2, 2013
A retired British spy runs a photography shop with his loving wife. He finished a book of Austrian lakes, for the Swiss branch of a New York publisher and happens to write New York instead of his usual liaison. A lawyer arrives to explain they can find no contract and only publish scientific material. The American finds a distraught wife instead of her husband and the name signed on the couple’s advance cheque, is no one they know.
I’m accustomed to 300-page mysteries and “The Salzburg Connection”, 1968, is a 384-page spy adventure thus it took me longer to read. I wound up outside my preferred genre because I loved some of Helen MacInnes’s gothic mysteries and when I am a fan, I collect all works. Also, the viewpoint passes through several characters before we settle on the protagonist and I’m never interested in the culprit’s perspective, nor too long a deviation from the leading plot. In this novel, Helen shifts the torch from side to side but the spy action and intricacies were expertly conveyed. Despite that and a lot of minor pit stops: meetings, checking into hotels, cancelling dinner planes by phone... the activities had a purpose and interest didn’t wane for long.
Most importantly, hero & heroine aren’t investigators. The layman follows time-sensitive, drastic exploits through the eyes of bewildered visitors to Austria and Switzerland. The ‘nazi’ topic is unpleasant and peculiar but this tale was published 22 years after Word War II, so I imagine it struck an intriguing chord then. The end chapters dragged past the key climax, rather than concluding with triumph and satisfaction. Many portions should have been cut throughout the novel; for instance, spotlights on external townspeople. However I enjoyed the cleverness and learned a lot about keen observation and quick thinking.
I’m accustomed to 300-page mysteries and “The Salzburg Connection”, 1968, is a 384-page spy adventure thus it took me longer to read. I wound up outside my preferred genre because I loved some of Helen MacInnes’s gothic mysteries and when I am a fan, I collect all works. Also, the viewpoint passes through several characters before we settle on the protagonist and I’m never interested in the culprit’s perspective, nor too long a deviation from the leading plot. In this novel, Helen shifts the torch from side to side but the spy action and intricacies were expertly conveyed. Despite that and a lot of minor pit stops: meetings, checking into hotels, cancelling dinner planes by phone... the activities had a purpose and interest didn’t wane for long.
Most importantly, hero & heroine aren’t investigators. The layman follows time-sensitive, drastic exploits through the eyes of bewildered visitors to Austria and Switzerland. The ‘nazi’ topic is unpleasant and peculiar but this tale was published 22 years after Word War II, so I imagine it struck an intriguing chord then. The end chapters dragged past the key climax, rather than concluding with triumph and satisfaction. Many portions should have been cut throughout the novel; for instance, spotlights on external townspeople. However I enjoyed the cleverness and learned a lot about keen observation and quick thinking.
July 22, 2013
What is buried in a lake in the Austrian mountains? Are Bill Mathison and Lynn Conway in over their heads? Whose side is Felix Zauner really on? Where is Eric Yates? Why are Chinese agents in Zurich? How are the British and American agents involved? Who and what is Elissa Lang? This thriller was 10 months on the Times best seller list and maintains its page-turning power today.
It starts with a long set up that gives the wrong impression of who the main character will be. But then the pace speeds up as the true protagonist is introduced. A large cast of characters some of whom appear for a time then leave the action. Sometimes the reader is surprised by who survives the action and who does not.
Spy agencies from around the planet are drawn to the scene. Cameos from agents from many nations adds to the feeling of high stakes international intrigue that develops as the story unfolds. There is a sense in the book of the professionalism of the various agencies, and interestingly of their boundaries. During the time the case concerns the U.S., the hero meets FBI agents. Then when the action moves off shore, the FBI men refer him to agents of another nation, and on to another as the action moves from place to place. Eventually agents from far-reaching organizations like Mi6 and CIA converge on the scene for a rousing climax.
At times the author reaches too far for pathos, but overall this book is one of the greats of spy fiction.
It starts with a long set up that gives the wrong impression of who the main character will be. But then the pace speeds up as the true protagonist is introduced. A large cast of characters some of whom appear for a time then leave the action. Sometimes the reader is surprised by who survives the action and who does not.
Spy agencies from around the planet are drawn to the scene. Cameos from agents from many nations adds to the feeling of high stakes international intrigue that develops as the story unfolds. There is a sense in the book of the professionalism of the various agencies, and interestingly of their boundaries. During the time the case concerns the U.S., the hero meets FBI agents. Then when the action moves off shore, the FBI men refer him to agents of another nation, and on to another as the action moves from place to place. Eventually agents from far-reaching organizations like Mi6 and CIA converge on the scene for a rousing climax.
At times the author reaches too far for pathos, but overall this book is one of the greats of spy fiction.
April 17, 2018
This bestseller from 1967 did not age well. It's strength is suspense, in other words, delaying gratification. The first chapter was a great example of setting up a situation, then playing it out over the course of the chapter. However, it went down hill from there. There were too many characters, many with multiple identities, some with multiple allegiances. The motivation of the characters is suspect, with many of them acting for the convenience of the plot, and not driving the plot. The concluding resolution of the love interest is particularly strained, where the man and woman find love after knowing each other only two days, and not spending all of that time in each other's company.
The plot was very involved, involving Nazis, Chicoms, Russian Communists, and agents from Austria, Britain, and America. The McGuffin was a box recovered from Finstersee Lake with the names of influential people who had been blackmailed by Nazis, and now could be blackmailed by other malefactors. Of course there was also a fake box, just to complicate things.
So, interesting story as an example of 1960s paranoia about the could war, but difficult to follow and hard to become emotionally involved.
The plot was very involved, involving Nazis, Chicoms, Russian Communists, and agents from Austria, Britain, and America. The McGuffin was a box recovered from Finstersee Lake with the names of influential people who had been blackmailed by Nazis, and now could be blackmailed by other malefactors. Of course there was also a fake box, just to complicate things.
So, interesting story as an example of 1960s paranoia about the could war, but difficult to follow and hard to become emotionally involved.
November 7, 2012
Enjoyed this. The first chapter which details the removal and hiding of a box of Nazi materials from an Austrian lake sets up the whole situation, including Richard Bryant's murder.Everything seems to flow naturally from this, the arrival of a New York lawyer representing a publishing house to investigate a cheque supposedly issued by the publisher's agent as an advance on a book the publisher would not in a million years have added to their list. Bryant's widow is immediately involved in all the problems a business partner would face as well as the inordinate amount of interest being shown by a number of very strange people. This spy thriller stands up well after over 40 years, although the sense Lynn has that she has to ask if she can go along is strange given that she is the company's authorized representative. It is the last stand of the "put a woman in the position but make sure there are men around to keep her from taking any chances" school of thought. The nasties are really nasty and the good guys have real friends and neighbours who are ready to provide help and sympathy when tragedy strikes.
April 25, 2014
A brilliant book, on an oft-written theme, with an entirely fresh perspective and treatment. The story traces the post-World War II period, when most countries in Europe are engaged in cloak and dagger encounters. There are the Soviets, the Americans, the Brits and of course the Germans who are determined to recoup their losses after Hitler's downfall. At the centre is a deep, dark lake- Fintersee- which hides more secrets than one can imagine.
The book was absorbing and the story unpredictable. Unlike most thrillers where one is able to foresee some, if not all developments, the author keeps the reader guessing till the end. The characterization is strong and the plot so well developed that I found myself paying close attention to every detail for fear of losing a thread.
An un-put-down-able book by all standards and highly recommended for those who enjoy mystery and intrigue, with a dash of Nazi history thrown in.
The book was absorbing and the story unpredictable. Unlike most thrillers where one is able to foresee some, if not all developments, the author keeps the reader guessing till the end. The characterization is strong and the plot so well developed that I found myself paying close attention to every detail for fear of losing a thread.
An un-put-down-able book by all standards and highly recommended for those who enjoy mystery and intrigue, with a dash of Nazi history thrown in.
October 3, 2017
The premise was deeply attractive. Hidden Nazi treasure to fund the Fourth Reich. That treasure protected by Nazis during the Cold War. Americans, Russians and Brits all closing in on the prize. How could it go wrong? Well to be succinct, it is long-winded, boring and the characters stereotypical and one-dimensional. It was my first Helen MacInnes and obviously disappointing but I intend to really research her other efforts and pick a stronger effort. If anyone can help me out that would be appreciated.
July 9, 2016
Really 3.5, but I have been so desperate for something, anything, to read that could hold my attention that I especially appreciated this one. Apart from a bit of clumsy, dated writing, it was a thoroughly satisfying spy novel. Not as elegant as Mary Stewart, but very readable and well thought out. And, because it's a few decades old, it had the added bonus of being only PG. I'll be reading more by this author.
August 24, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up
This was in interesting read in that it is all set in the 1960s, but has to do with hidden Nazi's and a chest of secret information that was hid by Nazi's in a lake. There are several vying entities--hidden Nazis, Communists (Russia and China may or may not both be involved but separately if so) along with a few European countries and the States (aka USA).
The writing is good but I am not keen on espionage books written back at this point. I loved how MacInnes inserted at least one woman who is a lot more than she seems, and that I didn't have to read about any female bimbos. Also I am oversaturated with WW II stuff and even though this is set in the 1960s
This was in interesting read in that it is all set in the 1960s, but has to do with hidden Nazi's and a chest of secret information that was hid by Nazi's in a lake. There are several vying entities--hidden Nazis, Communists (Russia and China may or may not both be involved but separately if so) along with a few European countries and the States (aka USA).
The writing is good but I am not keen on espionage books written back at this point. I loved how MacInnes inserted at least one woman who is a lot more than she seems, and that I didn't have to read about any female bimbos. Also I am oversaturated with WW II stuff and even though this is set in the 1960s
June 30, 2022
Old time spy drama from the cold war, with Nazis and Commies and US and British spies all converging on a tiny lake in Austria that holds a box.
Brought back some old memories from the 60s and 70s. Including my trip in 1970 still with spies running around Europe. And everywhere else I suppose.
Brought back some old memories from the 60s and 70s. Including my trip in 1970 still with spies running around Europe. And everywhere else I suppose.
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