Espionage

Espionage #1

by A.L. Sowards

France, 1944: Nobody expects Peter Eddy to survive his first commando mission—to retrieve a code book stolen by the Nazis—so when he does come back alive, his success is rewarded with an even more daunting assignment. Partnered with the French Resistence leader Jacques Olivier, Eddy must identify which of three Allied contacts in Calais is a double agent and use the traitor to help implement a strategic Allied diversion that might win the war. Eddy and Olivier secretly cross the English Channel to confront their suspects one at a time, but what appears to be a clean assignment soon turns disastrous, and a shocking betrayal leaves Eddy in the grip of the Gestapo. With the courageous aid of Olivier and his sister, Genevieve, Eddy evades his captors with a dangerous escape plan. But as the Allied invasion approaches, treachery in the least likely places leads to fresh graves in the bloodied European soil—and only the power of loyalty and love can transform tragic endings into new beginnings.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Lds Fiction, World War II, Mystery, Christian, Espionage

242 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

I love books, so that makes Goodreads my favorite social media site. As a reader, I enjoy a variety of books. As a writer, I create historical novels with a wholesome mix of action, adventure, and romance. My stories have earned Whitney Awards, Foreword Indies Finalists positions, Readers’ Favorite Gold and Silver medals, a Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choice Selection, and a Praiseworthy Award.

I'm a wife and a mother of three, and I've called Washington State, Utah, and Alaska home. I'm usually reading a couple books at once and working on multiple writing projects too. Other than that, my life is pretty ordinary. I'm grateful for that. I'll let the characters in my books have all the adventures.

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About My Goodreads Ratings:
I joined Goodreads as a reader first, but since I’m an author too, I’ve made some changes to how I rate books. For fiction, I'll give a book 5 stars if I enjoyed every page. Otherwise, I'll leave the rating blank. For nonfiction, 5 star books are ones I enjoyed enough that I’d like to read them again. They’re books I connected with and highly recommend to others. 4 star books are good books that I thought were worth reading once, and they’re also recommended.

Reviews

[A.L. Sowards]

I love this book, so I'm giving it five stars.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good novel about a young America sent to Calais in May 1944 to convince a mole in the French Resistance that the expected Allied invasion would come there and not to Normandy (about 200 km west). Along the way, he works with a young French widower (who believes himself beyond redemption because of the enjoyment he has taken in killing Nazis) and his young sister, and he finds more adventure, friendship, and romance than he bargained for!

The best part of the book is that the author clearly knows the setting, unlike some who write historical fiction and seem to guess at the detail. This book does not suffer from such distractions from the plot, and the action keeps the reader turning pages until the very end.

This was definitely a good book, and I look forward to the sequel that is expected in April 2013.

Sworn Enemy, due April 2013

[Damien Malcolm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic and exciting read. Incredibly well researched, great charater development and thrilling plot line. Top read.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars may be a little generous but this book was hard to put down. It covers a short period of time but packs a lot into the story. This is a book about war and not a fairy tale so expect some hard parts. I liked Peter’s character but he did have his internal struggles. The growth of his character through the story was interesting. I love Jacques and Genevieve’s characters. War is terrible and reading about things that happened in WWII is hard but it makes me grateful for those that took risks and sacrificed much to defeat a wicked enemy and maintain liberty for many throughout the world.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, wow, this author is so talented at blending fiction with history. I’m amazed at all the details and facts powerfully mixed with the fictional characters and experiences and all the research she had to do to accomplish this. Truly an amazing work, and still she kept the violence down and also told a sweet romance, too!

[Rick Denos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took a while to get into the book. It was confusing at first.

[Sharyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spies, double agents, regular German soldiers, Nazi’s, Gestapo, and French resistance! What more could you ask for in a historical fiction.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice, quick read! Plenty of action, interesting plot line, and clean. I loved the LDS take on a WWII spy novel. The circumstances are no different than any other WWII drama, but this novel is hopeful and upbeat. I liked that.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent novel! The characters were incredibly life-like. I am excited for future work from this author!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed with a bit of romance, Espionage by A.L. Sowards, will please any historical fiction fan looking for a novel with danger and intrigue at every turn.

After losing his brother at Pearl Harbor, Peter Eddy decides to enlist in the Army. After healing from a war injury in Europe and through a series of circumstances, Peter volunteers for an undercover assignment of which he is not expected to return. When the mission thought impossible is successful, Peter is singled out for another assignment. One that is far more important and far more dangerous. Peter is to go to Calais and find the double agent feeding valuable information to the Nazi’s. He is to convince them that Calais is likely to be the landing site for an Allied invasion, thereby diverting Germany’s eyes from the real Allied landing. To aid him in this assignment, he is introduced to Jacques Olivier, a cunning and valuable resistance fighter to assist him in his mission.

At first Jacques and Peter’s goal is just to gather intelligence. Jacques, as well as his younger sister Genevieve assist him gathering this information. But after several days of spying, the real work begins. As Peter gets closer to discovering the real double agent, things become more complicated and dangerous for Peter, Jacques and Genevieve. As the Nazi’s start to close in on all three of them, the trio must find the courage they’ll need to complete their mission and the role they’ve been chosen to play.

Espionage is a roller coaster ride. The action started with the first page and never let up. It was fast paced with plenty of twists and turns and just when I thought I could relax, something new happened to put me on the edge of my seat. I loved the three main characters of Peter, Jacques and Genevieve, as they were so well written. The sweet romance that began to blossom between Genevieve and Peter was tender and believable. The story-line was not predictable and I was surprised by several plot twists which made the book all the more exciting. This was not the first book I have read by A.L. Sowards, but I know I can count on great historical fiction that keeps me turning the pages.

If you like historical fiction and you’re looking for your next great read, try A.L. Sowards, Espionage. It has a great story-line with memorable characters that will keep you turning the pages too.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book about the war and especially in Italy dealing with Russia, Germany and the whole European area - This follows the lives of the children from "The Spider and the Sparrow" and that gave it more interest. Children following in their parents footsteps for freedom. Makes me ever so grateful that I was born in a free country and haven't had those experiences. I'm touched by the many sacrifices of those fighting for freedom and chances they take to help with freedom. There were so many scary things that happened - I had no idea, but so much more appreciative. I love historical fiction. This story was one that I couldn't put it down. I had to find out if they were safe - and then on to the next dangerous activity. I love this author and her style of writing. Thank you for such a great series.

[Laura Guenot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much! Full of action, this story kept me on the edge of my seat.

Why the four stars? I was unaware when I purchased it that it contained Mormon ideology. While it wasn't a huge deterrent, I felt that at times, the author was trying to get a point across.

I appreciate that the book was clean! It was a fast-paced, interesting story, and if you are at all into WWII spy stuff, I recommend this book.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Espionage will draw you in immediately and you'll have a hard time putting it down. The history of WWII is interesting and motivated me to study a few side issues. This book is chock full of tense situations with the German Gestapo chasing after our hero's in German-occupied France. I was cheering for the French Resistance and their spies, of course, but was horrified at the descriptions of torture that took place when spies were captured by the Gestapo. This book won't be for everyone.

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clean, historical fiction war story based in WWII times with exciting twists and turns and a subtle romance. The authors note at the end explains what parts of the book are fact and what parts are fiction.
Historical fiction books are my favorite genre, especially right now with the crazy times we are living in… I often think what I would do if placed in a similar situation…. Hopefully I never have to find out.

[Jazzw Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting and suspenseful. I listened to the audio book, which enhanced the story, with Jason Tatom narrating.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good historical fiction, LDS perspective.

[M.C. Topham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my all time favorite books!

[Caroline Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this!

[Alyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series so much!!!!! The characters were wonderful, and the plot was thrilling! It also loved how it gave us a look into French Resistance and Calais!!!

[Lexie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love World War II novels (which is sort of ironic because I have a really hard time watching World War II movies!) I enjoy reading historical fiction and learning about different people and eras. And World War II is especially fascinating to me partly because I have a personal connection to it (as most of us probably do) since both of my grandfathers fought in this war. And partly because this war had a major impact on our country and the world as a whole.

Because Espionage is a World War II novel, I knew I wanted to read from the minute I heard about it. And it met and exceeded my expectations! It had all the elements of a great novel as well as compelling moral dilemmas which left me reflecting over it long after I finished reading.

Espionage was also full of a wide array of personalities. From the main character to the little neighbor girl, each of the characters had a story to tell and each of the stories helped to add to the historical context of the book. I especially admired Genevieve, Olivier's sister. She was spunky and just as full of patriotic fire as her brother and other members of the Resistance. Being a woman did not hold her back from participating in acts of espionage right alongside her brother. And she showed every bit as much bravery and courage as the men did.

The main character, Peter Eddy, was a member of the LDS faith which presented some interesting moral issues. He had been brought up believing that killing was wrong and yet, he must "kill or be killed" so to speak. It was thought-provoking reading about the moral dilemma that Peter and many soldiers during this time must have felt.

Peter felt like he was standing waist deep in a mud puddle, but instead of mud, he was waist deep in darkness. . . His faith told him the Savior's Atonement could help, could make everything within him good and clean again, but he felt he had to get out of the puddle he was stuck in before any real cleansing could take place. [p. 86]
Peter's character did progress and grow over the course of the novel and he was even able to share these thoughts with Olivier to help him move past the hate he felt and work on forgiving others and himself.

Another thought provoking aspect of war that Espionage pointed out, was that not everything is completely "black-or-white". Most people would agree that Hitler and the Nazis were evil. However, that does not mean that all those who fought for him were. During his time in the war, Peter comes to learn this very thing and helps Genevieve to see it also.

"I met too many Italian civilians, and they told me about their husbands, sons, brothers. They were fighting against me, but they weren't evil, not if their families were to be believed. They were just victims of bad government. Then I met a few German prisoners. They weren't machines; they are human, and they were scared. And most of them didn't want to be at war any more than I did. They wanted to be farming or building things or taking care of their families. Hating them was the easy way, but it wasn't the right way. I had no more right to hate them than they had to hate me." [p.131]

There were also a number situations in the book where not everything was simply "black-or-white". Many people in the war were simply desperate to survive. I wondered a number of times while reading Espionage what I would have done in the same situation. Would I have had the courage to stand up for what was right and fight back? Or would I have succumbed and turned against friends and loved ones to save my own life?

Espionage is a fantastic debut from author A.L. Sowards. It is well written, with believable characters, and an exciting plot line. However, the thing that I appreciated the most about this book was the way it made me think--about war, about courage, about hate, and about forgiveness.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading a lot of historicals lately so I jumped at the chance to be read Espionage. (Isn't that a creepy looking cover? The eye is so weird and, well, creepy.)

We are quickly introduced to Peter Eddy who is on his first covert ops mission in 1944 France. He's crossing enemy lines, trying to steal back a code book from the Nazis that they've stolen and could compromise Allied agents. The mission quickly goes bad and Peter's wholesome Idaho upbringing is severely tested.

We are also introduced to Jacques Olivier, a French resistance fighter who is blowing up Nazi strongholds and generally trying to make their lives miserable and stay alive himself.

Peter and Jacques cross paths on an undercover mission that puts both of their lives at risk as they fight to mislead the Germans into thinking the Allied forces will be attacking Calais, France, instead of somewhere else, like Normandy. I was amazed at the level of detail throughout the entire book, for the military missions, the characters, and the French town of Calais. As a reader I became quickly invested in Peter's life as he struggled to reconcile his LDS upbringing with his feeelings for what he was doing during the course of the war. There was also a similar internal struggle with Jacques who had become hardened in his hatred for Nazis and what they had done to his family and friends. There were some interesting asides as both men wrestled with their feelings.

There was plenty of action in this book, as you might expect in a novel set during a war, but there are some fairly graphic torture scenes and quite a bit of killing as well (although the killing isn't very graphic per se. We mostly see the blood etc. left behind). I liked the spy stuff a lot and it was so authentic it was easy to lose myself in 1944 France. My only complaint was the middle of the book was a bit long which slowed the pacing down somewhat, but all in all, I really enjoyed this book. I think A.L. Sowards will be a great addition to my favorite historical authors. I will definitely be anxious for her next book.

Originally reviewed on http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for www.compassbookratings.com

Espionage by A.L. Sowards is an exciting spy thriller set during World War II. Fast-paced and engaging, readers will find themselves enthralled with the underground Allied spy effort and their dangerous missions into Nazi-occupied territory. First-time author Sowards writes with authenticity and expertise, combining a great amount of fact with fiction.

Besides the Bond-esque action, Espionage has heart. The main characters are realistic, yet likable and easy to root for. Hoping that these characters would survive their mission kept me reading well into the night!


Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: ***

Violence/ Gore: German soldiers verbally threaten characters; second hand reports indicate men being beaten, a Jewish man being shot, and a character shooting a German guard; a character relates the story of a woman who was hit and killed in a car accident; a character strikes a man in the back of his head, leaving him unconscious (3 times); a character fistfights with another character; a character is slapped, beaten and tortured by being held underwater; a character is tortured by being cut on the neck with a knife; a character is shot in the arm; characters blow up buildings or boats with stolen explosives; a character engages in a gun battle with German soldiers where injuries are sustained; a man commits suicide by taking a lethal pill; a body is found with apparent physical trauma; a character slits a few German soldiers' throats; on several occasions (one extended incident), characters shoot and kill German officers in non-detailed scenes of violent death; a character throws a grenade, injuring and killing German officers.

Sex/Nudity: Characters kiss a few times; a reference is made to a man visiting local brothels; a reference is made to a man's desire to "sleep with" a woman; a reference is made to "sleeping with the enemy"; a character relates a time when she was almost sexually assaulted by a German officer.


Mature Subject Matter:
War, murder, death, betrayal, forgiveness, redemption, God and religion, love

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I'm so happy to be a part of this blog tour! My thanks to Lexi over at The Book Bug for putting it together and allowing me to participate. Also, a thanks to A.L. Sowards who actually sent me a signed copy of the book to review along with a thank you note. How nice is that?

Second, before I get to my review, I just have to say something about this cover. It's good, right? A bit unnerving. The longer I look at it the more I feel like I have to look away. It sort of gives me shivers. It's a good representation of what is to come in this book.

Yeah, so, Espionage. This book falls into a category which is one of my favorite. Historical fiction. I really love reading books set during important times in history. This book is LDS fiction.

Espionage was not light, easy reading. It was intense and filled with the realities of war. The scenes with the Gestapo were especially hard to read. It just makes my heart so sad that people are capable of treating other people so awfully. It's just sickening. It happened then, it happens now.

I think Sowards has done a great job of painting pictures of characters and places in my head. I could visualize things so vividly. I felt so many emotions as I read. I was anxious, scared, sad, hopeful and even angry. In the end, I'm grateful. Grateful to the many, many people that most of us will never know about who did what they could and gave what they had to end that war. I'm grateful for where I am today. I know it is because of courageous people then and courageous people now.

[Jamie Hansen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am probably being too harsh, but when I honestly assess my experience, for much of this book I didn't really like it; so I'm going to settle with the "it's okay" rating. Although it claims to be a WWII novel, it felt like that was a distant backdrop to the more central plot line of a group of not-so-interesting characters. Whenever the war took center stage more, whether it was through the introduction of Gestapo agents or, some French resistance effort, it felt overly sensationalized, like some dramatic spy movie. It was also incredibly cheesy. I actually do okay with some cheese, but this was like, a lot of cheese. I'm not sure if it was the way the author wrote, but I often found myself rolling my eyes. (I should probably mention that I was listening to it in the audiobook format, which may have contributed some, but I doubt it was the only factor). Exhibit A: One of the main characters saying to himself, "I am a spy in a weapons depot; I feel like a kid on Christmas." In general, the writing, particularly the dialogue and thoughts of the characters felt too modern and out of place. Like the characters were transported from the 21st century to 1940s France. If you're wanting a VERY light, emphasis on fictional historical-fiction WWII novel that is barely about WWII, this might be just what you're looking for. (Well now I'm definitely being too harsh, oh well. I think it's a trilogy and I don't really have any interest in reading the others, so there you go.)

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My grandfather fought in WWII and didn't like to talk about it much until the last few years of his life. Even then, it's so hard to imagine the horrors and situations that people went through during this time. I really enjoyed reading this book that took me on a journey that was not what I was expecting. It brought up issues that I hadn't really thought about.

Peter Eddy is a small town kid from Idaho, of all places and he's a member of the LDS church. Jacques and Genevieve are from France and are good people, doing what they need to do to survive the war. I fell in love with that cute little neighbor girl, Birgit. What a doll!!

Here's what I really thought was interesting: I never really thought about people betraying loved ones and close friends to stay alive. How can a person live with herself doing those kinds of things?! I also wondered how in the world could spies could do that kind of work? I was almost stressed out thinking about the missions and disguises and captures--completely on edge!! And the torture!! How awful.

I thought this was a very interesting view on an important piece of our history that's told in a way that is both informational and entertaining. I'm looking forward to reading the next one (Sworn Enemy).

Content: war violence that isn't over-the-top graphic, but still a little disturbing for the faint of heart.

[Kaitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. On one hand I feel like it was well written. There were some intense moments when I saw no way they could possibly escape the predicaments they found themselves in. While on the other hand I could never fully get into the story. Rather than the quick read I expected it to be I found myself stumbling along. I love history and especially WWII stories and that is what drew me to this series. I really liked Peter and Genevieve as characters. There would be moments when it verged on the edge of preachy but never made a total plunge. Even as Peter is a Mormon and therefore I wholeheartedly agree with everything he said and his bearing testimony in the way he lives, I still feel as though authors can try to drive home an idea to the point where it detracts from the story but here we came to these moments but they didn't detract from the story so I appreciated that.
This certainly wasn't a bad story and had some heart pumping moments but for me at this time I chose to read it, it lacked that bit of magic that could have turned it into a great book. I will be continuing the series and hoping to find that moment when it really clicks and takes off.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love historical fiction books with the fictional romance mixed in. This book is very similar to Sandra Grey's books about WW2. This one has a male spy though. Peter Eddy,a farm boy from Idaho, enlists after his older brother is killed at Pearl Harbor. It is 1944 and his first assignment is in Italy until he is injured when a bomb goes off while he is in a tank. After recovering he is asked to go on a solo mission into France to retrieve the Allies agent undercover list not knowing that he is a pawn in the hoax to make the nazi's think they have more valuable info than they really have. The Allies didn't think he would actually finish this mission so when he did, he is asked to help on another one. This next mission he works with the resistance movement, mainly Jacques, and his sister Genevieve Olivier, to see who the mole is in their information transmission.

The book is a page turner, with excitement building on every page. We are so blessed to have brave people that fought for our freedoms then and now. The torturing techniques were so brutal and with Sowards writing skill it was easy to visualize all that was happening.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging read with good details on the time and area. The characters had excellent depth, particularly considering the quick pace and tension of the story. The book falls into the LDS fiction genre, meaning the book is pretty safe in terms of things like swearing, sex, and descriptions of violence. Even so, there is significant action and the reader will be concerned for the characters' safety throughout.

I enjoyed the twists of the plot though they are fairly obvious. The story makes sense and you can feel the people and place come to life. For those readers who are not LDS, there are a couple of references to things Mormons would be familiar with but others might not. The main character has strong LDS views. I would still recommend the book to any reader who enjoys a good action piece. It's not a religious book, and the religion of the main character is not rubbed into the reader's face. Instead, it's presented as a natural and needed piece to understand the main character and to understand how the story is shaped.

I found it difficult to put down and ended up reading the last half in one sitting.

[GymGuy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A interesting story, but very much for the young reader: highly sanitized and watered down. It has a Mormon "backlight" which is not overbearing, but I found unnecessary...unless you are purposely aiming for the LDS audience which, again I find unnecessary: just tell a story.

It drove me CRAZY reading German nouns that weren't capitalized, i.e., hauptmann instead of Hauptmann. I understand it's an English text, but for those who read and speak German, it's really, really irritating.

As for the adult audience, I'd skip this one...unless you are unable to take the reality of War. I actually found this book apologetic for Mormons: assuming that they are too goody-goody for reality: even to the point of when someone was offered a "hot drink," having to explain that it wasn't coffee. Golly gee wiz.

(I have a "thing" about this kind of sanitizing [for adults]. If you are willing to send our men into combat and praise them for their heroism, then please don't hide behind a willingness to be naïve about their reality.)

[Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's amazing to me that this is the author's first published book. The book had a solid plot and story line.

Peter is a young man in the US military during WWII. He enlisted in anger because his brother was killed at Pearl Harbor. He quickly discovers that war is not what he imagined.

Peter is sent on a mission behind enemy lines in France. He is to discover who is a double agent and feed false information to the German's. He meets Jaques and his beautiful sister. Jacques is his partner in the mission.

There is intrigue and horror found in the mission. The torture scenes are rough to read. But torture isn't pleasant. It was a practice used to break information from an unwilling subject.

There is a little bit of romance. There's quite a bit self discovery and finding forgiveness.