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Double Euchre
At once a Cold War spy novel, a tragic romance, and a murder mystery, DOUBLE EUCHRE twists and turns all the way to its shocking ending.Eyes open or shut, Tom still can see Peter and his fateful lover, Katja, exactly how they looked fifteen years ago. How improbable that the two should ever meet, much less, fall in love. They never would have, if in 1968 Tom and Peter hadn’t dodged the draft and thus combat in the Vietnam War by enlisting in the Army to become linguists. After a year-long Russian course at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, they are sent on a top-secret mission along the Iron Curtain to eavesdrop on Soviet military forces in East Germany. What a blunder to believe this assignment was their good fortune.
360 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 9, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 24, 2024
Double Euchre grabbed me from the beginning and kept my interest up all the way through. I really cared about what happened to the main characters which, for me at least, is the test of whether I want to read a novel all the way through. The pacing of the story is rapid, without being dizzying or confusing. And there are some shocking twists to the tale.
The novel, set in the time of the Vietnam War and afterwards, is divided into three sections. Part 1 takes place at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. There we meet several recruits who are being trained in the Russian language. As it unfolds, two of the characters, Tom and Peter, turn out to be the narrators of the action. In the second part of the novel, after their training has been completed, this group (known among themselves as The Monks) is stationed in West Germany, where a lot of the action takes place. The final section is placed about 15 years after the time in West Germany, and centers around a reunion of The Monks and a number of other fellow Cold Warriors. The surprises that come at the end of the story we well worth waiting for.
I highly recommend this story to anyone interested in spycraft, the Cold War, or just a plain good, page-turning suspense novel.
The novel, set in the time of the Vietnam War and afterwards, is divided into three sections. Part 1 takes place at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. There we meet several recruits who are being trained in the Russian language. As it unfolds, two of the characters, Tom and Peter, turn out to be the narrators of the action. In the second part of the novel, after their training has been completed, this group (known among themselves as The Monks) is stationed in West Germany, where a lot of the action takes place. The final section is placed about 15 years after the time in West Germany, and centers around a reunion of The Monks and a number of other fellow Cold Warriors. The surprises that come at the end of the story we well worth waiting for.
I highly recommend this story to anyone interested in spycraft, the Cold War, or just a plain good, page-turning suspense novel.
December 8, 2023
A Cold War spy novel, tragic romance, and murder mystery-DOUBLE EUCHRE is indeed all of these and also a tale of enduring friendship and loyalty between Army buddies, serving together on a top-secret mission in West Germany. The plot shocks and twists all the way to the very end. I highly recommend this most enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews