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Capitaine Inés Picaut #2
A Treachery of Spies
A Treachery of Spies is an espionage thriller to rival the very best, a high stakes game of cat-and-mouse, played in the shadows, which will keep you guessing every step of the way.
An elderly woman of striking beauty is found murdered in Orleans, France. Her identity has been cleverly erased but the method of her death is very specific: she has been killed in the manner of traitors to the Resistance in World War Two.
Tracking down her murderer leads police inspector Inès Picaut back to 1940s France where the men and women of the Resistance were engaged in a desperate fight for survival against the Nazi invaders.
To find answers in the present Picaut must discover what really happened in the past, untangling a web of treachery and intrigue that stretches back to the murder victim's youth: a time when unholy alliances were forged between occupiers and occupied, deals were done and promises broken. The past has been buried for decades, but, as Picaut discovers, there are those in the present whose futures depend on it staying that way – and who will kill to keep their secrets safe...
An elderly woman of striking beauty is found murdered in Orleans, France. Her identity has been cleverly erased but the method of her death is very specific: she has been killed in the manner of traitors to the Resistance in World War Two.
Tracking down her murderer leads police inspector Inès Picaut back to 1940s France where the men and women of the Resistance were engaged in a desperate fight for survival against the Nazi invaders.
To find answers in the present Picaut must discover what really happened in the past, untangling a web of treachery and intrigue that stretches back to the murder victim's youth: a time when unholy alliances were forged between occupiers and occupied, deals were done and promises broken. The past has been buried for decades, but, as Picaut discovers, there are those in the present whose futures depend on it staying that way – and who will kill to keep their secrets safe...
462 pages, Hardcover
First published August 9, 2018
241 people are currently reading
1492 people want to read
About the author
Manda Scott
28 books728 followersManda Scott is an award-winning novelist, host of the international chart-topping Accidental Gods podcast and co-creator of the Thrutopia Masterclass.
Best known for the Boudica: Dreaming series, her previous novels have been short-listed for the Orange Prize, the Edgar, Wilbur Smith and Saltire Awards and won the McIllvanney Prize.
Her latest novel ANY HUMAN POWER is a 'seismic' Mytho-Political thriller which lays out a Thrutopian road map to a flourishing future we’d be proud to leave to the generations that come after us.
Welding the power of intergenerational connection to combat the sting of death and the vicious vengeance of a dying establishment, it opens the doors to a new way of being.
Dream Deeply. Rise up Strong. Change is Coming!
'Instantly immersive and compelling, rich and strange, human and humane, and most of all inspiring ... an extraordinary story.’
Lee Child
"One of our best, most challenging writers is back..." Ian Rankin
"If you don't believe a world where our democracy improves as fast as our devices is possible... Manda Scott will change your mind with this visionary novel." Audrey Tang, Digital Minister of Taiwan
"A light to guide us through a difficult time: Descrying the thin possible path between static social decay and populist rage is the defining problem of our time. Without lights like Manda Scott and this blessed book, we would surely fail." Glen Weil, co-author of Plurality.
Best known for the Boudica: Dreaming series, her previous novels have been short-listed for the Orange Prize, the Edgar, Wilbur Smith and Saltire Awards and won the McIllvanney Prize.
Her latest novel ANY HUMAN POWER is a 'seismic' Mytho-Political thriller which lays out a Thrutopian road map to a flourishing future we’d be proud to leave to the generations that come after us.
Welding the power of intergenerational connection to combat the sting of death and the vicious vengeance of a dying establishment, it opens the doors to a new way of being.
Dream Deeply. Rise up Strong. Change is Coming!
'Instantly immersive and compelling, rich and strange, human and humane, and most of all inspiring ... an extraordinary story.’
Lee Child
"One of our best, most challenging writers is back..." Ian Rankin
"If you don't believe a world where our democracy improves as fast as our devices is possible... Manda Scott will change your mind with this visionary novel." Audrey Tang, Digital Minister of Taiwan
"A light to guide us through a difficult time: Descrying the thin possible path between static social decay and populist rage is the defining problem of our time. Without lights like Manda Scott and this blessed book, we would surely fail." Glen Weil, co-author of Plurality.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews
November 6, 2018
This is the first Manda Scott novel that I have read, and I was completely bowled over by its brilliance. This is the best historical fiction I have read for some time, part of the reason for that is the depth, complexity and insights acquired by impeccable and impressive research carried out by the author on this period of WW2 history in Britain and France. Whilst creating fictional characters, Scott has based them on real life individuals in Britain and France where the French Resistance (The Maquis) and the agents working for the British Special Operations Executive (SOE), jointly planned and carried out actions to impede the German Nazis (The Boche). In present day 2018 contemporary France, in Orleans a beautiful elderly woman has been murdered in a car at the rail station in the style of traitors in the war. The badly burned and scarred Captain Ines Picaut is to find the answers to the killing of Sophie Destivelle, understood to be not her real identity, lies in the treachery, betrayal, intrigue and politics in the battle against the Nazis. In the climate of Je Suis Charlie, a CIA conference is in town, creating a diplomatic nightmare and headache for the police team.
Elodie Duval, executive producer at radical mind, has been making a documentary film, Wild Card, of the experiences of a group of resistance fighters and agents, and it included Sophie Destivelle, an accomplished up close and personal assassin. As more murders occur, it soon becomes clear that the ramifications of the war continue into the present, the documentary has reopened the horrors and the open wounds of the past. Whilst the narrative goes back and forth in time, the real focus is on the past, a closely meshed group dancing on the knife edge of mortality, the myths and legends surrounding WW2 espionage. From the British side, there is Captain Laurence Vaughn-Thomas, his intelligence chief uncle, Jeremy and his gifted and brave cousin, Theodora/Celine and close friend, Patrick Sutherland, medic and Patron. Sophie is placed in the dangerous role as traitor, expected to cosy up and get close to the leading German officer in the region. Along with members of the local embattled resistance, tensions run high amidst the entry of US agent Paul Rey to the tight knit group with orders to protect an agent, Icarus, at any cost, and the understanding that there is treachery and betrayal amongst them . Picaut delves into the past as the old warriors become present day targets, honing in on the truth despite all the obstacles the investigation encounters.
Scott does an incredible job in capturing the global political machinations at play, the pragmatism displayed by the US as a superpower with Operation Paper Clip that saw huge numbers of Nazis given new names and identities and spirited into the US, given significant power and influence in their new roles. It is speculated that this level of Nazi ideology dripping into the political bloodstream of the US in the future will be catastrophic, whilst I am sure there is some truth in this, I would say the genesis of the US as a nation was already poisoned by the divisive issue of race, something transparently obvious in the US politics of today. Then there is the planned creation of the new enemy, the Soviet Union. If WW2 interests you, or if you like complex and compelling historical fiction, then this is a must read. An outstanding, insightful, informative and gripping novel from Manda Scott which I loved and adored. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.
Elodie Duval, executive producer at radical mind, has been making a documentary film, Wild Card, of the experiences of a group of resistance fighters and agents, and it included Sophie Destivelle, an accomplished up close and personal assassin. As more murders occur, it soon becomes clear that the ramifications of the war continue into the present, the documentary has reopened the horrors and the open wounds of the past. Whilst the narrative goes back and forth in time, the real focus is on the past, a closely meshed group dancing on the knife edge of mortality, the myths and legends surrounding WW2 espionage. From the British side, there is Captain Laurence Vaughn-Thomas, his intelligence chief uncle, Jeremy and his gifted and brave cousin, Theodora/Celine and close friend, Patrick Sutherland, medic and Patron. Sophie is placed in the dangerous role as traitor, expected to cosy up and get close to the leading German officer in the region. Along with members of the local embattled resistance, tensions run high amidst the entry of US agent Paul Rey to the tight knit group with orders to protect an agent, Icarus, at any cost, and the understanding that there is treachery and betrayal amongst them . Picaut delves into the past as the old warriors become present day targets, honing in on the truth despite all the obstacles the investigation encounters.
Scott does an incredible job in capturing the global political machinations at play, the pragmatism displayed by the US as a superpower with Operation Paper Clip that saw huge numbers of Nazis given new names and identities and spirited into the US, given significant power and influence in their new roles. It is speculated that this level of Nazi ideology dripping into the political bloodstream of the US in the future will be catastrophic, whilst I am sure there is some truth in this, I would say the genesis of the US as a nation was already poisoned by the divisive issue of race, something transparently obvious in the US politics of today. Then there is the planned creation of the new enemy, the Soviet Union. If WW2 interests you, or if you like complex and compelling historical fiction, then this is a must read. An outstanding, insightful, informative and gripping novel from Manda Scott which I loved and adored. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.
May 14, 2018
I have yet to find words to express how perfect this outstandingly clever, powerful and evocative novel is. It is magnificent. I hid away to finish it and it will haunt me for a long time. If you want to read the definitive novel on the French Resistance this could well be it. But there's so much more to it than that. Review to follow closer to publication on For Winter Nights. Bravo, Manda Scott bravo.
August 13, 2018
Manda Scott, in 'Treachery of Spies', mixes some of my favourite genres: crime fiction/thriller, historical fiction and espionage and does so in a way that makes the story completely seamless. The combination of genres works extremely well here. I find I am always dubious regarding testimonials from big names in the publishing world, and here industry favourites Lee Child and Mick Herron have both given glowing reviews of this book. I admit, on this occasion, all of them were correct.
When the body of 92-year-old Sophie Destivelle is discovered in a car close to the railway station with her tongue cut out, the method of mutilation echoes that used against traitors to the Resistance (The Maquis) during the German/Nazi occupation of France in World War II. Orléans police detective Capitaine Inès Picaut, who we were first intriduced to in 'Into The Fire,' is called in to investigate the killing and finds out that there have been other similar deaths within the local vicinity. Who exactly was this elderly lady? Why was she murdered in this particular manner? This is Picaut's first case after coming back from time away having being badly burned in a fire (in 'Into The Fire'), and it is certainly a complex one. She soon discovers that wartime activities are to blame for the brutal murders, and that in order to solve them, she will have to revisit France's past.
This is a seriously complex book, and I found that there were rather a lot of characters to keep track of throughout the story, however, it didn't spoil my overall enjoyment. There is no doubt that Manda Scott has carried out a great deal of meticulous research in order to make this as close to reality as possible, and it certainly was a triumph, in that respect. We learn how wartime agents were trained and about the use of ciphers, or codes, which was intriguing. Unfortuntely, some parts of the plot are difficult to follow, and the plot becomes quite convoluted, making it a bit of a hard slog in places. That said, this is the best historical/espionage/crime fiction I have had the pleasure of reading in a while. It is well worth investing the time in. Fast paced with action aplenty, this is a great read!
Many thanks to Bantam Press for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
When the body of 92-year-old Sophie Destivelle is discovered in a car close to the railway station with her tongue cut out, the method of mutilation echoes that used against traitors to the Resistance (The Maquis) during the German/Nazi occupation of France in World War II. Orléans police detective Capitaine Inès Picaut, who we were first intriduced to in 'Into The Fire,' is called in to investigate the killing and finds out that there have been other similar deaths within the local vicinity. Who exactly was this elderly lady? Why was she murdered in this particular manner? This is Picaut's first case after coming back from time away having being badly burned in a fire (in 'Into The Fire'), and it is certainly a complex one. She soon discovers that wartime activities are to blame for the brutal murders, and that in order to solve them, she will have to revisit France's past.
This is a seriously complex book, and I found that there were rather a lot of characters to keep track of throughout the story, however, it didn't spoil my overall enjoyment. There is no doubt that Manda Scott has carried out a great deal of meticulous research in order to make this as close to reality as possible, and it certainly was a triumph, in that respect. We learn how wartime agents were trained and about the use of ciphers, or codes, which was intriguing. Unfortuntely, some parts of the plot are difficult to follow, and the plot becomes quite convoluted, making it a bit of a hard slog in places. That said, this is the best historical/espionage/crime fiction I have had the pleasure of reading in a while. It is well worth investing the time in. Fast paced with action aplenty, this is a great read!
Many thanks to Bantam Press for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
January 12, 2019
A Treachery of Spies now joins Sarah Helm’s nonfiction A Life of Secrets: The Story of Vera Atkins and the Lost Agents of SOE and Elizabeth Wein’s YA Code Named Verity atop my list the exciting and moving Second World War historical books I have had the pleasure to read. This was one of the very worst periods in human history, but it was illuminated by the highest acts of bravery, sacrifice and comradeship that saved civilisation from the most despicable evil. Imagine being young and possessed of the necessary physical and linguistic skills, and then being trained to be the fittest you’ll ever be, able to sprint up mountain sides with heavy loads, shoot, set off explosives, code and decode secret messages, to derail an express train with an overcoat and to kill a man several different ways with your bare hands. And if you’re caught to face excruciating torture and transportation to a death camp. How could you ever return to ordinary life again? The principal characters in Manda Scott’s novel don’t. For them the war is never really over and old enmities and betrayals are avenged many years later.
The story is set in two time-frames. In the present, a French police captain in Orléans leads the investigation of the murder of a woman whose name appears to be Sophie Destivelle, shot in a car by an expert hit-man. In the back story we are in England and France from 1940 to 1944 with British Special Operations Executive and members of the French Maquis attempting to “Set Europe Ablaze” in the months leading up to D-Day, when a mixed British-American Jedburgh team joins them. The team, especially Sophie, Laurence, and his cousin Céline are very attractive and in the case of the latter two, aristocratic characters. Their antagonist is the Gestapo man Kramme, oozing with repulsive oily charm. And there is at least one traitor in their group, which indeed fits the setting; France was rife with double and even triple agents.
The breath-taking action scenes are excessively detailled and as they often take longer to depict than they would to elapse, the effect for the reader is like watching in slow motion. I liked the descriptions of firearms and explosives, though I thought the reliability and effectiveness of the Sten gun overrated. Unfortunately, the younger characters in the present story were nowhere near as attractive, especially the odious Americans. The principal artistic problem though was time: John le Carré has the same problem in Legacy of Spies, the characters who survive from the backstory are simply too old to be believably capable of present-day mayhem. In fact, one victim of a revenge killing is already a hospice patient—why bother? But forget the ugly Americans and almost as lourd (is there any other kind?) French police officers , the “Blythe Children of the Mountain Warriors of Vengeance” (as the Résistants style themselves poetically) shine like bright stars in a dark night. I expect A Treachery of Spies may become my favourite book of the year.
The story is set in two time-frames. In the present, a French police captain in Orléans leads the investigation of the murder of a woman whose name appears to be Sophie Destivelle, shot in a car by an expert hit-man. In the back story we are in England and France from 1940 to 1944 with British Special Operations Executive and members of the French Maquis attempting to “Set Europe Ablaze” in the months leading up to D-Day, when a mixed British-American Jedburgh team joins them. The team, especially Sophie, Laurence, and his cousin Céline are very attractive and in the case of the latter two, aristocratic characters. Their antagonist is the Gestapo man Kramme, oozing with repulsive oily charm. And there is at least one traitor in their group, which indeed fits the setting; France was rife with double and even triple agents.
The breath-taking action scenes are excessively detailled and as they often take longer to depict than they would to elapse, the effect for the reader is like watching in slow motion. I liked the descriptions of firearms and explosives, though I thought the reliability and effectiveness of the Sten gun overrated. Unfortunately, the younger characters in the present story were nowhere near as attractive, especially the odious Americans. The principal artistic problem though was time: John le Carré has the same problem in Legacy of Spies, the characters who survive from the backstory are simply too old to be believably capable of present-day mayhem. In fact, one victim of a revenge killing is already a hospice patient—why bother? But forget the ugly Americans and almost as lourd (is there any other kind?) French police officers , the “Blythe Children of the Mountain Warriors of Vengeance” (as the Résistants style themselves poetically) shine like bright stars in a dark night. I expect A Treachery of Spies may become my favourite book of the year.
November 8, 2025
A brilliant work of unrelenting, alternating tension and excitement, murder, skulduggery, and unimaginable bravery, recklessness, and brutality. Having lain on my shelf for a very long time, once I started reading I simply could not stop. I haven’t read this author before - although I’ve been aware of her work it generally hasn’t appealed to me - so I hadn’t realised just how good a storyteller she is or how intelligent her writing is.
As she says in the Afterword, she wrote this at a time when it was just possible to speak to people involved in the SOE, the French Resistance, and the Armed Forces during World War II. Most of her research was necessarily done by reading memoirs, however. Despite my feeling a little bit edgy about the premise mooted towards the end (no spoilers here!), it seems that these were real fears, in the 1940s and 1950s at least.
It can’t be anything but 5 stars from me. This was a cracking good read!
As she says in the Afterword, she wrote this at a time when it was just possible to speak to people involved in the SOE, the French Resistance, and the Armed Forces during World War II. Most of her research was necessarily done by reading memoirs, however. Despite my feeling a little bit edgy about the premise mooted towards the end (no spoilers here!), it seems that these were real fears, in the 1940s and 1950s at least.
It can’t be anything but 5 stars from me. This was a cracking good read!
October 1, 2018
Meeting some resistance.
When a once-and-still-beautiful 92-year old woman is found brutally murdered and mutilated in Orléans, the threads of the case go all the way back to the French resistance fighters of the Maquis and their British colleagues-in-arms in 1944.
I tire so of the dual time-frame novel but – sigh - it’s inevitable here in this story of treachery and skulduggery with such links to the past. A huge and confusing cast makes it hard to keep up with the suspects in what is, after all, basically a whodunnit with historical ambition.
Nevertheless, this novel is interesting from the point of view of the modus operandi of Resistance fighters during the Second World War while the present-time police procedural aspect brings to mind the excellent tv series Spiral. The patchy writing with its expositional dialogue wavers between the good, the bad and the ludicrous – but it has its moments. 2.5*
When a once-and-still-beautiful 92-year old woman is found brutally murdered and mutilated in Orléans, the threads of the case go all the way back to the French resistance fighters of the Maquis and their British colleagues-in-arms in 1944.
I tire so of the dual time-frame novel but – sigh - it’s inevitable here in this story of treachery and skulduggery with such links to the past. A huge and confusing cast makes it hard to keep up with the suspects in what is, after all, basically a whodunnit with historical ambition.
Nevertheless, this novel is interesting from the point of view of the modus operandi of Resistance fighters during the Second World War while the present-time police procedural aspect brings to mind the excellent tv series Spiral. The patchy writing with its expositional dialogue wavers between the good, the bad and the ludicrous – but it has its moments. 2.5*
July 29, 2019
Sometimes you are depressed when you finish a book; you want it to go on you are so caught up in the story and the characters.
I am so delighted to have finished A Treachery of Spies by Manda Scott.
Firstly, it is such a wonderful historical novel with a modern crime drama to finish it means I can write a review to urge everyone to read this tremendous book.
Secondly, I have had a love for this author for a number of years. I had bought Into the Fire on its release as it combined my passion for history and crime drama. It was a signed edition direct from a local bookstore to the author. Sadly, I have never got round to it. Indeed in reading this latest novel I did not fully realise it was the second in the Police captain Inès Picaut series. So I am doubly happy since I will now be able to read this and revisit my familiar police team in the French city of Orléans.
Thirdly, and perhaps finally the book is a great jumping off point to think about and research more about the realities of war during the occupation of France in World War II. The author leaves us a comprehensive bibliography of where else to read.
The book is a stand alone, but the character of Picaut so intriguing that one will like me do to Into the Fire for a next read.
The book is in effect two stories in one. The historical resistance fight against the German forces of occupation and torture. And the modern event that brings it all back into focus and shows that the killing has not stopped. Within the French Resistance were units of rural guerrilla fighters, the Maquis. This is the story of such a group whose loyalties were forged in battle but who were betrayed by one of their own.
They quest for vengeance failed 12 years later and in modern France it seems the fight has been re-joined.
Breathtakingly real with a great sense of place where SOE agents join the bands of locals to fight. A task always with danger and the fear of capture, more urgent and risky just prior to and following D-Day.
A modern democracy in France trying to unravel the past through normal police methods while the spooks of today seem to be on hand to thwart, confuse and hinder a thorough investigation.
No recent book I have read has gripped me so; the narrative is tense and true to its time whether in the past or amid the technology of today’s police force.
The mystery of an unmasked traitor holds the piece together and the slow understanding brings little clarity. In the process you are fully engaged dodging bullets and warming to people in their youth who live on today in their nineties or through their descendants with bonds that seem unbreakable.
It seems the TV show to remember their wartime acts has frightened a Judas in their midst who has a new political desire to let the past be remembered without blame. Those of the Maquis who are left seem no longer able to defend themselves or their friends. Can the investigative team discover the truth someone wants to keep secret?
Totally believable; a very satisfying read by an author who is not only sensitive to the past but poses questions to keep us guessing but also enlightened to the things done in the name of expediency by the governments of the day.
I am delighted and angry. Pleased in every part of this story and the historical undying of the book. Enraged by the duplicity of regimes that allowed not just scientists to escape Germany but many Nazi’s whose beliefs did not die in the Berlin bunker.
Thoughtful stuff, comprehensively delivered in a fiction that keeps one thinking long after the story’s end.
I am so delighted to have finished A Treachery of Spies by Manda Scott.
Firstly, it is such a wonderful historical novel with a modern crime drama to finish it means I can write a review to urge everyone to read this tremendous book.
Secondly, I have had a love for this author for a number of years. I had bought Into the Fire on its release as it combined my passion for history and crime drama. It was a signed edition direct from a local bookstore to the author. Sadly, I have never got round to it. Indeed in reading this latest novel I did not fully realise it was the second in the Police captain Inès Picaut series. So I am doubly happy since I will now be able to read this and revisit my familiar police team in the French city of Orléans.
Thirdly, and perhaps finally the book is a great jumping off point to think about and research more about the realities of war during the occupation of France in World War II. The author leaves us a comprehensive bibliography of where else to read.
The book is a stand alone, but the character of Picaut so intriguing that one will like me do to Into the Fire for a next read.
The book is in effect two stories in one. The historical resistance fight against the German forces of occupation and torture. And the modern event that brings it all back into focus and shows that the killing has not stopped. Within the French Resistance were units of rural guerrilla fighters, the Maquis. This is the story of such a group whose loyalties were forged in battle but who were betrayed by one of their own.
They quest for vengeance failed 12 years later and in modern France it seems the fight has been re-joined.
Breathtakingly real with a great sense of place where SOE agents join the bands of locals to fight. A task always with danger and the fear of capture, more urgent and risky just prior to and following D-Day.
A modern democracy in France trying to unravel the past through normal police methods while the spooks of today seem to be on hand to thwart, confuse and hinder a thorough investigation.
No recent book I have read has gripped me so; the narrative is tense and true to its time whether in the past or amid the technology of today’s police force.
The mystery of an unmasked traitor holds the piece together and the slow understanding brings little clarity. In the process you are fully engaged dodging bullets and warming to people in their youth who live on today in their nineties or through their descendants with bonds that seem unbreakable.
It seems the TV show to remember their wartime acts has frightened a Judas in their midst who has a new political desire to let the past be remembered without blame. Those of the Maquis who are left seem no longer able to defend themselves or their friends. Can the investigative team discover the truth someone wants to keep secret?
Totally believable; a very satisfying read by an author who is not only sensitive to the past but poses questions to keep us guessing but also enlightened to the things done in the name of expediency by the governments of the day.
I am delighted and angry. Pleased in every part of this story and the historical undying of the book. Enraged by the duplicity of regimes that allowed not just scientists to escape Germany but many Nazi’s whose beliefs did not die in the Berlin bunker.
Thoughtful stuff, comprehensively delivered in a fiction that keeps one thinking long after the story’s end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2019
Absolutely wonderful, pulled me in from the first page into a thrilling, involving and passionate account of how the events of the Resistance impact the present.
Alternates between 1944 - 1957 and 2018, triggered by the murder of a 92 woman. Initially I found the story of the Maquis more involving, their passion, intelligence, loyalty was compelling. As well as the tragedy of people killed through war there was also the loss/ unavailability of romantic love and deep deep friendship. However Ines and her quick mind and terrific team became just as involving.
Believable women taking centre stage, with an ending that I didn't see coming, best book I've read this year so far.
I will be reading the 1st Ines book now
Alternates between 1944 - 1957 and 2018, triggered by the murder of a 92 woman. Initially I found the story of the Maquis more involving, their passion, intelligence, loyalty was compelling. As well as the tragedy of people killed through war there was also the loss/ unavailability of romantic love and deep deep friendship. However Ines and her quick mind and terrific team became just as involving.
Believable women taking centre stage, with an ending that I didn't see coming, best book I've read this year so far.
I will be reading the 1st Ines book now
June 26, 2020
After reading Scott's novella A Vengeance of Spies, I was intrigued and driven to try this novel. I'm afraid I found it disappointing. Most of what happened in it felt improbable, the characters were ridiculously qualified by almost superhuman skills and presented a lack of appropriate affect in most of the scenes. It all felt weird to me and I couldn't get into it. Also, I don't like writers who put their agendas before their writing. I'm a great supporter of the LGBTQ fight for rights and equality, but I don't understand why almost every character Scott creates has to be gay. It's not true to life and feels strange.
July 30, 2018
I thought this book quite brilliant. Clever writing and page turning. It took some time for me to get into the plot but I couldn't put it down and found it a fascinating insight to a time in history that may soon be forgotten; cleverly bought up to date with a current day crime. Superb writing by a new author to me and I will certainly be reading more. Huge thanks to the publisher for letting me read ahead of publication. Highly recommended.
November 8, 2018
Thank you to the publishers for providing an ARC of this book through NetGalley.
DNF at 21%.
I really struggled to get into this book. I found it quite difficult to follow the plot because of the switches between the plot in the past and the plot in the present. It was incredibly complicated and quite confusing.
DNF at 21%.
I really struggled to get into this book. I found it quite difficult to follow the plot because of the switches between the plot in the past and the plot in the present. It was incredibly complicated and quite confusing.
August 8, 2018
I find it easy, when reviewing Manda Scott’s books, to run out of superlatives. I have never yet been disappointed in any of her body of work and if you are a fan of historical fiction and have not yet encountered her books, then don’t waste time here. Go buy one and get reading.
Three years ago, I read her book Into the Fire with raw, new interest, for she had turned from the milieu of ancient Rome and created a tale in a dual timeline that linked the campaigns of Jeanne d’Arc with a modern police procedural thriller. Into the Fire was my book of the year and I remember badgering her, asking when she was planning on a second book, and simultaneously wondering how on earth she could achieve such a thing.
Then, as something of a side-shot here, last year I read Kate Quinn’s vaunted and most excellent Alice Network, which was similarly my book of the year last year. That novel is a dual timeline work too, set in Post-war France and during the First World War and delving into the world of women spies.
So along comes A Treachery of Spies. And, for me, though it’s only August, it seems clear this is going to be my book of this year. While the novel can be read as a standalone and is not reliant upon the reader having finished Into The Fire, it certainly adds something to have done so, for it explains in depth the motivations and history of the main modern character, Ines Picaud, and a few of her supporting cast. This is not a sequel to that book but more of a second tale, independent and glorious in its own right.
Treachery involves once more a police investigation in modern Orleans, this time into a mysterious death – the body of an old woman found in a car park with a very specific grouping of gunshots and post-mortem mutilation. And while the first book simultaneously led us around France in the retinue of the Maid of Orleans, this one delves into French resistance activity during the height of the Second World War. This, then, is the best of books for me, for it feels a little like what would happen if those two favourite books of mine had met.
The story is one of suspicion, betrayal, murder and espionage on a truly epic scale, telling the tale of spies trained by the British and dropped into France to aid the resistance, of their handlers, the intricacies of coded communications and the-so-called Jedburgh operatives sent over around the time of the invasion of Normandy to aid the resistance in their work. It is also the tale of Picaut’s investigation into an increasingly dangerous series of attacks that has a complex and hidden connection to the survivors of that world of wartime horror. One central theme that helps define the plot is that of revenge, combined with a strong sense of brother- and sisterhood. The heroes of wartime France form bonds that will last ’til death, no matter what the future holds, and similarly some actions leave a call for revenge that echoes through the years.
For the sake of avoiding spoilers, I won’t delve into plot specifics any further. What I will do is say that I cannot conceive of how Scott began to piece together this complex and twisting tale, and that when I read a novel with any kind of mystery element I constantly attempt to solve the puzzles as I go. Sometimes I unwrap the plot early. Sometimes I manage parts of it. With this book, I remained uncertain to the very end, and even the one thing I did anticipate I constantly found myself doubting. That is a good sign for a thriller in my opinion.
Scott continues her excellent portrayal of the world of modern French policing, but here she also shows a great understanding of the world of wartime espionage and of occupied France. The world she builds for the reader is flawless in its realism and vibrant and terrifying throughout. But despite a strong plot, beautiful prose and a vivid environment, for me it is her characters that stand out. From the beginning it seems we are focused on one historical character for point of view, but as the tale unfolds we are treated to more than one insight, and each character she builds for the reader is real and true.
And as the narrative moves to a close, we are introduced to a concept that is both chilling and horribly current and relevant. In this, I can only salute Scott. A Treachery of Spies is, then, a masterpiece, which is what I’ve come to expect from the author. The two problems she creates are: setting herself such a high bar to leap with her next book, and making me wait now before I get to read it.
Bravo.
Three years ago, I read her book Into the Fire with raw, new interest, for she had turned from the milieu of ancient Rome and created a tale in a dual timeline that linked the campaigns of Jeanne d’Arc with a modern police procedural thriller. Into the Fire was my book of the year and I remember badgering her, asking when she was planning on a second book, and simultaneously wondering how on earth she could achieve such a thing.
Then, as something of a side-shot here, last year I read Kate Quinn’s vaunted and most excellent Alice Network, which was similarly my book of the year last year. That novel is a dual timeline work too, set in Post-war France and during the First World War and delving into the world of women spies.
So along comes A Treachery of Spies. And, for me, though it’s only August, it seems clear this is going to be my book of this year. While the novel can be read as a standalone and is not reliant upon the reader having finished Into The Fire, it certainly adds something to have done so, for it explains in depth the motivations and history of the main modern character, Ines Picaud, and a few of her supporting cast. This is not a sequel to that book but more of a second tale, independent and glorious in its own right.
Treachery involves once more a police investigation in modern Orleans, this time into a mysterious death – the body of an old woman found in a car park with a very specific grouping of gunshots and post-mortem mutilation. And while the first book simultaneously led us around France in the retinue of the Maid of Orleans, this one delves into French resistance activity during the height of the Second World War. This, then, is the best of books for me, for it feels a little like what would happen if those two favourite books of mine had met.
The story is one of suspicion, betrayal, murder and espionage on a truly epic scale, telling the tale of spies trained by the British and dropped into France to aid the resistance, of their handlers, the intricacies of coded communications and the-so-called Jedburgh operatives sent over around the time of the invasion of Normandy to aid the resistance in their work. It is also the tale of Picaut’s investigation into an increasingly dangerous series of attacks that has a complex and hidden connection to the survivors of that world of wartime horror. One central theme that helps define the plot is that of revenge, combined with a strong sense of brother- and sisterhood. The heroes of wartime France form bonds that will last ’til death, no matter what the future holds, and similarly some actions leave a call for revenge that echoes through the years.
For the sake of avoiding spoilers, I won’t delve into plot specifics any further. What I will do is say that I cannot conceive of how Scott began to piece together this complex and twisting tale, and that when I read a novel with any kind of mystery element I constantly attempt to solve the puzzles as I go. Sometimes I unwrap the plot early. Sometimes I manage parts of it. With this book, I remained uncertain to the very end, and even the one thing I did anticipate I constantly found myself doubting. That is a good sign for a thriller in my opinion.
Scott continues her excellent portrayal of the world of modern French policing, but here she also shows a great understanding of the world of wartime espionage and of occupied France. The world she builds for the reader is flawless in its realism and vibrant and terrifying throughout. But despite a strong plot, beautiful prose and a vivid environment, for me it is her characters that stand out. From the beginning it seems we are focused on one historical character for point of view, but as the tale unfolds we are treated to more than one insight, and each character she builds for the reader is real and true.
And as the narrative moves to a close, we are introduced to a concept that is both chilling and horribly current and relevant. In this, I can only salute Scott. A Treachery of Spies is, then, a masterpiece, which is what I’ve come to expect from the author. The two problems she creates are: setting herself such a high bar to leap with her next book, and making me wait now before I get to read it.
Bravo.
February 5, 2019
I find it hard to know where to start with this wonderful book. The beautiful prose? The endearing characters? How about the in depth detail given of life in France in WWII? That or the utterly engrossing plot.
Manda Scott has always written incredible books, none quite as masterful as this though.
The story is a dual timeline, following Captain Ines Picaud in modern day France, as she investigates the death of an old lady, found dead in a car, shot twice in the chest and once in the head, her throat slashed, her tongue cut out.
After a short time, we discover the victim’s name is Sophie, and then the story really kicks off.
We are transported back to war time France, to Sophie, as she trains to become a British spy and drops back to her native country. Here she will model as a Nazi sympathiser, all the while frantically plotting their downfall.
I will not give away plot spoilers, but I will say that the sheer scale of the story is mind boggling. It is a tale of secrecy and treachery, mystery, suspense and frantic action. It is absolutely sublime, as a writer I cannot even begin to imagine how you could plot out a book so complicated, but that I guess, is why Manda Scott it one of the very best.
This is most certainly a story that I will one day revisit, and will probably never forget. I know it’s only February, but I’ll be immensely surprised if I read a better book this year.
Manda Scott has always written incredible books, none quite as masterful as this though.
The story is a dual timeline, following Captain Ines Picaud in modern day France, as she investigates the death of an old lady, found dead in a car, shot twice in the chest and once in the head, her throat slashed, her tongue cut out.
After a short time, we discover the victim’s name is Sophie, and then the story really kicks off.
We are transported back to war time France, to Sophie, as she trains to become a British spy and drops back to her native country. Here she will model as a Nazi sympathiser, all the while frantically plotting their downfall.
I will not give away plot spoilers, but I will say that the sheer scale of the story is mind boggling. It is a tale of secrecy and treachery, mystery, suspense and frantic action. It is absolutely sublime, as a writer I cannot even begin to imagine how you could plot out a book so complicated, but that I guess, is why Manda Scott it one of the very best.
This is most certainly a story that I will one day revisit, and will probably never forget. I know it’s only February, but I’ll be immensely surprised if I read a better book this year.
December 23, 2018
An absolutely intoxicating read, dealing with WWII spies, double agents and traitors in a modern murder mystery- with a brilliant female detective at the lead. The women are brave, unique and unforgettable, which is an achievement given how many women feature in this book. Additionally there is a controversial topic discussed at the heart of this novel, and one that I found highly curious when viewing world politics of 2018.
November 10, 2018
This fantastic book is another captivating read featuring Capitaine Ines Picaut, who made her first appearance in the book "Into the Fire" by the author Manda Scott.
I would like to mention at first that the author has once again accomplished an immense feat combining historical espionage actions from the 1940s and 1950s, and deadly events which are now happening in 2018, in a most compelling fashion.
Secondly I would like to say that the story-telling is of a top-notch quality by this very fine author, because she brings the atmosphere from the 1940s and 1950s right until the year 2018 into wonderful perspective, while also the dangers and deaths concerning this world of espionage come off the pages in a gripping way.
All the characters come superbly to life within this fascinating spy thriller, because the interactions between the characters come wonderfully to the forefront in this great historical story.
The book is set between the years 1941 until 2018, and it starts off when a body is discovered in a car in Orleans, France, of a striking female person, Sophie Destivelle, who has died a death which resembles very much murders that Sophie herself committed during her time with the Morez de Maquis, a French resistance group, in WWII in the east of France and afterwards.
This murder of Sophie Destivelle, who's one of the most important figures of the Saint-Cybard Morez de Maquis who were fighting the Boche (Nazis) in the east of France, is the centre-point of this story with tentacles to all different kind of places and persons, when another murder is committed of another member of that Resistance group in Orleans, and so for Capitaine Ines Picaut and her team an enormous difficult task to solve these murders.
What follows is a well constructed, intelligent and intriguing spy thriller where friendship and betrayal go hand in hand, and where Capitaine Ines Picaut and her team have to go to extremes to entangle the threads of this web in this world of secrecy and death, before they can find the truth and solve the murder of Sophie in the end.
Very much recommended, because this is a fantastic espionage story, and one that I for certain will call: "A Top-Secret First-Rate Spy Thriller"!
I would like to mention at first that the author has once again accomplished an immense feat combining historical espionage actions from the 1940s and 1950s, and deadly events which are now happening in 2018, in a most compelling fashion.
Secondly I would like to say that the story-telling is of a top-notch quality by this very fine author, because she brings the atmosphere from the 1940s and 1950s right until the year 2018 into wonderful perspective, while also the dangers and deaths concerning this world of espionage come off the pages in a gripping way.
All the characters come superbly to life within this fascinating spy thriller, because the interactions between the characters come wonderfully to the forefront in this great historical story.
The book is set between the years 1941 until 2018, and it starts off when a body is discovered in a car in Orleans, France, of a striking female person, Sophie Destivelle, who has died a death which resembles very much murders that Sophie herself committed during her time with the Morez de Maquis, a French resistance group, in WWII in the east of France and afterwards.
This murder of Sophie Destivelle, who's one of the most important figures of the Saint-Cybard Morez de Maquis who were fighting the Boche (Nazis) in the east of France, is the centre-point of this story with tentacles to all different kind of places and persons, when another murder is committed of another member of that Resistance group in Orleans, and so for Capitaine Ines Picaut and her team an enormous difficult task to solve these murders.
What follows is a well constructed, intelligent and intriguing spy thriller where friendship and betrayal go hand in hand, and where Capitaine Ines Picaut and her team have to go to extremes to entangle the threads of this web in this world of secrecy and death, before they can find the truth and solve the murder of Sophie in the end.
Very much recommended, because this is a fantastic espionage story, and one that I for certain will call: "A Top-Secret First-Rate Spy Thriller"!
May 29, 2018
A novel to rival some of the great Le Carré spy thrillers!
Meticulously researched and suspenseful, this book brings together three of my favourite book categories: spy thriller, police crime procedural and historical fiction. The writing is superb. I loved the characters - particularly Police Inspector Picaut, who gets stuff done and at the same time, is flawed enough to be a real human.
In the vein of Kate Mosse, the novel passes smoothly from the 1940s to present-day and moves between France and Great Britain. The historical detail is such that the reader feels like they are there in the 1940s - it's so visceral. I particularly enjoyed those chapters and in many ways, preferred the past in the book and was keen to get back there - the plotting was particularly tight in these sections and it's so apparent that Scott has built her book around research on the French Resistance.
I had not read the first Picaut novel and did not realise this was part of a series. This book can easily be read as a stand-alone - I had no trouble following it.
More please!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Manda Scott for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Meticulously researched and suspenseful, this book brings together three of my favourite book categories: spy thriller, police crime procedural and historical fiction. The writing is superb. I loved the characters - particularly Police Inspector Picaut, who gets stuff done and at the same time, is flawed enough to be a real human.
In the vein of Kate Mosse, the novel passes smoothly from the 1940s to present-day and moves between France and Great Britain. The historical detail is such that the reader feels like they are there in the 1940s - it's so visceral. I particularly enjoyed those chapters and in many ways, preferred the past in the book and was keen to get back there - the plotting was particularly tight in these sections and it's so apparent that Scott has built her book around research on the French Resistance.
I had not read the first Picaut novel and did not realise this was part of a series. This book can easily be read as a stand-alone - I had no trouble following it.
More please!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Manda Scott for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 21, 2020
First time I have read this author. I have read a considerable amount of non fiction on the subject of spy’s and spying and only recently decided to read fiction on the same subject. I struggled with this book in that I felt that the author made the plot overly complicated coupled with various outlandish characters whom I had trouble believing in, and whom I failed to match with real life characters . Nevertheless I will read this author again to give a balance to her writing but it will not be top of my reading list.
September 14, 2018
Captain Ines Picaut of the Orleans police force is called to investigate the death of an elderly woman in what looks like a professional execution. She soon discovers Sophie's death is tied up with a bunch of former spies who worked with the French Resistance in WW2. The narrative moves between what happened in the 1940s and the contemporary investigation. Manda Scott is a superb writer and her books always draw you in and make you want to keep reading and reading.
February 10, 2019
I enjoyed this, but somewhat less than the hype would suggest one might. The plot was very complicated, which was fine, but needed better characterisation to support it. It got to the stage where some of the names felt more like ciphers in a complex puzzle that one was trying to de-code. And her political agenda at the end... hmm... if her thesis were true and those in control as powerful and evil as she implies, she would not be alive and the book would not have been published.
October 4, 2019
Exceptional. I was hooked from the beginning and astounded at the thoroughness of the research done to get this right. I’m tempted to go back to the beginning and read it straight through a second time.
September 12, 2019
Fabulous read, it did take a while to get into the rhythm of flitting back and forth between the different time periods and the number of characters. Definitely worthwhile sticking with it, really couldn’t put it down.
June 8, 2022
4,25 stars- Dutch paperback
Review follows later
Review follows later
October 2, 2022
Wow this was so good, and definitely one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year!
Set in France in 2018 and during WW2 and just after, it’s a brilliant police procedural/espionage thriller that hooked me from the very first lines! I was invested right from the beginning and wanted to know who this elderly woman was, and why she was murdered in such a vicious way.
I’m normally not that keen on police procedurals, but this had just the right amount of detail and back story for me to stay focussed. I liked Inès Picaut and her team in 2018, and although I didn’t feel I got to know them that well, I was still rooting for them and hoped they’d solve the murder before anything else untoward happened.
The WW2 story was fascinating and thrilling in equal measure, as I learnt about a particular group of French Resistance fighters aka the Maquis. It was such a fantastic story with so much detail that I felt like I was a fly on the wall at times. Some of the situations they found themselves in were horrific, which I imagine was quite true to life, going by the author’s note and bibliography at the back of the book.
I loved how the two storylines veered towards each other as more and more of the mystery was revealed. I kept thinking about the book when I wasn’t reading it, trying to work out what was going on and who was responsible. Apologies for being so vague, but I really don’t want to give away any spoilers if you think you might read it. Which of course I’m highly recommending that you do!
Set in France in 2018 and during WW2 and just after, it’s a brilliant police procedural/espionage thriller that hooked me from the very first lines! I was invested right from the beginning and wanted to know who this elderly woman was, and why she was murdered in such a vicious way.
I’m normally not that keen on police procedurals, but this had just the right amount of detail and back story for me to stay focussed. I liked Inès Picaut and her team in 2018, and although I didn’t feel I got to know them that well, I was still rooting for them and hoped they’d solve the murder before anything else untoward happened.
The WW2 story was fascinating and thrilling in equal measure, as I learnt about a particular group of French Resistance fighters aka the Maquis. It was such a fantastic story with so much detail that I felt like I was a fly on the wall at times. Some of the situations they found themselves in were horrific, which I imagine was quite true to life, going by the author’s note and bibliography at the back of the book.
I loved how the two storylines veered towards each other as more and more of the mystery was revealed. I kept thinking about the book when I wasn’t reading it, trying to work out what was going on and who was responsible. Apologies for being so vague, but I really don’t want to give away any spoilers if you think you might read it. Which of course I’m highly recommending that you do!
December 14, 2023
This went from a very Good Novel, to a Sputtering one, and on to just plain Crap. It might work for you, or not. 2.5 Stars rounded up.
September 13, 2019
This is so suspenseful I’ve been unable to put it down for the last week. Taut and gripping this flashes back to 1940’s wartime France during the Nazi occupation and the role of British spies working with the French resistance then back to 2018 sparked by the violent murder of one of the key french spies. Really enjoyed the characters and kept me guessing until the very end!
July 29, 2018
It's been quite a while since I felt so desperate to read and understand the outcome of a book. With friends popping around last night I pressed hard to find out what happened near the end, before they arrived, but failed. I realised this finale wasn't worthy of such a fevered read, but needed to be absorbed gently to take in the detail. All I can say is, Wow! What a superb read that is sure to impress any fan of WWII spy thrillers!
A Treachery of Spies is told in two timelines - a modern day murder investigation in Orleans, France and in WWII with the Maquis Resistance fighters and the British SOE who supported them against the occupying Nazis. In 2018, Captain Ines Picault investigates the murder of an woman who seems to have no past. It comes to light that she is linked to the French Resistance but why would anyone kill an elderly women and cut out her tongue? Buckle up for an adventure back in time that will deliver action, bravery, heartbreak, exhilaration and a complex mystery. Honestly, this is a jaw-dropping effort that had to have taken a great deal of research and mapping out. It's entirely worth the effort!
The characters were the linchpin and felt like family to me. The members of the Maquis we get to know intimately are so well rounded with fully formed personalities with impressive skills. French Captain Picault is also a person of note. She has her own story that unfolds as her investigation gets underway. A likeable character, she is a great foil to the historical element as she makes sense of the conflicting information her digging uncovers. Be warned, there is a vast array of characters with tenuous connections. Try to keep them straight as best you can. It gets really twisty and knowing who is who will help you with the intricate plot.
The tension whilst reading this novel was simply relentless. I sat gripping my kindle tightly as our beloved Maquis take on one dangerous mission after another. I wanted to read quickly to find out what happened but also slow things down to stay in that world of passion, revenge and honor. It was extremely hard to let them go and return to reality. The atmosphere and the sense of duty speaks volumes and ties the reader to the pages with unbreakable strength. I cannot convey how moved I was by this story and impressed that it isn't simply a WWII drama but a modern day whodunit filled with its own tension and danger.
This is a book that deserves to be read. There is more in A Treachery of Spies than meets the eye and I hope it impresses you as much as it did me.
A Treachery of Spies is told in two timelines - a modern day murder investigation in Orleans, France and in WWII with the Maquis Resistance fighters and the British SOE who supported them against the occupying Nazis. In 2018, Captain Ines Picault investigates the murder of an woman who seems to have no past. It comes to light that she is linked to the French Resistance but why would anyone kill an elderly women and cut out her tongue? Buckle up for an adventure back in time that will deliver action, bravery, heartbreak, exhilaration and a complex mystery. Honestly, this is a jaw-dropping effort that had to have taken a great deal of research and mapping out. It's entirely worth the effort!
The characters were the linchpin and felt like family to me. The members of the Maquis we get to know intimately are so well rounded with fully formed personalities with impressive skills. French Captain Picault is also a person of note. She has her own story that unfolds as her investigation gets underway. A likeable character, she is a great foil to the historical element as she makes sense of the conflicting information her digging uncovers. Be warned, there is a vast array of characters with tenuous connections. Try to keep them straight as best you can. It gets really twisty and knowing who is who will help you with the intricate plot.
The tension whilst reading this novel was simply relentless. I sat gripping my kindle tightly as our beloved Maquis take on one dangerous mission after another. I wanted to read quickly to find out what happened but also slow things down to stay in that world of passion, revenge and honor. It was extremely hard to let them go and return to reality. The atmosphere and the sense of duty speaks volumes and ties the reader to the pages with unbreakable strength. I cannot convey how moved I was by this story and impressed that it isn't simply a WWII drama but a modern day whodunit filled with its own tension and danger.
This is a book that deserves to be read. There is more in A Treachery of Spies than meets the eye and I hope it impresses you as much as it did me.
June 5, 2018
Very much enjoyed this, my first book by Manda Scott. I need to read more of her work, including the historical stuff.
But this is a thriller with its roots back in WW2 and the SOE and the brave souls that dropped into France to aid the Maquis in the fight against the occupying Germans. However we start in modern day with a murder, and that murder leads back to a key group of SOE agents and their time in the war.
A French investigation team headed up by female Captain Picaut are investigating the murder and, as more people die, discover that the mystery goes back to those wartime days. Picaut has obviously appeared in previous books (note to self: must read them) but she is a well-drawn out character and I like the way she and her team do a proper job in trying to unpick the complexity of the past and its links to the situation. Most of the book is set back in the war, about the time of D Day and these were times of fear and trust. Many brave souls lost their lives to traitors so our team of agents (and their French resistance fighters) must create as much damage as they can while trying to discover if one of them is a traitor. Key in this is one rather dangerous female, sent on a particular mission that may well make it look as if she is that traitor.
The book captures the gung-ho aspect of those wanting to drop into France and then counter-balances with the reality of the situation once they do. Not knowing who to trust and the consequences of being captured by the Germans.
I was half way another book when this landed on my doorstep yesterday. I thought I would read the first chapter for a feel of the book, and here I am the next day having finished it. Rather hard to put down. It is an obvious page turner but works on many levels, the WW2 action stuff and a glimpse into what it took to be part of the SOE, enjoyment at the cat and mouse games being played between the different sides but there are some darker questions of morality that are asked. I won’t detail for “spoiler” reasons, but you will think about them long after the book is finished.
But this is a thriller with its roots back in WW2 and the SOE and the brave souls that dropped into France to aid the Maquis in the fight against the occupying Germans. However we start in modern day with a murder, and that murder leads back to a key group of SOE agents and their time in the war.
A French investigation team headed up by female Captain Picaut are investigating the murder and, as more people die, discover that the mystery goes back to those wartime days. Picaut has obviously appeared in previous books (note to self: must read them) but she is a well-drawn out character and I like the way she and her team do a proper job in trying to unpick the complexity of the past and its links to the situation. Most of the book is set back in the war, about the time of D Day and these were times of fear and trust. Many brave souls lost their lives to traitors so our team of agents (and their French resistance fighters) must create as much damage as they can while trying to discover if one of them is a traitor. Key in this is one rather dangerous female, sent on a particular mission that may well make it look as if she is that traitor.
The book captures the gung-ho aspect of those wanting to drop into France and then counter-balances with the reality of the situation once they do. Not knowing who to trust and the consequences of being captured by the Germans.
I was half way another book when this landed on my doorstep yesterday. I thought I would read the first chapter for a feel of the book, and here I am the next day having finished it. Rather hard to put down. It is an obvious page turner but works on many levels, the WW2 action stuff and a glimpse into what it took to be part of the SOE, enjoyment at the cat and mouse games being played between the different sides but there are some darker questions of morality that are asked. I won’t detail for “spoiler” reasons, but you will think about them long after the book is finished.
October 10, 2018
One of the main ideas behind this book, and the one that sets it apart for me, is its use of the notion that the Nazis who were rehabilitated in the West for strategic reasons could have greatly influenced the politics of the countries that "adopted" them.
With its two-track design, this is also a great book in terms of plot, setting and character.
What may disappoint some readers down is the stilted voice and some bloopers/ defects in detail.
If you have read and liked John Le Carre, Graham Greene or Alan Furst - just for example - you simply cannot like the writing style in "A Treachery of Spies". It is a bit like a Commando comic at times. "This is war, and bad things happen in war", is a sentence that is repeated like fifty times by different people in different places. Too often, I got a feeling that the characters couldn't have talked or thought that way in real life. A gun in an operative's pocket screams "Use me! Use me!" Too much drama for me...
Some matters of detail are quite perplexing. For example, there is the matter of a film camera that is meant to shoot a wedding in a church, and that also shoots some military action, which is fine... but my mind balked when it managed to shoot what was happening on the other side of the church, which most of the humans involved couldn't see. A special agent throws away her knapsack, and a little later she is handing over explosive to a colleague...
I also got the feeling that an English woman being accepted by the maquis as their leader is a bit of a stretch, but I am not completely sure after reading varying accounts:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_i...
https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2...
In any case, that remains a interesting point that I intend to find out more about.
Overall, a good read for several reasons, in spite of some glitches.
With its two-track design, this is also a great book in terms of plot, setting and character.
What may disappoint some readers down is the stilted voice and some bloopers/ defects in detail.
If you have read and liked John Le Carre, Graham Greene or Alan Furst - just for example - you simply cannot like the writing style in "A Treachery of Spies". It is a bit like a Commando comic at times. "This is war, and bad things happen in war", is a sentence that is repeated like fifty times by different people in different places. Too often, I got a feeling that the characters couldn't have talked or thought that way in real life. A gun in an operative's pocket screams "Use me! Use me!" Too much drama for me...
Some matters of detail are quite perplexing. For example, there is the matter of a film camera that is meant to shoot a wedding in a church, and that also shoots some military action, which is fine... but my mind balked when it managed to shoot what was happening on the other side of the church, which most of the humans involved couldn't see. A special agent throws away her knapsack, and a little later she is handing over explosive to a colleague...
I also got the feeling that an English woman being accepted by the maquis as their leader is a bit of a stretch, but I am not completely sure after reading varying accounts:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_i...
https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2...
In any case, that remains a interesting point that I intend to find out more about.
Overall, a good read for several reasons, in spite of some glitches.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2019
En fyra för att romanen var spännande och omöjlig att lägga ifrån sig. Men ett varningens ord: Nästan omöjlig att läsa och förstå för dess myller av personnamn. Jag hör numera till dem som inte kan minnas namn på dem jag träffar tillfälligt. Jag fick lägga ner oerhörd tid för att greppa underrättelsefolket i England och masquisarderna i Frankrikes sydöstra bergstrakter. Anteckna, för personerna byter namn eller nämns omväxlande med för eller efternamn. 1957 dyker samma personer upp igen, notera vad dom heter numera. Nutid i Orléans med kriminalinspektör Inés Picaut inget problem, men vilka är det som är misstänkta? Vad hette dom förr ? Minus också för nära skildringar av tortyr och annan grymhet.
September 9, 2018
This is the second book involving the female police detective Ines Picaut. She returns to work after the trauma of events in book one and is thrust into the deep end with grisly murder of a woman in her 90's. As she finds out more about the victim she is taken back to the German occupation of France and a brave group of men and women who fought against Hitler.
A lot of the book is told from war time France with the rest set in the now as Picaut and her team try to find the killer and their link to the past. I did like the book and it was well researched but sometimes the storyline seemed a bit overcrowded with characters and plot. It was nice to revisit Picaut again though.
A lot of the book is told from war time France with the rest set in the now as Picaut and her team try to find the killer and their link to the past. I did like the book and it was well researched but sometimes the storyline seemed a bit overcrowded with characters and plot. It was nice to revisit Picaut again though.
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