What do you think?
Rate this book
Inspector Trave #3
Orders from Berlin: A Thriller
"Tolkien's writing has a timeless quality [and] the haunting undertones of other great masters." –USA TodayOrders from Berlin is a compelling thriller laced with Simon Tolkien's signature writing style, praised by the LA Times as "half Christie and half Grisham"With the publication of The Inheritance, Simon Tolkien was lauded as a naturally gifted storyteller who possesses a terrific command of language and a unique perception into the darker sides of human nature. Now, Simon takes readers back to the case that started it all for Trave, the hero of his last two critically acclaimed novels. It's September of 1940. France has fallen and London is being bombed day and night. Almost single-handedly Winston Churchill maintains the country's morale. Britain's fate hangs in the balance and the intelligence agencies on both sides of the Channel are desperate for anything that could give them the edge. Albert Morrison, ex-chief of MI6, is pushed over the banister outside his London apartment. He falls to his death at the feet of his daughter, Ava, but it is too dark for her to see the attacker before he escapes. Two Scotland Yard detectives attend the crime Inspector Quaid and his junior assistant, Detective Trave. Quaid is convinced that this is a simple open-and-shut case involving a family dispute. But Trave is not so sure. Following a mysterious note in the dead man's pocket, Trave discovers that Morrison was visited by Alec Thorn, deputy head of MI6, on the day of his death. Could Thorn—who is clearly carrying a flame for Morrison's daughter—be involved in a plot to betray his country that Morrison tried to halt, and if so, can Trave stop it in time in this gripping and intelligent thriller?
318 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 22, 2012
38 people are currently reading
863 people want to read
About the author
Simon Tolkien
16 books251 followersSimon Tolkien is the author of No Man’s Land , Orders from Berlin, The King of Diamonds, The Inheritance, and Final Witness. He studied modern history at Trinity College, Oxford, and went on to become a London barrister specializing in criminal defense. Simon is the grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien and is a director of the Tolkien Estate. In 2022 he was named as series consultant to the Amazon TV series The Rings of Power. He lives with his wife, vintage fashion author Tracy Tolkien, and their two children, Nicholas and Anna, in Southern California. Follow Simon at https://www.simontolkien.com/
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
January 24, 2013
Ok, bit too much padding, rather too many stereotypical characters for my liking and difficult to create tension when you know the ending...
April 8, 2013
"Orders from Berlin" is Simon's next novel in Detective / Inspector Trave series. The novel starts on a promising note with Hitler planning his strategy against England and the first 2 chapters focuses on the historical part. You tend to think that you will get to read a more about the England - Germany war and the political battlerooms ongoing in the WWII. But the backdrop ends there. After that, its like any other detective crime thriller except that there is hardly a thriller and hardly a mystery in between.
The novel moves in a very frustrating manner with people from secret and intelligence service being reduced to mere civilians who are more worried about their romantic, lustful and sometimes jealousy needs than their actual professions. The highly sensitive messages get decoded in the most careless manner and the plot to assassinate and eventually being saved comes across as a very kiddish one.
None of the critical points sound convincing whether it was the manner in which secret messages were sent and interpreted, whether the way the war strategies were discussed and thrashed out, the assassination plot, how the crime / murder gets solved, the central characters and their roles and many others.
Overall, I don't recommend this novel..neither as a crime thriller nor as a historical fiction
The novel moves in a very frustrating manner with people from secret and intelligence service being reduced to mere civilians who are more worried about their romantic, lustful and sometimes jealousy needs than their actual professions. The highly sensitive messages get decoded in the most careless manner and the plot to assassinate and eventually being saved comes across as a very kiddish one.
None of the critical points sound convincing whether it was the manner in which secret messages were sent and interpreted, whether the way the war strategies were discussed and thrashed out, the assassination plot, how the crime / murder gets solved, the central characters and their roles and many others.
Overall, I don't recommend this novel..neither as a crime thriller nor as a historical fiction
January 15, 2022
This is the first chronologically but last-written book in a trilogy by Simon Tolkien. The other books in the trilogy are straight mysteries, but this one is more of a spy thriller. Set during World War II, the detective is trying to solve the murder of a former British spymaster, but may be related to an ongoing assassination attempt against Churchill. It is a little different from the average mystery, because the reader finds out who the murderer is halfway through the book, but then the action focuses on whether the detective will be able to stop him from killing again. The plot is fast-paced, and the author brings in the characters' histories as part of the plot (as he does in his other novels). However, I thought that the characters weren't as well-developed as in some of Tolkien's other books. Also, he could do a better job of evoking the setting, but these are relatively minor quibbles.
August 17, 2013
This novel was not on my In Search Of list as I wandered through the Orange County Library last week but I am vulnerable to book covers and inside flap synopses. So to a historical action thriller fan like myself I was drawn to a title like Orders From Berlin. Add to that a hook like this three sentence synopsis. A Double Agent In MI6. A Plot To Assassinate Churchill. Only One Man Can Save Him. On top of all that the author is a grandson to J. R. R. Tolkien of Lord of the Rings fame. Simon does not paint word pictures like his grandfather but he tells a good story. It drags in a couple of spots but I enjoyed it.
April 9, 2018
Struggled as far as p75 and decided not to invest any more time in this plodding tale. The author has obviously done the research, but it's pretty superficial and the description of a London pavement as a "sidewalk" doesn't help authenticity any. Also, within the space of a few paragraphs one character is given two different ages. Which does not instil confidence.
January 7, 2013
OMG I don't even know why I finished this book. I guess out of respect to the time it takes to write and publish any work of fiction. Skip it. Another foray into Nazi Germany and Hitler, but very unsatisfying.
February 16, 2013
Plot line a little predictable but still pleasing. Fantastic descriptions of life in London during the Blitz.
September 9, 2021
Okay storyline with typical era characters. No twist plots which I found disappointing, but overall a nice read.
September 3, 2025
A wannabe war thriller grafted onto a sloppy mystery plot where you already know the who, why, and how--yet the prose narrative is so strong and powerful, that you keep reading compulsively just to see how all the elements will dovetail together!
There is nothing new or novel here, other than the author's own take on Hitler's Third Reich and one of the key men (psychopaths) in it, namely: Reinhard Heydrich, head of the Gestapo, among other positions. The depiction of Heydrich is absolutely chilling. He's the perfect evil twin of Hitler who is quoted saying this: "I go the way Providence dictates, with the assurance of a sleepwalker." No wonder WWII was such a complete nightmare!
I thought this was a book with some fairly serious flaws: the timing of the murder and the cover-up and framing of an innocent man depended on some split-second timing and cooperation from people with unknown reactions. The whole premise was just weak, but this is a book that was character-driven, not action-driven. Inspector Trave suffers from personal angst, but he is also aware of human triumphs as well as disasters.
Churchill plays almost a cameo role in this book, despite being central to the climax.
There is nothing new or novel here, other than the author's own take on Hitler's Third Reich and one of the key men (psychopaths) in it, namely: Reinhard Heydrich, head of the Gestapo, among other positions. The depiction of Heydrich is absolutely chilling. He's the perfect evil twin of Hitler who is quoted saying this: "I go the way Providence dictates, with the assurance of a sleepwalker." No wonder WWII was such a complete nightmare!
I thought this was a book with some fairly serious flaws: the timing of the murder and the cover-up and framing of an innocent man depended on some split-second timing and cooperation from people with unknown reactions. The whole premise was just weak, but this is a book that was character-driven, not action-driven. Inspector Trave suffers from personal angst, but he is also aware of human triumphs as well as disasters.
Churchill plays almost a cameo role in this book, despite being central to the climax.
September 23, 2020
EN/CZ
It is quite a thriller and easy to read, but the characters seemed really chaotic at some moments to me (as if they read the same book as the reader and thus knew things they are not supposed to), and the plot seemed easily predictable to me. The book, I think, does provide some insight into London under the Blitz, but for the rest of the novel, I found it really weak and had to force myself to read until the end (especially as it became clear how it will end).
CZ
Bohužel se mi kniha celkově zdála velmi předvídatelná a někdy mi přišlo, že jsou postavy násilím vedeny nějakým směrem v zájmu děje místo toho, aby to působilo přirozeně. Jako by sami postavy znaly vyústění knihy nebo sami četly s vámi knihu a tedy znaly veškeré informace. Ano, kniha poskytuje několiv zajímavých vhledů do toho, jaké mohlo být žít v Londýně za druhé světové války, ale jinak mi to přišlo jako slabý akční román (o detektivnce nelze hovořit, neboť role jsou celkem jasné hned od prvního setkání se s postavami).
It is quite a thriller and easy to read, but the characters seemed really chaotic at some moments to me (as if they read the same book as the reader and thus knew things they are not supposed to), and the plot seemed easily predictable to me. The book, I think, does provide some insight into London under the Blitz, but for the rest of the novel, I found it really weak and had to force myself to read until the end (especially as it became clear how it will end).
CZ
Bohužel se mi kniha celkově zdála velmi předvídatelná a někdy mi přišlo, že jsou postavy násilím vedeny nějakým směrem v zájmu děje místo toho, aby to působilo přirozeně. Jako by sami postavy znaly vyústění knihy nebo sami četly s vámi knihu a tedy znaly veškeré informace. Ano, kniha poskytuje několiv zajímavých vhledů do toho, jaké mohlo být žít v Londýně za druhé světové války, ale jinak mi to přišlo jako slabý akční román (o detektivnce nelze hovořit, neboť role jsou celkem jasné hned od prvního setkání se s postavami).
July 13, 2018
If you think all historical spy thrillers are the some, let this book prove you wrong. Not only is it not set during the Cold War, but actually during the Second World War, which I feel is already highly uncommon, it also starts out as a shallow, standard thriller, but actually reveals real depth later on. These characters stand out from their spy novel counterparts by being really deep and well-rounded. They are multi-dimensional, they have a history and personality, and they are far beyond the usual black and white. I loved the female character learning to free herself from her husband and growing to do what she wants for herself, and I liked the relationships of various characters with each other, all of which added layers to the crime itself. The one thing that irritated me though were the German characters. Simon Tolkien - and he probably could not replicate this on purpose even if he tried - somehow managed to make them sound as if they were speaking badly accented English. Which they were not. They were speaking German, their native language, but he had to write it down in English and somehow made them sound as if they were actually speaking English. That was annoying more than a real problem, and aside from that, the book is fantastic.
November 16, 2021
Another engaging book involving the nice guy, but determined Inspector Trave, this time as a young detective during the Nazi bombings of London. Once again Trave has to fight the powers that be to exonerate a man incorrectly accused of murder, but the bigger story is of a German double agent inside MI6 with a plan to assassinate Churchill. Can he figure it out and stop him?
October 18, 2017
It is always good when a series gets better with each new book. The flow, the pace, and the fluency have improved. The author created London in 1940 vividly for the reader. I do hope this is not the end of the Detective Trave series.
December 2, 2020
A good and entertaining story which describes life under the London blitz and the chase
by two detectives to stop the killer, who we are already aware of.
The author describes life in London at that time in great detail and I found it an exciting
but predictable story.
by two detectives to stop the killer, who we are already aware of.
The author describes life in London at that time in great detail and I found it an exciting
but predictable story.
July 13, 2025
Rating 3
Found it a quick read, wanted to like it more than I actually did.
Plot had good potential, execution didn’t really work for me though.
Basic plot of murder committed to hide traitor and subsequent investigation made me think of Le Carre novels amongst others.
Found it a quick read, wanted to like it more than I actually did.
Plot had good potential, execution didn’t really work for me though.
Basic plot of murder committed to hide traitor and subsequent investigation made me think of Le Carre novels amongst others.
June 7, 2017
two stars at best. the first part is intriguing, if a bit lenghthy. but after that, it takes a nosedive.
July 19, 2017
Kesälukemiseksi sopiva kaksoisvakoilutarina toisen maailmansodan ajalta. Helppolukuinen, sujuvakielinen ja elokuvamaisina kohtauksina etenevä romaani.
September 5, 2017
A good read lots of intrigue.
December 13, 2018
I thought it was terrific! An edge of your seat, what can happen next, thriller.
May 5, 2021
Engaging yarn set in London during the Blitz. Ends up being more of a why done it than a who done it, but has sharp characterizations and scads of period detail.
May 30, 2022
A good solid no nonsense story
April 14, 2023
Som J.R.R.Tolkien-fan märker jag hur Simon Tolkien hämtat inspiration från sin farfars liv, och de här boken är så högintensiv och väldigt svår att lägga ifrån sig! Jag är visst släkten Tolkien-fan 🥰
June 12, 2025
very much enjoyed this Hitler/Churchill fiction.
November 27, 2025
I really enjoyed this book in spite of many of the negative reviews. It was an old-fashioned spy thriller with fewer murders and less tension than some modern day thrillers are.
January 29, 2013
Article first published as Book Review: Orders from Berlin by Simon Tolkien on Blogcritics.
Winston Churchill was a man of many secrets and mystery. Known throughout the world, he was recognized as a great leader, and one of the kingpins that helped bring down Hitler.
In Orders from Berlin by Simon Tolkien, we are taken back to a place in time where the world was at war, and strategy had to do with both what and who you knew, and how well you could dupe the enemy. While Hitler did not want a war with England, Churchill knew that he had to stop him at all costs, even that of his own homeland being bombed. The fear of his aggression and the depth of his atrocities were not something to take lightly.
As Hitler finally realizes that they are not ever going to be allies, he manufactures a plan to have Churchill Assassinated. A mole deep within the government, a double agent, is set to create the diversion and eliminate the great leader of the English people.
As one murder occurs, to set the stage, there is one officer who is not convinced they have dug in deep enough. Scotland Yard Detective Trave feels like there is more afoot. The clues scatter in too many different directions, and the crime is solved too quickly. The death of a high placed member of the M16s offers more confusion than clues. When he tries to find answers he runs into a brick wall. His hands are tied.
Can he find the mole hidden so deeply, there are none who believe the evidence? Will he be in time to save Winston Churchill, and stop the deadly forward move of the 3rd Reich?
Tolkien takes you back in history to a time where England is under attack. He brings stark relief to the rubble and danger inherent in the bombing of the countryside, and the death and dying of those in London as the attacks continue. The blackouts and bomb shelters create and eerie settings, making you feel the fear of those involved. He does an amazing job of taking you into the streets, with the continued air raid sirens trying to outpace the sirens of ambulances and fire trucks. You find yourself visualizing the war torn rubble.
His ability to put you in the mind of the politics of the day is a direct reflection of his ability to engross you in the conversations and action. This is an abject lesson in history, riddled with mystery and danger.
This would be an excellent book for the library of the history, or mystery buff. It is a thriller in the best of ways. The undertones of the book drag you in and hold you there. This would be an excellent reading club book, creating a depth of discussion. Simon Tolkien is a first rate author, the grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien, he carries the torch of persuasion and excitement to the next generation.
Winston Churchill was a man of many secrets and mystery. Known throughout the world, he was recognized as a great leader, and one of the kingpins that helped bring down Hitler.
In Orders from Berlin by Simon Tolkien, we are taken back to a place in time where the world was at war, and strategy had to do with both what and who you knew, and how well you could dupe the enemy. While Hitler did not want a war with England, Churchill knew that he had to stop him at all costs, even that of his own homeland being bombed. The fear of his aggression and the depth of his atrocities were not something to take lightly.
As Hitler finally realizes that they are not ever going to be allies, he manufactures a plan to have Churchill Assassinated. A mole deep within the government, a double agent, is set to create the diversion and eliminate the great leader of the English people.
As one murder occurs, to set the stage, there is one officer who is not convinced they have dug in deep enough. Scotland Yard Detective Trave feels like there is more afoot. The clues scatter in too many different directions, and the crime is solved too quickly. The death of a high placed member of the M16s offers more confusion than clues. When he tries to find answers he runs into a brick wall. His hands are tied.
Can he find the mole hidden so deeply, there are none who believe the evidence? Will he be in time to save Winston Churchill, and stop the deadly forward move of the 3rd Reich?
Tolkien takes you back in history to a time where England is under attack. He brings stark relief to the rubble and danger inherent in the bombing of the countryside, and the death and dying of those in London as the attacks continue. The blackouts and bomb shelters create and eerie settings, making you feel the fear of those involved. He does an amazing job of taking you into the streets, with the continued air raid sirens trying to outpace the sirens of ambulances and fire trucks. You find yourself visualizing the war torn rubble.
His ability to put you in the mind of the politics of the day is a direct reflection of his ability to engross you in the conversations and action. This is an abject lesson in history, riddled with mystery and danger.
This would be an excellent book for the library of the history, or mystery buff. It is a thriller in the best of ways. The undertones of the book drag you in and hold you there. This would be an excellent reading club book, creating a depth of discussion. Simon Tolkien is a first rate author, the grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien, he carries the torch of persuasion and excitement to the next generation.
February 2, 2013
3,5
Orders from Berlin is the fourth novel by Tolkien. The story takes place during World War II, in 1940. William Trave, known from some of his previous books, and his boss John Quaid investigates the murder of Albert Morrison, former chief of the mysterious MI6. At the same time, in Germany, Adolf Hitler wants to get Winston Churchill out of the picture, once and for all. The head of the Gestapo and the Sicherheitsdienst, Reinhard Heydrich, thinks he has the solution for that problem. But he needs help from London.
Trave doesn’t always agree with Quaid how to run the investigation. While Quaid is certain he knows the identity of the killer, Trave is not so sure of it and goes against the will of Quaid as he tries to solve the murder mystery. And how is Hitler’s wish to kill Churchill related to the death of Albert Morrison? What about the mysterious little notes that Trave and Quaid find during their investigation? At the same time, bombs are falling over London. The Germans have started Operation Sea Lion, their code name for the invasion of England.
Everything is not as it first appears in this story. Even readers might be led into believing they know who the killer of Albert Morrison is, only to learn that they have been thinking about the wrong person.
The killer presents himself to the readers halfway through the book, which might disappoint some readers who whished to play alongside Trave and Quaid and for themselves figure out the truth. But despite that, the second part of the book is filled with action. Will they be able to stop the assassination of prime minister Winston Churchill?
I have not read the previous novels by Tolkien, so I can not compare this novel to the other novels. I found the novel a bit slow in the beginning, but it got better as the book progressed. And in the end it was even better. There are some intense moments, especially when a bomb falls over London, almost killing Trave and Alec Thorn, who is one of the suspects.
The scenes are very well described and you clearly get a picture of what it was like in London during 1940. I do recommend the book for readers interested in that era of the history as well as for fans of murder histories.
Orders from Berlin is the fourth novel by Tolkien. The story takes place during World War II, in 1940. William Trave, known from some of his previous books, and his boss John Quaid investigates the murder of Albert Morrison, former chief of the mysterious MI6. At the same time, in Germany, Adolf Hitler wants to get Winston Churchill out of the picture, once and for all. The head of the Gestapo and the Sicherheitsdienst, Reinhard Heydrich, thinks he has the solution for that problem. But he needs help from London.
Trave doesn’t always agree with Quaid how to run the investigation. While Quaid is certain he knows the identity of the killer, Trave is not so sure of it and goes against the will of Quaid as he tries to solve the murder mystery. And how is Hitler’s wish to kill Churchill related to the death of Albert Morrison? What about the mysterious little notes that Trave and Quaid find during their investigation? At the same time, bombs are falling over London. The Germans have started Operation Sea Lion, their code name for the invasion of England.
Everything is not as it first appears in this story. Even readers might be led into believing they know who the killer of Albert Morrison is, only to learn that they have been thinking about the wrong person.
The killer presents himself to the readers halfway through the book, which might disappoint some readers who whished to play alongside Trave and Quaid and for themselves figure out the truth. But despite that, the second part of the book is filled with action. Will they be able to stop the assassination of prime minister Winston Churchill?
I have not read the previous novels by Tolkien, so I can not compare this novel to the other novels. I found the novel a bit slow in the beginning, but it got better as the book progressed. And in the end it was even better. There are some intense moments, especially when a bomb falls over London, almost killing Trave and Alec Thorn, who is one of the suspects.
The scenes are very well described and you clearly get a picture of what it was like in London during 1940. I do recommend the book for readers interested in that era of the history as well as for fans of murder histories.
August 18, 2013
Hitler often said that Germany and England were natural allies, being fellow "Aryans" and all. He was peeved, to say the least, when England finally declared war after Germany invaded Poland, and greatly annoyed when the milquetoast-y Chamberlain was replaced by the bellicose Winston Churchill. Early in the war, Hitler has plans to invade England and, in Orders From Berlin, his minion, Reinhard Heydrich, has planted a mole in Britain's MI6 whose mission is to mislead the English about Germany's plans.
We're told right from the get-go that the mole is a man named Seaforth, and that his disinformation campaign is going so well that he's being invited to brief Churchill with only his immediate superior, Thorn, present. That gives Heydrich an idea: have Seaforth assassinate Churchill at one of these briefings. Thorn has been suspicious of Seaforth all along, but the MI6 chief, "C," is so in love with Seaforth's (dis)information that he won't hear a word against him.
When Thorn's former mentor and retired MI6 chief, Albert Morrison, is murdered shortly after Thorn has consulted him about a strange message intercepted from Germany, Thorn's suspicions are heightened, but C is recalcitrant. The police investigation is conducted by Inspector Quaid and Detective Sergeant Trave. Quaid is convinced that Morrison was killed by his son-in-law, the smarmy Dr. Brive, but Trave very much doubts it. He thinks it's a more complex case than Quaid wants to believe.
This is a straight-ahead historical thriller that moves along briskly and is wrapped up in just over 300 pages. It was interesting enough, but if you're going to reveal the bad guy right from the start––in other words, if the book isn't a whodunnit––then more complexity in the howdunnit/whydunnit would have been welcome. The Quaid/Trave duo is similar to the C/Thorn team, in that the boss seems never to have heard that some things really are too good to be true, and stands in the way of his junior's attempts to conduct a thorough investigation. The pairs and their dynamic were so similar that it felt like lazy writing.
For me, a no-better-than-average read.
We're told right from the get-go that the mole is a man named Seaforth, and that his disinformation campaign is going so well that he's being invited to brief Churchill with only his immediate superior, Thorn, present. That gives Heydrich an idea: have Seaforth assassinate Churchill at one of these briefings. Thorn has been suspicious of Seaforth all along, but the MI6 chief, "C," is so in love with Seaforth's (dis)information that he won't hear a word against him.
When Thorn's former mentor and retired MI6 chief, Albert Morrison, is murdered shortly after Thorn has consulted him about a strange message intercepted from Germany, Thorn's suspicions are heightened, but C is recalcitrant. The police investigation is conducted by Inspector Quaid and Detective Sergeant Trave. Quaid is convinced that Morrison was killed by his son-in-law, the smarmy Dr. Brive, but Trave very much doubts it. He thinks it's a more complex case than Quaid wants to believe.
This is a straight-ahead historical thriller that moves along briskly and is wrapped up in just over 300 pages. It was interesting enough, but if you're going to reveal the bad guy right from the start––in other words, if the book isn't a whodunnit––then more complexity in the howdunnit/whydunnit would have been welcome. The Quaid/Trave duo is similar to the C/Thorn team, in that the boss seems never to have heard that some things really are too good to be true, and stands in the way of his junior's attempts to conduct a thorough investigation. The pairs and their dynamic were so similar that it felt like lazy writing.
For me, a no-better-than-average read.
January 15, 2013
When I read, I inadvertently put myself in the story as I follow it in print. I begin to feel the cold, the mist, the rain, the sun and other elements of the narrative. I also put myself in the time and place where the story takes place. I can be sitting in a park on one page and riding the subway in another. In other words, I become enveloped by the story…if it is good and one that I like. In “Orders from Berlin” by Simon Tolkien, I did just that. I became a person living in London during the Blitz. I fancied myself reacting to the situations around me because the prose was so inviting.
This thriller takes place at the beginning of World War II in London and in Berlin. It is the story of a double agent who has a high place in the MI6, the CIA counterpart in England. He has the ear of Hitler through his contact in Germany. It is hard to believe that while his own country it suffering because of the bombing of London and surrounding areas, he is planning to assassinate Winston Churchill. One of his coded messages is intercepted by a co-worker who becomes suspicious of his loyalties. This is true cloak and dagger writing style. I thought that each of the main characters was very strong: Ava, whose father was murdered and whose husband was accused of his murder, seemed to grow stronger throughout the book and by the end I had a completely different idea of her character; and Trave, a subordinate detective investigating the murder who is not satisfied with his superior’s treatment of the evidence and becomes stronger throughout the book as he follows the evidence to find the truth.
I would recommend this book with no reservations. It was a wonderful spy novel and a quite believable fictional narrative about the London Blitz.
The author, Simon Tolkien is the grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien, who wrote “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit”.
I received a free print copy of this book in return for my honest review.
You can read this review on my blog at http://wp.me/p2pjIt-42
This thriller takes place at the beginning of World War II in London and in Berlin. It is the story of a double agent who has a high place in the MI6, the CIA counterpart in England. He has the ear of Hitler through his contact in Germany. It is hard to believe that while his own country it suffering because of the bombing of London and surrounding areas, he is planning to assassinate Winston Churchill. One of his coded messages is intercepted by a co-worker who becomes suspicious of his loyalties. This is true cloak and dagger writing style. I thought that each of the main characters was very strong: Ava, whose father was murdered and whose husband was accused of his murder, seemed to grow stronger throughout the book and by the end I had a completely different idea of her character; and Trave, a subordinate detective investigating the murder who is not satisfied with his superior’s treatment of the evidence and becomes stronger throughout the book as he follows the evidence to find the truth.
I would recommend this book with no reservations. It was a wonderful spy novel and a quite believable fictional narrative about the London Blitz.
The author, Simon Tolkien is the grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien, who wrote “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit”.
I received a free print copy of this book in return for my honest review.
You can read this review on my blog at http://wp.me/p2pjIt-42
December 29, 2012
I grew up surrounded by and immersed in World War II history, and I'm always on the lookout for a great novel set during the war. This wasn't quite it.
This is a novel with an interesting plot, with a nice twist in it. Unfortunately, the writing. Oh, the writing.
I don't understand the trend of giving every single character viewpoint character status. Thrillers and mysteries (and almost everything else) are best told from limited POVs, to keep the reader guessing. The twist in the plot would have been much more satisfactory if it hadn't been telegraphed ahead of time -- from the villain's POV. Sure, it's more difficult to plot and write a novel with a limited POV -- but so worth it. I lost track of the POVs in this book. Also, there were some egregious episodes of head-hopping, which should have been edited out.
Other editing issues: multiple sections of long, boring exposition and info dumps. Unnecessary Nazi-POV sections (what is the hangup with Heydrich? It was veering into uncomfortable territory.) Forget the plot to kill Churchill: the publisher needs a plot to kill off Tolkien's little darlings. Some editor, somewhere, should be ashamed. (Or if Mr. Tolkien bullied his editor into letting that crap stay in, he should be ashamed.)
The novel doesn't get going until around page 50. If you can make it through those pages -- including the abomination (if there isn't already a collective noun for semicolons, I propose "abomination") of semicolons -- you may get hooked. If you can stick it out until 150, it will keep you up late finishing it.
In sum: good ideas, but weakly executed. Lots of potential, though. If Mr. Tolkien works with a good editor next time around and *listens* to her, he could have something great on his hands.
This is a novel with an interesting plot, with a nice twist in it. Unfortunately, the writing. Oh, the writing.
I don't understand the trend of giving every single character viewpoint character status. Thrillers and mysteries (and almost everything else) are best told from limited POVs, to keep the reader guessing. The twist in the plot would have been much more satisfactory if it hadn't been telegraphed ahead of time -- from the villain's POV. Sure, it's more difficult to plot and write a novel with a limited POV -- but so worth it. I lost track of the POVs in this book. Also, there were some egregious episodes of head-hopping, which should have been edited out.
Other editing issues: multiple sections of long, boring exposition and info dumps. Unnecessary Nazi-POV sections (what is the hangup with Heydrich? It was veering into uncomfortable territory.) Forget the plot to kill Churchill: the publisher needs a plot to kill off Tolkien's little darlings. Some editor, somewhere, should be ashamed. (Or if Mr. Tolkien bullied his editor into letting that crap stay in, he should be ashamed.)
The novel doesn't get going until around page 50. If you can make it through those pages -- including the abomination (if there isn't already a collective noun for semicolons, I propose "abomination") of semicolons -- you may get hooked. If you can stick it out until 150, it will keep you up late finishing it.
In sum: good ideas, but weakly executed. Lots of potential, though. If Mr. Tolkien works with a good editor next time around and *listens* to her, he could have something great on his hands.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews