Dead Ground: an unmissable spy thriller set during the Spanish Civil War

by Graham Hurley

A young British nurse experiences the devastating Spanish Civil War and the dark side of the espionage game in this gripping World War Two thriller from Graham Hurley.

1936. Anglo-Breton translator Annie Wrenne is working in Madrid when the Spanish Civil War breaks out. Annie becomes a nurse on the front line, but after falling in love with a patient, she ends up pregnant - and abandoned - by a man she thought she knew.

Annie passes the rest of the war in a haze, her only consolation her relationship with mysterious Republican fighter Carlos Ortega. Annie finds herself caught up in Ortega's world, a web of intrigue, which leads to her recruitment into MI5.

On her first mission, Annie must pose as Ortega's wife and head to Algeciras. Hitler's Operation Felix - his plan to control the Mediterranean and force Churchill to the negotiating table - has been set into motion, and the 'couple' must help prevent the Nazis from seizing Gibraltar.

But Ortega has secretly been working for the Nationalists, part of Madrid's Fifth Column. If it falls to Annie - and Ortega - to save the day for the Allied cause, can she trust a man who has changed sides yet again?

From award-winning author Graham Hurley, the latest thrilling instalment in the Spoils of War Collection, a non-chronological series of novels set during World War II and featuring some of the most momentous stories and figures of the era.

Genres: War, Historical Fiction

396 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 4, 2024

About the author

Graham Hurley was born November, 1946 in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. His seaside childhood was punctuated by football, swimming, afternoons on the dodgems, run-ins with the police, multiple raids on the local library - plus near-total immersion in English post-war movies.

Directed and produced documentaries for ITV through two decades, winning a number of national and international awards. Launched a writing career on the back of a six-part drama commission for ITV: "Rules of Engagement". Left TV and became full time writer in 1991.

Authored nine stand-alone thrillers plus "Airshow", a fly-on-the-wall novel-length piece of reportage, before accepting Orion invitation to become a crime writer. Drew gleefully on home-town Portsmouth (“Pompey”) as the basis for an on-going series featuring D/I Joe Faraday and D/C Paul Winter.

Contributed five years of personal columns to the Portsmouth News, penned a number of plays and dramatic monologues for local production (including the city’s millenium celebration, "Willoughby and Son"), then decamped to Devon for a more considered take on Pompey low-life.

The Faraday series came to an end after 12 books. Healthy sales at home and abroad, plus mega-successful French TV adaptations, tempted Orion to commission a spin-off series, set in the West Country, featuring D/S Jimmy Suttle.

Launch title - "Western Approaches" - published 2012. "Touching Distance" to hit the bookstores next month (21st November).

Has recently self-published a number of titles on Kindle including "Strictly No Flowers" (a dark take on crime fiction), "Estuary" (a deeply personal memoir) and "Backstory" (how and why he came to write the Faraday series).

Married to the delectable Lin. Three grown-up sons (Tom, Jack and Woody). Plus corking grandson Dylan.

You're very welcome to contact Graham through his website: www.grahamhurley.co.uk

Or direct on seasidepictures@btinternet.com.


Series:
* D.I. Joe Faraday

Reviews

[Andy Wormald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Graham Hurley is a go to author for me, always guaranteed a richly intense, structured, informative and entertaining read. He has a knack of engaging the reader

This is the 9th in the Spoils of War series (it easily reads as a standalone) and for me the best to date, beautifully played out against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War

Graham Hurley has a way of seemlessly blendng fact with fiction to bring together an absorbing and engaging read. This a book which packs a lot in which makes for a heady read

The book is meticulously plotted and wonderfully structured, throughout you get a feeling of intrigue and mystery, built around suspensful and tense scenes

Graham Hurley has a real knack for writing his characters, in this book the standout to me was Annie Wrenne, a woman with a love for Goya, the way her character developed throughout the book added a real depth to the overall feel of the book, the book is in a large part played out through her eyes and viewpoint. Then you have Admiral Canaris portrayed in a way I hadn’t read before.

I knew nothing about Operation Felix little about the intent to bring Franco into the war, and those who were fore and against this, I was fascinated by the way this unfolded on the page becoming a central theme to the book

It was interesting to read the underhand scheming and plotting that went on behind closed doors and the interaction between MI6 and the Abwehr

Though this a book set during the war, it does have a warmth about it, as I read the book it left me with a feeling of empathy for some of the characters which surprised me, though the writing leaves you thinking and caring about the characters lives,

One area that always shines and for me vital in historical fiction, one which is also easy to forget is the research undertaken by the author, in this book it shines through leaving me with a feeling of satisfaction in bringing the times to life and the detail behind the storyline

From the opening pages I was totally drawn back into that familiar world, a deeply absorbing read,

The Spoils of War series is a richly drawn and evocotively written series of thrillers set during WW2 each featuring different aspects which keeps the series fresh. Each though a spellbinding read, I particularly like the way that certain characters will appear in certain books within the series given a sense of continuity

It’s like your’e being treated to a history lesson in a way that both stimulates and fascinates the mind but totally entertains

A book and series which I can’t recommend highly enough, there is something about the quality of Graham Hurleys writing which make him standout.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engrossing story of spies and secret plots written by an accomplished author.

Graham Hurley has written nearly 50 books during the last two decades. This is the ninth book in his ‘Spoils of War’ series focussing on events during WW2 and merging facts with fiction exceptionally well, making the read absolutely plausible.

Having only read and thoroughly enjoyed the book before this one, The Blood of Others, I jumped at the chance to read Dead Ground for the blog tour.

Again, Graham has come up with the goods in writing an intense wartime spy novel, blending real events and real people with fiction to really bring the book to life.

We follow a few threads which come together later in the book. My favourite thread was Annie Wrenn; a selfless lady who begins volunteering in a hospital during the Spanish Civil War. After helping a beggar she comes across in the street with a disfigured face, who turns out to be a talented sniper with connections to British Intelligence, she finds herself working for the British Government as a spy. She gets involved in an art theft and spends a few nights in prison, all taken quite in her stride.

I also enjoyed getting to know Carlos Ortega, the beggar whose face had been badly disfigured when a church fell on him.

There are plenty of well known historical figures who appear in the book as Hitler plans his assault on Gibraltar and Annie tries to help stop it with her spying skills. I have learned a lot from this very interesting history lesson. I did not know about Admiral Canaris, head of Abwehr, and his role in the resistance of military officers to Hitler which lead to him being hanged for treason.

An enjoyable read from a master storyteller.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead Ground is the ninth book in the ‘Spoils of War’ collection. The books do not run chronologically, instead each one focuses on a key event in the run-up to or during WW2, spanning the period from 1936 to the last days of the war. This non-sequential structure means books can be read in any order or as standalones. Having said that, some characters feature in multiple books, including Tam Moncrieff and Annie Wrenne who have key roles in Dead Ground. There’s also a walk-on part for a character from Last Flight to Stalingrad that neatly foreshadows his role in that book.

Annie has developed a deep love of Spain and its culture, especially the work of Goya. She is dismayed by the Spain she finds now that Franco has gained power, a Spain she almost doesn’t recognize. And in Madrid the scars of the vicious civil war are all too obvious. ‘When she’d first arrived… it had been full of promise. Now, years later, it was a grotesque shadow of its former self, an assortment of ruined buildings, feral dogs, starving kids and hospitals bursting with unfinished business.’

In a way, Admiral Canaris shares Annie’s sense of disillusionment. He has grown disgusted by what Germany has become under Adolf Hitler and appalled by the unnecessary savagery being inflicted on the population of countries overrun by the Nazis. He is concerned too at the growing influence of Himmler’s SS which threatens his own Abwehr, Germany’s military intelligence organisation. Therefore he has an interest in attempting to restrain Hitler’s wilder schemes. One such is the capture of Gibraltar, the success of which depends on the support of Franco, a notoriously difficult man to pin down. Canaris’s actions place him in a risky situation – fatally risky, as history will bear out.

Naturally the British objective is also to prevent the capture of Gibraltar, a place of great strategic value. It starts a cat-and-mouse game in which each sides seeks to influence events using all the assets at their disposal. Key to this is intelligence which is where Tam Moncrieff and Annie Wrenne come in. Tam recruits Annie, a fluent Spanish speaker, to gather information from foreign journalists based in Madrid. She comes up trumps with one particular piece of information that could change the tide of events – but will it, and does everyone actually want it to?

The author has a brilliant knack for taking real historical events, crafting a tautly plotted thriller around them and peopling it with an interesting mix of real and fictional characters. A history ‘lesson’, if you like, but in an easily digestible form. The standout character for me was the enigmatic Carlos Ortega, a skilled sniper severely facially disfigured in the civil war. Annie’s first encounter with Ortega comes just at the point where she has been cruelly betrayed by someone she thought she knew and could trust. Yet her kindness towards Ortega shows she retains an innate sense of empathy for others. Theirs becomes a partnership that you suspect might have become something more under different circumstances.

Dead Ground is a gripping historical thriller with twists and turns aplenty. I can’t wait to see where and when Graham Hurley takes us next.

[Keith Currie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The latest entry in the Spoils of War series is a sort of prequel to The Blood of Others, focusing on Annie Wrenne, here a nurse on the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War. The reader learns much more of her background story and how she is recruited by Tam Moncrieff to Britain's secret service.

Along with this, there is a wider plot involving a German attempt to capture Gibraltar from the British and a second plot to assassinate Heinrich Himmler. As history teaches us that neither of these objectives were met, the tension of the tale is dissipated somewhat. However, it must be said that this story is as well written as ever, and the episodes involving Annie and her apparently untrustworthy ally, the Spanish assassin Ortega, remain exciting and involving throughout.

[Chuck Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical fiction at its finest. Set in 1930’s Spain it uses real life infused with crafty story telling about the Spanish Civil War and WW II Spies anyone?

[Peter Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is something of a slow burn novel as it carefully lays the ground for the later events. It is told in four parts with each of the first three coming to a natural pause, a partial conclusion. It follows the journeys of characters through events rather than centring on the events themselves, this is a story about people foremost.

The central character is Annie Wrenne an Anglo-Breton young woman living in Madrid. Her fluency in languages provides her with a living as a translator, but she is also a student of art and spends much of her spare time in the Prado.

It is 1936, Francisco Franco has returned from banishment in the Canary Isles and is leading Nationalist forces on the capital, the Spanish Civil War has begun. Annie realising she must do something becomes a nurse close to the front and treats many of the Republican and International Brigade casualties. Here the reader is exposed to the brutal reality that is war, for the fighters but also for the civilian population. The Spanish Civil War through the Condor Legion was a dress rehearsal for what was to come in World War II, where warfare will cost the lives of millions of non-combatants. The prose is visceral and evocative as surgeon Barsky tries to work miracles with primitive resources. This is life on the edge, with the reality that it could be snuffed out at any time. So, it is hardly surprising that caring for patients leads to Annie falling for one. Annie follows her heart, only for it to be broken by abandonment, by the man she thought she new and trusted. A situation about to get more complex.

When out to meet her former love, she came across a broken and disfigured shell of a man, in the square begging. Taking pity on the hulking man she ministers to his infected scalp, as any caring nurse would, and in doing so ties their fate and future together for the years to come as war escalates in Europe. He is Carlos Ortega, El Diablo to some, a seasoned Republican fighter who has experienced the worst the war can throw at any man. He has an air of mystery about him and as Annie is to discover, there is more to him than she is aware. Here is a man with questionable loyalties.

This is a magnificent piece of historical fiction that expertly weaves within a framework of reality. It is done so well that at times it is difficult to determine the boundaries between the two, they are that well blended. Interestingly the author’s note is surprisingly sparse on the matter, so if military history is not your forte then I would recommend a few internet searches. The potential assault on Gibraltar, Operation Felix, was real enough, as was Heinrich Himmler’s visit to Toledo. The problem with writing about historical incidents is the outcome is known, there can be no surprise. In such cases it takes a skilled and experienced author to capture the imagination, something he has done with aplomb in a truly enthralling novel. It is set during war, there is bloodshed and killing, but the DNA is more in keeping with the Cold War espionage novel. It relies upon mystery and intrigue rather than thrills and action.

Surprising art plays an important role throughout, it is Annie’s passion and somewhat naively she judges people on their love it. She is captivated by the work of Goya during his black period (pinturas negras) works he painted on the walls of his house in his final years, capturing his bleak view of humanity and his fear of insanity. Works of disturbed genius which are used as a literary leitmotif throughout the story as a precursor to life mirroring art.

The characterisation is fabulous. Annie is such an endearing woman her naivety is easy to overlook, and she develops into a strong, determined woman as the story progresses, as so many did during this period of the twentieth century. In Carlos Ortega we have a man who barely escaped with his life, a man seemingly with nothing left to lose, who even in the rare moments he opens up is always keeping something back. I loved the way he keeps appearing when least expected or when the storyline needed a boost, great writing. Their friendship and Annie’s reliance on and the trust she must place in him provide the glue that binds the whole.

Spain is the backdrop, we get some small flavours of life, but this being war it can hardly be considered normality. More importantly, it provides an almost otherworldly setting of neutrality. Here the work of military intelligence plays out almost like a tea dance, as the operatives move in the same circles and frequent the same restaurants and bars. Seemingly some secrets are guarded whilst others shared. The portrayal of Wilhelm Canaris I though was particularly acute, as a loyal German but very much in the anti-Nazi camp, a man acutely aware of what would happen if Himmler got control of the whole of German intelligence. A man who was loyal but also pragmatic, destined to pay the ultimate price.

In the end it becomes a battle over Spain’s neutrality, with the German’s realising that they need them come in on their side if Gibraltar is to be captured. Conversely the British aware that the fall of Gibraltar would lead to a loss off the Mediterranean to the Royal Navy and likely defeat, being desperate to keep them neutral. A phoney battle but crucial, nonetheless.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madrid, 1936. Translator Annie Wrenne is pulled into a bloody conflict when the Spanish Civil War breaks out. Being Anglo-Breton, Annie is used to divided loyalties, however nothing has prepared her for what she sees when she takes a job as a nurse on the front line. The last thing on her mind is falling in love, but when she meets a charming Englishman recuperating from his wounds, the stolen moments they share develop into a passionate romance.

When Annie is betrayed by her lover, she drifts through the grisly haze of wartime in an exhausted trance, until another patient, Republican fighter, Carlos Ortega (known mysteriously as El Diablo) introduces her to the undercover world of espionage. With the Spanish Civil War over, and the country in tatters, Annie's language skills make her ideally placed to help with the conflict now waging in the rest of Europe. Recruited by M15 operative Tam Moncrief, she becomes part of a vital mission to prevent the Nazis getting a foothold in Gibraltar. But can she trust her partner El Diablo...?

Dead Ground is the ninth novel in the spectacular non-chronological Spoils of War series by Graham Hurley, which explores fascinating aspects of World War II and related conflicts. There are recurring characters in these books, who you meet at different stages in their murky careers, but these can be read as stand-alone novels.

This time, Hurley turns his considerable insight and writing talent towards the Spanish Civil War and the impact this had on the Second World War that followed in its wake - especially the time when the fate of Great Britain lay in the balance as the Nazis swept across Europe in a seemingly unstoppable tide. With his familiar style of seamlessly mixing fact and fiction, filling in the gaps of momentous moments in World War II history, Hurley begins by immersing you in the bloody mess of civil war. Hurley holds nothing back of the chaos and horror of the conflict that set Spaniard against Spaniard, by looking at events through the eyes of Anglo-Breton translator-turned-nurse Annie Wrenne (a character we got to know very well in the previous book The Blood of Others, which was set later in World War II). Annie's perspective is important, as it focuses the eye on the part played by non-Spaniards in the war, and how Spain later became a pivotal territorial asset. Her role as a broken-hearted go-between opens up an opportunity to become involved in so much more than putting broken bodies back together, when her intensely personal story blows wide open...

Meanwhile, plots are afoot in Europe to gain advantage in the war Hitler's ambitions have given birth to, and Hurley introduces more familiar fictional, and real life, characters from the series to weave multiple storylines, that eventually bring in Annie and her dubious comrade Ortega. Hitler wants access to Gibraltar (Operation Felix), MI5 agent Moncrief must lead the mission to prevent this, and within Germany itself the unhappy relationship between old school Admiral Wilhelm Canaris' Abwehr intelligence service and the upstarts of Heinrich Himmler's single-minded SS goons is causing internal strife. What follows is a rollicking blend of delicious espionage shenanigans, military machinations, a touch and go assassination affair, and a highly entertaining stolen art caper, that is as thrilling as it is enlightening.

Hurley really brings the past alive, bringing all the complex threads together in an orgy of twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat, and allow you to understand the kind of scheming that goes on in the shadows of the events history records. In this case, I am surprised by how little I did know about Operation Felix and its importance. And how he uses shades of meaning of the cracking title, Dead Ground (an area hidden from direct fire), in so many aspects of this gripping novel is truly impressive.

This is my absolute go-to series when it comes to understanding the history of World War II and its related conflicts. I am always in awe of the way he writes about these recurring characters so beautifully, to fit in with what you may (or may not) know about the events in the past and future in the other books. This is the fifth of the books I have read in the Spoils of War series so far, and I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every one.

[Karen Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead Ground is the ninth book in Graham Hurley's reliably excellent Spoils of War series. Although some characters may occasionally recur, each novel is a stand-alone and with the series being non-chronological, they can be read in any order. This time the action takes place in Spain but while the early part of the book portrays a country undergoing dramatic changes thanks to the Spanish Civil War, it's really its proximity to Gibraltar, a key Nazi target which is often the focus here.
The novel is separated into three parts; Book One opens in Germany in 1936 but the setting quickly moves to Spain. The war between Franco's Nationalists and the Republicans is ongoing but Franco has the upper hand and after some key victories, is the official Head of State. However, to finally seize Madrid and bring the war to an end, Franco will need help and Admiral Canaris, head of the Abwehr, the Reich's biggest intelligence organisation is in Spain to negotiate a deal which will benefit both countries. One of the highlights of this series is the inclusion of real-life figures and Canaris is somebody who has long interested me. Knowing his ultimate fate adds a fascinating angle to proceedings here and as the novel progresses, this complex man who loved Germany but hated Hitler plays an important role in proceedings.
Book One also introduces Annie Wrenne, a young nurse who fell in love with Spanish painters, and Goya in particular while studying for her modern languages degree. She has been in the country for a couple of years, working as a translator but is now working as a nurse. She arrives at the Villa Paz, south of Madrid in February 1937 and is immediately set to work as the surgeon operates on the victims of a city under bombardment. Annie is a practical, efficient woman who gamely accepts the grim tasks assigned to her, However, there's also a more romantic side to her and she quickly develops feelings for one of her patients. She is her own harshest critic when she discovers he isn't the man she believed him to be but in spite of her naivety, her compassion ensures readers become invested in her story. It's perhaps ironic, then, that her kindness to a terribly disfigured beggar should eventually lead her away from nursing and into a new, even more dangerous life.
Book Two sees her rescued from near certain death by the beggar – nicknamed El Diablo by the local kids but in truth, Carlos Ortega, a Republican fighter and a deadly sniper who works for the highest bidder. The relationship which develops between the two isn't romantic but it is intriguing, particularly after Ortega introduces her to Tam Moncrieff, who immediately recruits her to MI5. Readers are also reminded about both the diminishing standards of life in Spain and the strategic and symbolic importance of Gibraltar. The sense of time and place is superb throughout, from the descriptions of the Rock with its defensive advantages and drawbacks to the poignant desperation of a hungry young man who risks a vicious beating for a meagre haul.
The longest part of Dead Ground, Book Three, examines the complex, strangely connected world of spies on both sides. Their interconnected aims draw Canaris, his trusted officer, Zimmerman, Moncrieff, Annie and Ortega together. However, these are dangerous times and despite their plotting, they remain enemies, with Ortega's loyalties never obvious. Trust is a key theme explored throughout the novel and it's Annie who is perhaps tested the most. She experiences some terrifying encounters but in spite of this, retains her principles and her anger at times is especially impressive. Having already met her as a more experienced, confident woman in The Blood of Others, I enjoyed seeing her develop here.
I was engrossed throughout Dead Ground and highly recommend this gripping, intricately plotted historical thriller.

[Tripfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

WW2 historical fiction at its best - SPAIN / GERMANY



Dead Ground is the 9th book in Graham Hurley’s acclaimed The Spoils of War historical fiction series set around WW2. As ever it is a masterpiece of setting a work of fiction against a very real background. The stories may not be true, but they certainly could be.

It opens in 1936 when young Annie Wrenne is volunteering as a nurse with the anti fascist troops in the Spanish civil war. She has a disastrous affair with a wounded soldier and is ‘rescued’ by Carlos Ortega (‘El Diablo‘), a strange and complex man with connections to the Spanish underworld, the international press corps, and the world of spies In Madrid, Ortega introduces Annie to Tam Montcrieff, an MI5 Agent from London. She is recruited. Tam is in Madrid (capital of a neutral country, but increasingly aligned with Nazi Germany) to find out more about Germany’s intentions to mount an attack on Gibraltar by moving troops and guns from Northern Europe down through Spain. Meanwhile in Berlin, there is much infighting between the SS (and its leader ‘Onkel Heine‘, Heinrich Himmler) and the Abwehr (Germany’s Intelligence service). Montcrieff had once been arrested and tortured by the SS, and had good contacts in the Abwehr. Madrid is a bit like Berlin during the cold war – a hotbed of espionage and intrigue. Franco blows hot and cold on Hitler and Germany, and it is hard to ascertain exactly how far (and at what price) he will go to help with Hitler’s plans for Gibraltar. The task for Tam, and increasingly for Annie, is to use their networks to find out more.

Hitler meets with Franco – a frustrating get together for Hitler – in a train on the French / Spanish border, and Himmler is sent by Hitler to show his face in Madrid and to flatter his Spanish hosts. All of this activity is closely monitored by the British who are increasingly concerned about Gibraltar and the impact its potential loss could have on the war effort. A plot is formed to exploit the feud between the SS and the Abwehr and to remove the threat. But it is dangerous for both Ortega and Annie.

Dead Ground is a story that could very easily be true and that is its strength. It reads like non fiction.

[Olga · Rating 1 out of 5]

Graham Hurley’s Dead Ground is a dense, fact-heavy historical thriller that leans more toward a wartime dossier than an emotionally gripping novel. Packed with espionage, military maneuvering, and historical figures, it will likely appeal to those fascinated by WWII intelligence and political intrigue. However, for readers seeking emotional depth and character-driven storytelling, this book may fall flat.

The novel follows Annie Wrenne, a British nurse turned reluctant MI5 operative, who finds herself embroiled in a high-stakes mission involving Nazi plans for Gibraltar. Alongside Carlos Ortega, a disfigured former sniper with murky allegiances, Annie navigates a world of deception, shifting loyalties, and wartime chaos. While the premise is compelling, the execution lacks heart—characters feel like vehicles for historical exposition rather than fully realized individuals. Even deeply personal moments, such as Annie’s miscarriage, are written with such detachment that they fail to resonate.

Hurley’s meticulous research is evident, and his ability to blend fact with fiction is impressive, but the sheer weight of information often bogs down the narrative. The book prioritizes war strategy, political machinations, and historical context over character development, making it a slog for those not already deeply invested in the era. The writing style, reminiscent of classic male-dominated war fiction, reinforces this focus, emphasizing technical details over emotional nuance.

Ultimately, Dead Ground is a well-researched but emotionally distant novel. If you enjoy fact-heavy wartime thrillers with a strong emphasis on historical accuracy, it may be worth a read. However, if you’re looking for a gripping story with deeply felt human stakes, this one might not be for you.

[Kate Vane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second Spoils of War novel I've read. The series takes an interesting approach because it is not chronological. Instead, each book focuses on a key aspect of the Second World War. In this outing the focus is on Spain, beginning in 1936.

Annie Wrenne is an Anglo-Breton with a talent for languages who has fallen in love with Spain, and the art of Goya. She is clever but drifting somewhat when she volunteers as a nurse for the Republicans. A chance meeting with Ortega, a man who she thinks is a beggar, but who is actually a gun for hire, changes her life after the Second World War breaks out. She is recruited by MI5 in Madrid and finds herself embroiled with Ortega in an audacious assassination plot. At the heart of the story is the Nazis' attempt to bring Franco into the war so they can send troops through Spain to take Gibraltar. There are people - on both sides - who don't want it to happen.

I really enjoyed the immersion in 1930s Spain, and the story of Annie Wrenne which focuses on the human aspects of war and espionage, an ordinary person who is confronted by extraordinary demands. There is a second narrative strand following a German Abwehr officer which focuses more on the political and military machinations of those who have chosen this life. The two storylines complement each other well. I also enjoy the way the protagonists in one book pop up as minor characters in another. It gives a real sense of the nature of relationships in war - intense yet fleeting, with a poignancy for what might have been.
*
Copy from NetGalley

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead Ground is the latest book in Graham Hurley's excellent "Spoils of War" series. These books are fiction based on actual events during World War 2 ,and the Spanish Civil War that preceded it.

British translator Annie Wrenne is working in Madrid when the Spanish Civil War breaks out. Shocked by the carnage around her Annie volunteers first as a nurse and then finds herself involved not only in a couple of potentially unwise relationships but also the murky world international intrigue with massively high stakes. As Annie's story progresses so does that of the charismatic Admiral Canaris,a decent man trying to thwart the plans of the barbarians and charlatans of the Nazi party infesting his beloved Germany,in particular their attempts to court Spanish dictator General Franco.

This is a lot more than a "war story",Annie is just one of a diverse host of believable characters involved in the labyrinthine politics of Civil War and Second World War Spain. Annie is a refreshingly strong female character and this book is partly a prequel to the previous book in the series "The Blood of Others",where an older and more experienced Annie plays a major role.

This is an excellent addition to a fantastic series that,combining fact with fiction,is often enlightening as well as entertaining,I had no idea quite how calculated and cynical the British attack on the French fleet at Mer-el-Kebir was and no idea at all that the French air force attacked Gibraltar by way of retaliation.

[Gill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this quite a demanding read. The parts about the Spanish Civil War were interesting and there were parts I knew nothing of previously but some of the WWII politics I found hard going. I found the different factions confusing particularly in the first half of the book. It was a relief at first to get to Annie's story but after a while she irritated me. No-one's character was really developed and this was more a work of war tactics, loyalties, deception and planning. All themes I like but I do feel this is a male-orientated book (if one is allowed to make such a judgement), and I did not warm to any of the characters, bar Carlos Ortega. He's a man who befriends Annie, a volunteer nurse working in Spain in 1936. Greatly disfigured ( a "church fell on him") and shunned by society, he makes a great 'overlooked' spy and through him, Annie is recruited by M15.
Relationships between the Abwehr and the SS/Hitler were very interesting to find out about - and there too was another interesting (and historical) character, namely Canaris. The epilogue is sobering. I also had no idea that the Abwehr and MI5 might work together at that time.
The story about Gibraltar, I found tedious (albeit extremely important at the time!) but maybe this was just not the book for me.

[Vicuña · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a complex and richly detailed story set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War. Anna, the central figure, is in Madrid when the war starts and signs up for front line duties as a nurse. She has an ill fated romance and then becomes involved with a strong Republican figure and is soon embroiled in espionage and a double life.

I know very little about the Spanish Civil War and this is the first book I’ve read by Graham Hurley. However, I was absolutely engrossed from start to finish. In addition to it being a carefully plotted adventure/ espionage tale, it was deftly woven into settings and events that are historically accurate. There’s a real sense of the era and the issues and it felt authentic. I’m going to look for other books in this series on the strength of this read, All the ingredients for a fast paced thriller, delivered with conviction. I loved it and my pulse raced more than once.

[Greville Waterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ninth in this pulsating Spoils of War series written by that marvellous writer Graham Hurley. Quite how Hurley has not become far more famous and well known is a total mystery to me.

I loved his police procedurals featuring Faraday, Winter and Suttle and adored the Enora Andresson series too.

The Spoils of War series shows his talent in writing second world war thrillers mostly featuring espionage and treachery and this is well up to standard with a wonderful heroine and trickery in abundance together with a dash of romance.

It is an intoxicating brew and made for an engrossing read.

[Clive · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another in the ‘Spoils of War’ collection from Graham Hurley, ‘Dead Ground’ takes us back to the Spanish civil war were we meet Annie Wrenne a translator when the war breaks out who volunteers as a nurse. As the war comes to an end and Franco comes to power she finds herself back in Madrid where she is drawn into the world of espionage. She simply has to report interesting gossip back to the British Embassy but soon finds herself drawn in deeper and ends up as cover for an assassination attempt.
A great plot and beautifully written, this was a very enjoyable read.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first of the spoils of war series to read, and I’m awfully glad there is another 8 books in the series I can delve into.
Prior to reading I checked and found that this does not have to be read in chronological order, and that each book instead concentrates on a specific event or period before or during WWII.
The synopsis gives you enough information to draw you into this tense historical thriller, with strong bold characters and the ongoing threat of war this was an A1 read.

[Steve Cripwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

1936. Anglo-Breton translator Annie Wrenne is working in Madrid when the Spanish Civil War breaks out. Annie becomes a nurse on the front line, but after falling in love with a patient, she ends up pregnant – and abandoned – by a man she thought she knew.

Well written and paced with a great story woven around the intrigue of the Spanish Civil War and the connection of Hitler’s war machine. There are spies, romance and deaths aplenty. I enjoyed the read.

[Alan Collinge · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who lived in Murcia for six years and Gibraltar for nearly three years ( military) i found the book intriguing as i know many of the places Graham Hurley writes a about Its a fast moving book but took a few chapters to connect all the dots between Germany and the Spanish civil war. The reluctance of Franco to support Germany’s Operation Felix ( invasion of Gibraltar) for fear of the Royal Navy was understandable. I like the book a lot and think its the best in the series.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating novel set throughout the Spanish civil war and into the Second World War, covering an aspect of history I wasn’t familiar with this makes for an intriguing read and with a mix of fictional and some real characters a great plot unwinds 4.5* from me

[Peter Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read…

This is not going to be a long review.

I just enjoyed this book. Well written with believable characters. And for once in such a long time, a good ending.

If you enjoy espionage fiction then this book is one of the better in this genre.

Regards,
Peter

[Judie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead Ground, ninth in this fascinating series, has fascinating history and characters. Graham Hurley is one of my favourite authors - a master storyteller. This is a must read WWII tale.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like books that take their time and dig deep into the setting and characters, you might enjoy this. But if you’re looking for a gripping, edge-of-your-seat read, this might not be the one.