Union Station

John Russell & Effi Koenen #7

by David Downing

'Enthralling … A first-rate espionage novel' WILLIAM BOYD
1953. Stalin is dead and John Russell's days as a double agent for the USSR and the USA are behind him. Now the British journalist lives a quiet life in Los Angeles with his actress wife, Effi, and their daughter, while around them the McCarthy-era hearings are closing in on Hollywood.
But someone is following Russell. Is it because of his research into American firms that collaborated with Nazi Germany? Or his earlier espionage work? Or something else? The answer takes John and Effi back to Berlin, now a city divided, where the fight for Stalin's succession is on.
The latest chapter in the John Russell series, David Downing's Union Station is a superbly evocative Cold War thriller.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Thriller, Fiction, Espionage, Germany, Audiobook, Mystery

409 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 6, 2024

About the author

David Downing is the author of a political thriller, two alternative histories and a number of books on military and political history and other subjects as diverse as Neil Young and Russian Football.

Reviews

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A return to this series which last entry out had a pre-quel to the original series which was jus ok if I’m honest so it’s grand to see that we’ve jumped forward to 1953 & also switched continents to the US & away from Europe which makes sense as the Russians were closing in last time out in Berlin.

We’re in the McCarthy era & the discord/distrust between the former allies (Russia & The West now led by America as we Brits had given up our Empire to defeat the Nazis….. Am i still bitter about that!! lol) is relayed in the text through conjoining POV’s from the start. All roads lead to Berlin…..

Lets hope it meets the promise of the original series set in Germany.

Its quite a slow burn of a start as we get re-acquainted with all that has happened since the last book set in Berlin in 1948 in both John Russell’s & Effi’s lives (they now have a dual billing) which includes a nominal amount of family stuff that does neatly tie in with the lie of the land (America 1953). The early exchanges see John Russell on edge (make that restless perhaps) as he’s barred from working by US immigration whilst Effi stars in a successful TV show in Hollywood. We learn of McCarthyism through her show/cast whilst we learn about the racial divides through Russell’s “work” – he’s writing a book on the side. In the background you have shadowy figures & there is a trip back to the home land in the offing through Effi’s work as an actress. We also have a storyline developing in the East (Germany) about the leadership & their ties with the soviet regime, now that Stalin has deceased (recently), in the ensuing power struggle amongst the contenders to be the next ruler of the Soviet Union, which ties in nicely with an old foe (see 1948 set entry in the series)

It's a solid enough start…

Which doesn’t really get going (espionage pieces falling into place) until they reach Berlin & I won’t post any spoilers with regard to that part of the story but that said ive given you all the ingredients.

A good yarn, with Downing as always weaving a plot around the people of the times bringing it all to life.

4 stars for me

[Jim Milway · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a big fan of this series. I was quite looking forward to read the last (I assume) in the series - having enjoyed every one before.

He saved the worst for last. The anti-American preaching was tedious. The middle section when he and Effie returned to Germany was as good as his previous stories. But the opening and closing sections - ugh. The US-based story line was ridiculous. John, if you and Effie dislike the US so much, leave.

[Clare Edmonstone · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved David Downings Station books. For me, this one didn't really kick into gear until the last third. The first part felt more like a diary of life in LA in the early 1950s. However it picked up pace towards the end. His summing up of American attitude and the state of the rest of the world in 1953 was a mirror image of what the world is like now and an example that "the good old days" is really a myth.

[Sandra Vdplaats · Rating 4 out of 5]

** review for the audiobook by RB Media/Recorded Books ** part of John Russell

It was the narrator - Simon Vance - that made me choose this audiobook. I have a number of his titles in my Audible library and I love his voice.
I love historical fiction and this one is set in the McCarthy era, the 1950s in LA and later in postwar Berlin.

Russell, a former spy, moves from Berlin to LA because of a small part his wife is going to play. The short stay turns into a much longer one and they have to find a school for their adopted daughter Rose. John finds it difficult to settle down in Los Angeles. His wife Effi is a rising star in 1950s Hollywood.

John returns to an occupied Berlin in 1953, where a popular uprising has been bloodily crushed by the Russians. (East German Uprising - The Soviet Union made several peace initiatives after March 1953, but these also provoked counterforces. The Americans and West Germans, looking for ways to reignite international tensions, interfered in the popular uprising. But when it was crushed, even the Americans understood that their plan had failed.)

This historical novel is set in the midst of this political jousting and tension.

The book is wonderfully read by Simon Vance. I think you need to have some historical background to appreciate this novel, because for those unfamiliar with the growth of Russian influence after the Second World War, the formation of the GDR and the resurgence of tensions, this will be a rather boring and more political book.
I studied German and have always been interested in this period, I admit not having read the previous books in this set.

4 stars.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Except for his last book, Wedding Station (book #7 in the series), which I read and hated and didn't bother to review, I'm a huge fan of Downing's John Russell, 'Station' series. Wedding Station felt completely misconceived--the previous books all tracked in chronological order from around the start of WWII, whereas Wedding Station was meant to be a prequel to the series, in order to give readers a sense of how the British expat John Russell found his professional footing in Germany in 1933 as the Nazis were coming to full power and Russell became a journalist.

However, the story felt disjointed, not well thought out and seemed to be more of a political rant than an engaging story that added to the series. That book was so poorly done I believed I was finished with the series for good, even if Downing were to write additional books about Russell's adventures.

But this newest installment, Union Station, which takes place in 1953 after Russell and his actress partner Effi Koenen leave Germany and settle in LA, sounded intriguing. Set during the McCarthy era, Effi now works in television so the plot touches quite centrally on the McCarthy HUAC fallout and how that affected the Hollywood crowd, among other demographics. As well, mid-book, the pair go back to West Germany for a film festival honoring Koenen's cinematic career which allows them to reunite with the key German characters from the previous novels.

Once again, Downing was in good form. The book was well done, the character development interesting, the story compelling and the history well handled. Indeed, I would have given the book a completely stellar rating, except that at the very end of the book, within pages of the finish, Downing inserts a page-plus anti-US rant along with a completely disconnected, unrelated anti Israel paragraph that seemed to have dropped out of nowhere since the book had nothing Jewish or Israel-focused in it. A truly sour, bonkers ending to what was otherwise a relatively fine book.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had already been approved for an audio ARC when I discovered that “Union Station” was the seventh in a series that I had not read. Thus, my review should be taken in that context.

“Union Station” is well written and admirably narrated by Simon Vance. However, it does not work as a standalone novel. The characters and settings are well described but not explained if you have not previously read the series. (Spy games and the Cold War are understandably not particularly transparent.) I will update my review if I am able to go back and read the first books.

“Union Station” is available in the US on February 6, 2024. Many thanks to Soho Crime, RB Digital Media, and NetGalley for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Star Gater]

Just isn't connecting. I've tried three times, sat down focused and in a positive frame of mind, and I hear words.

This is a book I requested from NetGalley to read and review. The synopsis with Vance as the narrator equalled success, and sadly it just isn't happening.

I'm unable to give this a star rating. I read between 10-18%.

[MaryAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me longer than usual to finish this John Russell novel, maybe because it's been a long time since I read the last one. It's a good series and I always enjoy the character's insights into world politics and power.

[Holly B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think my review is very fair, as this is my first book to read of David Downing's and this is book #7 in a series (which I didn't know prior to reading it- my fault for not checking good reads closely enough... maybe Net Galley should have included that in the title?) I think I may have enjoyed this more were I already invested in the story and the characters. That being said, I was totally lost with this book. I didn't realize I was coming in on the middle of the story and there were quite a few characters and I often thought to myself "now who is this??". I typically like historical fiction/thriller books, but this one wasn't it for me. It was extremely verbose and my mind often wandering while listening to this audiobook because I honestly just lost interest (and was very lost). I didn't love the narrator either.
Thanks Net Galley for the ARC. I might just have to go back to read the other 6 books and try this one again and edit my review.

[Mieczyslaw Kasprzyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this 1950s "episode" in the Station series. John Russel is in California experiencing the corrosiveness of American Capitalism but also watching the McCarthyite pursuit of Reds under the Beds and seeing parallels with the Nazis. Excellent! Then he goes to Berlin with his film actress wife and the story takes another step forward.

[Alan Wolk · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have enjoyed the "Station" series precisely because it played on moral ambiguity. Russell becomes a double agent to save his family, Effi works in films for Goebbels because that is the only work available, Paul is an enthusiastic Hitler Jügend member because that is what all his friends are doing.

Which is why it was so disappointing to see Downing abandon all that for a very heavy-handed, eyeroll-inducing preachy ending that ludicrously compares 1950s America to Nazi Germany, while delivering swipes at the UK, Europe and, in a completely random paragraph that seemed inserted after the fact, Israel.

There are two main plotlines in the book, one set in Los Angeles where John, Effi and Rosa are living and one in Berlin, set against the little-remembered East German worker's uprising of 1953.

The LA portions do not work at all. Downing's quirk of mapping out the routes Russell takes ("he turned down Wilhelmstrasse onto the Unter der Linden before making a right onto Freidreichstrasse...") sort of works in Berlin, but in the LA portion it just sounds like an episode of the SNL skit "The Californians" ("he took Coldwater Canyon up to Mulhulland past the 405 onto Sunset...")

But that's a nit. My main issues with the LA portion are that:

(a) I don't believe the story at all--Downing has concocted some Q-Anon level fantasy about a cabal of evil businessmen and politicians in league with the CIA, and none of it rings true, especially the parts where they turn their attention to Russell.

(b) they've turned Rosa into a circa 2024 "social justice warrior" while completely ignoring the fact that she's actually Jewish and would likely want some contact with LA's sizable Jewish community. This despite the fact that Downing has the Russells living right outside the Fairfax District, which was the heart of LA's Jewish community at the time. Effi and John seem to make no effort to connect Rosa to other Jews beyond Ali and Fritz. There's no mention of trying to find any distant relatives among the survivors, of Rosa wanting to know more about her heritage. Or even acknowledgement that she doesn't seem to want any connection. Given this novel's focus on identity, it seemed off, like Downing just wanted to turn the focus to the mistreatment of people of color in 1950s LA.

That section stands in marked contrast to the Berlin portion of the story which is very much in line with the previous novels and where the historical facts of the era are what move the story along.

Here too, there are plotlines that seem over the top--the whole series of subplots around the U-Bahn tracks for instance, but overall it felt far more connected to the rest of the series than the LA segment and I wish the book had ended there or in London. The actual ending, in Little Rock and LA seemed as if Downing had taken the charcaters and put them in a different novel.

And that's before the preachy WTF are you talking about ending.

[Paromjit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the latest in David Downing's fascinating and engaging historical thriller set in the riveting, turbulent and intriguing revealing history of the US and a divided Berlin in 1953. I listened to this on audio, approximately 11 hours and 45 minutes long, and ably narrated by Simon Vance, who slowly draws and immerses the listener in the characters and the historical period with ease. Union Station is in Los Angeles, the city John Russell and his actress partner, Effie, with their adopted daughter, Rosa, now reside. Effie is making a good living in a popular American sit-com series, and the progressive Rosa is thriving at school, showing talent as a artist, but John is finding the bland journalism that includes interviewing forgettable cultural movie stars less than thrilling. A scenario that is set to change.

John is still worried about the implications of his past as a American intelligence and Soviet double agent which came to an end, his past in espionage still has him concerned at the possibility of Beria, Stalin's powerful and ruthless Chief of Police, stll being able to get to him, a fear heightened by a stalker. Stalin's death brings the prospect of Beria increasing his influence. The McCarthyite era is in full swing with HUAC interviews intent on encouraging Hollywood stars to leak fellow actors names, a task made considerably easier with industry efforts made to second guess HUAC, and which draws in Effie and others she works with. John finds himself researching a book exploring the links between American firms collaborating with Nazi Germany during the war, this is to bring dangers that follow him on his trip with Effie to a film festival in a Berlin that drops him into the background machinations of post-Stalin Berlin. A visit that brings the opportunity to investigate further the explosive subject matter for his book.

Downing paints a detailed picture of the complexities of LA and the US, the prevalent culture, the planned inbuilt racism and parallels with Nazism, the ongoing institutional violence carried out by the police, and the efforts to continue to enforce segregation, setting the foundation stones of current contemporary politics, the inequalities, lies, conflict, and political divisions in the nation. He simultaneously captures the behind scenes twists and turns in Russian power moves and East Germany with its current troubles. If you have some familiarity with Russian history, you may, like myself, be aware of what lies in wait for Beria. John is limited in the level of justice he is able to achieve, and what can be done has him moving into surprising territory. Readers and listeners interested in this enthralling period of history are likely to particularly enjoy this remarkable and informative addition to a brilliant series. Many thanks to RB Media for ALC,

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Union Station is the 7th Russel & Koenen historical thriller by David Downing. Released 6th Feb 2024 by Soho Crime, it's 408 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is such a meticulously researched and realistically written novel. Post war 1953 Los Angeles in the grip of McCarthy-era blacklisting and communists in the woodwork, sees protagonist pair John and Effi investigating a WW2 conspiracy which has landed them in danger (again).

The author is adept and precise, the story woven around a framework of real history so skillfully that it's not always clear where fact shades into fiction.

A clear codicil, this is the 7th book in the series and emphatically does not work well as a standalone. It's brilliantly well written, but there is no spoon-feeding on the author's part and it won't be an easy or immersive read without an introduction.

The unabridged audiobook version has a run time of 11 hours 44 minutes and is expertly narrated by Simon Vance. He has a beautifully modulated light baritone voice and does a superlative job of delineating the characters, with an array of accents, ages, and both sexes. His voice is distractingly fine, and some readers may need to re-listen to the first half hour before he fades into the background (I did). Sound and production quality are top notch throughout the read.

This would be a great candidate for a long binge / buddy read, for public library acquisition, or a good long-term project for a mystery book club discussion.

Four stars for the story, five for the narration. Very good, complex, and well crafted. For fans of Forsythe, John Lawton, and Robert Littell, this will likely be a fast favorite.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's exciting to come across an entirely new author/series, and this is that for me - haven't read any of David Downing's works, and Union Station is #8 in an ongoing series - the John Russell & Effi Koenen mysteries. Apparently, they all seem to be tied to stations.

In the 60's my grandfather pawned all he could, every weekend, in order to dress fancy and catch a bus from Pomona to Los Angeles, where he would often hang out at the Union Station. As he was my part-time babysitter date nights for my super young parents, it was me and him, watching "rassling" on a behemoth TV with a tiny screen so close his knees touched the screen. I heard so many stories about the Union Station - that was the sole reason I hoped for this book to read. I wanted to compare stories. . .

The characters were interesting - the setting is post WWII, dealing with consequential outcomes of political positions from the past reconciled with reality after. Transitions are always awkward, but in some cases deadly in John Russell's world - dark forces trying to determine allegiances, whose on which side and when. . .all the while trying to keep a normal life moving forward (?how many times did my Dad yell out the car window on road trips, "I just wanna have a NORMAL family!!!!"). Ah well.

This book was engaging, and pulled me in. I clearly missed the background that would have come from reading earlier books, but I'll remedy that. This one was good on it's own - better toward the middle, and a great wrap-up. Another mystery series to board!

Also - Simon Vance rocks all his narrations. . . He's always a favorite for me.

*A sincere thank you to David Downing, RB Media, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.* #UnionStation #NetGalley

[Martha Dudrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This "Station Series" is one of my favorites, and I will admit to reading all of them more than once. It is a bit like visiting old friends. I also admit to being a little disappointed that in this one he did not go back to fill in the "missing" years after "Wedding Station" but jumps way ahead from 1948 to 1953. This one has the feeling of being the last, but there are bits in between that would fill some gaps. I hope he still has 1933-1939 in him. I am not ready to let go of John Russell and Co. "Union Station" can sometimes be a bit of a slog; particularly in the murky world of the developing DDR, the conflicts between the Germans who stayed to fight the Nazis v those who spent the war in Moscow, etc. Anyone not at all familiar with that period in Germany may well get lost. The darkness of McCarthy/HUAC etc is far more familiar; the fear and paranoia of the time is well presented. John Russell, it is clear, doesn't really feel at home anywhere, his long-simmering antagonism toward half his heritage (half American-half English) really bursts out here and it is not comfortable reading. Likely because it has the ring of truth. I have seen some reviews that are angry at this but I think they miss that it is authentic to the character and what he sees in 1953 US is plenty to make him angry. Reading it is a bit like watching a good film noir. Downing excels at creating the atmospheric "fug" of the period in which he writes. Complicated stories, characters who are authentic, relatable on many levels. I liked it.

[Rayrumtum · Rating 4 out of 5]

DON'T start this excellent series with this one.

Apparently David Downing can't let John Russell retire and adds to this excellent series of "station" books. In this one the war is over and he is in LA with his actress spouse Effi who is in a successful tv sitcom. The McCarthy era is in full swing with everyone having to name names of suspected Communists or be blacklisted. John is working on a series about American businesses having collaborated with the Nazis. Then Effi is invited to a film festival in Germany.
Pros--The novel may be perceived by some as slow because of all the period details. I enjoyed that because it brought back memories when I was a wee lad. It was well researched.
Cons--The plot seemed to meander a lot and wasn't as clear as the other books in the series. Since it has been a while since I read the last book. I would benefit from some reminders about characters.
Some readers have complained about an anti-US screed in the last couple chapters. I dissent from that because it realistically brought up nasty issues in the US at that time. The post war euphoria we hear about really applied only to a select few. Russell is a UK citizen and is allowed his perceptions, which had a lot of truth to them. When he travels to the South, he witnesses things many living today would doubt could be. Trust me, I saw them.
A prediction, if there is another novel in this series, it will be called Penn Station.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series, and really enjoyed this entry. I'm going to assume it's the last, but I've thought that before!

The change of location to the United States was enjoyable. After so much turmoil it was lovely to see John, Effie, and Rosa in a reasonably good place. Rosa most of all. She's becoming a lovely, thoughtful young woman.

The story is very different than the previous books. The angst for the first half (two-thirds?) of the book is more existential, but it's a statement for our times. The parallels to what we're living now could not be more clear. If you love the direction our county is going you're not going to love this book. Things pick up once John and Effie head to Germany for Effie to be a part of a film festival there, and things once again take on a more familiar heart-pounding feel.

My only knock is I feel the wrap-up was a little rushed. I wish we had focused a little more on that, but I understand the issues of space, location, etc. The closing list of knocks against the US were pretty spot on, so again, if you aren't able to hear criticisms of our country this is not the book for you. If you haven't read the others in the series, please don't pick this one up. You really need the twenty years of history of these characters to really appreciate and understand the situation and circumstances.

As with all the Downing books, I appreciate the level of research that went into it.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance audiobook of this novel. The audiobook was well done if a bit dry. The writer has a tendency for a lot of exposition so some of it did feel like a classroom but I was still riveted for most of it. I found the story to be very well done. It weaves between 1953 Los Angeles and Berlin. While America is creating a middle class mythology, Berlin is trying to find itself in a post-Nazi world while split in two. The MC is a journalist covering local politics in LA, and his wife is a German actress now working in Hollywood. Both are buffeted by larger political forces: McCarthyism, race relations, the division of Berlin, etc. The author clearly has an exhaustive understanding of history and both locales and creates an engaging thriller within that understanding. The MC (and presumably the author) is an even-handed observer of world events and politics, and some of the heroes are communists and some of the villians are Americans, and vice versa. The MC understands political systems, but does not really believe in them. The MC does what good he can where he can, which he admits is little. This novel is mostly to be enjoyed for the history and in depth study of contrasting political systems. I appreciated the subplot around America's miscegenation laws and their connection to Nazi Germany.

[Huw Rees · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am being generous with this rating for Union Station simply because I would have had no problem with giving the first four books in this series five stars each. Books five and six did not interest me quite as much and I have not read Wedding Station.
I was annoyed with Downing when he allowed Russell to leave the U.K. in book five just to keep an eye on Berlin immediately post the second world war. Obviously the complication of books five and six warranted the new tenure there. However, by 1953 Russell has taken another step that I found difficult to understand, specifically the move to California. Russell is quintessentially British despite an American parent, and surely he would have known what he was likely to find in the U.S. at that time.
I assume that his American publishers made Russell utter the term gotten twice when he had not used it once in the first six books, it just does not fit his character, in fact it undermines his credibility for me.
I also find his almost complete abandonment of his own flesh and blood son strange, it happens twice in this series, even if his adopted daughter gives the storyline a harder edge.
So contrived is the term I would use for book eight, the time spent in Berlin is as good as the rest of the series but the remainder is tub thumping even if I find elements of that thumping legitimate.

[John Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always terrific to read David Downing's John Russell. If you haven't you to begin with Zoo Station, which introduces Russell and begins his life in world War II Germany as a journalist but this quickly he becomes a agent for the British. His World War II adventures last for six novels, they are well worth the read.
In this adventure, Russell, his companion Effie, and their adoptive daughter have moved to California. so in 1953, the war won. It's a some peaceful time. Russell working on a book, which might reveal some business men who worked with the Nazi's, Effie, once the star of German film is now a bit player on a wildly popular television show, has has been invited to West Berlin for a German Film Festival of her earlier work, while Rosa is a budding young girl with a passion for art.
Of course along with the good there's danger ahead. The races are divided, Joe McCarthy's Congressional Hearings are finding Communists everywhere and The Soviet Union is kicking up trouble after the death of Uncle Joe Stalin, which for Russell threatens his comfortable life over the deal he made with Stalin henchman Beria, which might fall apart if Beria gets the power to destroy everyone.
One of my favorite authors.

[MDM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Union Station continues the story of John Russell as he and his family settle into life in McCarthy Era Hollywood. The ongoing HUAC hearings, the crisis in DDR politics, and the seediness and racism of Los Angeles politics are all interesting storylines. I found the Los Angeles setting more compelling than the (historically fascinating) German story. Long descriptions of German politics dragged parts of the book down. Even the tunnel rescue of an East German dissenter was a surprisingly slow moving part of the story. Things picked up when Russell returned to the states, and I enjoyed the last third of the book more than the beginning.

I listened to the audio of the book read by the talented Simon Vance. I sometimes wished I was reading the ebook though so I could skip past some of the background political material, especially the rant at the very end.

Union Station is seventh in series, but plenty of detail is provided to fill in the back-story for new readers like me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Barry Smirnoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the eighth and final volume of the John Russell series and it is a summation of the events that this amazing character has survived. He has been chased by Beria, Nazis, corrupt politicians, the FBI, the CIA, the Stasi, GRU, Berlin, LA, Brooklyn, Poland, London, Paris, on transcontinental trains, European airliners, and all of this between 1933 and 1945. But, this book takes place during 1953, with HUAC, loyalty oaths, Sen McCarthy, Hollywood 10, Korea, the Rosenbergs, Segregation, the Hydrogen Bomb, French Indochina, etc. Yet in spite of this, he is happily married to a German born TV star, and writing a book about Americans doing business with Nazis living in LA. The author has very strong opinions about America’s checked past. This book is the first thriller with a social justice theme. He rails against Capitalism, colonialism, racism, anti-semitism, Zionism, Stalinism, and oppressed peoples everywhere. It is interesting the way he manages to bring all of the threads together. Will this really be the last book in the series? Maybe, The Cold War is coming back in a big way, and a German speaking English journalist with a past may need replacing.

[Own Timis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read all of the preceding John Russell books, in my view this was by far the weakest. The pace in the first three quarters is diabolically slow, trudging through the makings of quite a dull plot in California. Only when Russell and co arrive in Berlin does it pick up, but even then it isn't enough to redeem the novel. All the main characters now seem to have significant plot armour and there's no tension or potential for them not to have the happy ending we're expecting.

I think this series has run its course now and I hope Downing doesn't write any more (though I will read them if he does!). I think a lot of the series strengths comes from it's setting in Nazi Germany and it doesn't work as well in the post-war world.

As an aside, it truly baffles me that so many people in these reviews have picked this up as the first they've read in the series. This isn't a book that can be read as a standalone. Though to be fair, they seem to have given it more generous reviews than me.

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read all the John Russell Station series books and looked forward to another book in the series. It’s 1953 and Russell is living in Los Angeles where his wife, Effi, is in an American sitcom. As Russell drives around the sprawling metropolis with its wide streets and characterless buildings, under the scorching sun, we feel his discontent. The post-war period was characterized by racial unrest as returning soldiers chafed against segregation, business was systematically destroying communities for the greater good, and McCarthyism was attempting to threaten and coerce compliance with “American values”. When Effi is invited to attend a film festival in West Berlin, Russell has a chance to see old friends, relive his wartime experiences, and even engage in a mission to save the daughter of a friend from the Stazi. But overall, he is looking objectively at a country that has failed to live up to its potential and promises. It is a fine read and illustrates the fatalism that many of us feel today.

[Greg Strom · Rating 2 out of 5]

So chalk another one up for the free Cloud Library as this snooze fest failed to keep me riveted for even a second as scene after meaningless scene unfolded as we learned about Ozzie and Harriet and all things 50s. It was supposed to be this intriguing look at post ww2 Berlin with soviets vying for control and spies everywhere you turn. Our protagonist happened to have seen a film that would have starred DJT if modern day, and would have been satisfying to see one of these pedophile bastards brought to justice for ONCE but NO, they simply walk using power and $ and influence and threats to get their way, sound familiar. Kid Rosa was at least mildly interesting with her love of jazz and "black" music but aside from that the biggest sign of danger was crawling through brambles to east Berlin , zzzzzz. The only redeeming characteristic was that Simon Vance was the narrator, and even he couldn't save this one.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Union Station by David Downing is a novel about his character John Russell. Russell and his wife Effi and their adopted daughter Rosa are caught up in the events of the day in the early 1950's. These events include the Korean war, the activities of the BOB, the Berlin Operations Base in Germany and the HUAC, the House Un-American Activities Committee. Russell's wife Effi is an actress who is interviewed by the HUAC. Russell is involved in various activities during the uprising of the workers of East Berlin.
The workers go on strike because the post Stalin leaders of the DDR want to impose a new economic performance norm on the workers and the workers are against this. If you like reading about the events of this period in time in the United States and Germany you will probably enjoy this novel.

[Larry Fontenot · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had read the last Russell book, Wedding Station, which was actually like a prequel to the series. Much like Wedding Station portrayed a Germany full of citizens turning a blind eye to Hitler's excesses, Downing uses Union Station as a picture of the early 1950s in America as a comparison to the East Germany he had escaped along with a tenuous relationship with the Soviets. There is some action, but much of the novel is a bruising observation of Hollywood and American in general during the McCarthy era. I like the characters and their ambivalent feelings toward their past and a future they deem as problematic. A bit preaching at times, the novel nevertheless is written with one eye on the 1950s and another on current politics. Excellent characters, plot and prose, if a bit less exciting than the earlier work.

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Downing writes a good political thriller. We've got an interesting, good guy, John Russell, a British journalist and World War I veteran. His wife, Effie, the former German movie star, is now working in a Hollywood sitcom. Things are looking pretty good, or ought to be.

However, it's 1953, the House Unamerican Affairs Committee is active, and Joe McCarthy is riding high. Joe Stalin has just died, so the Communist world is in a state of unease. One of John's friends is now a member of the East German Central Committee, but he may not be enthusiastic enough about Walter Ulbricht and his Russian bosses.

Russell is writing a book about American companies who were too cozy with the Nazi regime in Germany. The book isn't going well, because he can't get witnesses to cooperate with him. He undertakes a series of stories about the candidates in a special Congressional election in Los Angeles, going out and interviewing the candidates, as of whom seem to be squeaky-clean.

Meanwhile, Effie is invited to Berlin for a film festival, including showings of some of her work.

The action moves to Berlin, and then back to the States, including Little Rock and Los Angeles. Downing does this very well. He keeps the story moving, handles a very large cast of characters, and includes some nice historical notes. I had already heard from Rachel Maddow's book Prequel about the German lawyer who went to Arkansas for a year to study American race laws, in order to see how the Nazis might apply them to the Jews. Nice!

Why am I not totally happy? Downing is too negative, in my opinion, about the United States. And the conspiracy that almost kills our hero is a little too contrived for my taste. 1953 wasn't my favorite year, either, but the picture Downing paints is all in shades of black.

[Christopher Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book set in 1953 and largely in Hollywood, where John Russell and wife Effi now reside with their adoptive daughter Rosa.

It is the time of the HUAC hearings and Joe McCarthy, so many actors are being blacklisted and hauled before the committee to answer accusations.
Main plot involves a trip to Berlin for John and Effi, for her to attend the Berlin film festival and receive an award. John is detained on entry and forced to work for the Americans.

It turns out this is linked to an innocent (so he thought) article he had been researching on American politicians standing in upcoming elections.

A refreshingly complicated plot with a pretty good resolution. I enjoyed the earlier Station books and although this is post-war John's reflections on America and comparisons between aspects of the Nazi regime and this one are quite good.

[Ed · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved the previous books in this series but I gave up on this one after 100 pages. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect that an espionage novel should have some actual espionage in the first quarter of the book. Way too much editorializing about America under McCarthyism, racism, etc. If that's the novel you want to write, then write it and bill it that way. What broke it for me was the analogy between American racial segregation and the Nazi ghettos for Jews -- an absurd comparison that shows a total lack of balance and perspective. The main character is a communist on the run from the Russians, so it's very jarring to hear him unreflectively parrot one of the classic lies of Soviet propaganda.