Whirlwind

The World War II Adventures of MI6 Agent Katrin Nissen #3

by Karen K. Brees

MI6 Agent Katrin Nissen returns in the third installment of the series. This time, she's joined by her husband, fellow agent John Breckenridge, and a disgraced former agent with a grudge to settle and a point to prove.

It's July 1940, and the war has come to England. With Hitler's Luftwaffe and the Royal Air Force engaged in a desperate fight for control of the skies over the English Channel, Hitler has already declared victory and begun construction of a vast art complex in Austria. Stocked with the world's art treasures, the museum will be a monument to the power of the Third Reich. The only force standing in Hitler's way is Prime Minister Winston Churchill who has no intention of surrendering to the madman from Austria.

But many of England's art masterpieces, along with the Magna Carta, have already fallen into the hands of Nazi spies operating near London. Katrin and her team must stop the operation and recover the stolen treasures before they can be transported to Berlin. Time is short, and with each step, Katrin and her team move closer to a final reckoning, where not all will survive.

Genres: Historical Fiction

361 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2024

Reviews

[Carol (Reading Ladies) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whirlwind shares the risk-filled adventures of MI6 as they recapture stolen art in England during WWII.

In 1940, MI6 Agents Katrin Nissen and her husband, John, follow Churchill’s directive to hunt down and recover stolen art treasures that Hitler is determined to stockpile.

While the Luftwaffe and the Royal Air Force are fighting for control of the skies over the English Channel, Hitler’s spies and thieves are at work stealing priceless artwork to hide in Austria. When Churchill receives the news, he is furious and determined to stop the heists and recover the artwork. He assigns the task to MI6.

Fans of page-turning spy fiction will enjoy this plot-driven story. The art thefts require urgent action and time to save them is running out.

Although the story is plot-driven, the author provides some character development as well. Katrin is a forty-something Yale professor of botany with a brilliant mind, quick wit, and leadership ability. We follow her most closely and are treated to brief romantic moments when she and her husband John can meet up. They are a supportive and effective team even though they often work on separate aspects of the case.

Several (underestimated) women on the Channel Islands feature prominently in the story, and we appreciate their patriotism, insight, keen eye, and bravery.

If you enjoy lovely writing, leading characters like Katrin, and spy fiction, you will be pleased to know this is #3 in a stand-alone, loosely connected series.

Content Consideration: minimal and not overly graphic violence

I’m recommending Whirlwind for fans of well-written and fast-paced spy fiction featuring MI6 and an admirable female lead.

Thanks @brwritingpublisher and author @kkbrees for a complimentary e ARC of #Whirlwind upon my request. All opinions are my own.

For more reviews visit my blog www.ReadingLadies.com where this review was first published.

[T R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tightly written. Intelligent. Love the very beginning about creature of habit and there being a sense to order in habits, which sets an ominous feeling as Canaris is out for a walk with Brunner. Both Hitler’s men, also MI6. Canaris hands Brunner a medal that he is to take back to England, to deliver to Churchill. It contains Hitler’s plans to take over England.

Back in England the microfilm is delivered and agents amassed to the war room. Present are Katrin and John, wife and husband posing as colleagues. Mentioned in the meeting is the fact German agents are dispersed thorough out England, sites unknown. The only gate between Hitler taking over a vast territory and expanding to the world is England, under Churchill’s brilliant command. The action picks up when the story moves to a truffle hunting dog making a chilling discovery, and two local English woman converse about it and recent murders, all atypical for the area where they live. The intensity continues with more mysterious elements: German neighbors moving into the vicinity, a downed plane – the emaciated pilot wearing stripped pajamas, to a scene in New York – a professor on an outing with students to the 1939 World’s Fair, specifically an exhibit of the Magna Carter where he notices something he needs to photograph but that presents a problem as there’s only one person he trusts to get the photos to.

On the bus ready to leave there’s an explosion and two deaths. The scenes flip back to England and more questionable happenings. On and on, this mysterious plot thickens leaving me never losing interest, continuously wondering where it’s all headed as action burns from the pages. A great, well-researched read from an author who knows how to write to perfection with attention to detail. I will be reading more the talented Karen Bees.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another winner in the series for Karen Brees. I'd been marking the days until this book was released and wasn't disappointed. This one is set entirely in England in the summer of 1940, with the onset of the Battle for Britain. Both Katrin and her husband John are tracking down precious stolen artwork, national treasures, destined for Hitler's Fuhrer Museum. (Bad guy, Ronin Speer is back too.)

The plot is exciting and fast-paced but what I love about this series are the characters and the writing. Katrin is such an authentic character because she's not a 20-something femme fatale working for MI-6. She's closer to 40, a Yale professor of botany with a wicked sense of humor, brilliant, and deadly with a concealed stiletto. As in the previous book, the secondary characters are carefully written and integral to the story. Once again, it's the women in the small town, underestimated by most, who notice what's amiss and are eager to help Katrin.

Ah, but the writing is exquisite. Instead of just telling the reader the coffee was terrible, this is what was written: "The coffee was a thin liquid that may have met the acquaintance of a coffee bean sometime in its life, but they hadn't gotten along, and the relationship never took off." If you are a coffee lover, you know exactly what she means. It's my sincere hope that there will be more books in this series since World War II is far from over. I highly recommend this one.

[Diane Nagatomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite World War II spy, MI6 Agent Katrin Nissen, is back in the third installment of the series by Karen K. Brees. Katrin, a botany professor by day and a spy when her country calls her into service. This time the book is set in England before the Battle for Britain begins and the hunt is on for missing/stolen treasures to keep them out of Hitler’s hands.

The book moves at a fast pace and is filled with memorable characters and attention to setting details that makes one feel as if they had been transported to 1940 England. For those new to the work of Karen K. Brees—it’s not necessary to read the books in order. Each stands alone and is worth the read!

[P.L. Jonas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whirlwind by Karen Brees is filled with intrigue, adventure, and a bit of the cozy mystery element which explores the plot of Hitler's attempt to steal valuable artworks from Britain during WWII. The story follows coolheaded MI6 agent (spy), Katrin Nissen, as she and her husband John pursue leads via the direction of Winston Churchill. Brees’s intelligent narrative, peppered with humor, delivers an engaging story through multiple viewpoints and locations.

I have not read the first two books, yet. However, I found this third installment a satisfying standalone.

[Ruth Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This whirlwind of a read has a little bit of everything: espionage, intrigue, romance, and unpredictable plot twists. Author Karen K. Brees writes with wit, elegance, and a classic flair that transported me to the setting of the novel—I really felt like I was in wartime Britain back in 1940. The third book in the Katrin Nissen series, Whirlwind stands on its own two feet; but now that I’ve read it, I’m going back for more!

[Joseph Swope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karen Brees is the master of World War II spy thrillers. Historically accurate, edge of your seat pageturners both delight and reward the reader. Whirlwind is the third book featuring heroine Katrin Nissen, and she remains in fine form as she launches a mission to foil Hitler’s plan to steal the world’s finest artwork and historical documents to create his own master museum. Brees seamlessly blends historical and fictional characters in a saga readers will long remember.

[Debbie Trammell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book/series

I love these books and Katrin. Karen is a real story teller can't wait for next book in series. I highly recommend this series. Never a dull moment!

[Carol Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good reading. These people seemed like real life people and kept my interest.

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brees has done it again. Whirlwind is a fast-paced testament to ordinary people taking extraordinary action to foil the Nazis. This time, Katrin and her husband set out to stop the ultimate art heist and discover German spies hidden among the British populace.
I received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.