The Thousand-Year Spy - A World War II Suspense Novel

by Jeff Wallace

"Wallace delivers a top-notch wartime thriller that features a masterful blend of real-life figures and fictional political players… a slow-burn read that remains compelling to the very end."
-- Kirkus Reviews

LONDON, 1944. In advance of Operation OVERLORD, the British Secret Service devises an audacious gambit: the false-flag recruitment of a German admiral who secretly is a communist. There isn’t much time. The admiral will be approachable only during the brief window when he travels to neutral Sweden at the head of a Nazi delegation. For the daring scheme to succeed, the British first must borrow from the Americans a brilliant young analyst, Linnea Thorsell.

Genres: Historical Fiction

364 pages, Print, ebook, Kindle

Published July 31, 2024

About the author

Jeff Wallace lives in southwest Virginia with his family. His first novel, 'The Man Who Walked Out of the Jungle,' is an historical thriller set in 1970 Saigon. 'Rapidan,' released in early August 2017, is an historical suspense tale set in Virginia during the American Civil War. His World War II thriller 'The Thousand-Year Spy' is due out in the summer of 2024. See more at https://authorjeffwallace.wordpress.com.

Reviews

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was hard to get into at first. I struggled to keep up with who we wre talking about and when. There were many unnecessary, large words that took away from my experiance. I had to keep looking them up.

I did enjoy the last 20% of the book the most. The story really got into it and took off. I was left with more questions than answers, but given the history and genre I prefer that.

I would have rated higher of I was able to keep interested through the entirety of the book. I also had to switch over to kindle halfway though. I just couldn't stay interested with the audiobook.

[JESS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5 Rounded from a true 4.5 due to narrator and because Goodreads and Netgalley does not allow 1/2 ratings.
Genre: Historical Fiction | Literary Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers | Suspense
Theme: War, WWII, Spy, Suspense
Author: Jeff Wallace
Book Publication date: Dec 22, 2023
Audiobook Narrator: James Scott
Audiobook Length: 14 hours 50 minutes
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧 /5
Since the story follows Linnea’s story I would have liked the narrator to have been a woman’s voice. The voice just didn’t make sense to me for narration. The forced accents were hard to understand during some scenes.

One Liner: Thrilling read during war ridden Europe plagued with spies, nazis and espionage.

Story Review: This is not the typical book I have read lately but I have a deep love for WWII fiction and nonfiction and added several books to my TBR recently. I was lucky enough to be chosen to receive this book as an ARC and I am very happy to have kicked off my niche read into the WWII genre with #TheThousandYearSpy. Because of the storyline I often felt I was reading a true story. Even though fiction I could see several situations could have easily happened in the 30s and 40s, probably much darker than depicted though. I didn’t expect the ending which in my opinion is obviously the best writing. I could see this being picked up by a network. I am very surprised it does not have more reviews / attention.

The rich literature, writing style and slow build may not be for everyone but for the topic and story I think it flows just right.

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Thank you to #NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of #TheThousandYearSpy by #JeffWallace
All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was Dec 22 2023. This review is being shared on NetGalley, Goodreads and Amazon.

[Julie Friar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Preparations for Operation OVERLORD were well underway in 1944 when the British Secret Services want to raise a false-flag recruitment of a German admiral. They need the services of an American analyst thanks to her language skills. This is her adventure.

Very well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Great characters in this war time thriller. Linnea will undergo intensive training for her mission. But does she have the skills and knowledge to succeed and what will happen to her if things go wrong? Excellent read.

[Jkozaczek · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Thousand Year Spy” by Jeff Wallace takes readers on a fascinating and suspenseful journey into the inner workings of international spy agencies during one of the most pivotal times in world history – World War II.
The novel’s attention to historic detail and crisp dialogue help to weave an intricate espionage plan into real world events – and keeps us guessing until the end of the novel.
It begins with a fateful meeting in London between British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and General Dwight Eisenhower in early 1944 that sets into motion a complex plan by the British spy agency MI6 tied to Operation OVERLORD (D-Day). To accomplish their plan, the British aim to train a gifted young junior American officer, Linnea Thorsell, to pose as a Russian spy.
Linnea is an unlikely and reluctant heroine, pulled from a mundane job as a low-ranking intelligence analyst in London. Her talent is an uncanny gift for languages, with the ability to speak flawless German, Russian and Swedish – all necessary to pull off the mission.
The engrossing account of Linnea’s two-week-long crash course in espionage, from grueling physical exercises and role-playing to map reading, and spy tactics, draws us in and creates real tension as we realize the high stakes and danger involved. Her tough but likeable Scottish coach, Avry, prepares Linnea for the potential scenarios she will face when she infiltrates the Delfin Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden, where the mission will take place. By the time Linnea reaches Stockholm, and complications arise, readers are emotionally invested in her safety and well-being.
Linnea’s meeting with the narcissistic Elena Rolke, the Nazi’s Secret Service spy hunter, and her henchmen is one of the more harrowing scenes in the novel.
The descriptions of wartime Europe are detailed and vivid, depicting the deprivation endured on both sides by civilians and military, the food and fuel rationing, blackout curtains, paranoia, and destruction of cities and towns. The reader moves between London and Germany and on to Stockholm, Sweden, where the scheme unfolds in three foreign languages that add to the novel’s authenticity.
The novel packs a heavy dose of history, along with engrossing adventure that hits the mark as an entertaining spy thriller from start to finish.

[Mark Zodda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb World War II thriller and spy novel, Jeff Wallace sets the tone and makes you feel like you're in 1940s England as it prepares for the invasion of Nazi-occupied France. A fast-paced atmospheric novel that keeps turning up the pressure until it culminates in an unexpected conclusion. This is a story that seems destined to be made into a movie or a Netflix limited series soon. Pick up this book. Highly recommended.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this Kindle book. I enjoyed the story. Set in WWII, the English need an undercover agent and only American, Linnea, has the required languages of Swedish, German and Russian. Her training kept me interested.

But, I was very distracted by the random unknown words. I have a large vocabulary and love to learn, but had to look up words from page one. A few examples: evanescent, spavined, cowped, quinary, infrangible. If each of these words had not taken out of the story, I might give it a 4.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Victory Editing Netgalley co-op for an arc for my honest opinion.

The core of the story was really good, but I had a really hard time getting into the story because the first half of the book has too much detail, I feel like there was just a ton of info dumping going on. I understand in order to set up a proper story you need to give some background information, but I guess it was too much. I thought the ending was really well planned out and gave me an ending I wasn't expecting, which is always nice. The characters were great and the writing was beautiful.

[Janet Halsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is not geared for me. I got about 40 percent through and had to DNF. The pacing is very slow, setting up what is happening in the war. There's a lot of set up and details that i just couldn't get into. I think if you are a history buff you'll love this book. It was just too much of a history lesson for me to push through.

Thank you Goodreads for gifting me this ebook in your Giveaway.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The storyline held my attention from the first page to the last

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterpiece of wartime espionage that is as sophisticated as it is mesmerizing. Fans of Alan Furst may find a new favorite in Jeff Wallace.

Jeff Wallace, author of the brilliant The Man Who Walked Out of the Jungle, is back with a sophisticated World War II-era spy novel that blends themes of displacement, betrayal, and resilience within the harsh realities of wartime espionage. The novel opens in 1944 as Prime Minister Winston Churchhill hosts American General Dwight D. Eisenhower. At issue is an urgent mission to infiltrate Sweden and recruit a German admiral who is secretly a communist.

Time is of the essence. Compatible talent is in short supply, and the mission requires someone who speaks the required mix of languages with “native flair.” The role is eventually assigned to a Russian-born linguist named Linnea Thorsell, whose mother was Russian aristocracy, and whose father was a Swedish salesman. By 1944, Thorsell – who can speak Russian, Swedish and German – is on loan from the OSS to the British Joint intelligence Committee in London. In Linnea’s personnel file is an amusing document in which she states that she has experienced enough adventure for a lifetime, and therefore, she would prefer to “live a stable and predictable life.”

As such, when summoned to Grosvenor Street, she assumes the OSS has an important document for her to translate. Instead, the opposite is true. She begins an intense training program that will prepare her to be thrust into the heart of the Nazi occupation.

In the tradition of John Le Carre, Wallace is an exceedingly patient storyteller, taking his time with the finer details of Linnea’s rigorous, intellectually punishing training, including mock role-playing scenarios. As such, her relationship with trainer Avry is practically electric by the time she’s about to deploy to Europe.

In one of the book’s most memorable scenes, dread simmers just underneath the surface as Linnea, having worked up the courage to ask about potential outcomes over the course of several weeks, finally asks Avry about the Swedes who will meet them on the ground. Avry is predictably stoic as he lists the worst case scenarios should things go badly, followed by a casual confession that the Swedes haven’t yet rescued anyone from the Nazis as of yet. As for a weapon? A suicide pill? “It would chagrin us deeply were you to kill youself prematurely, or by accident.”

A series of payoffs unfold over the final third of the book, including an encounter between the once-reluctant linguist and the operative codenamed GALILEO. In it, she, playing the part of a prickly, domineering Soviet intelligence officer, orders the esteemed officer to obey her. Moments later, all hell breaks gloriously loose.

In a genre where far too many spy novels contain no more depth of a video game, The Thousand Year-Spy is a fully-baked immersive experience. The book’s pacing won’t be for everyone, but the sacrifices required by those who dedicate their life to spycraft are on full display here, and fans of richly drawn literature will be fully spellbound.

[John Purvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeff Wallace is the author of three novels. The Thousand Year Spy was published last July. It is the 73rd book I completed reading in 2024.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.

The story opens in January 1944. The Allied invasion of France is only months away. MI-6 proposes a risky mission to the OSS, but they are turned down. They go outside the chain of command and directly approach the Prime Minister and General Eisenhower. The audacious mission is approved.

A person with special knowledge is needed for the mission. Their best candidate is Second Lieutenant Linnea Thorsell, an American analyst stationed in London. She is unique in her language skills, having been born in Russia but lived for years in both Germany and Sweden. She is fluent to the point of sounding like a native in all three languages.

Thorsell is recruited by the OSS for a vital mission to Sweden. The German Admiral Constantine Diefenbach will travel to Sweden for brief meetings with the Swedes. The British have discovered that he had served the Soviets as a spy. Thorsell’s mission is to approach the admiral as a Soviet agent. She is to reactivate him, but unbeknown to him, he will be reporting to London instead of Moscow.

The mission is particularly dangerous since the admiral will stay in the Delfin Hotel. The Germans suddenly alter their plans to have all meetings there as well. The hotel is run by Nazi adherents in Stockholm. Thorsell must enter the hotel past the guards, confront Diefenbach, and then quickly escape.

The Germans have heard rumors of a British action regarding Diefenbach. The SD’s best spy hunter, Kriminalkommissar Elena Rolke, goes to Stockholm to intercept any British spies trying to reach the admiral. Her presence is an unexpected threat to Thorsell.

It has been said many times that ‘No plan survives first contact with the enemy’. The OSS plan for Thorsell is no exception. Before long, Thorsell finds herself Rolke’s prisoner.

Has this complex plan been for naught? Will Thorsell survive? Will Diefenbach be exposed as a spy?

I enjoyed the 15.5 hours I spent reading this 365-page WWII-era thriller. I found this story to be very slow. There is some action towards the end, and there is an unexpected plot twist. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 3.8 (rounded to 4) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

[Shira Magat · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Overall this was a good book and I would recommend it to anyone interested in WW2 & Spy / Mystery Fiction as the story is captivating and interesting. The “making of a spy” concept was fun, you definitely teeter on believability but it was enjoyable to read nonetheless.
I did enjoy the “ah-ha” moment in the last few chapters that really does tie it all together, and while I was able to predict some of it - I didn’t predict it all, which is always appreciated.

The reasons I didn’t love this book:
- the FMC didn’t fight are argue to not do the mission, and that seemed very out of character based on what we knew about her and how she described herself.
- A lot of repeating. I understand the story is complex but I feel like exact paragraphs were just copied from pages earlier. (This wasn’t too frequent but it happened enough)
- A lot of “background” / or a story that furthered a view point or relationship between people. (I understand story building and relationship development but it felt unnecessarily drawn out)
- Slow pace, you don’t get to the actual “moment” until halfway through the book and the ending felt rushed.
- The ending wasn’t satisfying to me personally, without spoiling I had hoped for a reunion of sorts.
- the interchanging of names. We would be introduced a character with first and last name and then some of the characters would be referenced as one or the other and at times I would forget who was who. I wish the author would stick to just last names or just first names when referencing (I understand military calls for last names but there was a paragraph where the name kept changing in reference to the same person)

I want to thank Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for providing this ARC!