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Countdown to Casablanca
A ruthless Axis agent code-named Sirocco and an American linguist turned amateur spy find themselves on a collision course with destiny in romantic and exotic World War II Casablanca.Roosevelt and Churchill are coming to Casablanca. So are Eisenhower and Patton, Montgomery and DeGaulle. For ten days, the entire Allied High Command will be gathered in one place—to plan the invasion of Fortress Europe.Learning of the secret conference through an Abwehr intercept, Hitler launches an audacious counterstrike — with one demonic blow he will take out the assembled Allied chieftains and turn the tide of war back in favor of the Reich.
475 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 2, 2014
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About the author
Dan Pollock
10 books401 followersDan Pollock was born in New York City to a family of writers and grew up in Laguna Beach, California. A former syndicate editor with the Los Angeles Times, Pollock is the author of five thriller novels--Lair of the Fox, Duel of Assassins, Orinoco (originally published as Pursuit Into Darkness), Countdown to Casablanca and The Running Boy; along with a specially commissioned “logistics” thriller, Precipice.
With his wife, Constance, he has edited and published three literary, inspirational volumes: The Book of Uncommon Prayer; Gospel: The Life of Jesus as Told by the World's Great Writers; and Visions of the Afterlife: Heaven, Hell and Revelation as Viewed by the World's Great Writers.
The Pollocks live in Southern California with their two children.
With his wife, Constance, he has edited and published three literary, inspirational volumes: The Book of Uncommon Prayer; Gospel: The Life of Jesus as Told by the World's Great Writers; and Visions of the Afterlife: Heaven, Hell and Revelation as Viewed by the World's Great Writers.
The Pollocks live in Southern California with their two children.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 13, 2014
Dan Pollock has written an excellent addition to the World War 2 genre. Countdown to Casablanca recalls the best of Alistair MacLean, Leo Kessler, Jack Higgins and Clive Cussler. A superb thrill ride.
April 29, 2017
The streets of Casablanca teem with intrigue, spies and informers and Martin Paradine, an American agent posing as the Food Control Officer at the American Consulate becomes enmeshed in tense wartime intrigue.
This is a compelling spy story set in Casablanca on the eve of the famous conference where Churchill, Roosevelt and Patton are set to hammer out an Allied European strategy for the remainder of World War 2.
Code-name Sirocco is the Axis agent hell-bent on setting a powder keg to the historic meeting and murdering the conferees, while Paradine attempts to discern and block his every move. Evocative and lavishly abundant in local detail, while complex and exotic. Pollock’s historical fiction thriller is cleverly written and has all the right ingredients, and unexpected plot twists and turns.
This is a compelling spy story set in Casablanca on the eve of the famous conference where Churchill, Roosevelt and Patton are set to hammer out an Allied European strategy for the remainder of World War 2.
Code-name Sirocco is the Axis agent hell-bent on setting a powder keg to the historic meeting and murdering the conferees, while Paradine attempts to discern and block his every move. Evocative and lavishly abundant in local detail, while complex and exotic. Pollock’s historical fiction thriller is cleverly written and has all the right ingredients, and unexpected plot twists and turns.
February 22, 2015
Fast paced entertainment
The first couple of chapters were a little stilted and did not predict the quality of the remainder of this book. The more I read, the more deeply I fell into the story. It is basically a familiar tale of opposing forces (paradine/good and Jadot/evil). But each piece is deftly added until an intricate tale of intrigue emerges. Aside from the well known historical figures, the other characters are believable and likeable. Even the evil Jadot coaxes a little compassion from the reader when his background is known. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be looking for more of this author's work.
The first couple of chapters were a little stilted and did not predict the quality of the remainder of this book. The more I read, the more deeply I fell into the story. It is basically a familiar tale of opposing forces (paradine/good and Jadot/evil). But each piece is deftly added until an intricate tale of intrigue emerges. Aside from the well known historical figures, the other characters are believable and likeable. Even the evil Jadot coaxes a little compassion from the reader when his background is known. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be looking for more of this author's work.
March 29, 2016
Good plotting and characters but a little too drawn out for my taste, but I would read it again and probably will at some point if I have no other books in my Kindle library waiting to be read.
May 5, 2015
Great premises
The story line was of interest, back before internet and tv in rural Kansas I saw the RKO News reel of the conference picture at the movie theater. It was of a great importance time and event. Thus was somewhat disappointed in this novel. The significance of it all was hard to grasp because of sexual accounts and as such degraded the actual happening and the story line
The story line was of interest, back before internet and tv in rural Kansas I saw the RKO News reel of the conference picture at the movie theater. It was of a great importance time and event. Thus was somewhat disappointed in this novel. The significance of it all was hard to grasp because of sexual accounts and as such degraded the actual happening and the story line
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews