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The Turncoat
In 1941, over two nights, the Luftwaffe attacked the town of Clydebank, resulting in over 500 deaths, with 600 seriously injured and 48,000 left homeless. Danny Inglis and George Maclean, officers in Military Intelligence, have the unenviable task of rooting out those German informants believed to be responsible for directing the assault. By chance a random arrest may have identified a prime suspect, but the man concerned is found dead before he can be questioned. What has the killing to do with the IRA and could the outrageous claims of the German pilot who just crash landed in the Scottish countryside possibly be true? In a world where nothing is as it seems, Inglis and Maclean battle through the fog of war to uncover a brutal conspiracy at the heart of the country's fight against the Nazis. With the freedom of the world at risk, the stakes could not be higher.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
272 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 20, 2016
Nazis, astrologers and Scotch whisky
A World War 2 novel set in Glasgow and the west of Scotland may seem at first glance rather odd – until it is recalled that Scottish heavy industry at Clydebank was bombed by the Germans with enormous loss of life and that Rudolph Hess handed himself over to British authorities not far from Stranraer. Alan Murray has written a wry, entertaining novel based on these two incidents. Hess initially appears to be the turncoat of the title, but there is another traitor, within British Military Intelligence in Scotland. In fact, Hess is not a turncoat at all, but a sort of deluded fanatic, filled with the belief that Britain was ready with a little persuasion to join Germany in a war against the USSR.
What I liked most about the story was the authentic Glaswegian dialogue and characters, as well as the wider Scottish setting. The three major characters were personable and sympathetic and if context and background information was laid on a bit too thickly at times, this was a small price to pay for an amusing and rather different war story.
A World War 2 novel set in Glasgow and the west of Scotland may seem at first glance rather odd – until it is recalled that Scottish heavy industry at Clydebank was bombed by the Germans with enormous loss of life and that Rudolph Hess handed himself over to British authorities not far from Stranraer. Alan Murray has written a wry, entertaining novel based on these two incidents. Hess initially appears to be the turncoat of the title, but there is another traitor, within British Military Intelligence in Scotland. In fact, Hess is not a turncoat at all, but a sort of deluded fanatic, filled with the belief that Britain was ready with a little persuasion to join Germany in a war against the USSR.
What I liked most about the story was the authentic Glaswegian dialogue and characters, as well as the wider Scottish setting. The three major characters were personable and sympathetic and if context and background information was laid on a bit too thickly at times, this was a small price to pay for an amusing and rather different war story.
April 5, 2022
Bit surprised that this book is so under reviewed since it is a tale well told. Yes you do need to suspend a bit of reality and there are a number of "Oh come on" moments but it fairly races along and intrigued, you keep turning the pages. Author should be commended, never read a fiction book involving the Clyde Blitz, so it educates whilst it entertains.
June 7, 2017
4 pretty good, interesting because it contains some historical information
September 3, 2020
Really enjoyed this. Atmospheric, historical thriller. Great characters and dialogue. Author deserves to be better known.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews