Target Churchill: A Gripping Historical Crime Thriller

by Warren Adler

Warren Adler's & James C. Humes' #1 bestselling historical fiction thriller, currently in development as a feature film. "...Adler & Humes have managed to make a crucial moment in modern history come alive through the characters involved in it, painstakingly depicted in their idiosyncrasies, aspirations, fears and daily routines" --Thriller Books Journal "Target Churchill, set in the 1940s, has all the breathless pacing of a strong thriller..." --Historical Novel Society "James C Humes and Warren Adler, with their different skills, combine well to create a meticulously researched thriller and it's hard to tell what is fact and what is fiction." --Crime Fiction Lover As Great Britain and the United States celebrate a victorious end to WWII, Joseph Stalin’s relentless Soviet Union is creeping across Eastern Europe leaving a trail of devastation and murder in its wake. Winston Churchill, the cigar-puffing icon of the British fighting spirit, embarks on a crusade to lift the veil of secrecy that hangs over Stalin’s mission. Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri sets the diplomatic stage upon which the world’s political players grapple for supremacy as Churchill delivers his fated Iron Curtain speech on March 5th, 1946. Soviet operatives have infiltrated British and American governments at the highest level. As Churchill prepares to launch the Cold War, Stalin unleashes his trained mole, an American Nazi who served in Hitler’s SS. His assassinate Winston Churchill. Churchill travels with a lone bodyguard, W.H. Thompson, a former British police officer who protected Churchill faithfully through the turbulent years of war. Thompson alone senses danger, but will his trained instincts and vigilance be enough to protect the former Prime Minister from a ruthless killer? In this gripping historical thriller, battles are fought not on the beaches, on the landing grounds, in the fields, on the streets, or in the hills, but behind closed doors in the shadows of espionage.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II, Historical, Espionage, Adult, Suspense

334 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 4, 2013

About the author

Warren Adler was an American author, playwright and poet. His novel The War of the Roses was turned into a dark comedy starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito.
Adler was an essayist, short-story writer, poet and playwright, whose works have been translated into 25 languages.

Reviews

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Video review to come

[eyes.2c · Rating 3 out of 5]

'...men packed liked sardines...awaiting transport to oblivion'
It's Germany in the last stages of the war, the freezing cold, and the opening salvo of this thriller introduces us to the advancing Russian army into Berlin, the Russians dealing with deserters, a cold-blooded portrayal of that time.
But what is to come is entrenched spies in England, a fifth column, Churchill in danger, his losing of the post war election and more. The Cold War has begun but Britain doesn’t know it.

A Stonehouse Press ARC via NetGalley

[Toni Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Target Churchill “unfolds a fast moving cloak and dagger drama starting days before Churchill’s historic visit to Fulton Missouri in 1946 where he delivered one of the most famous speeches of all time: the fated Iron Curtain speech and concludes shortly after. This gripping read combines both historical facts and fiction, is told from multiple points of view and provides a picture of the world’s political players struggling for supremacy.

The main theme centers on a fictionalized Soviet conspiracy to assassinate Churchill in order to prevent him delivering this speech. The assassin is a Russian mole and Nazi who served Hitler’s SS and now lives in the USA.

Mr. Adler does not compliment his recreation with superfluous fluff and stays on track till the end. He feeds us with gulps of intrigue in short paragraphs and meticulously buildups suspense with just the correct nuances needed for us to wonder if this event actually happened. From the first page this cleverly blend of history and suspense held my attention, it is quite a page turner. I love the characters, real figures or not, they are particularly well defined especially the unforgettable and charismatic Winston, with him puffing endless cigars and his drinking habits at the forefront.

Even if this conspiracy is a fiction, it makes perfect sense. It is not surprising this book is well written since both authors are renowned and have extensive knowledge of history and political landscape.

This is an excellent read and should please those who do not mind a fictionalized dab into history.

[Harold Kasselman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love historical novels, especially those dealing with World War 11 and its aftermath. This novel is in the same mold as Day of the Jackal, but it is not quite as intense as the de Gaulle attempt. But what the authors present is a wonderful depiction of what conversations would have been like between Truman and
Churchill. The chapter on the train ride to Fulton, Missouri for the "Iron Curtain" speech is superb, and presents both entertaining and historical dialogue. Of course, Adler was aided in this effort by Churchill historian James C. Humes, so the dialogue rings true and accurate. The plot was intriguing, and the forces behind it reflect the prelude for the Cold War that soon followed. This is an excellent read.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ARC was provided by NetGalley

Historical mysteries and suspense novels have a double fascination for me. On one hand, I am able to learn more about historical figures and times past. On the other hand, I enjoy the suspense of trying to figure out how it all will end.
Target Churchill by Warren Adler and James C. Humes combines the best of historical and suspense novels with the added benefit of true events.

Churchill is targeted by a former SS officer who has been recruited by the Soviets. The time and place are actual: Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech at Westminster College in Missouri on March 5, 1946. Along with President Truman, Churchill heads for Missouri by train while preparing his speech, using a British Embassy secretary. But the assassin, Mueller/Miller, is also heading to Missouri. Churchill also brings his former bodyguard, who is concerned for the former Prime Minister's safety.

Mueller/Miller's path to assassination isn't smooth; he is injured and diverted by a woman, and finds himself with difficult decisions to make. The British Embassy secretary doesn't come off as a believable character, but it seems she was a real person.

At the end of the book, the authors tell what happened to all the major characters and when the died, all of whom seem to be actual living people. But is this what really happened to all of them in the spring of 1946? A clue might be found in the Shakespeare quote that introduces the book.

A quick and rewarding read, Target Churchill leads the reader along on a thrilling ride, up to the final moments. The only jarring note was the author's (Humes' ?) interjection of famous Churchill quotes and anecdotes, most of which I had heard before. Humes is a speechwriter and he writes about modern history, including several books featuring Churchill.

Now that I have read and enjoyed Target Churchill, I'll be seeking out more Warren Adler books.

[skketch · Rating 3 out of 5]

📚🚬🕵️‍♀️NOVEL THOUGHTS👩‍⚕️🚬📚

In the US, FDR has died and Truman has become the new president who is trying to find his way since FDR basically kept him out of the loop while the war was still in full swing. Truman has had to make some serious decisions to end the war with Japan by dropping the atomic bomb twice to catastrophic results and Russia wants the formula to have control of this weapon too; FDR promised! It's post WWII, Winston Churchill has lost his bid to remain Prime Minister of England and he is cranky because of it. When his daughter suggests, on behalf of a contact she has, to have her father speak at a small college in Fulton, Missouri, he decides to do so and now that he is a private citizen again, he can speak his mind about how he feels about the rise of Communism in Russia and how their fingers are spreading throughout Europe. He will be accompanied by Truman who has ties to Missouri and the college there.
There is a lot of backstory as to the feelings Churchill had for Stalin and Roosevelt when the 3 of them met to find a way to bring Nazi Germany down. The Russians took Roosevelt as an inept fool and played him while they were not able to reign Churchill in and Churchill holds no friendship with this government. While he liked Roosevelt, he too felt that FDR could have shown more backbone against the Russians and now, he doesn't have too much good to say about Truman who seems to be a carbon copy of FDR. So, how can the Russians be brought to heel!? He will take this opportunity to speak the truth as he sees it and try to get the USA and the world to see reason and the Russian's desire for world control.
Meanwhile, unknown to the British government but their embassy in Washington is being run by a double agent, with strong ties to Russia. Maclean is also having an affair with his secretary (how cliché) and she would do anything for him. When she is tasked to become the scribe to Churchill's dictation for his speech, Maclean uses his power over her to get a copy of his speech in advance so he can turn it over to the Russian contact he has in Washington. Knowing that she has promised upmost confidentiality to Churchill and his bodyguard Thompson, she struggles with her promise to her boss but she does it anyway. This could pose a huge problem for the safety of Churchill while in the US.
Also happening is a former US citizen, who moved to Germany and became a sympathizer of the Nazi movement, Franz Mueller is recruited by the Russians after the war is over to now return to the US under an alias and assassinate Churchill. Now known as Frank Miller, he bides his time in Washington trying to learn the patterns of Truman who he thinks is the goal of the assassination plot but in doing so, falls down a hole and severely injures his arm and ankle. The nurse who takes care of him becomes more than just his nurse and they start up a relationship for several months. The feelings he has for her is not like anything he's had before and is very confusing. When she reveals she is Jewish, it sticks in his craw because he is such a Nazi at heart and hates all things Jewish. Struggling with this information but also with his feelings, he breaks it off and when he finally gets his orders from the Russians to go to Missouri to kill Churchill, he finds her to say good bye only this last time will be the ending of another kind!
Everything comes to a head on the stage in Missouri as all these characters converge and their parts in the plot are realized.
Even though there were plenty of attempts on Churchill's life, this one is complete fiction, however, the characters are real people as shown in the AFTERWARDS in the story when the author shares what happened to each of these main characters. Churchill did speak at Westminster College in MO and he was accompanied by Truman and his entourage, Thompson and Macleans's secretary.
The book shares much about governmental relationships, and the tensions of the time following the war. Churchill is portrayed a bit as a caricature with his crazy behaviors. The scene of Thompson and the assassin was a bit far fetched. But all in all, it was an entertaining book with a nod to real people and what was going on at that time in the world.

[Stanley McShane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read his full review on Rosepoint Publishing.

Churchill was been voted out of office and is miserable in his reduced role in parliament and basic semi-retirement. Truman has invited Winston Churchill to give a talk at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri.

The authors cite the relationship of Josef Stalin and Churchill as respectful allies who were working with a nearly inept Franklin Roosevelt. Harry Truman is portrayed as nothing more than a poor replacement for Roosevelt at the end of the war but is tolerated by Stalin and Churchill.

A plot is hatched to assassinate Churchill during the speech in this small town. A former SS officer who was born in the United States is chosen for the task. Beria, the head of the secret service in Russia has recruited the killer, a former SS officer born in the US. The intrigue is well written and exhibits many twisty machinations.

Weaknesses are shown in the procedures set up to protect both Truman and the former Prime Minister. The U.S. Secret Service is portrayed as a loose knit group of dunderheads. One wonders how they could ever protect a president or other political official with their haphazard procedures, but there is a close confidant of Churchill who accompanies him on his travels and speaking tours.

I found the book interesting but aggravating. Hopefully, our Secret Service and institutions cannot be as ineffectual as portrayed by these writers. 4.5 stars - CE Williams

We received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are his honest opinions.

[Susan Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princess Fuzzypants here: This book was almost too successful. The Nazi villain is so despicable when he is introduced at the beginning of the book, I was almost tempted to put it aside. He was that disturbing. However, I did not and I am so glad I continued because what came after was a corker of a historical thriller that, even though the reader knows the outcome, it still has us on tenterhooks throughout.

The characterizations were superb. Being a student of Churchill, I admired how the author captured his essence. Rather than being a one-note character, there were layers upon layers and it was delightful to read. I am not as well acquainted with Truman but came away with both a respect and affection for him, much like Churchill did himself. There were some lovely little tidbits interwoven throughout the story. If you are not yet a fan of Churchill, before reading this, I defy you not to admire him afterwards.

But at the base of the story is the power play at the end of WW II where the Soviets were determined to rule the world and the democracies were still in the honeymoon stage with the Russians and could not or would not see the machinations that were taking place. It was only with this speech did Churchill issue the first warnings of “The Iron Curtain” that was about to cover much of Europe. Once more Cassandra got it right.

Tight, taut and thrilling, if you are a fan of the genre, read this book. It is a reprint and sadly the author is no longer with us but it is worth the read. Five purrs and two paws up.

[Stan Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read about a part of history that I heretofore did not really know about. I grew up well aware of the Cold War and the Communist Bloc of Eastern Europe, but I, for one, was unaware of Churchill’s role in starting the Cold War with a speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. Even reading the book, it was a surprise to learn what Churchill was going to say at a speech that Truman had invited him to deliver.

There is plenty of suspense in the book as well, chronicling the assassination attempt in Fulton. While we all know Churchill survived until I read this book did I know what happened in the West, and in the East. Absolutely suspenseful.

I believe that Target Churchill is very well researched and written with all the drama and suspense that one would expect from a crime novel. It is enjoyable on many levels; both in telling the history and also in the suspense surrounding the spies and the assassination attempt. I came away having learned a great deal about the beginning of the Cold War but also having finished a very enjoyable read. Even if you are not interested in the history of the period, this is a very suspenseful story and you should pick it up.

I would like to thank the authors, publisher, and LibraryThing for the copy. I have voluntarily left this review.

[Stacie (MagicOfBooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will also do a video review here at my channel: http://www.youtube.com/magicofbooks

In "Target Churchill" by Warren Adler, it's the end of World War II. The United States and Great Britain are victorious, but the Soviet Union still has it's own agendas involving world domination. Churchill is preparing his Iron Curtain speech, and it's going to be during this speech that an American Nazi, a mole for the Soviets, will complete his mission to assassinate Churchill.

This book was so good. I immensely enjoyed it. It had everything that I look for in a political thriller: quick pace, lots of action, and interesting characters. Plus there's the added bonus that this is a work of historical fiction taking place after World War II.

It's amusing to me that I just happened to read this book because during Memorial Day (of 2014 as this review is going up), the History Channel aired a three part mini-series called "The World Wars" which was about World War I and II and the leaders who influenced events---Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, and Hitler. I highly suggest watching this mini-series before going into this book, especially if you aren't familiar with a lot of the details that make up Churchill's life and his connections with Roosevelt and Stalin during those wars. I found the mini-series extremely helpful because Churchill (though I knew exactly who he was), is a figure that I oddly enough never really learned about. The mini-series helped me navigate this book and I didn't feel overwhelmed with the history I wasn't familiar with previously.

So on to the book itself. Wonderfully written. The writing is rather simplistic. It's very easy to follow, and the book isn't overloaded with countless paragraphs of description. Like I said, this book is a political thriller and I look for quick pace when I read these sorts of books---not books with tons of description that weigh down the action. And the historical detail is just enough to help set the mood and immerse you into that period. World War II is such a fascinating topic. There was so much going on. Adler does a great job of telling this one tiny story, but he's able to place it on this larger global scale by using Churchill's Iron Curtain speech as a sort of frame and how this speech influences all the various countries and their own agendas. I felt like Adler had great control of his plot, especially how he managed to interweave all these various characters and somehow make everyone's plots connect in interesting ways to one another.

As I concluded this novel I was quite surprised with how much character development there ended up being. With thrillers you don't typically get that level of development. I really felt like I got to know these characters, their quirks, and the things that make them tick. This book has quite a few narrators as they switch out each chapter. There's Churchill who is rather depressed that he was voted out of office and he needs his confidence back. There's W.H. Thompson, Churchill's loyal friend and bodyguard (totally loved the Churchill/Thompson bromance by the way). There's the intelligent Victoria Stewart who finds herself in the midst of events she didn't see coming. There's the conniving Donald Maclean, the First Secretary of the British embassy. As well as a host of various other characters that have a few chapters here and there. But my favorite chapters have got to be from Franz Mueller, the American turned Nazi turned Soviet spy. Anyone who knows me knows that I love villains, even the truly despicable ones that utterly disgust you. Mueller is that sort of villain. It was fascinating to see the inner workings of his mind and see him plan things out and discover why he is the way he is. He even goes through some inner crisis halfway through the book that begins to crumble his ideology. His chapters were easily my favorite, even though he's obviously the bad guy and you don't want him to succeed. But it was his psychology that was causing me to flip the pages to find out the rest of his story.

The only negative things I have to say with this book are just minor and may only be things that I personally didn't like. I generally liked the women in this book. I liked that they were all intelligent and independent. The one thing that bugged me was some of the female dialogue on occasion. The dialogue didn't seem realistic sometimes, and sometimes the women verged a bit on the whiny side when things would start to go wrong. I would say some of their dialogue out loud and it just wouldn't sound right for whatever reason. There was also the issue of the ending being a tad bit anticlimatic, especially for one specific character And that would be Franz Mueller. Remember, I said I liked his chapters. The fight sequence with Thompson got a little confusing and blurry and then all of a sudden, Mueller dies. I say his ending is anticlimatic mostly because of the fact that his chapters dominate a good portion of the book and we really get to learn about him as a vile human being and his death was just too quick for me personally.. Some other issues, that didn't bother me, but might bother other readers, is that this book is quite gritty and graphic. There's lots of profanity, sex, and violence in general that might make some people uncomfortable.

Overall, I highly enjoyed this book. I was pleasantly surprised. I recommend this book for lovers of World War II historical fiction and lovers of political thrillers. The one thing that often came to mind while reading this was the TV series "The Americans." The show and this book take place a few decades apart, but there was still something familiar about the overall style and themes which I connected. I guess it's that element of spies and the Soviet Union that I'm connecting. I can definitely see myself re-reading this one in the future.

[Janis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to Winston Churchhill's "Iron Curtain Speech" at Westminster Collrge in Missouri online and it is as powerful as journalists have commented. Warren Adler, a writer of non fiction and James C. Humes Churhhhil's biographer have used that event to tell us about this often forgotten event and the trust and relationship with his his faithful bodyguard Walter T. Thompson that is not well known. Adler does take a lot of liberty with some of the events but the content of the speech, Churdhhil's prediction and hatred of Stalin are true. I am not so sure of the extent to which Soviet spies had infiltrated the highest levels of our government or if the friendship between human Truman and Churchill was accurate, but the the way Adler invented the story forced me to do some research on my own. Well written and highly suspenseful.

[Thom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad but not great. I didn't care much for War of the Roses many years ago and never did read more of Adler's work. Having managed this one, that will be it. His style of writing strikes me as somewhat clumsy and not a little hackneyed. I will admit that Churchill comes through very well. Likewise Thompson. But as another reviewer noted, the German characters are rather one-dimensional and despite what appears to have been lots of research, the fictional elements overwhelm the factual ones.

That said, I am not overly fond of historical fiction, so others will like this far more than I do.

3/5.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free digital copy of "Target Churchill" from Library Thing and I am so glad I did! Great and eminently believable plot with non-stop action, this book is a must read. I never realized how much the Russian government truly hates the democracies of the West until reading this book. Churchill was a brave man for speaking out about the Iron Curtain and bravo Harry Truman for allowing him to speak his warning to the free world. I look forward to reading more from this very talented author.

[George Mallory · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off with a good premise and had some good scenes. Much weaker than a similarly themed The Day of the Jackal.
Glaring booboos too many to mention. Example: Dimitrov a Georgian - no way. His scenes with Beria are a joke.
Nazi character is a caricature - breaking the leg in a ditch? Digging a grave with a broken leg? Saying 'Stop or I'll shoot.' to Thompson? Instinctive arm up reaction to Heil Hitler?
Thompson's puerile disposing of evidence, with hundreds of police and Secret Service swarming the site?
Who edited this book?

[Robert M. Roth MD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh

The beginning of the book is well done. The reader is drawn in and the premise is interesting and plausible. Unfortunately, I found the middle of the historical novel to be turgid and laborious to slog through. The central character is odious and his rants are unduly repetitive. I did not get any insights into Churchill, Truman or Beria as they are generally unidimensional. The ending of the book, while predictable, does hold interest.

[Franco Gurskis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting characters to start, but seems half hearted at times with master season falling into construction trench and nearly crippling himself it is a pop device straining for credibility . Churchill is well drawn as is his bodyguard

But the main villain is a Nazi Brit who almost settled down for a nice nurse. Each aspect seems real,but they just do not work together.

[Tabitha Ormiston-Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read a number of Adler's books and known him to be a competent writer, so I had great difficulty in believing in him as the author of this unfortunate offering. It reads more like the maiden effort of a college sophomore. Very clumsy writing with a number of malapropisms and inadequate proofreading made the book a painful and tedious experience.

[Devon Stringer · Rating 3 out of 5]

For fans of WW2/spy/thriller/fiction this book was a good read. The characters were developed and believable and the narrative overall well written. I did find it lagged in a few spots (largely due to seemingly extraneous detail) but overall an enjoyable read.

Many thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest and unvarnished opinion.

[Mr Mark Hawksford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Target Churchill -

This was an enjoyable read. On a number of occasions while reading the book I researched the actual events. It seemed the book did follow many of the actual things that happened, but included the fictional attempt to assassinate Churchill. This book was extremely well written. 4.75 out of 5.

[SOS · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/4 stars


I won this audiobook in a giveaway held by the author. I thank him for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. My opinion of this book has not been influenced by the manner in which I received the book.

[Peter Mathon · Rating 5 out of 5]

On Target

Well written and paced. It sends you regularly to other sources to learn more about the historical facts and figures brought up. Fun and educational — a rare literary combination and treat.

[Ron Baumer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read. A good storyline set within the real historical events of the time. The characters were well developed and the plot kept you interested. A good read.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a prescient book to have just finished this book. This book is about the famous speech by Churchill in 1946 warning the world about the Russians. As I was reading Russia has invaded the Ukraine.

[Phillip Najera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read about churchill

Excellent historical background during such a turbulent period in history. I enjoyed all the characters. Look forward to reading more of Adlers books.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable thriller which got better as it progressed.

[Carey Mundy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating story that took place right after WWII where the Russians blackmail
A former Nazi SS to assassinate Churchill.

[ronald pieri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the history.

Well written. Glimpse into both Truman and Churchill. I am assuming that the events i n the small university n

[Annmbray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading about the lead-up to Churchill’s famous “iron curtain” speech! The factionalized attempt on his life firing the speech’s delivery, not so much! Still an easy read!

[Conrad Samayoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating. Well written and documented. What Winnie predicted kept the world awake for years until the collapse of URSS, under pressure of Reagan and Thatcher. Conrad Samayoa.

[Mr G C Hilliard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read, but I found the ending peculiar

Easy to read , and it kept me interested. I found the final chapters somewhat disappointing but it didn't spoil an enjoyable few hours.