What do you think?
Rate this book
Tom Fox #2
Nightfall Berlin
In 1986, news that East-West nuclear-arms negotiations are taking place lead many to believe the Cold War may finally be thawing.
For British intelligence officer Major Tom Fox, however, it is business as usual.
Ordered to arrange the smooth repatriation of a defector, Fox is smuggled into East Berlin. But it soon becomes clear that there is more to this than an old man wishing to return home to die - a fact cruelly confirmed when Fox's mission is fatally compromised.
Trapped in East Berlin, hunted by an army of Stasi agents and wanted for murder by those on both sides of the Wall, Fox must somehow elude capture and get out alive.
But to do so he must discover who sabotaged his mission and why...
Nightfall Berlin is a tense, atmospheric and breathtaking thriller that drops you deep into the icy heard of the Cold War.
For British intelligence officer Major Tom Fox, however, it is business as usual.
Ordered to arrange the smooth repatriation of a defector, Fox is smuggled into East Berlin. But it soon becomes clear that there is more to this than an old man wishing to return home to die - a fact cruelly confirmed when Fox's mission is fatally compromised.
Trapped in East Berlin, hunted by an army of Stasi agents and wanted for murder by those on both sides of the Wall, Fox must somehow elude capture and get out alive.
But to do so he must discover who sabotaged his mission and why...
Nightfall Berlin is a tense, atmospheric and breathtaking thriller that drops you deep into the icy heard of the Cold War.
451 pages, Hardcover
First published May 17, 2018
318 people are currently reading
485 people want to read
About the author
Jack Grimwood
7 books95 followersJack Grimwood, a.k.a Jon Courtenay Grimwood was born in Malta and christened in the upturned bell of a ship. He grew up in the Far East, Britain and Scandinavia. Apart from novels he writes for national newspapers including the Times, Telegraph, Independent and Guardian. Jon is two-time winner of the BSFA Award for Best Novel, with Felaheen, and End of the World Blues. His literary novel, The Last Banquet, as Jonathan Grimwood, was shortlisted for Le Prix Montesquieu 2015. His work is published in fifteen languages. He is married to the journalist and novelist Sam Baker. Moskva is his first thriller.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
May 27, 2018
Since an early age I have been fascinated by spies, lies and espionage and all the cloak and dagger activities of those who detect, and seek to subvert threats to national security: grey squirrel can’t fly without umbrella and all that tricksy spy-craft stuff. I was mightily impressed by Jack Grimwood’s debut Moskva that provided a fresh new take on the path previously trodden by Martin Cruz Smith’s Gorky Park, and most pleasingly Major Tom Fox is back in the fray in this follow up, Nightfall Berlin. The events of the previous book resonate here as Fox navigates the world of East Berlin, firmly under the control of both the Soviet occupiers and the secretive agents of the state, the infamous Stasi. Tasked with bringing a notorious double agent back home to the clutches of British Intelligence, Fox quickly finds himself embroiled in, and accused of murder, as well as being thrust firmly into the gaze of the pernicious security services, calling on all his skills of evasion and detection to extricate himself from his increasingly perilous situation: a situation that has ramifications for those closest to him too…
This is one of the most skilfully plotted traditional Cold War thrillers I have read in recent years, and as we are effortlessly transported between the harsh, concrete world of East Berlin, and the verdant peace of rural England, Grimwood moves between past and present, laying false clues and leading us as much as Fox himself down blind alleyways, with a trail of misinformation and double crossing galore. Grimwood, similarly in his fantasy oeuvre, is an extremely visual writer, and not without reason I was reminded strikingly of those classic black and white spy films, as Fox navigates his way around this hostile environment. The sheer poverty, and unrelenting grind of life in this communist enclave is front and centre, and by extension what people will do to escape its iron grip. People are fearful and mistrustful, and Grimwood depicts beautifully how Fox seeks to circumvent this pall of suspicion and fear to prove his innocence, and to catch a ruthless killer.
I get the sense that it was with some glee that Grimwood delights in not only constructing a disparate, interesting and slightly damaged characters, but also that he so brilliantly masks those that are treacherous and self serving so well. Without exception, each character is precisely drawn and tangible in their thoughts and motivations for their actions: in what they reveal and what they conceal. In the grand tradition of Le Carre, Ambler, and Deighton, Grimwood tricks and feints the reader, but never to the detriment of the sheer believability of the narrative itself. I was genuinely absorbed and loved the web of reveals and surprises that Grimwood so effortlessly introduces into this seriously gripping thriller. There is a pace and tense nervous energy to the narrative that urges the reader on, and yet a subtle slowing of pace in some of the most nerve shredding scenes that provide a much more unsettling effect on the reader. Grimwood handles all aspects of this book with a deft touch from setting, to characterisation, to pace, to the plot itself, and if you love a twisty, cerebral Cold War thriller as much as I do, I would definitely recommend that you seek out Nightfall Berlin. Duplicitous spies, and conniving Russians seems oddly prescient at the moment… Highly recommended.
This is one of the most skilfully plotted traditional Cold War thrillers I have read in recent years, and as we are effortlessly transported between the harsh, concrete world of East Berlin, and the verdant peace of rural England, Grimwood moves between past and present, laying false clues and leading us as much as Fox himself down blind alleyways, with a trail of misinformation and double crossing galore. Grimwood, similarly in his fantasy oeuvre, is an extremely visual writer, and not without reason I was reminded strikingly of those classic black and white spy films, as Fox navigates his way around this hostile environment. The sheer poverty, and unrelenting grind of life in this communist enclave is front and centre, and by extension what people will do to escape its iron grip. People are fearful and mistrustful, and Grimwood depicts beautifully how Fox seeks to circumvent this pall of suspicion and fear to prove his innocence, and to catch a ruthless killer.
I get the sense that it was with some glee that Grimwood delights in not only constructing a disparate, interesting and slightly damaged characters, but also that he so brilliantly masks those that are treacherous and self serving so well. Without exception, each character is precisely drawn and tangible in their thoughts and motivations for their actions: in what they reveal and what they conceal. In the grand tradition of Le Carre, Ambler, and Deighton, Grimwood tricks and feints the reader, but never to the detriment of the sheer believability of the narrative itself. I was genuinely absorbed and loved the web of reveals and surprises that Grimwood so effortlessly introduces into this seriously gripping thriller. There is a pace and tense nervous energy to the narrative that urges the reader on, and yet a subtle slowing of pace in some of the most nerve shredding scenes that provide a much more unsettling effect on the reader. Grimwood handles all aspects of this book with a deft touch from setting, to characterisation, to pace, to the plot itself, and if you love a twisty, cerebral Cold War thriller as much as I do, I would definitely recommend that you seek out Nightfall Berlin. Duplicitous spies, and conniving Russians seems oddly prescient at the moment… Highly recommended.
June 6, 2018
This is the second of Jack Grimwood’s historical espionage adventures and, yes, it does help if you have read the first one – Moskva – before sitting down with Berlin. There’s enough back-story to carry you along with this one, but you’ll appreciate the depth, nuance and complexity of the supporting cast if you know what happened last time out.
Grimwood’s writing is extremely engaging, deftly portraying a convincing sense of time and place without tripping you up with writerly mischief or impenetrable ‘style.’
There are a couple of scenes (can’t say which ones, but you’ll know when you get there) that are as edge-of-your-seat nail-biting gut-churning hide-behind-the-sofa as any Hitchcock flick.
Tension? Just a lot. Unpredictable outcomes? Couldn’t possibly say…
My one complaint: the central revelation explores an unpleasant theme, one which seems to be the pivot-point for almost every crime novel these days. Yes, this phenomenon is a reality, and yes it is entirely appalling. But surely there must be some white, middle class males of a certain generation who aren’t guilty…
That aside, this is a wonderfully intricate and evocative espionage thriller, with a convincing cast of characters that’d do Desmond Bagley proud.
8/10
There's stacks more reviews of crime / thrillers over at http://www.murdermayhemandmore.net
Grimwood’s writing is extremely engaging, deftly portraying a convincing sense of time and place without tripping you up with writerly mischief or impenetrable ‘style.’
There are a couple of scenes (can’t say which ones, but you’ll know when you get there) that are as edge-of-your-seat nail-biting gut-churning hide-behind-the-sofa as any Hitchcock flick.
Tension? Just a lot. Unpredictable outcomes? Couldn’t possibly say…
My one complaint: the central revelation explores an unpleasant theme, one which seems to be the pivot-point for almost every crime novel these days. Yes, this phenomenon is a reality, and yes it is entirely appalling. But surely there must be some white, middle class males of a certain generation who aren’t guilty…
That aside, this is a wonderfully intricate and evocative espionage thriller, with a convincing cast of characters that’d do Desmond Bagley proud.
8/10
There's stacks more reviews of crime / thrillers over at http://www.murdermayhemandmore.net
December 6, 2018
Nightfall Berlin – A Proper Spy Thriller
This is one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time. This is a tale set in the grim era of the cold war, just as the war was beginning to thaw. Set in East Berlin the full greyness of being on the Eastern side of the wall comes through. The publisher’s blurb on the front is correct for once, it really is a fine book and those that love vintage Le Carre are in for a real treat.
Major Tom Fox is on a rare holiday in the Caribbean with his wife and son, when he receives a call recalling him to work. He has to fly direct to West Berlin where he will be briefed and then he will bring a former British defector Sir Cecil Blackburn back to Britain, along with his memoirs. Easy he thinks, a bit of babysitting across and no trouble.
When Sir Cecil changes his mind, Fox turns up to find Sir Cecil suffered a violent death and his Stasi/KGB minder is dead at the door. The memoirs are ashes in the fire, but he manages to save a list before dashing away before the police turn up. He knows he cannot go back to his state-run hotel, and when he becomes a chief suspect, he knows the wolves will be out hunting for him. A spy in an unfriendly country being hunted by all sides is not the best position to be in when your life is in danger.
Matters take a turn for the worse, when his son, Charlie, is kidnapped in an attempt to force even more pressure on Fox to hand over Blackburn’s memoirs. In an attempt to stay alive, and keep his son alive, he has to make friends with people you would not necessarily trust your life with.
One thing is clear to Fox, he is alone, facing certain death, in a closed city where everyone is monitored, and it is only time before his hunters track him down and kill him.
Nightfall in Berlin will become a modern spy classic.
This is one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time. This is a tale set in the grim era of the cold war, just as the war was beginning to thaw. Set in East Berlin the full greyness of being on the Eastern side of the wall comes through. The publisher’s blurb on the front is correct for once, it really is a fine book and those that love vintage Le Carre are in for a real treat.
Major Tom Fox is on a rare holiday in the Caribbean with his wife and son, when he receives a call recalling him to work. He has to fly direct to West Berlin where he will be briefed and then he will bring a former British defector Sir Cecil Blackburn back to Britain, along with his memoirs. Easy he thinks, a bit of babysitting across and no trouble.
When Sir Cecil changes his mind, Fox turns up to find Sir Cecil suffered a violent death and his Stasi/KGB minder is dead at the door. The memoirs are ashes in the fire, but he manages to save a list before dashing away before the police turn up. He knows he cannot go back to his state-run hotel, and when he becomes a chief suspect, he knows the wolves will be out hunting for him. A spy in an unfriendly country being hunted by all sides is not the best position to be in when your life is in danger.
Matters take a turn for the worse, when his son, Charlie, is kidnapped in an attempt to force even more pressure on Fox to hand over Blackburn’s memoirs. In an attempt to stay alive, and keep his son alive, he has to make friends with people you would not necessarily trust your life with.
One thing is clear to Fox, he is alone, facing certain death, in a closed city where everyone is monitored, and it is only time before his hunters track him down and kill him.
Nightfall in Berlin will become a modern spy classic.
April 11, 2020
At the end of the war, Berlin was a mess. Children wandered the streets, people were starving, and anything could be had for a cigarette. Add to the mix thousands of soldiers, all of them bored, and you have a recipe for depredation. "‘The ruins turned us all into rats … The self can be pretty vile if let off the leash.’ All those feral children. All that hunger and starvation. It must have been a feeding frenzy for someone like Blackburn. He wouldn’t have been alone either. Men like that recognized each other, hunted in packs, and protected each other. . . It was like stepping into hell. The problem is, some men like hell."
Some of those predators were officers and they turned a lodge into a true den of iniquity, some of them preying on children. But someone else was writing down the names of the worst, and many of those same men went on to high-level careers in government. Throw in those who want to sabotage the glasnost talks about reducing nuclear weapons and you have a rather incendiary mix.
Major Tom Fox is sent to Berlin to bring back a former defector. It was to be a simple mission. He has none of the above information, but soon it's apparent that someone wants the defector dead and Tom, too. But, most of all they want the memoirs the defector had been supposedly writing as he had the list of names. Fox is caught in a vice but has no idea who's turning the screws. When his children is kidnapped to coerce his cooperation, things get desperate.
This book will suck you into it as it races to the conclusion. I have already ordered Grimwood's other book. Superior spy novel.
Some of those predators were officers and they turned a lodge into a true den of iniquity, some of them preying on children. But someone else was writing down the names of the worst, and many of those same men went on to high-level careers in government. Throw in those who want to sabotage the glasnost talks about reducing nuclear weapons and you have a rather incendiary mix.
Major Tom Fox is sent to Berlin to bring back a former defector. It was to be a simple mission. He has none of the above information, but soon it's apparent that someone wants the defector dead and Tom, too. But, most of all they want the memoirs the defector had been supposedly writing as he had the list of names. Fox is caught in a vice but has no idea who's turning the screws. When his children is kidnapped to coerce his cooperation, things get desperate.
This book will suck you into it as it races to the conclusion. I have already ordered Grimwood's other book. Superior spy novel.
March 9, 2018
There's little I enjoy more than a good Cold War thriller and Nightfall Berlin is excellent! Major Tom Fox is such an intriguing, beautifully drawn character while the plot is clever, involved and gripping. I've now bought Moksva, the first in the series, and I'm looking forward to reading that soon. Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights.
July 31, 2018
4.5 stars
Nightfall Berlin is a cold war thriller. It opens in 1972 with an assassination in the Lake District.
Next the timeline moves to 1986. Major Tom Fox, an undercover military intelligence officer, is holidaying with his family in the Caribbean. But it ends abruptly when Tom is called back to work. He’s wanted in East Berlin to bring back Sir Cecil Blackburn, a traitor who now wishes to return to the UK and face his crimes.
On the flight to Germany, Tom reads files which hint that Cecil is about to give names of high ranking people who are keeping secrets about sexual corruption. But when Tom meets Cecil, he finds a man unsure that he wants to return home. Soon Tom is compromised and he’s running for his life. Who can he trust? He must rely on his instincts and try to stay one step ahead in a dangerous game. See here for full review https://wp.me/p2Eu3u-bym
Nightfall Berlin is a cold war thriller. It opens in 1972 with an assassination in the Lake District.
Next the timeline moves to 1986. Major Tom Fox, an undercover military intelligence officer, is holidaying with his family in the Caribbean. But it ends abruptly when Tom is called back to work. He’s wanted in East Berlin to bring back Sir Cecil Blackburn, a traitor who now wishes to return to the UK and face his crimes.
On the flight to Germany, Tom reads files which hint that Cecil is about to give names of high ranking people who are keeping secrets about sexual corruption. But when Tom meets Cecil, he finds a man unsure that he wants to return home. Soon Tom is compromised and he’s running for his life. Who can he trust? He must rely on his instincts and try to stay one step ahead in a dangerous game. See here for full review https://wp.me/p2Eu3u-bym
July 19, 2019
This was a really good and gripping thriller set in 1986. I picked it up as it seemed like it'd be a nice wee spy story to read while relaxing on my holiday.
It absolutely was that, BUT a major part of the story was about a paedophile ring, and a good part of the tension came from Children In Danger. I would probably have picked another book for my light beach reading if I'd known that! I've never been a fan of Children In Danger in stories, and even less so since I became a father myself. I accept that children in the world are indeed in danger, and we should do everything in our power to stop that and help all children, I just simultaneously don't choose to get into that in my light entertainment diet.
Anyway, it was well-written and fully page-turning, and did indeed give me my cold war spies running about in East Berlin fix, and I'll probably read the others in the series as they come out. This is part two in a series (another thing I wasn't aware of when I picked it up - I'm starting to think that was a deliberately misleading blurb the more I consider it), and I might read the first one, although I feel like there were some pretty major spoilers for that in this one. We'll see.
Either way, a more than decent book, just a bit darker than I'd planned for!
It absolutely was that, BUT a major part of the story was about a paedophile ring, and a good part of the tension came from Children In Danger. I would probably have picked another book for my light beach reading if I'd known that! I've never been a fan of Children In Danger in stories, and even less so since I became a father myself. I accept that children in the world are indeed in danger, and we should do everything in our power to stop that and help all children, I just simultaneously don't choose to get into that in my light entertainment diet.
Anyway, it was well-written and fully page-turning, and did indeed give me my cold war spies running about in East Berlin fix, and I'll probably read the others in the series as they come out. This is part two in a series (another thing I wasn't aware of when I picked it up - I'm starting to think that was a deliberately misleading blurb the more I consider it), and I might read the first one, although I feel like there were some pretty major spoilers for that in this one. We'll see.
Either way, a more than decent book, just a bit darker than I'd planned for!
August 17, 2018
A convoluted plot, with as many twists a reader can ingest without it taking away the plausibility, really strong characters (both protagonist and supporting cast), an atmosphere that brought chills down my spine (because I have lived those times), and just enough continuity from the previous book in the series (Moskva, 2016) to make me feel happy I read (and liked) that one when it came out.
Grimwood proves equally good at writing Cold War spy thrillers as he was when he was writing science fiction. Looking forward to the next installment in the series.
Grimwood proves equally good at writing Cold War spy thrillers as he was when he was writing science fiction. Looking forward to the next installment in the series.
October 9, 2018
It was mostly an entertaining read.
Le Carre it isn't.( I read that comparisons have been made)
I have read most of John Le Carre's books and they are generally believable and always very well written.This was neither.
It was a competent thriller. no more, no less
Le Carre it isn't.( I read that comparisons have been made)
I have read most of John Le Carre's books and they are generally believable and always very well written.This was neither.
It was a competent thriller. no more, no less
May 14, 2023
I have been a fan since his first book Moskva. Fox is back and going to East Berlin during the cold war, so fun all around. What follows is a Carresque spook story whereby it is obvious that no one is telling the truth and mistakes can get you killed. I found it a bit off balance, the middle sagged a bit in my opinion. The last 150 pages or so however more than make up for that though. A strong finish. I will look forward to future books about Tom Fox. Certainly recommended.
February 19, 2021
Effective Cold War thriller, less memorable than the previous novel in the series but held my interest throughout. Interesting characters, great atmosphere.
June 27, 2018
Very rarely do I not finish a novel. This was one of those rare occasions. Sadly my interest was never piqued. :-(
June 5, 2018
This is an extremely competent thriller. The author has mastered the 'tension/release/retension' bit very well and a lot of the period detail about East Berlin in the latter days of the Stasi is satisfying.
Some of the background relates to child abuse and that is difficult.
Towards the end I was becoming fatigued by the numerous twists but overall I think this is a very good read.
Some of the background relates to child abuse and that is difficult.
Towards the end I was becoming fatigued by the numerous twists but overall I think this is a very good read.
August 17, 2018
Thoughtful, intelligent spy fiction.
Love the character of Tom Fox; atmospheric and well written Cold War spy thriller. Great sense of time and place.
Love the character of Tom Fox; atmospheric and well written Cold War spy thriller. Great sense of time and place.
November 10, 2018
A very good, satisfying read, if sometimes a little soft on the tension, the excitement and the suspense, though full of excellent period detail and a finely worked undercurrent of long-forgotten wickedness, having the potential for devastating the story's 'today.'
The main thread is the English intelligence officer Tom Fox, being sent over to East Berlin to escort the former convenient socialist, the Englishman Sir Cecil Blackburn, back to the West, where he has finally decided he wants to die. At least, that's what he is saying. Both sides think something else, and both sides want to stop him, or at least keep him quiet, for different reasons. That's the situation in the present, however, ot is what is in Sir Cecil's past that is interesting many people, on both sides. Though 'interesting' is perhaps not what you'd really describe the sort of secrets Sir Cecil has hidden. all these years. But kept a record of...or has he.
Nothing is straightforward in this tale. It's not exactly twisty-turney, as it really takes all the right turns as the story develops. Just enough information seeps out of it to keep you on the edge of your eyeballs. I'm a sucker for all things Berlin and 'old' Germany these days, as maybe you (who've read the blog for a while) are aware. The situation in East Germany is excellently portrayed here, without going into the nerve-stretching reality of day to day life over there at that time. The character of Tom Fox is very well drawn, as is his son, and the turning point of the book, Charlie. I could well imagine this being made into a film before too long.
Blog: Speesh Reads
Facebook: Speesh Reads
Pinterest: Speesh Reads
The main thread is the English intelligence officer Tom Fox, being sent over to East Berlin to escort the former convenient socialist, the Englishman Sir Cecil Blackburn, back to the West, where he has finally decided he wants to die. At least, that's what he is saying. Both sides think something else, and both sides want to stop him, or at least keep him quiet, for different reasons. That's the situation in the present, however, ot is what is in Sir Cecil's past that is interesting many people, on both sides. Though 'interesting' is perhaps not what you'd really describe the sort of secrets Sir Cecil has hidden. all these years. But kept a record of...or has he.
Nothing is straightforward in this tale. It's not exactly twisty-turney, as it really takes all the right turns as the story develops. Just enough information seeps out of it to keep you on the edge of your eyeballs. I'm a sucker for all things Berlin and 'old' Germany these days, as maybe you (who've read the blog for a while) are aware. The situation in East Germany is excellently portrayed here, without going into the nerve-stretching reality of day to day life over there at that time. The character of Tom Fox is very well drawn, as is his son, and the turning point of the book, Charlie. I could well imagine this being made into a film before too long.
Blog: Speesh Reads
Facebook: Speesh Reads
Pinterest: Speesh Reads
July 26, 2020
A different Cold War espionage thriller. I have to say I understood very little of it. An UK major is asked to go to East Berlin and retrieve a defector who wants to return to England. This seems to be related to the fact that the old defector is writing his memoirs, and that prominent people may be named as having been involved in a pedophilia ring. So, while prominent people back in the UK are committing suicide or having accidents, Major Fox gets into a mess in Berlin when the defector and his bodyguard are found murdered. Soon he's on the run, hunted by everyone : the East Germans, the Russians and the English, all of whom want the mysterious memoirs.
As I said, I couldn't piece it all together. Why does the defector want to come back to the UK? Who wants what for what reason? The story of Major Fox' friendship with a Russian general who steps in to save him was not really believable.I also thought Major Fox was poorly characterized. He seems to have been abused in his youth, but was this in the same pedophilia ring that's going to be revealed in the disappeared memoirs? What is the story with his daughter's suicide? How come his wife is suddenly receiving chemo? And what's up with his son Charlie, who seems to be profiled as being a math or physics prodigy?
As I said, I couldn't piece it all together. Why does the defector want to come back to the UK? Who wants what for what reason? The story of Major Fox' friendship with a Russian general who steps in to save him was not really believable.I also thought Major Fox was poorly characterized. He seems to have been abused in his youth, but was this in the same pedophilia ring that's going to be revealed in the disappeared memoirs? What is the story with his daughter's suicide? How come his wife is suddenly receiving chemo? And what's up with his son Charlie, who seems to be profiled as being a math or physics prodigy?
March 10, 2025
The story of Major Tom Fox continues, some time after the events of 'Moskva'.
The impending fall of the Berlin Wall is unimaginable as Fox is diverted from a hopefullly trauma-healing family holiday in the Caribbean. He is sent to East Berlin, tasked with returning to the UK an ageing defector. A defector who it seems hold secrets which the leaders of three former WWII allies would rather not see the light of day. When his quarry is murdered, everyone suspects Tom is responsible. He must dodge the KGB, the Stasi and also his own erstwhile employer (all of whom seem to want him dead), find out what happened, why and who is responsible. These einquiries lead him back to events of 1945 which so bedeviled his time in Moscow. And now look like they might spiral so far as to put his own son at risk.
It is a tightly writen thriller, very grim, and an easy read with breezy short chapters. I only regret that the writer no longer indulges in Science Fiction. Jon Courtney Grimwood is sorely missed.
The impending fall of the Berlin Wall is unimaginable as Fox is diverted from a hopefullly trauma-healing family holiday in the Caribbean. He is sent to East Berlin, tasked with returning to the UK an ageing defector. A defector who it seems hold secrets which the leaders of three former WWII allies would rather not see the light of day. When his quarry is murdered, everyone suspects Tom is responsible. He must dodge the KGB, the Stasi and also his own erstwhile employer (all of whom seem to want him dead), find out what happened, why and who is responsible. These einquiries lead him back to events of 1945 which so bedeviled his time in Moscow. And now look like they might spiral so far as to put his own son at risk.
It is a tightly writen thriller, very grim, and an easy read with breezy short chapters. I only regret that the writer no longer indulges in Science Fiction. Jon Courtney Grimwood is sorely missed.
December 18, 2018
Excellent storytelling with a complicated gripping plot. If you like spies and stories of Berlin before the wall came down, glasnost and the Iron curtain, this is for you. I love John Le Carré, Len Deighton and Gorky Park so Jack Grimwood had me from hello. The characterisations are excellent and a lot of the hero’s history is alluded to without being completely explained which adds to the tension. The core of the plot includes historical child abuse, which is unpleasant but feels extremely relevant to events over the last few years. The ripples through the corridors of power results in Tom not knowing who to trust which adds to the tension. I particularly loved his son, Charlie, and hope he is in the next on. Great book.
October 5, 2021
The blurb informed me that here was to be found the new Le Carré. I have read this accolade on a number of other covers and been sadly disappointed.
This book was to surprise me. Nightfall Berlin, with its tortured protagonist, Tom Fox, gripped me almost from the first page. The work reads like the early books of Le Carré, but is set twenty or thirty years later, in the 1980s. I found that Jack Grimwood was really able to create the same uneasy, complex and wholly engrossing dark atmosphere that pervaded the Smiley stories and other works of the espionage master.
This novel held me from first page to last. I was left looking for more, and at once ordered what I understand to be a prequel, Moskva. Bravo for Grimwood.
This book was to surprise me. Nightfall Berlin, with its tortured protagonist, Tom Fox, gripped me almost from the first page. The work reads like the early books of Le Carré, but is set twenty or thirty years later, in the 1980s. I found that Jack Grimwood was really able to create the same uneasy, complex and wholly engrossing dark atmosphere that pervaded the Smiley stories and other works of the espionage master.
This novel held me from first page to last. I was left looking for more, and at once ordered what I understand to be a prequel, Moskva. Bravo for Grimwood.
November 20, 2023
An enjoyable cold war spy novel set mostly in East Berlin.
I really liked this book, the setting and period are two of my favourites, great depictions of the Palast Hotel infested with Stasi agents and British double agents.
I'd read one of Grimwood's books before the even better 'Island Reich, (see my review from a couple of years ago), so I was looking forward to this and I certainly wasn't disappointed.
This is the middle book of a trilogy following wayward British spy Tom Fox. I hadn't read the predecessor but didn't find that an impediment to enjoying this book.
The story races along at a cracking pace and without giving too much away revolves around a British defector trying to return to the U.K in an amnesty.
A top drawer espionage novel.
I really liked this book, the setting and period are two of my favourites, great depictions of the Palast Hotel infested with Stasi agents and British double agents.
I'd read one of Grimwood's books before the even better 'Island Reich, (see my review from a couple of years ago), so I was looking forward to this and I certainly wasn't disappointed.
This is the middle book of a trilogy following wayward British spy Tom Fox. I hadn't read the predecessor but didn't find that an impediment to enjoying this book.
The story races along at a cracking pace and without giving too much away revolves around a British defector trying to return to the U.K in an amnesty.
A top drawer espionage novel.
June 14, 2020
Nightfall Berlin Jack Grimwood
Tom Fox is a spy. Extremely good at his trade. The wall in Berlin is still up. Both sides of the wall is full of deceptions, lies and partial truths. Tom has been sent to escort home a British traitor. The Russians are willing to let him go. This particular traitor holds the title of an English Lord. He knows very dark secrets that the British, Russians and East Germans are willing to kill for. And they do. Tom Fox is caught in the middle of all of this. He has allies, Russians who are willing to help him, but there is always a price to be payed. This is a masterfully written spy thriller. My highest recommendation.
Tom Fox is a spy. Extremely good at his trade. The wall in Berlin is still up. Both sides of the wall is full of deceptions, lies and partial truths. Tom has been sent to escort home a British traitor. The Russians are willing to let him go. This particular traitor holds the title of an English Lord. He knows very dark secrets that the British, Russians and East Germans are willing to kill for. And they do. Tom Fox is caught in the middle of all of this. He has allies, Russians who are willing to help him, but there is always a price to be payed. This is a masterfully written spy thriller. My highest recommendation.
August 12, 2023
This is a book about duplicity. The writing is taught, precise and detailed. Period, character and politics are brought to life well. I have not read the first book, so the opening to this one dragged a little for me before it really got going. An early emphasis on family and children seemed out of place until the context deepened in interesting and novel ways. Occasional scenes go on too long but overall it was a gripping and involving read. The obvious debt to Le Carre is acknowledged in a clever joke in the middle of the story that has an actual Le Carre novel play the role of a minor McGuffin.
April 18, 2019
Fast moving, deftly plotted and tense with well drawn characters, Nightfall Berlin is a cracking little espionage novel - not quite Le Carre obviously but still a rollicking good ride to the end, though be warned the subject matter at the heart of the plot is a dark subject.
The 80s Cold War setting is well done and although apparently this is the second novel of a series, it stands alone perfectly well and fills in a lot of background detail so you're not left swimming in treacle unknowing of what's got you to where the plot's going.
The 80s Cold War setting is well done and although apparently this is the second novel of a series, it stands alone perfectly well and fills in a lot of background detail so you're not left swimming in treacle unknowing of what's got you to where the plot's going.
May 24, 2020
I grew up in Berlin during the timeframe the book is set in. None of the atmospherics ring true, none. If they had, I might have overlooked the ridiculously thread-bare plot and the QAnon-like pedophile conspiracy nonsense. As it is, Grimmwood gets two stars for good pacing and and a writing style that's noticably better than most wanna-be Ian Flemming successors out there.
In summary: OK, pick this book up at an airport before a long flight and suspend your critical thinking for a bit. If that's not the situation you're in, skip it.
In summary: OK, pick this book up at an airport before a long flight and suspend your critical thinking for a bit. If that's not the situation you're in, skip it.
January 1, 2026
A Berlin story set in the still DDR times but with signs that things may soon change. I haven't read the first book by Jack Grimwood featuring Tom Fox so there were some references I didn't altogether get but I still enjoyed this story. Tom Fox is sent to East Berlin ostensibly to bring an old defector home but things don't quite work out. He is sent between the Stasi and Russian agencies and doesn't really know who to trust. An unpleasant tale of human exploitation is slowly revealed from postwar Berlin but Major Fox eventually gets home.
December 1, 2018
Recent Reads: Nightfall Berlin. Jack Grimwood's Tom Fox is sent to bring a defector back from East Berlin. But as the Cold War fades away, old rules and alliances breakdown. Stranded behind the Wall and accused of murder Fox has to solve a mystery from the end of another war.
(And one has to love the scene where the KGB head of station in East Berlin is handed a new Le Carre and marks up what's right and wrong…)
(And one has to love the scene where the KGB head of station in East Berlin is handed a new Le Carre and marks up what's right and wrong…)
January 11, 2019
Nightfall Berlin is an entertaining late Cold War thriller with a number of interesting characters and some atmospheric descriptions of Berlin on the wrong side of the wall.
Right from the first page it's obvious what the plot is about and it trudges along routinely until a thunderous climax. Worth a look.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War and The Summer of '39, all published by Sacristy Press.
Right from the first page it's obvious what the plot is about and it trudges along routinely until a thunderous climax. Worth a look.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War and The Summer of '39, all published by Sacristy Press.
June 2, 2019
It's not a le Carré by any means of the imagination (it's too far towards the thriller end of the spy genre), but this was an enjoyable 1980s story set mainly in Berlin (as you may guess from the title). The underpinning theme is pretty hard, as it involves abhorrent acts in the post-War period. I can't say much more without spoilers.
I liked Jack Grimwood's SF (writing as Jon Courtney Grimwood) and I like this enough that I'll pick up Moskva at some point. If I wanted a le Carré substitute then I'd go for Charles Cumming ahead of this.
I liked Jack Grimwood's SF (writing as Jon Courtney Grimwood) and I like this enough that I'll pick up Moskva at some point. If I wanted a le Carré substitute then I'd go for Charles Cumming ahead of this.
December 30, 2019
Better and easier to follow than the first one. Complex story, skilfully plotted and quite good, if very unbelievable in parts. Liked the setting behind the wall and the chicanery, but a pity he isn't a clearer writer as quite often I lost track of who said what and where and I had to check back. Same in the first novel but better in this one. That said, it was enjoyable with a good backstory and definitely not Airport Lite.
January 9, 2020
Another great book from Grimwood. This continuation of Moskva is a good book but lacks the power and emotion of the first.
As with Moskva, the book has some elaborate plot but the resolution of this is a bit hasty, just shoving all the blame to one guy at the end.
That said, Tom Fox still has potential to become a successful franchise. I've to note that the novel ends with a question mark to the state of Caro, so I hope that we readers may get more of Tom Fox in the future.
As with Moskva, the book has some elaborate plot but the resolution of this is a bit hasty, just shoving all the blame to one guy at the end.
That said, Tom Fox still has potential to become a successful franchise. I've to note that the novel ends with a question mark to the state of Caro, so I hope that we readers may get more of Tom Fox in the future.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews