Estocada

Wars Within #3

by Graham Hurley

1937. As the Reich's most celebrated fighter ace, Dieter Merz's fame brings him into contact with the top echelons of the Nazi regime. All he wants to do is fly, but for how long can he deny the toxic nature of Hitler's rule? Scotsman and ex-marine Tam Moncrieff is recruited by a nameless intelligence agency in London to go to Germany and sound out Hitler's resolve. Does he really intend to invade Czechoslovakia? Do his generals support him? Can the march to war be stopped? As duty collides with conscience, fate will bring both men together. These are desperate times calling for desperate measures. To avoid war a killing strike is la estocada . The question is, who is the matador, who is the bull?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Espionage

496 pages, Hardcover

First published May 31, 2018

About the author

Graham Hurley was born November, 1946 in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. His seaside childhood was punctuated by football, swimming, afternoons on the dodgems, run-ins with the police, multiple raids on the local library - plus near-total immersion in English post-war movies.

Directed and produced documentaries for ITV through two decades, winning a number of national and international awards. Launched a writing career on the back of a six-part drama commission for ITV: "Rules of Engagement". Left TV and became full time writer in 1991.

Authored nine stand-alone thrillers plus "Airshow", a fly-on-the-wall novel-length piece of reportage, before accepting Orion invitation to become a crime writer. Drew gleefully on home-town Portsmouth (“Pompey”) as the basis for an on-going series featuring D/I Joe Faraday and D/C Paul Winter.

Contributed five years of personal columns to the Portsmouth News, penned a number of plays and dramatic monologues for local production (including the city’s millenium celebration, "Willoughby and Son"), then decamped to Devon for a more considered take on Pompey low-life.

The Faraday series came to an end after 12 books. Healthy sales at home and abroad, plus mega-successful French TV adaptations, tempted Orion to commission a spin-off series, set in the West Country, featuring D/S Jimmy Suttle.

Launch title - "Western Approaches" - published 2012. "Touching Distance" to hit the bookstores next month (21st November).

Has recently self-published a number of titles on Kindle including "Strictly No Flowers" (a dark take on crime fiction), "Estuary" (a deeply personal memoir) and "Backstory" (how and why he came to write the Faraday series).

Married to the delectable Lin. Three grown-up sons (Tom, Jack and Woody). Plus corking grandson Dylan.

You're very welcome to contact Graham through his website: www.grahamhurley.co.uk

Or direct on seasidepictures@btinternet.com.


Series:
* D.I. Joe Faraday

Reviews

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s timely to have managed to pick this book up having jus completed a n/f read about the Spanish Civil War only last month whilst its still all (relatively) fresh in my head…..

…….Our protagonists being Luftwaffe pilots in the Condor legion in Spain 1937 who within their first few paragraphs bare witness to much of the German complaints that were laid out about the Spanish Nationalist army/generals in the book “The battle for Spain”.

The opening chapter reads more like a historical text with more about the action/events then any real story with little dialogue / character development… we flew this mission, this happened, then we flew this mission, moan about their Spanish allies inaction & so on….. ohh?

And the next chapter, we’re in the highlands following a British ex-commando Major, known as Tam, who owns a hunting estate, or should that be he inherited an estate that he has turned into a hunting lodge for rich industrialists & the alike which soon expands to overseas guests…. He also, as luck would have it, speaks the German & is soon approached by those that hide in the shadows of Whitehall as being someone of interest with his commando training, business connections & language skills.

Meanwhile back in Spain…… Ah well, no…… actually that part is over & our man Dieter (he is the decorated pilot we seem to be following) is in Japan 1938, shadowing a Japanese pilot who engages with the Chinese whom fly the I-16 (ratas as the Germans called them in Spain). Dieter’s character opens up a lot more in this scenario & it starts to read more like a novel. He’s kind of on Sick leave come adjoined to the diplomatic corps come acting as an advisor to the Japanese military… we learn he is a venerated pilot for his missions in Spain where he tallied 27 kills which is all new to us.

So, from going to expecting a book about the war in Spain, we have a developing spy novel which in its infancy lays out the background origins (through POV’s) of our two protagonists who are likely on a collision course at some point on their travels. ….. guess I should have read more of the small print….. because that’s exactly what it hinted at. My bad!

It’s clear that both Tam & Dieter were respected military men who are no longer thus & trying to find their way in life as well as be useful to their paymasters as both are intelligent & affable chaps.

That all said, as to the story proper….

Tam is soon recruited & travels to the Sudetenland sounding out the locals as the British politicians Halifax & Chamberlain aren’t exactly filling the British intelligence service (his paymasters) with much confidence with their acts of diplomacy with Herr Hitler! They need a man “on the ground”. He’s soon infiltrated into the Czech underground in the Sudetenland ie those that are resistant to the ever increasing German threat in that region which has the backing of a sizable amount of the Sudeten population. He is, as expected, a total amateur & it’s not long before the story evolves mostly outside of Tam’s control! He does however manage to learn about a particular resource that the Germans are keen on within the region which goes on to form the crux of the story…… and then again…. Lets jus say there are quite a few plot developments that’ll have you come the end…..

Meanwhile, Dieter is soon back in Berlin & hops between jobs it would seem as a decorated hero might? Before ending up as a “display” pilot showing off his skills to the populous, he also starts to travel within the higher echelons, meeting the likes of Von Ribbentrop & Herman Goering. He learns much about the hierarchy of the Nazis party & the infighting / clamour for power/favour around Hitler. His story does start to meander a little, you think it’s going no-where AND then…….

With everything laid out we move through the chapters with everything/one starting to pull together which I shall leave for you to discover…..

BUT…… at 80% done I’ve jus gotta say…..

It jus fizzled out after being a really engaging story, was expecting a big climatic ending and twas jus really a non-event with lots of little wrap ups that jus for me let down all the prior set up...... actually feel really disappointed closing the last page.... was that it! Meh! The story really did deserve a better climax than that….. although perhaps the overall style lends itself to this type of ending.

Jus the basic 3 stars (for the ending) after what was gonna be A good 4 stars (rounded up) story for me, which was cleverly plotted with likeable characters & twists to throw you.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written atmospheric thriller set in the run up of World War II. An amateur is sent to gauge the preparedness of the Czech defenders intercut with a German fighter pilot in the Spanish civil war.

It’s handy that it’s a pleasure to read because the plot is riddled with holes culminating in a head scratcher but I found I didn’t really mind.

[Peter Timson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another library book. I have read all the Wars Within series now... at least all those published so far. This, I think is the third published but chronologically it is the first. As I've said elsewhere this isn't a problem but if it matters then, for now at least, start here. Perhaps the best of the five.

[Moti · Rating 1 out of 5]

Suddenly nothing happened.

[KOMET · Rating 5 out of 5]

Estocada denotes a telling-blow or coup de grâce. And so, the title of this novel aptly sums up what develops into a tale of intrigue, espionage, murder, and the vicissitudes of power politics that was played out through much of 1938 between Czechoslovakia and Nazi Germany over the latter country's designs on annexing Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland, a region of the country bordering on Southern Germany that was largely made up of ethnic Germans.

What I found interesting about ESTOCADA is that it contains what starts out as 2 seemingly divergent stories centered on 2 of the novel's main characters. The first story is centered around Dieter Merz, a young, skilled Luftwaffe fighter pilot serving in Spain with the Condor Legion, which is assisting the Spanish Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War in its fight against Spain's Republican government for control of the country. Dieter has a close friend and fellow pilot, Georg Messner, who, as the novel progresses, has a steadying influence on Merz, helping to restrain his impulsive and reckless nature, which at times for Dieter has had both positive and negative effects on his budding career in the Luftwaffe. At the moment, Spain is where Dieter, who began flying combat missions in the Heinkel 51 biplane fighter - a throwback to the First World War as well as being the Luftwaffe's first premier fighter following its establishment in 1935 - and goes on to fly the new, sleek and fast Messerschmitt 109 monoplane fighter, emerges from the conflict as one of the Condor Legion's top fighter aces. A national hero. But in attaining this fame, Dieter is severely hurt from having had to bail out of an aircraft.

While recuperating, the German government sends Dieter to Japan for a few months, where he makes the acquaintance of Keiko Ayama, a tall, lovely, mysterious, willowy woman, who manages, by degrees, to capture his affections. Her brother is a naval pilot with whom Dieter has flown a number of times as part of his assignment in Japan. All part of strengthening the newfound anti-Communist alliance between Germany and Japan. Keiko, who is conversant in German, shows Dieter her skills with reiki massage, which helps relieve considerably the severe backache he sustained from the bailout. Subsequently, as a way of helping to strengthen German-Japanese relations, Keiko accompanies Dieter back to Germany, where she makes quite an impression with some of the Nazi bigwigs at a party she and Dieter attended together.

The second part of the story revolves around Tam Moncrieff, a Scotsman and ex-Royal Marine who's fluent in German. He is recruited by a branch of British intelligence to undertake in the spring of 1938, a mission to Czechoslovakia to gauge the strength of the pro-Nazi movement there that is agitating for annexation of the Sudetenland to Germany. Moncrieff has a close call while there that puts him in jail. But with the help of the British Embassy in Prague, he is released and flown back to London, where he reports on his findings. The Sudetenland is located in a part of Czechoslovakia where its Skoda Works (renowned for being the country's major arms supplier and engineering powerhouse) has set up a formidable defensive base facing Germany. So, if Hitler has any intention of invading Czechoslovakia, the Czechs - who have commitments from both Britain and France to come to its aid in the event of a German attack - are resolved to fight. But at the time of Moncrieff's mission there, the resolve of Britain to honor its commitment is not so certain. For there is a wariness in both London and Paris against the possibility of ending up in another European war.

Moncrieff is then sent twice to Berlin to ascertain the degree of the anti-Hitler resistance movement that has formed among some elements of the German Army and intelligence service. It is while undertaking this mission that the paths made by Moncrieff and Dieter Merz cross and intersect in interesting ways. All the while the clock is ticking towards October 1, 1938, which is when Hitler is set on invading Czechoslovakia. During this time, Moncrieff is arrested and interrogated by the Kripo (the German criminal police or Kriminalpolizei).

With pressure from the British Embassy - who had learned of Moncrieff's arrest, he is allowed to leave Germany with the understanding that he is forbidden to ever return. All the while, as diplomatic moves are made in Munich among Britain, France, and Germany regarding Czechoslovakia - the overriding question becomes: CAN WAR BE AVOIDED?

ESTOCADA crackles with tension throughout and for the reader who loves suspense, he/she won't be disappointed.

[Anne Fenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very entertaining and informative read. Set mainly in 1938 pre WW2 Europe, it builds up the tensions of nations deliberating about war by creating a brilliant narrative involving two main characters who come from opposing sides, Scot Tam Moncrieff and German Dieter Merz. Many figures in the novel come from history, as do most of the unfolding background events. Although we know the basic story, Hurley re-imagines it in a compelling, dramatic highly readable way. I learned a lot about military aviation, reckon I could fly a plane by the end of the book.

[Jim Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting novel of pilots and spies in the period between the Spanish Civil War and the German invasion of Czechoslovakia. It is the tale of two German pilots who go from flying fighters in the Spanish Civil War to doing acrobatics and flying VIPs back in Germany and a Scot who is sent to determine the readiness of the Czech's and the determination of the Germans.

The story moves well, is about an interesting and somewhat unexplored period of history.

It is well written and interesting.

[Derek Nudd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Following as it does the fate of individuals caught in the maelstrom as the world spins uncontrollably toward war, this makes an interesting comparison with Robert Harris' Munich. Hurley's writing is taut and well-paced and he converges his characters' plot lines well. So why only three stars? A pivotal interview feels contrived and a bit implausible and, to my mind, the ending peters out rather than resolving.

Still worthwhile though.

[The Villan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. Interesting look at the subtle and discrete negotiations between the English and German powers in an attempt to avoid going to war. It makes you wonder if there were such a thing as the UN had been formed after WWI whether WWII would ever have happened. Then again it might just have delayed it I suppose for some other madman to start it over some other perceived slight or cause deemed worthy to them.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting novel set in England, Czechoslovakia, and Germany during 1938. The characters are an amateur spy for Britain and a German fighter pilot and are engaged in trying to stop Germany's agression into Czechoslovakia which may trigger the Second World War. It gives an good historical context to the events and political culture prior to the Second World War in 1938

[Réka Mandák · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little slow in the beginning, but once you work your way through that first 50 pages, you wont be able to put it down. A very interesting, but at the same time realistic historical fiction novel which you really can imagine that really happened. A truly extraordinary read!

[Wilde Sky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Before the outbreak of WWII people try and determine what will happen.

I couldn't get into this book - it was too long and the writing didn't grab me.

Reading time around seven hours.

[John Nicholson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent pre WW2 tale. Fascinating insight into the days before armageddon.

[David E McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

This is the third story in the series, a bit slow,but very good for most of it.
I enjoyed readingit

[Lysergius · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well crafted tale of espionage set during the Sudeten crisis of 1938. A real page turner.

[Leonie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but my least favourite of this series so far, possibly because the Sudetenland issue was dragged out so much - and I love Dieter so it wasn’t him!

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook.
Historical thriller - image life as a fighter pilot (a good one!!).