Double Exposure

by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar

From the creators of Smallville comes an action-packed debut thriller about a war veteran and CIA officer in the 1960s swept up into a global conspiracy that may prove Hitler is still alive.

David Toland, a decorated Korean War veteran, has done all he can to leave a life of combat behind. Now Director of Preservation for the Library of Congress's National Film Archive, Toland has made it his mission to preserve what he loves most: the Golden Age of American cinema, moving pictures full of romance, adventure and American Dream. That is, until CIA Agent Lana Welles drops in unannounced with a film canister, smuggled over the Berlin Wall at great cost, that may prove WWII never really ended--it just went underground.
David reluctantly agrees to serve his country one last time and help recover the film for Lana and the CIA. But it seems not everyone is as eager as they are to dig up the past. David and Lana's discovery awakens shadowy forces who will do anything to keep their findings a secret. In search of the truth, David and Lana find themselves pursued across the globe in a cat and mouse game with enormous, world-altering consequences.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Thriller, Espionage, Spy Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Mystery

336 pages, Hardcover

First published March 26, 2019

Reviews

[Susanne Leist · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is difficult to review this book without giving away the story and the surprises along the way. I read the book because Brad Meltzer recommended it on Book Bub. Since Brad Meltzer is my favorite author, I gave it a try. The beginning had me disappointed. The story and dialogue flowed well, but I couldn't visualize the scenery. I skimmed through the wordy descriptions, impatient to find the plot.
The pace picks up at the midpoint. Although the big reveal is over-the-top, unbelievable; if you shrug and say anything can happen since this is a novel, then you can enjoy the jumps from incredible to crazy. I can see the book on the big screen. The finale is dramatic.

[Susan Csoke · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Toland a war veteran and Agent Lana Welles become embroiled in an action packed thriller of global conspiracy in the 1960's. All due to a film canister which was smuggled over the Berlin wall. Captivating!!!! Thankyou Goodreads for this free book.

[Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

Set in 1961, Double Exposure by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar is the story of David Toland, who is a director of preservation for the Library of Congress, as he joins up with a CIA agent to prove that World War II never ended. This book has everything including mystery, suspense, confusion, a real whodunit. Sounds good? It is not. Stupid are the characters. Stupid is the story. Stupid is the adventure. And stupid is the ending. Gough and Millar are television screen play writers and this book is a sad excuse of trying to be real novelist. I did thing they did a good job of describing what being a secret agent in 1961 was like. Not as good as Ian Fleming, but good. Other than that, this book is a double stupid!

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Three quarters of the way into the book I felt like Lana/Irene was rushing from country to country half cocked with two idiots in tow; which is about the time I thought the book was just plain stupid. I mean really, what purpose did Simon Lean have other than to be someone else and even that still makes no sense. Then Carl Denham shows up and it got interesting for a bit. Then another twist was thrown in with the long lost daughter bit. It is like a barrel of people were shook up and the last standing a convoluted story was concocted...don't waste your time on this!

[Guy Choate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book outside of my genres because I moderated a panel with the author, but there was something fun about this 1960s clandestine novel that didn’t take itself too seriously. The dialogue was playful in a PG-13 movie sort of way—think Indiana Jones meets James Bond, maybe? Gough and Millar are screenwriters who happened to write a novel, so it makes sense that the narrative progresses as a movie might, with a steady pace and a building suspense.

[Bakerpat · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was outside my normal genre so perhaps I expected too much. The characters were straight out of a bad James Bond movie (never a fan) and the story line was not plausible. The main character David was a Marine vet and very gullible, he believed Lana through most of the book. She kept running from city to city, finding local money and new clothing and more guns. I never understood Simon's place in the story, he was a con-man but also had unlimited money and spy like skills, was he in on the Hitler plot or just a character meant to confuse me?
At the end the CIA guy comes back to David with a new problem, I think the authors are planning to write a series about David moving from adventure to adventure, saving the world (similar to Jack Ryan?). I will skip the next book.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, exciting, and thoroughly entertaining.

Sure, there were some quick jumps and a couple of crazy plot connections, but if you’re looking for a hot page-turner, this is it. A thriller/ action novel just waiting to be brought to the screen. An escape with a definite edge.

For my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2019/02/26/do...

For all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog

[CR · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review: When this showed up in the mail I was like ok this looks interesting. But when I found out it was from the writers of Smallville I was like YES YES YES!! Although there is no supernatural aspects in this one as well as no Superman this war story about how Hitlar could still be alive was spot on with the thriller aspects of this story. I could not put it down. This was a fast paced story that if you love war books and alternative history check this one out!!

[Kevin Findley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read that started a little slow, but sped up quickly and kept the pedal down for nearly the rest of the book. I'm not going to say much else, except that there are two plot twists in the last couple of chapters that you may think you see coming, but both are not what you expect.

Kudos to the authors, although they should have let Tom Welling fly in costume in the final episode of Smallville.

Sorry, but that still grinds my fanboy sensibilities.

Find it! Buy it! READ IT!

[Barbara White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't want to put Double Exposure down once I began reading it. It made me think about our history. I enjoyed the intrigue and suspense. The characters were believable. I felt as though I was in the thick of things. I highly recommend Double Exposure. I look forward to the next book by Alfred Gough. Thanks to Goodreads First Reads for my copy of the fantastic novel.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story that has the characters jumping from place to place in search of a
Film canister. The two main people are David Toland a decorated war vet
and CIA agent Lana Welles. It was a far fetched tale with plenty of twists
And action and the thought that Hitler may still be alive. The ending was
The best part.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love winning books through goodreads. I read a variety of books that I may not have read otherwise. Take a CIA agent, a Korean War vet and an author who are trying to prove where Hitler is alive or not. It is action packed with a little bit of love and deception. It kept my interest through the whole book. At times I couldn't put it down.

[Vladimir Prokes · Rating 2 out of 5]

A briskly paced plot full of nonsense (for example, the East German army didn't actually use Unimog vehicles, and in 1960s Russia, these clowns wouldn't have survived even for 5 minutes) with a Deus Ex Machina ending. It works as a parody of spy novels with a touch of wit. As an spy novel, it's just foolishness.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely fun read, set in 1961, about the hunt for Adolf Hitler, who may still be alive! Interesting characters, great dialogue, easy to follow plot - felt like I was watching a movie. Definitely enjoyed it.

[Greer Andjanetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining story right from the start. Although the underlying mystery is not explained until late in the book and the premise behind it is not new, the story is interesting and enjoyable overall.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors are screenwriters, so it's not surprising that reading this novel is like reading a movie. I really enjoyed it, and would recommend it to anyone who likes their action thrillers with lots of twists and turns.

[Brent Sistrunk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad for this duo’s first novel. I would read other books by them. Don’t expect any real plot twists though there are obvious attempts at surprises. I did like the fact that they didn’t resort to using a lot of foul language.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book! Quite an interesting story line.

[Robert James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty average thriller. Kind of an old-fashioned throwback espionage book. Nazis, double agents and exotic locales.

[Thilak Ramakrishna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A written for movie thriller! A perfect read for when you crave a fast paced spy thriller. An intriguing and original concept that ticks off all the boxes for a James Bondesq story.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun read.

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my kind of book. Super heroes battling Nazis in the 1960. No doubt how this turns out.

[Hun Garian · Rating 2 out of 5]

This read very much like a screenplay, which isn't surprising from two screenwriters. Nifty start, hokey finish. Not bad.

[Robert Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first three fourth's of Double Exposure was boring with little character development. It was hard to follow. I almost put the book down.
Fortunately, the last one quarter of the book was explosive with surprises and a shoot out taking out Denhem. Too bad Lana and David were not able to be a forever couple with a happy ending though.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

The reviews are all over the place for Alfred Gough & Miles Millar’s DOUBLE EXPOSURE. Me, I really enjoyed it. If you like the James Bond/Jason Bourne/Indiana Jones quick action stories, there’s a good chance you’ll like DOUBLE EXPOSURE.

Basic story: In 1962, David Toland, Korean War hero turned film preservationist, is recruited by CIA agent Lana Welles, to salvage an important film from WWII. Before you can say Rumpelstiltskin-rode-a-rocket-to Rome-for-roasted-rabbits, David and Lana are zipping through six or seven countries with different groups trying to kill them, and dead bodies aplenty to show for their efforts.

The authors, Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, are successful writers for television and the movies. The only movie of theirs I’ve seen was the Jackie Chan/Owen Wilson/Lucy Liu semi-classic “Shanghai Noon.” They created and wrote for the television series “Smallville.” Movies by them include The Mummy, Spiderman 2, Herbie: Fully Loaded, and Lethal Weapon 4, among others.

Why I liked it: The over-the-top story moves along at a rapid pace, sprinkled with light-hearted humor. There are enough I-can’t-believe-they-did-that-to-a-character moments to keep my interest. On a more personal note, I’ve written a manuscript and the novel seems similar in style and story development to mine, including both theirs and mine having important parts of the story in and around Manaus on the Amazon River (completely different storylines of course).

Normally I reserve 5 star ratings for books I believe nearly everyone should read. DOUBLE EXPOSURE doesn’t quite fit that bill, but it’s a fun book to read. So it gets four stars from me.

[Lindsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Gough's and Millar's TV work, so I really hoped to enjoy their collaborative novel about a former soldier's reluctant involvement in tracking down a mysterious film canister from WWII that could change everything we thought we knew about the war. The story was okay - predictable, but okay. But the thing that really dampened my enjoyment was that the book felt like a really long episode of a TV show like Macgyver or Hawaii 5-o or NCIS. There was not enough plot to keep the story going for 300+ pages, so there was a LOT of filler, which slowed down the pace of the book considerably. I found myself skimming over dozens of pages at a time without really missing anything important. The book either needed to be fleshed out more or edited down - or maybe just submitted to one of the previously mentioned shows to be filmed as an episode.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun spy novel. It’s very cinematic, which makes sense for Gough and Millar, with lots of twists and turns—and globetrotting. The violence was a little too graphic for my taste, but the story was so enjoyable that I didn’t mind it very much.