Our Friends in Berlin

by Anthony Quinn

London, 1941. The city is in blackout and an enemy is hiding in plain sight.

Amy Strallen’s life is a world away from the machinations of Nazi sympathizers but she could be the only one who can help uncover the most dangerous Nazi agent in the country.

Jack Hoste has become entangled in a national treachery and he needs Amy’s help.

When he pays a visit to Amy’s office, they are both about to become embroiled in a game that could have deadly consequences…

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Espionage, Thriller, War, World War II, Historical

288 pages, Paperback

First published July 12, 2018

About the author

Anthony Quinn was born in Liverpool in 1964. Since 1998 he has been the film critic of the Independent. His debut novel The Rescue Man won the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award. His second novel Half of the Human Race was released in spring 2011.

Reviews

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Anthony Quinn's 'Curtain Call’ so when I saw ‘Our Friends in Berlin’ up for grabs I took no persuading!

It's 1941 and London is suffering from the German bombardment that became known as The Blitz. Amid the bombed out buildings and the blackout, there lurks even more danger in the form of Nazi sympathisers, collecting intel that will aid Hitler's war machine.


Jack Hoste, (former bank clerk) is tasked with the job of discovering the most dangerous of these agents, and naturally this puts him in extreme danger.

Dragged unwittingly into the espionage and intrigue is Amy Strallen, co founder of the Mayfair 'marriage bureau'. Unbeknown to Amy, one of her close friends is thought to be the elusive Nazi sympathiser that Jack Hoste is tasked with finding.

'Our Friends in Berlin’ was inspired by true events, and captures the claustrophobic atmosphere of wartime Britain, together with it's quota of secrets, lies and intrigue necessary to maintain a certain amount of tension. Quinn's strongly portrayed characters though, are what made this an enjoyable read for me, rather than the storyline itself. That said, I have to say there were a good few twists throughout, not least at the end!

* Thank you to Netgalley, and Random House UK, Vintage Publishing for my ARC in exchange for an honest review *

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful historical espionage thriller set in WW2 in London. London is experiencing blackouts and suffering under the heavy bombing that is taking its toll on the people and buildings. Jack Hoste (not his real name) is working undercover for the security services as a Gestapo agent supposedly for our friends in Berlin. He has collected a group of individuals, all Nazi sympathisers, who provide intelligence to Jack under the assumption they are aiding the German war effort. Jack is trying to locate the most dangerous spy, Marita Pardoe, to co-opt her into the group, thereby keeping her under surveillance. She supported Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists, and her husband is in an internment camp. Marita proves to be elusive and the only lead Jack has is she was close friends with Amy Strallen.

Amy is a partner in a Marriage Bureau, putting together men and women on their books who are looking to get married. Whilst it might be expected that the war would adversely affect business, in reality it has provided a boost, as people feel increasingly insecure when it comes to the future. Jack poses as a tax inspector trying to ensure that the Pardoes get their tax rebate owed to them to get Amy to help him locate Marita. A relationship begins to develop between Amy and Jack, but with Jack working covertly and harbouring secrets, many obstacles lie in their path. After being tested by Marita, Jack manages to incorporate Marita in his group, but she is not an easy person to keep a handle on. She has strong ideas of her own as to what she thinks should be happening, including political assassinations to undermine the British war effort and morale. Amy finds herself drawn into the dark world of espionage and all the dangers it poses at a critical time in British history.

Anthony Quinn draws on true events in the writing of this novel set under such dangerous and turbulent times, where the stakes are so high they could influence the direction of the war. Quinn's real skill is in his characterisation, particularly that of Jack, Amy and Marita. War time intrigue is mirrored in the personal intrigues of the relationships between these characters. Quinn provides us with the fascinating backstories of each of the characters, such as Jack's true identity when he was operating as a bank clerk prior to him being taken on by MI5, he takes to his new role as a duck to water. An entertaining and compelling read that I recommend to those interested in this period of history. Many thanks to Random House Vintage for an ARC.

[Hanneke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an engaging WW-II spy novel which I read in a few days because its story is fast and exciting and I could not put it down. However, the protagonists are not very interesting individuals which is strange in view of their activities. Dull conversations, much too polite and proper and without any wit whatsoever! Often actions were taken that did not make sense. The story seems to be based on the undercover activities of the same MI5 group chasing British nazi provocateurs as in Kate Atkinson’s novel ‘Transcription’. Comparing both books the story of ‘Our Friends in Berlin’ is much more adventureous, but ‘Transcription’ is much better written and has interesting characters. Nevertheless, I think ‘Our Friends in Berlin’ has its merits as a nice adventure story.

[Left Coast Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was unaware that over 30,000 Londoners were killed by German bombers during WWII. I was aware that London was bombed, of course, but did not appreciate the magnitude of it. Our Friends in Berlin is the sort of book that makes you want to learn more about what you're reading.

I recently complained about a crime caper set in Paris in which the author got so bound up in his dumb plot that he forgot to share anything of value with his readers. Quinn does not make that mistake -- this novel settles onto the reader like a warm blanket, urging us to get comfortable and disappear into wartime London. Where, of course, things really weren't very comfortable at all, as is made vividly clear.

The book gives approximately equal weight to defeating Hitler and to a love story. This would usually annoy me but -- again with the warm blanket --- by the time the first kiss arrives, 85.7% of the way into the story, I'd actually grown to care about the characters. A quick glance at Quinn's other titles shows that he isn't really in the habit of writing spy novels at all, but rather human dramas which have been well received.

Life is hard. Read something that treats you well. This book, maybe.

Thanks to my GR friend Aisha for alerting me to this one.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed previous novels by Anthony Quinn and was delighted to receive his latest for review, which begins in London, during the Blitz. It is 1941 and Jack Hoste is working undercover, doing his utmost to discover Nazi spies and sympathisers. In particular, he is searching for Marita Pardoe, a friend of Amy Strallen; who works at the, ‘Mayfair Marriage Bureau.’ Desperate to uncover Pardoe’s whereabouts, Hoste makes contact with Amy, in the hopes she will lead him to her.

This is an excellent wartime, spy story, with a good sense of place and time. Wartime London is evocative and the setting realistic. Hoste is juggling many agents, but his undercover identity is always in danger of exposure. Meanwhile, Amy is an innocent, unwittingly caught up in a dangerous situation. Always slightly wary of her intelligent, sharp friend, Marita, she was flattered by her attention and unwilling to challenge her. However, when Marita gets back in touch, it sets in motion a chain of events that will not only put her in personal danger, but could change the course of the war.

I liked the characters in this novel and the setting. Amy is a wonderful creation – conflicted, vulnerable and realistic. Hoste (which is not his real name) is also believable and I enjoyed reading about the way he was recruited. I am not convinced that Amy would have been quite as well informed of events as she was – especially in wartime – but I was happy enough to ignore the few question marks over the plot and enjoy the story. Another great read from a very talented author. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

[Jaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a big fan of espionage thrillers esp those of the relatively bygone eras. There's something endearing? charming ? to read about the times of warfare, in fiction ie., when there was lack of cutting edge technology (as compared to recent times). (As an esrtwhile student of history i've always shied away from the academic history of warfare, I find it too dry and dull).

Based on a true incident during the second world war (that I am not aware of and need to check), Our friends in Berlin is a gripping, fast paced espionage thriller, which gives us a glimpse of the day-to-day lives of common Londoners, how lives would go on for people despite of the ongoing war, being subject to frequent bombings, air raids, strict rationing and ever present under currents and threats of conspiracies and spies. The story did have a fairly predictable plot, I still was not expecting the climax! thankfully this prevented the book from being totally predictable.

But! the vagaries of a reader, it is the cliched end that I would have definitely wanted for my protags, so deducting a star for not getting the ending that I wanted.

[Jill Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

British novelist Anthony Quinn is the author of the several mysteries, including a marvelous series, "Freya" and "Curtain Call" (which now has a third book in the series, "Eureka"). He's widely published in the UK and Europe and has lately been published here in the US. His new book, "Our Friends in Berlin" is a stand-alone mystery set in WW2 London and is quite good.

The book begins in 1941 London during the Blitz. There's a part set in 1935 and one set in 1948, but basically the main part of the book is 1941-1944. Quinn establishes time and place with his characters - Jack Hoste, Amy Strallen, and Marita (she of varying last names). Hoste works for MI5 and is in charge with running a group of Nazi spies in the country who report their findings back to him...and assume the info is being sent straight to Gestapo headquarters in Berlin. These "spies" are, for the most part, a motley crew and their findings go no further than Hoste's office. But one of the spies is a woman, Marita, who is both tough and smart, and she really, really believes in the Nazi cause. She wants her spying to matter to the German cause. She's been around since the 1930's in school and work and has quite a few friends and contacts. One of her friends is Amy Strallen, who works as a partner in a marriage bureau. Amy doesn't share Marita's sentiments, but has maintained a friendship with her through the years.

Anthony Quinn's book mixes the drudgery and sense of personal loss of 1941 London, with the often desperate and forced gaiety of living in a city at war. Hoste and Strellan fall for each other but can't quite get their feelings in sync. The reader roots for these two, while hoping Marita walks off a short pier in the blackout. But life is often messy - particularly at wartime - and the book ends as it should. Anthony Quinn's book is a great read and I think will encourage the reader to explore his backlist.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This WWII spy novel set in London kept my interest in a tentative way. It is essentially about Nazi sympathisers and spies in Britain during WWII and the MI5 agent(s) who keep tabs on them and feed them incorrect information. The author is good at creating the atmosphere of war-time London but some events, particularly the "action" sequences, seemed straight out of a B movie while others seemed utterly implausible. I think it was the writing which was the problem because, as unlikely as some things seemed, the events in this novel are based on real life. There is another book on the topic which I may check out, Agent Jack: The True Story of MI5's Secret Nazi Hunter. Some reviewers wrote that Kate Atkinson's novel, Transcription, covers similar territory. I may have to reread that novel. The specifics of it escape me now.

This novel has many very positive reviews so take my negativity with a grain of salt. It just wasn't the right book for me.

[Roman Clodia · Rating 4 out of 5]

By coincidence, this is the second novel I've read in a few weeks which has been interested in Nazi sympathisers and the British Union of Fascists during WW2. In places this feels a bit like The Heat Of The Day, but a less literary version and one which tries to pull off a couple of twists.

Jack Hoste and Amy are attractive protagonists, though there are places where we have to accept MI5 being extremely open with the information they share with a civilian. There's also a lessening of tension due to the large gaps in chronology between sections as we jump from 1941 to 1935, then 1944 and 1948.

Despite that, this is an engaging read, the first section feeling especially well done. And the sexual ambiguity of Amy who ends up being given a ring by one of the female friends with whom she has the closest relationships leaves a haunting sense of intrigue at the end.

Thanks to Random House for an ARC via NetGalley.

[George K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Βαθμολογία: 9/10

Για το βιβλίο δεν γνώριζα απολύτως τίποτα, μέχρι που πριν περίπου ένα μήνα έμαθα ότι θα κυκλοφορούσε στα ελληνικά από τις εκδόσεις Κλειδάριθμος, έτσι το έψαξα και το έβαλα αμέσως στη λίστα με τα υπό έκδοση βιβλία που θα ήθελα να αγοράσω, μιας και η θεματολογία του με ιντρίγκαρε σε μεγάλο βαθμό και κάποιες κριτικές με έπεισαν για την ποιότητά του. Επίσης -δεν θα το κρύψω-, για κάποιο λόγο μου άρεσε πολύ το εξώφυλλο.

Πρόκειται για ένα πραγματικά πολύ καλογραμμένο και ιδιαίτερα καθηλωτικό μυθιστόρημα, κράμα ιστορικού και κατασκοπευτικού θρίλερ, με δραματικά και κοινωνικά στοιχεία. Η δράση του είναι σε λογικά πλαίσια, χωρίς υπερβολές, οπότε μην περιμένετε πολλά κυνηγητά, πίου-πίου και τα τοιαύτα, ούτε όμως και τίποτα φοβερές εκπλήξεις ή ανατροπές. Ουσιαστικά, βασικό προσόν του βιβλίου είναι η όλη αποτύπωση της εποχής (μεγάλο μέρος της πλοκής διαδραματίζεται το 1941, αλλά ο συγγραφέας μας πηγαίνει τόσο στο 1935, όσο και στο 1944, αλλά και το 1948) και της παράνοιας που επικρατούσε στο Λονδίνο τα χρόνια του πολέμου. Επίσης οι χαρακτήρες είναι αρκετά καλοδουλεμένοι και ενδιαφέροντες, προσωπικά ενδιαφέρθηκα πολύ για τους βασικούς πρωταγωνιστές. Και, φυσικά, η όλη ατμόσφαιρα είναι εξαιρετική (μου θύμισε το υπέροχο "Οι σκλάβοι της μοναξιάς", του Πάτρικ Χάμιλτον).

Άλλο ένα δυνατό σημείο του βιβλίου είναι η γραφή: Οξυδερκής και αρκετά διεισδυτική, συνάμα όμως ευκολοδιάβαστη και εθιστική, με φοβερά ρεαλιστικά περιγραφές σκηνικών και γεγονότων, οι οποίες με μετέφεραν από το σπίτι μου, στο Λονδίνο της δεκαετίας του '40, ανάμεσα σε κατασκόπους και πολίτες που έμπλεξαν στον βρώμικο κόσμο των Μυστικών Υπηρεσιών. Το βιβλίο μπορεί να έχει κάποια θεματάκια στη γενικότερη ιστορία (την πλοκή δεν την λες και σφιχτοδεμένη), όμως πραγματικά το κατευχαριστήθηκα. Οπότε δεν βλέπω το λόγο να μην του βάλω πέντε αστεράκια στο Goodreads. Και σίγουρα το προτείνω στους λάτρεις των μυθιστορημάτων γύρω από τον Β' Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel, set in the backdrop of London during WW2 was a solid read. The story centres around Jack Hoste, a spy working with people gathering Intel for the Germans, and a young lady, Amy Strallen who works in a matchmaking agency. They are connected by Amy's old friend, a treacherous Hitler enthusiast.

The plot was a bit meandering and I didn't feel like a lot happened, aside from interactions between the three main characters. Those characters were well written though, and I enjoyed how the book tied into historical events.

I felt the last chapter, a flash forward to the war was a little weak and I'd like to have seen more of a resolution there, but all in all I really enjoyed this, and would read similar books by the author again.

Ps Am I the only one who picked up on a hint of bisexuality in Amy?

[Maine Colonial · Rating 3 out of 5]

The real-life inspiration for this novel is wartime MI5 agent Eric Roberts. Roberts was born to a middle class Cornwall family and started his adult life as a bank clerk. He was recruited as an MI5 field agent in the 1920s, where his job was to infiltrate fringe groups; first communists and then fascists.

From early on in World War II, it was feared that Germany would invade Britain, assisted by so-called “fifth columnists,” British citizens and residents who were Nazi sympathizers and wanted to pass on information to help the German armed forces. Roberts, using the alias Jack King, pretended to be an officer in the Gestapo working as the point of contact for fifth columnists. He built up a large network of informants, who never twigged that he was really MI5.

One of Jack King’s notable informants was Marita Perigoe, a severely beautiful young woman whose husband had been interned as a fascist. The British had picked the wrong member of the couple to lock up. Marita was a naturalized British citizen, with a Swedish and German background. She was virulently anti-Semitic and so pro-Nazi that her “handler” had a difficult time keeping her under control. She always wanted to take a more active role to combat Britain from within and actually did conduct some rogue missions. Despite their frequent head-butting, and Marita's dangerousness, Jack King and Marita Perigoe remained part of the same ostensible spy network until the war’s end.

Eric Roberts and Marita Perigoe translate to Jack Hoste and Marita Pardoe in this novel. Hoste has reason to suspect Marita is working for Germany, but nobody can find her. Hoste’s only lead to her is Amy Strallen, a young woman who runs a matrimonial agency, but who had become friendly with Marita before the war, when both were students at the same secretarial college.

Anthony Quinn tells us the story from Jack's experience and from Amy's. Amy's having been able to track down Marita, Jack must now encourage Amy to rekindle her friendship with Marita, despite Marita's dangerous nature and Jack's growing feelings for Amy. Beneath the surface relationships among this trio, there lurks danger and betrayal, playing out from 1940 until the approach to D-Day.

The premise of the story is excellent and Quinn paints an evocative picture of wartime Britain. There was plenty of tension to keep the pages turning, and the ending is thrilling. But there were a couple of things that prevented this being a top read for me. The friendship between Amy and Marita just never made a lot of sense to me. I can understand how they became friends, and I also understand that anti-Semitism was so common in Britain that it wouldn’t necessarily make Amy drop Marita when she learns that Marita hates Jews. But Amy is exposed to so much of Marita’s treasonous views that I find it hard to believe she would continue their friendship. My second problem is with Amy’s actions toward the end of the book. It seemed to me that Amy is unconscionably dense about Marita’s “cousin,” which leads to disaster. I understand that this error of Amy’s lights the spark for the thrilling ending, but I get so tired of how common it is to have a plot turn on a leading female character acting rashly, carelessly or downright stupidly.

Despite my issues, I was gripped by the story. If the subject interests you, give it a try.

Afterthoughts: When I learned about Jack Hoste and Marita Pardoe being inspired by real-life characters, I did some research and was fascinated by Eric Roberts’s story. His postwar activities are fascinating too. He’s posted to Vienna immediately after the war—shades of The Third Man—and has a unique and poignant story involving the infiltration of the British security services by spies for the Soviet Union. Here’s the other amazing nugget I learned. You know those hundreds of fifth columnists in the ring reporting to Jack King/Hoste? What do you suppose happened to them when the Allies won the war? The answer is, in nearly every case, exactly nothing! Given the role of King/Hoste, MI5 assumed that if the fifth columnists were prosecuted, the defense would claim entrapment, making it not worth it to pursue. Can you imagine what it must have been like for those people, wondering every day if the law--and retribution--would come knocking at the door?

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this - involving tale of spies, love, menace and courage during the Blitz and its aftermath. Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights. 4-4.5 stars.

[Aisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sort of book that will leave you wishing that it was longer. Set in WW2 London, the book tells the tale of a double cross, teasing out the political leanings at the time, the severe traumas of air raids and the resultant plummeting of the economy. Set within it is a touching romance between two people who yearn for love in the difficult times but have very different expressions of their feelings.

Anthony Quinn layers his prose with depth, reason, doubt and honesty - all crossing paths seamlessly as the plot thickens. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

[Jacki (Julia Flyte) · Rating 3 out of 5]

During WW2, Jack Hoste is based in London where he runs a circle of German sympathisers who provide him with intelligence that he can pass onto Berlin. He crosses paths with Amy Strallen, a wonderful character who runs a matchmaking agency. It seems that romance might blossom between them, but then she discovers his secret stash of German war medals.

There are a lot of twists in this story. No one - not even Amy, the most straightforward - is quite who you think they are and it certainly doesn't develop in the way you expect it to. It's intriguing, but there's something about it that holds you at arm's length. I liked it but I wasn't engrossed by it.

[Γιώτα Παπαδημακοπούλου · Rating 4 out of 5]

Τα μυθιστορήματα που μπλέκουν την Ιστορία με τη μυθοπλασία μπορούν να έχουν δύο καταλήξεις. Ή θα είναι κάτω του μετρίου, κακοποιώντας πολλές φορές τα ιστορικά γεγονότα πάνω στα οποία θα έπρεπε θεωρητικά να δομήσουν την αφήγησή τους, ή θα είναι εξαιρετικά δείγματα γραφής σε όλα τα επίπεδα, επιδεικνύοντας τον πρέποντα σεβασμό απέναντι στο βασικό τους υλικό, το οποίο είναι κι αυτός που τους προσφέρει τις γερές βάσεις που απαιτεί ένα ιστορικό μυθιστόρημα. Αν με ρωτάτε, λοιπόν, το "Οι φίλοι μας στο Βερολίνο" του Anthony Quinn ανήκει στην δεύτερη κατηγορία, αποτελώντας, μάλιστα, ένα από τα καλύτερα σύγχρονα δείγματα στο ��ίδος του, μια εξαιρετικά ευχάριστη έκπληξη για μένα -και υποθέτω όχι μόνο.

Βρισκόμαστε στο Λονδίνο, αρχές της δεκαετίας του '40. Μιας δύσκολης δεκαετίας, όπου ολόκληρη η Ευρώπη υπέφερε εξαιτίας των γερμανικών επιδρομών και της επέλασης του στρατού που φαινόταν αποφασισμένος να μην αφήσει τίποτα όρθιο στο πέρασμά του. Μέσα σε αυτό το δυσοίωνο κλίμα, οι Τζακ Χοστ, διπλός πράκτορας με αποστολή του να εντοπίσει την πιο επικίνδυνη και περιβόητη πράκτορα των Ναζί, και η Έιμι Στράλεν, μία συνηθισμένη γυναίκα που εργάζεται ως υπάλληλος σε ένα γραφείο συνοικεσίων, θα συναντηθούν και το αντάμωμά τους αυτό ίσως και να φέρει τόσο μεγάλες αλλαγές στον πόλεμο, που ούτε οι ίδιοι δεν θα φαντάζονταν. Άραγε, ο Τζακ μπορεί να φέρει εις πέρας την αποστολή του χωρίς να αποκαλυ��θεί και, κυρίως, χωρίς να θέσει σε κίνδυνο τη ζωή της Έιμι, που πάνω απ' το κεφάλι της αιωρείται η δαμόκλειος σπάθη χωρίς εκείνη να γνωρίζει το παραμικρό;

Το συγκεκριμένο μυθιστόρημα βασίζεται σε μία αληθινή ιστορία. Την ιστορία ενός ανθρώπου που ενώ εργαζόταν ως τραπεζικός υπάλληλος και θα μπορούσε να έχει μία ήρεμη ζωή, στρατολογήθηκε από την MI5 με σκοπό να φέρει εις πέρας μία αποστολή μεγαλύτερη από τον ίδιο, μεγαλύτερη από την προσωπική του ασφάλεια. Μία αποστολή που θα τον οδηγούσε στην καρδιά του φασισμού της Αγγλίας εν καιρώ πολέμου, η οποία, ωστόσο, θα μπορούσε να αλλάξει ολόκληρη την πορεία του και κατ' επέκτασιν την πορεία της ίδιας της Ιστορίας. Γνωρίζοντας, λοιπόν, πως μεγάλο μέρος του πυρήνα που τροφοδοτεί την αφήγηση έχει αυτή τη δυναμική στην πραγματική της διάσταση, δεν μπορεί να μην σε επηρεάσει καθόλου, ούτε μπορείς ν' αποφύγεις να νιώσεις θαυμασμό για τους ανθρώπους εκείνους που λειτούργησαν, σε κάθε εποχή και περίσταση, με αίσθημα ευθύνης, για το κοινό καλό, και όχι με προσωπικό συμφέρον. Γιατί μπορεί να έχουμε να κάνουμε με μια περιπέτεια κατασκοπίας, αλλά σε ιστορίες όπως αυτή ο ανθρώπινος παράγοντας παίζει, ίσως, τον μεγαλύτερο ρόλο, κι αν αυτός δεν είναι καλοδουλεμένος, τότε δεν μπορείς να πας πουθενά.

Κάτι ακόμα που έχει πετύχει σε εξαιρετικά μεγάλο βαθμό ο Quinn, είναι το να αποτυπώσει την εποχή όπου διαδραματίζονται τα γεγονότα. Πραγματικά, η δεκαετία του '40, με ό,τι αυτό συνεπάγεται, ζωντανεύει μπροστά στα μάτι μας με τρόπο άκρως παραστατικό και ρεαλιστικό, ίσως και ωμό κάποιες φορές, αλλά με την αληθοφάνεια που απαιτείται σε ανάλογες περιπτώσεις, προκειμένου να αναβιώσει πραγματικά και ουσιαστικά, μία ολόκληρη χρονική περίοδος που σημάδεψε και καθόρισε ολόκληρες γενιές που ακολούθησαν αυτήν. Μπορεί η δομή της πλοκής να έχει κάποιες μικρές αστοχίες που αποδυναμώνουν την έντασή της στα σημεία, όμως αυτό δεν είναι αρκετό για να καταρρεύσει η αφηγηματική σκηνή που τόσο περίτεχνα και σωστά έχει στηθεί, ώστε οι πραγματικά ενδιαφέροντες ήρωές της, να μπορέσουν να στηθούν πάνω της και να παίξουν τους ρόλους που άλλοτε καλούνται, άλλοτε επιλέγουν κι άλλοτε αναγκάζονται, ακόμα κι αν οι ίδιοι δεν έχουν συναίσθηση αυτού.

Σίγουρα, σε ένα βιβλίο όπως το συγκεκριμένο, δεν περιμένεις να σε κερδίσει η έντονη δράση του και οι καταιγιστικές σκηνές του, αφού η περιπέτειά του βασίζεται περισσότερο σε πράγματα που υποβόσκουν παρά σε αυτά που βρίσκονται στην επιφάνεια. Ωστόσο, αυτό είναι κάτι που διόλου δεν ενοχλεί ή αποδυναμώνει την ιστορία, αντίθετα σε κάνει να εστιάζεις σε άλλα δεδομένα και γεγονότα από τα οποία λαμβάνεις εικόνες, συναισθήματα, αγωνία, ηθικά διλήμματα, την σκληρή εικόνα του πολέμου σε κάποιες διαστάσεις που ίσως να μην είχες σκεφτεί λίγο βαθύτερα από την επιφάνειά τους, μα και την εικόνα μίας ολόκληρης κοινωνίας που έχει να αντιπαλέψει τις αλλαγές, τόσο του χρόνου που περνά και χάνεται, όσο και του πολέμου που αφήνει πίσω του σημάδια, πληγές, απομεινάρια επιλογών που είτε σωστές είτε λάθος ήταν κομμάτι κάποιου που άφησε το δικό του στίγμα σε σελίδες σκονισμένες και ποτισμένες με αίμα και δάκρυα.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

While London is suffering under the Blitz in 1941, Jack Hoste is working undercover trying to track down a dangerous Nazi agent. His search leads him to the office of Amy Strallen, a professional matchmaker about to become embroiled in dangerous spy games with potentially deadly consequences.

Compelling and atmospheric wartime spy thriller.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like thank Random House for a copy of Our Friends in Berlin. This is the first book from Anthony Quinn I have read.
It’s WW11 London, London is bombarded with German air raids. Jack Hoste is one on several MI5 agents gathering information to aid Hitler’s war machine but he is also on a mission to find the most dangerous of Nazi Agents Marita. While he does this he meets Amy, who is a long-time friend on Marita. She owns a Mayfair Marriage agency. Amy leads a different life but, when she meets Jack her life completely changes.
I don’t usually read spy thrillers because I find the context too intense and boring. I requested this as I love stories during the war. But, I found this really enjoyable and an easy read and I just wanted to keep reading to find out more especially what happened to Amy. The author has convinced me to find out more about this particular genre.

[Drka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that the scenes describing the Blitz in 1940 were exceptional, very well written and evoking a real sense of the arbitrary and terrifying nature of aerial bombardment. The smell, the choking brick dust from collapsing buildings, the intense heat, flying shrapnel and glass shards, all of these elements were well described giving an intense sense of place to this reader. The plot is similar to Kate Atkinson's ‘ Transcriptions' which was also a 3-star read for me.
However, the real problem for me with this novel was that the characters were flat, one-dimensional and thus elicited no commitment. There were some odd disconnects between the chapters, as several points I thought that I had missed some pages and flicked back to check. The ending was rushed and, quite frankly beggared belief in my mind ... how on earth did the hero track down the whereabouts of the heroine so quickly?

[Annette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well-written with a strong atmosphere and sense of place and historical accuracy. The story idea is an intriguing one. The dialogue is good and rings true for the 1940's - or what we appreciate to be authentic from that time - but...
unfortunately, the story never took off for me and neither did the characters who I found unconvincing and not intriguing - at times they seemed almost stereotypical then opaque.

It's a slow-moving slice of life in WW2 amongst spies that owes quite a bit to the atmosphere of Patrick Hamilton novels but has none of his emotional intelligence or talent for telling a story through scenes. It's quite 'told' and literary and this is probably what makes the pace seem comatose. I was hoping for something very different to this. Really it's a 2 star book for me.

[Helen Innes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. The type of book that’ll leave you “digesting it’s contents,” so-to-speak, for a few days. The power of hidden love, putting on faces, and the strength of humanity amidst chaos. Beautifully written.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our Friends in Berlin is a war story set in London in 1941 involving a group of people who came together to help Hitler to win the war. Jack Hoste infiltrated the group to look for a dangerous Nazi agent living in Great Britain. However, on the way, Jack meets one of the directors of Mayfair Marriage Bureau, Amy Strallen, and his life changes. The readers of Our Friends In Berlin will continue to follow Jack Hoste and Amy Strallen to discover what happens.

Our Friends in Berlin is the first book I have read by Anthony Quinn. At first, I thought I would not enjoy reading this book, but that was not the case, and I did engage with the story and characters of this book. I love Anthony Quinn's portrayal of his characters and their interaction with each other throughout this book. Our Friends in Berlin was well-written and researched by Anthony Quinn. I like Anthony Quinn's description of the settings of Our Friends in Berlin, which complemented the book's plot.

The basics of the plot of Our Friends in Berlin is the British Security Service M15 operation, the Fifth Column, operating in England during WWII. Also, the readers of Our Friends in Berlin would learn about living in London in the early 1940s.

I recommend this book.

[Everett Egginton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our Friends in Berlin is the first novel by Anthony Quinn that I’ve read and I liked it. It's a WW II spy thriller; it's a love story; it's largely based on true happenings. The London Blitz is described in terrifying detail--sirens, shelters, death, constant noise, chaos. And yet, life went on, at least for most Londoners. Courage, fear, love, devastation, cold-blooded murder. Our Friends in Berlin has all of this, and more!

[Latkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love Anthony Quinn's novels, and this new one was a bit different but still as good as his loose trilogy of Curtain Call, Freya and Eureka. It's set among spies in London during WWII, and combines a gripping espionage thriller with a love story. Jack is a spymaster and is looking for a woman called Marita who he wants to recruit to his circle of Nazi sympathisers. His search leads him to Amy, a young woman who was once friends with Marita, and now works at a marriage agency. They are immediately attracted to one another, but can they trust each other? Secrets, lies, deceit and intrigue abound, but it's Quinn's strong characterisation and writing style that keeps you turning the pages.

[Gram · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing blend of spy thriller and love story, set in London during World War II. It also mixes historical fact with fiction. The story begins with one of the main characters, Jack Hoste, trying to recruit a Nazi sympathiser to his group of "5th Columnists" (British subjects trying to engineer a Nazi victory in their own country).
But Hoste is not what he seems. He is really working for “the Section”, part of Britain's intelligence service, aiming to prevent any of these traitors from carrying out acts of sabotage, or even assassination.
He is also seeking out one of the Nazi Germany's top British agents, Marita Pardoe, a former leading light in Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists an organisation proscribed by the British government, following the start of the Second World War. Pardoe has a close friend, Amy Strallen with whom she travelled to Germany in the 1930's and who Marita thought might be a convert to the Nazi cause. But Amy, now a partner in a Mayfair marriage bureau, wasn't keen on her friend's anti-Semitic stance. However, her continuing friendship with Pardoe leads Jack Hoste to visit the marriage bureau, on the pretence of being a potential client, to discover if Amy knows of her current whereabouts. British Intelligence is keen to ensure Marita poses no threat to their attempts to turn Nazi agents in Britain and prevent her from learning any major military secrets.
The story jumps back to the mid 1930's, detailing Amy, Jack and Marita's various personal histories before moving ahead to 1944 with the imminent Allied invasion of Europe.
With Marita still at large, Hoste and his colleagues are determined that Nazi agents shouldn't discover details of "Operation Fortitude" - the allied plan which generated detailed plans for a decoy landing at Calais to mislead German intelligence, diverting men and armaments from the true D-day target of Normandy.
This book captures the atmosphere of 1940's London both during the London Blitz and the months leading up to the Normandy landings in June 1944. I felt a mixture of emotions about all 3 main characters at different times in the story. There are some wonderful cameos for lesser members of the cast of "Our Friends In Berlin" - Hoste's Section handler Tessa Hammond and his overall boss Traherne and Amy's spirited female friend "Bobby", a member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force.
This is definitely not your usual all action spy thriller, but rather a glimpse of real life wartime London and people who don't fit the popular image of British patriotism and the "Blitz spirit".

[Rita (the_bookthiefgirl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐️

Narrativa passada na altura dos bombeamentos aéreos na Grã Bretanha da Segunda Guerra Mundial , oferece plots e histórias de contra espionagem envolventes . De leitura acessível , rápida , um thriller bom mas não esplendoroso por aí além.Personagens interessantes mas não arrebatadoras. Contexto histórico incrível , como é digno de nota . Serve as medidas , entretém -se relativamente bem.

[Margaret Duke-Wyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A spy novel that is deceptively simple. It is WWII and Jack who works for MI5 is tasked with rooting out sympathisers to Hitler’s cause under the guise of a Gestapo agent working as an Inland Revenue inspector. In an attempt to track down Marita he approaches a young woman who was once a friend and accompanied Marita to Germany to attended one of Hitler’s rallies. He meets Amy at her place of work, a marriage bureau.

Although this is not a tense spy novel, nor a James Bond novel, this certainly has charm. It flows quite gently which beguiled me into taking it less seriously. Well worth reading, if only for the surprise towards the end. The characters are intriguing, not least Marita but I was entranced by Jack and Amy.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

[Andrew Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good combination for me, history and espionage. Interesting “feel” - sort of kitchen sink espionage in WW2.

Never really took off I thought and I guess in a way a lot of espionage is humdrum and unremarkable in spite of the high stakes - so maybe that is reasonable.

I couldn’t warm to the characters - maybe it was me - hence overall an average rating.

[Alanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real gem of a book. Bought on a whim, so glad a did. Absolutely engrossed throughout!

[Mary Warnement · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this in the Marylebone Daunt Books. No room in my bag so I decided to buy it from them online; however, it was not in their online shop. I give them credit here for letting me know about it.
This book took me to London. St. James Square. Flat in Jermyn Street. Ruseell Hotel on Russell Square. Jack Hoste's new flat in Cecil Court. Amy Strallen's flat at 25 Queen Anne Street. Marita's over a tailor shop on Lamb's Conduit Street.
This is the first I've heard of Anthony Quinn, but I will look for his other books. This is his first spy novel, and he claims he hadn't read the genre; however, he's a natural. Or there's nothing particular about the genre except to have a good story and know how to tell it. Quinn was inspired by actual events that he read about in the Times and followed up with research. The afterward was like getting to attend a book talk with author's insight. He was also influenced by the movie "Notorious." A fav of mine. He admits the cover photo happens to match his image of Marita exactly.
He writes very credibly about women and gives them more than a walk across the stage. Is Marita's love for Amy depicted in a believable way? That's the only plot point I'm not sure works. That and why would Billy Adair be on the train he plans to blow up when he's not the one setting the bomb?
I looked to see if the mystery Marita reads, Cadaver non grata, was real but did not see it in Worldcat.
I didn't expect the ending. I should have, but the author's romantic bent (Amy's eventual match is the best exampole) made me hope for an all-around happy ending.
Jack Hoste, the fake name is chosen because it's two-faced, like a double agent. A host but in Latin an enemy.
A very good read.