Comes the War

Eddie Harkins #2

by Ed Ruggero

Set against the heroism and heartbreak of WW II, former Army officer Ed Ruggero's Comes the War brilliantly captures the timeless stories of ordinary people swept up in extraordinary times



April 1944, the fifty-fifth month of the war in Europe. The entire island of Britain fairly buzzes with the coiled energy of a million men poised to leap the Channel to France, the first, riskiest step in the Allies' long slog to the heart of Germany and the end of the war.

Lieutenant Eddie Harkins is tasked to investigate the murder of Helen Batcheller, an OSS analyst. Harkins is assigned a British driver, Private Pamela Lowell, to aid in his investigation. Lowell is smart, brave and resourceful; like Harkins, she is prone to speak her mind even when it doesn't help her.

Soon a suspect is arrested and Harkins is ordered to stop digging. Suspicious, he continues his investigation only to find himself trapped in a web of Soviet secrets. As bombs fall, Harkins must solve the murder and reveal the spies before it is too late.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Historical, Audiobook, World War II, British Literature, Fiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published February 9, 2021

About the author

Ed Ruggero remembers very clearly two ambitions he had early on: he wanted to be a soldier and he wanted to be a writer.
Ruggero graduated from West Point in 1980, fulfilling one of his professional dreams. He served as an infantry officer in the Army and later returned to West Point to teach literature and writing. While he was on the faculty at West Point that Ruggero got the idea that it would be great to invite a newly famous author named Tom Clancy for a visit.
“I knew Clancy was fascinated by all things military, and West Point is a great draw. I had no travel budget to offer him, but I cheekily wrote that if he made his way to New York, I’d let him talk to my upperclass cadets.”
Clancy’s visit became a big event for the Academy, and the author was a houseguest of the Superintendent, the three-star general who is essentially the president of a university. Ruggero made good on his promise and brought Clancy to class to speak to cadets in a writing course.
“He told the cadets that he’d waited until he was forty years old to even try writing, something he’d always wanted to do. He told them not to wait.”
Ruggero took Clancy’s advice to heart and got to work on a manuscript that would become his first novel, 38 North Yankee.
“I got up at 4:30—oh-dark-thirty in Army jargon—and wrote until it was time to leave for work at six. I had two young children at the time and didn’t want to sacrifice my time in the evenings with them.”
Ruggero has written fiction, military history and several titles on leadership; and has built a business running retreats for business executives to places like Normandy and Gettysburg.
“We use the history of these battles and the challenges facing the commanders, to figure out how we can better lead our modern organizations.”
On one visit to West Point Ruggero met a graduate of the Class of 1941, who became a guide for two of his books, both non-fiction accounts of American paratroopers in World War Two. Some of the hundred and fifty or so former paratroopers Ruggero interviewed fought in six major campaigns.
“Getting to know those men and capturing their stories for later generations has been a highlight of my professional career.”
While visiting Sicily to research his non-fiction Combat Jump, about the 1943 Allied invasion, Ruggero became intrigued by the question, ”What happens after the fighting moves on?”
“The Allies had somehow to restore law and order and recreate a civil society and all its functioning parts immediately in the wake of the most violent and chaotic of human endeavors: modern war. That must have been incredibly difficult.”
That musing led Ruggero to a new fiction series that kicks off in 2019 with Blame the Dead.
“The protagonist is a former Philadelphia beat cop, Eddie Harkins, who winds up investigating the murder of a US Army surgeon. Among other problems, Harkins learns that many of the victim’s colleagues think that the dead man—who was something of a low-life—pretty much got what he deserved.”
“But, as Harkins says, you can hardly blame the dead guy for his own murder.”
Ruggero and his wife, Marcia Noa, divide their time between Media, Pennsylvania and Lewes, Delaware. Ruggero spent seven years as a trustee of the Philadelphia Outward Bound School.
“I often think of Tom Clancy’s advice to my cadets, which helped me in no small way to find a job I love.”

Reviews

[Bonnie DeMoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comes The War by Ed Ruggero is Book 2 in the Eddie Harkins series. It is April 1944, and the allies are preparing to invade France. Lieutenant Eddie Harkins is in England and is on orders to join the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) when an American civilian employee is murdered. Eddie finds himself in charge of the investigation, but his superiors settle on a suspect very quickly. Ordered to close the case, but doubting the guilt of the accused, Eddie continues his investigation. He is aided by his driver, Private Pamela Lowell, a smart and resourceful ally.

This was a fascinating look at the Allied forces in WWII England in 1944 prior to D-Day. It combines a fictional murder investigation with actual World War II history in a compelling way. The political fights between the commanding generals and the “air” vs.”ground” war philosophy are intriguing. It contradicts some of the history books on the effectiveness of the air campaign during the war. It speaks of Major General James Doolittle, whose bombing raids may have caused thousands of unnecessary deaths with no real strategic wins. I also learned that General Dwight D. Eisenhower was so upset by the pushback from the Army Air Force and Royal Air Force generals against his plans that he threatened to quit his command and return to the United States just a few months before D-Day. I have read many books set in World War II, but this one really made me want to read more about the strategic military history of the day.

The characters are well developed, and the murder mystery and investigation are interesting and engaging, with many twists and turns. I would recommend this book both to fans of World War II history and fans of crime/thriller fiction.

I received a free copy of this book from MacMillan/Tor-Forge via Netgalley for Historical Novels Review Magazine. My review is voluntary. Check out my review on my blog, Bonnie Reads and Writes: https://bonniereadsandwrites.wordpres...

[Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

First of all I didn’t realize this was book #2 in a series. Having said that it didn’t play into my rating.

I believe I got a good take on our hero American Eddie Harkins and I liked his young British driver Pamela Lowell.

England April 1944 it is the build up to D-Day and that’s all anyone can think about.

Harkins has only just arrived from a post in Sicily and is immediately thrust into the investigation of a murdered American civilian woman employed by the OSS.

Within hours a viable suspect is identified, but Harkins is not on board with this assessment and is determined to conduct a proper investigation. Young Pamela becomes his eager helper.

One of Harkins superiors is more interested in concluding the case rather than finding the truth going so far as to arrest the supposed suspect and set a date for his trial against Harkins better judgement.

There is much instability between the British the Americans and the Russians even though the Russians are “allies” and most of the book is focused around this.

I flirted with 1 or 2 stars and decided on 1 because the book didn’t really hold my interest.

BTW: The title of this book is totally unimaginative. I have no idea what it means.

[Katie Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one started out a little slow and a little grim, but I'm glad I stuck with it, because it ended up being a very solid and unexpectedly wholesome read. 4.5 stars.

Comes the War is a murder mystery set in WW2 London. A female OSS analyst has been murdered [the OSS being the precursor to the CIA]. A lowly MP named Eddie Harkins, a Philadelphia cop in a previous life, is assigned to "unofficially" investigate the murder, since the guys who are supposed to be looking at it are tied up with other business. Harkins, who hasn't had a good night's sleep or a proper cup of coffee since the war began, accepts this strange assignment with a good deal of grumbling. He accepts the cheery young Women's Auxiliary driver assigned to him with somewhat less grumbling, because she reminds him of his little sister. The two form a rapport that (shockingly) has absolutely nothing to do with sex. Just a big bro and his little sis running around London chasing down criminals together. YOUR FAVES COULD NEVER.

I really liked how both Harkins and "young Lowell," his driver, are familiar character archetypes who still feel completely fleshed-out. Harkins is the tough Irish-American policeman, bullheaded, stubborn, never knows when to shut his mouth; yet he also displays a certain diffidence and hesitation in emotionally sensitive moments which you don't often see in that stereotype. He's self-aware about his limitations and knows he doesn't have all the answers. Lowell, meanwhile, could easily have been the starched, scrubbed, and preternaturally optimistic British girl we've seen a hundred times before. Instead, she's allowed her own moments of doubt and vulnerability and raw anger that still feel completely in character. Excellent work.

Also, can we get a shout-out for positive, realistic, nuanced representation of the Catholic clergy?? I adored Harkins' brother Patrick, the paratrooper chaplain. He's funny, serious, and caring by turns, protective of his younger brother even though Harkins doesn't really ~need~ it. It feels totally believable that he was a boxer before he took holy orders, and equally believable that he could still kick ass if he had to, Roman collar or no Roman collar. And I like that he respects Harkins' religious agnosticism even though he teases him about it. Their differing spiritual views don't get in the way of their relationship.

Finally, this book provides an extremely important service in thoroughly debunking the claims that British and American bombing campaigns in Germany were a crucial, and therefore justified, part of the ultimate Allied victory. If you don't know what I'm talking about, this is where American and British planes would go deep into Germany and drop a whole bunch of bombs to create as much destruction as possible, very similar to the German air raids during the London Blitz. American planes were targeting factories and industry, but their bombs weren't very accurate, so they ended up killing a lot of civilians as well. The British RAF, by contrast, deliberately targeted civilians, bombing at night to create enormous firestorms that leveled entire cities. They killed hundreds of thousands of people, far more than died in London during the Blitz. In fact, many Germans died of asphyxiation in their air-raid shelters because the firestorms would suck all the oxygen out of the immediate vicinity.

Obviously, these strategies are of questionable morality (which is my polite way of saying "WAR CRIMES.") However, at the time, both the British and American governments not only downplayed the carnage and civilian deaths, but they claimed the air raids were the best way to force Germany to surrender--the Americans said they were crippling crucial industries, the British said they were breaking the morale of the German people and sapping their will to fight on. As this book abundantly establishes, using data from the postwar Strategic Bombing Survey, neither claim was true. Germany actually increased certain aspects of their military-industrial output despite the American raids. And as for the British perpetually insisting they could get Hitler to surrender by bombing "just one more city," you only have to look at the D-Day invasion and the bitter struggle to recapture the European continent to see how unfounded that was. If the RAF could win the war by killing as many German civilians as possible, D-Day and the battles that followed wouldn't have been necessary.

Sorry for the historical tangent, but I have been WAITING for a World War II novel that addresses these lies head-on since I read Enemy Brothers by Constance Savery and became utterly incensed by the way it unthinkingly repeats British propaganda about the necessity/morality of the bombing raids. And before you say, "well she couldn't have known the government was lying to her, if she was writing during the war," first of all, Enemy Brothers is literally a book about the evils of Nazi propaganda, so the author needs to step up her truth-seeking game. Second of all, Comes the War helpfully points out that there were dissenting voices in Britain speaking out against the brutal violence of the RAF raids, including famous political activist and feminist Vera Brittain. The facts were definitely available for those who were willing to listen.

Anyway... yeah! Great story, great characters, and educational to boot. I'm a fan.

[Maine Colonial · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free advance review copy from the publisher, via Netgalley.

Lieutenant Eddie Harkins was once a beat cop in Philadelphia. Now he is using his talents for the Army in Europe, as World War II enters its final phase. This is the second book in the Eddie Harkins series (thought I don’t think it’s necessary to read the first before this one) and, as it begins, Eddie has been ordered to the London branch of the OSS, to investigate the murder of Helen Batcheller, one of the agency’s intelligence analysts.

Right from the get-go, something seems fishy about this case to Eddie. His superior officer and a military lawyer together seem awfully anxious to pin Helen’s murder on an officer, Cushing, she had met with the night of her death. Cushing, a shell-shocked pilot trying to wash away his pain in a sea of alcohol, tells Eddie he doesn’t remember much about that night except that he knows he didn’t kill Helen. He also recalls that she shared with him some intelligence that seems to have come from Russian contacts and that casts doubt on US air corps claims of damage they’ve wreaked on Germany’s military manufacturing capabilities. All of this presents Eddie with a wealth of suspects in addition to the possibility of murder by a stranger. The Soviets, certain elements in the air corps, maybe even somebody else connected with Helen’s intelligence work.

Eddie is helped in his investigation by his eager young female British driver and by a bean-counter OSS officer. He is hindered by those trying to rush to a conviction of Cushing and some unknown nemesis who wants to remove Eddie from action permanently.

This is a good story for those interested in mysteries set in World War II. It’s grounded in some lesser-known elements of military history, and Ruggero creates a real-feeling atmosphere of England in the last weeks before D-Day. The story is clunky in parts, with Ruggero advancing the plot by simply having characters tell us who has a motive and even, toward the end, whodunnit. So, not so impressive for police procedural fans, but a decent story for mystery readers interested in WWII history.

[Ron Baumer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good read. A murder mystery set in London in WW2. Great plot and good character development. The twists and action will keep you hooked!

[Thomas George Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is a Lt. Eddie Harkins series. It is April 1944. There are just two months away before the D-Day Invasion. Harkins as been assigned to investigate the murder of an American OSS analyst. Harkins, however, meets much resistance with his Superiors as his investigation heats up. The murderer could have ties with the Soviet Union. And the Soviet Union is now among of the Allies to help defeat Germany. Earlier in the war the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany were part of the Axis Powers along with Imperial Japan. Harkins is walking a tightrope. His Superiors decide to frame an English Officer for the murder. But Harkins is determine to pursue where the evidence leads him. I found this a suspenseful read, however, there are times that the Writer takes on a pacifist approach to the war. He mentions the former World War One Army nurse Vera Brittain numerous times in a most favorable light. Ms. Brittain wrote "A Testament to Youth" after the WW1 lambasting the idea of war in any light. She lost a brother and a fiancée in that "Great War."

[Sue F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ed Ruggero has written a thoroughly enjoyable historical mystery in Comes the War, the second in his Eddie Harkins series. Ruggero is a West Point graduate, Army infantry officer, and, later, West Point instructor; his expertise shows in this tightly written book that will engage readers from the first chapter to the final historical note. The protagonist, Eddie Harkins, former Philadelphia beat cop, and now US Army First Lieutenant, arrives in London to become part of the fledgling OSS office there, just as Britain is crammed full of Yankee soldiers preparing for the coming cross-Channel offensive. From the small but difficult details (Harkins notices that lots of Brits are thin, and muses about the effects of rationing) to the large issues (were the Russians or the Germans the perpetrators of the Katyn Forest massacre of Poles), Ruggero’s descriptions will make readers think, even as they are also trying to solve the fictional murder of an OSS analyst along with Harkins. (On a personal note, your reviewer’s frustration with Covid-19’s stay-at-home orders suddenly felt trivial - a good thing!)

Although a solid historical background is necessary for a historical mystery, there also needs to be a suitably puzzling mystery, or else one is simply reading a historical novel. And the search for the killer of Helen Batcheller, a civilian analyst with a PhD in economics from Stanford (!!!), has enough twists and turns to keep Harkins busy – and to keep readers happy. The US Army, or at least some parts of it, appears ready to make a fall guy of the first suspect Harkins finds. But in the end, Harkins persists, and navigates his way past diversions ranging from Russian spies to a training mission gone badly wrong as he brings the case to a satisfactory conclusion.

Comes the War was a pleasure to read. I don’t give many five-star reviews, but Comes the War has earned one. Readers will hope for more books in this series, and for the return of characters such as Harkins’ British driver, Private Lowell, and Harkins’ paratrooper/chaplain brother, Patrick – and, of course, Harkins himself. Finally, my thanks to the publisher, Forge Books, and to NetGalley for the advance review copy!

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in the World War II England of April 1944, Ed Ruggero's sequel to BLAME THE DEAD offers plenty of tension and suspense. His protagonist, Eddie Harkins, is thrust into the role of lead investigator on a murder case the minute he reports into his new unit. Harkins, a former Philadelphia beat cop, reassigned to the London branch of the Office of Strategic Services after his stint in Sicily as an MP, is dispatched to an alley to examine the corpse of Helen Batcheller, an econromic analyst for the OSS. Someone slashed her throat and left her to bleed out.

Her killing initially appears to be the work of a random predator. But, as the investigation develops, a hidden agenda that threatens the success Operation Overlord is revealed. What follows is the prosecution of a wartime homicide inquiry that is twisted, exciting and plausible. Harkins will solve the mystery of the murder in his own clever and determined way.

Ruggero recreates the period’s feel, months before the Normandy invasion. The storytelling is wonderful, the historical details are accurately interwoven within this great story, while all figures, places and events are very believable and true to life.

During the course of this well wrought mystery and counter-espionage thriller, Ruggero's characters often find themselves involved in fictional incidents that are based on real-life events drawn from history books or memoirs. There are many places in the novel where fiction intersects with history.

For example, during a visit to an airfield to interview a suspect, Harkins witnesses a heavy bomber crash land. Ruggero explains:

"The 787th Squadron of the Eighth Air Force flew B-24 Liberators, not the B-17 Flying Fortress. Both bombers had gunners whose job was to engage enemy fighters that approached from below the aircraft, but it was the peculiar design of the B-17 ball turret that sometimes left gunners trapped when the mechanism to raise and lower the plexiglass ball was damaged. An aircraft that lost control of its landing gear was forced to do a belly landing; I combined the two circumstances."

Harkins was also portrayed in what was a real life disaster. Operation Tiger was a large-scale rehearsal conducted by the Allies along the Devon coast on beaches where the landing conditions were similar to those the invaders would find in Normandy. In a cascading series of errors, Royal Navy ships protecting the landing craft were off station or monitoring the wrong radio frequencies. A few fast-moving German schnellboot (literally: fast boat) armed with torpedoes found the fleet in the early morning darkness of 28 April 1944 and attacked. Three LSTs were hit, two of them sank quickly and one, its stern heavily damaged, limped to shore. Many soldiers and sailors were killed outright; others would die of hypothermia in the chilly waters. In all, more than seven hundred soldiers and sailors lost their lives.

Ruggero puts Eddie Harkins right in the middle of this fiasco to give us a taste of sea water mixed with diesel fuel.
This story was definitely written with an insider’s feel for the US Army and its history.

I enthusiastically recommend this novel for your enjoyment. Great pacing, compelling characters, solid research and a clever plot add up to non-stop reading excitement.

[John Purvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ed Ruggero is the author of nearly a dozen books. Comes the War was published in 2021 and is the second novel in his Eddie Harkins series. It is the 68th book I completed reading in 2023.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence and mature language, I categorize this novel as R.

April 1944 and D-Day is rapidly approaching. An OSS analyst, Helen Batcheller, has been murdered. First Lieutenant Eddie Harkins is assigned to investigate her death. To assist him, 20-year-old British Private Pamela Lowell is appointed as his driver. Having lost her family to a German bombing raid, she is ready to help Harkins in any way. They are both intelligent and resourceful, making them a good team. They also both tend to speak their mind. A quality that is not often appreciated by superiors.

The very drunk US Army Air Force Major Frederick Cushing emerges as the prime suspect in the murder. He has been a thorn in the Air Force’s side, so they are more than ready to get rid of him, whether he is guilty or not. Harkins has doubts as to Cushing’s guilt. Contrary to the advice of superiors, he continues with his investigation.

The simple murder case quickly expands to include Russian spies, espionage, and blackmail. With pressure mounting to close the case before the pending invasion, Harkins has little time left.

I enjoyed the 9 hours I spent reading this 284-page WWII historical fiction novel. I already had the opportunity to read the first novel in this series, Blame the Dead. I consider both it and this novel to be excellent mysteries set in WWII. I give this novel a rating of 4.5 (rounded to 5) out of 5.

[Paul Cochrun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruggero sets up this mystery so well… in just the first few pages a suspect of convenience is identified. A drunk airman who was in the general location of the victim on the night in question and unfortunately, has no memory of anything. Some administrators close to the case see this as an opportunity for a slam dunk, but Harkins is prepared to dig deeper and find the proof. And as all the factions start to come out of the woodwork, the novel just becomes that much more complex… and the suspect list keeps growing and growing! (Which I love!)

I read so many WW2 spy thrillers in my 20s that I got a bit burned out… Ruggero’s novels are perfect welcome back to this genre for me. This series feels fresh and true to the period. It combines everyday people forced into dangerous situations… taking jobs they never would imagine doing.

Comes the War is a book that I raced through… a book that focuses on the awesome responsibility of finding the culprit in the midst of war.

4.5 out of 5 stars

For my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2021/02/10/co...

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

[Ionia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I should perhaps begin by saying that I didn't read the first book in this series, but that it didn't matter. I loved this book. The characters were both surprising and fun and the mystery took a while to unravel. I will now have to find that first book.

The author did an exemplary job of portraying the time period and setting and particularly the common turns of phrase expected from that era. I loved his driver and hope that she remains in the series. This was one of those books that I was able to devour in an afternoon because it kept me entertained and turning pages, whilst also managing to give me a few laughs.

If you are interested in mysteries and detective stories set in the 20th Century, then this would be a great book for you to consider. The story is exciting and the writing is fluid. Thumbs up for this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first book in this series, BLAME THE DEAD, which took place during WWII in Italy. Our hero, Eddie Harkins, former Philadelphia beat cop turned Military Police lieutenant, is now in London, reporting to the OSS. After no sleep on the train from Scotland, he is sent to a murder scene in an alley before even getting to his new billet. He's given a driver, Private Pamela Lowell, and a new boss at the OSS. He also gains a friend who along with Lowell, gives a lot of help to solving the case, as it travels around England, turning into a bigger situation than anyone could have guessed. I again loved Eddie and his new friends in London--I'm very much looking forward to the next in the series!

[Kim Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comes The War by Ed Ruggero is a novel based in London during WW2 just before D-Day. Eddie Harkins a former Philadelphia cop, is now an MP in the Army, has just arrived in London and is promptly assigned a muder case to solve. This book is action packed! It does not slow down, the characters are interesting and this story flows! Best of all it is based around true history. This is the second book with the character Eddie Harkins and I hope the author continues with this character!

Thank you to Netgalley and Forge Books for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I will definitely be adding this book to my bookshelves!

[Plover · Rating 4 out of 5]

In April 1944, American lieutenant Eddie Harkins is assigned to investigate the murder of an OSS analyst in London. Harkins is a very believable character, and his young British driver/confidant can be very funny in an understated way. This is a solid story that mixes the preparations for D-Day (the date not yet known to the characters), controversy over the impact of the Allied bombing campaign on the Germans, and mistrust between the American and the Soviets. The story isn't marred by the excessive and often implausible chases, fights, and shootouts that plague so many mysteries and thrillers. This is the second in a series. I haven't read the first, but this easily stands on its own.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lt. Eddie Harkins just arrived in London to join the OSS and got tossed into a murder investigation even before getting a chance to take a nap. An OSS analyst named Helen Batcheller was the victim. Clues pointed toward a 8th Air Force pilot, but Harkness had his doubts. Between the Air Force, the Army, British and Soviet allies, the case was quite twisted. But with the help of his female British driver and a fellow OSS officer, Harkness managed to piece together the clues and solve the case. A nice sequel to Blame the Dead!

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Advance copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review: A murder mystery with military intrigue set in WWII London. I had not read the first book in this series but it turned out to not be a problem as I was able to follow everything. Great character development, and an enjoyable mystery read overall. Learning about various historical events in the midst of fiction was a definite plus.

[Sarah Tsibulsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the advance copy of Comes the War. I picked this book, as historical fiction, specifically WWII Europe, is my favorite genre. I don’t often read mystery/thrillers within this category but enjoyed it. It was a slow start for me but I’m glad I stuck it out. It was a bit heavy on the war tactics and I felt overwhelmed at times. I did love Harkins by the end and would add other books in this series to my TBR.

[Bill Moore · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author took Billy Boyle from James R. Benn and Samantha Stewart from Foyle's War, stirred them up, lifted the section on the search for Bigot cleared personnel at Slapton Sands from "The Rest is Silence" by Benn, and wrote a dreary novel without much substance or originality. I had to shake my head when he used the phrase "brass verdict" from Michael Connelly's book of the same name. I got through to the end, but it was a slog.

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I did not read the first book in this series I didn’t feel lost or that I was missing anything necessary to this story. Set during the build up to D-Day, the mystery involves a murder and the build up os the Soviet spy network. The main characters were engaging and the plot had enough twists to maintain interest. I enjoyed this mystery.

[Chuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is fun and was well researched like the previous one, tying in some parts of history of the war that I was previously unaware of, then putting them in a mystery/espionage story with interesting characters. I hope the author writes some more of these. (Took a long time to read because I kept putting it down to read other things.)

[Moirad · Rating 2 out of 5]

It didn't matter that I hadn't read the first in the series of which this is the 2nd. Interesting premise of OSS, precursor to CIA, working in England to unravel Russian intentions, but the characters were somewhat stereotypical.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Lt Eddie Harkins story. Fast paced, good details and characters. Thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

[Linda Ege · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story got much better the last 100 pages

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was as good as the first one! Great book and I can't wait to read the next one. Its like reading a smaller stories for MASH and a time that has been forgotten.

[Denny · Rating 5 out of 5]

BOOK #2

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. What a good mystery/thriller. Recommend

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is second in a very promising series. The central character is a smart, dogged investigator and the wartime setting is well drawn.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoy Eddie Harkins and the author has a great sensibility of his female characters.

[Garth Pettersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. What a great series. Ruggero does his homework. His protagonist, Eddie Harkins is superb.