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Tom Wilde #5
A Prince and a Spy
In the gripping new spy thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Hitler's Secret, a Cambridge spy must unravel a dangerous mystery that goes all the way to the heart of the Third Reich - and the British Monarchy . . .
Sweden, 1942 - Two old friends meet. They are cousins. One is Prince George, Duke of Kent, brother of the King of England. The other is Prince Philipp von Hesse, a committed Nazi and close friend of Adolf Hitler.
Days later, the Prince George is killed in a plane crash in the north of Scotland. The official story is that it was an accident - but not everyone is convinced.
There is even a suggestion that the Duke's plane was sabotaged, but with no evidence, Cambridge spy Tom Wilde is sent north to discover the truth . . .
Dramatic, intelligent, and brilliantly compelling, A PRINCE AND A SPY is Rory's best WWII thriller yet - perfect for readers of Robert Harris, C J Sansom and Joseph Kanon.
Sweden, 1942 - Two old friends meet. They are cousins. One is Prince George, Duke of Kent, brother of the King of England. The other is Prince Philipp von Hesse, a committed Nazi and close friend of Adolf Hitler.
Days later, the Prince George is killed in a plane crash in the north of Scotland. The official story is that it was an accident - but not everyone is convinced.
There is even a suggestion that the Duke's plane was sabotaged, but with no evidence, Cambridge spy Tom Wilde is sent north to discover the truth . . .
Dramatic, intelligent, and brilliantly compelling, A PRINCE AND A SPY is Rory's best WWII thriller yet - perfect for readers of Robert Harris, C J Sansom and Joseph Kanon.
484 pages, Paperback
First published January 21, 2021
313 people are currently reading
999 people want to read
About the author
Rory Clements
35 books540 followersRory Clements has had a long and successful newspaper career, including being features editor and associate editor of Today, editor of the Daily Mail's Good Health Pages, and editor of the health section at the Evening Standard. He now writes full-time in an idyllic corner of Norfolk, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews
April 2, 2021
This fabulous entertaining spy thriller is the 5th volume of the fantastic "Tom Wilde" series, from the formidable author, Rory Clements.
The historical details concerning this terrific tale can be found and absorbed in the Historical Note at the back of the book, and there's also an explanation about certain important people and what happened to them during and after the war.
Storytelling has been once again of a top-notch quality, the dark times of England in war time, and the rest of Europe, especially the atrocities towards the Jews in Nazi Germany, come very lifelike off the pages, while all figures, whether real historical or wonderful fictional, come vividly to life within this spy thriller of courage, perseverance, loyalty, betrayal and death.
Its another spy thriller that will keep you spellbound from start to finish.
This story starts in Sweden in 1942, during negotiations between Prince George, the Duke of Kent, and younger brother of the King of England, and his cousin, Prince Philipp von Hessen, friend and aide to Adolf Hitler.
These secret negotiations will in the end have very severe consequences, being the plane crash and subsequent death of Prince George and his crew in the north of Scotland, while an important aide of Prince Philipp von Hessen, Rudi Coburg, has gone in hiding with very important knowledge to deliver to England and the rest of the world.
What is to follow is an action-packed and intriguing spy thriller, in which our main protagonist, the American Cambridge historian, Thomas Wilde, now working for the OSS in London, will be summoned by Bill Phillips of the American Embassy to go to Scotland and investigate this crash, while at the same time he's being monitored by MI5, Walter Quayle and MI6, Lord Templeman and Philip Eaton, and while discovering the secrets behind the death of Prince George he will run into Harriet Hartwell, also a very important witness/agent of events, and together they will have very interesting exploits in Sweden and England in particular, until eventually they will find out the truth about this crash with all its political intrigue and betrayal, and in which a sinister secret society called the Athels will also be very important, when finally in the end world politics in WWII shows us that it can and will be brutal and deadly whenever necessary.
Highly recommended, for this another top-class fast-paced account about spying and politics in its most gripping and exciting way, and that's why I like to call it: "A Very Captivating Spy Thriller"!
The historical details concerning this terrific tale can be found and absorbed in the Historical Note at the back of the book, and there's also an explanation about certain important people and what happened to them during and after the war.
Storytelling has been once again of a top-notch quality, the dark times of England in war time, and the rest of Europe, especially the atrocities towards the Jews in Nazi Germany, come very lifelike off the pages, while all figures, whether real historical or wonderful fictional, come vividly to life within this spy thriller of courage, perseverance, loyalty, betrayal and death.
Its another spy thriller that will keep you spellbound from start to finish.
This story starts in Sweden in 1942, during negotiations between Prince George, the Duke of Kent, and younger brother of the King of England, and his cousin, Prince Philipp von Hessen, friend and aide to Adolf Hitler.
These secret negotiations will in the end have very severe consequences, being the plane crash and subsequent death of Prince George and his crew in the north of Scotland, while an important aide of Prince Philipp von Hessen, Rudi Coburg, has gone in hiding with very important knowledge to deliver to England and the rest of the world.
What is to follow is an action-packed and intriguing spy thriller, in which our main protagonist, the American Cambridge historian, Thomas Wilde, now working for the OSS in London, will be summoned by Bill Phillips of the American Embassy to go to Scotland and investigate this crash, while at the same time he's being monitored by MI5, Walter Quayle and MI6, Lord Templeman and Philip Eaton, and while discovering the secrets behind the death of Prince George he will run into Harriet Hartwell, also a very important witness/agent of events, and together they will have very interesting exploits in Sweden and England in particular, until eventually they will find out the truth about this crash with all its political intrigue and betrayal, and in which a sinister secret society called the Athels will also be very important, when finally in the end world politics in WWII shows us that it can and will be brutal and deadly whenever necessary.
Highly recommended, for this another top-class fast-paced account about spying and politics in its most gripping and exciting way, and that's why I like to call it: "A Very Captivating Spy Thriller"!
March 8, 2021
Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com
‘A Prince and a Spy’ is the latest book from the pen of best-selling British based author, Rory Clements. The story is written in the third person and the past tense and we witness most of the action through the eyes of American-born Cambridge Professor, Tom Wilde. Wilde is an academic whose wartime role has seen him employed by the Office of Strategic Services, a newly formed intelligence agency.
A disturbing train journey encounter with an ex-undergraduate, leads Wilde into an investigation into the possible cover up of the 1942 aeroplane crash which ended the life of the Duke of Kent in Dunbeath, Scotland. The official version of events was that he was flying to Iceland as part of an RAF non-operational team but was this true?
The author gives us another scenario; a clandestine recce mission to meet his cousin, Prince Philipp von Hesse, in Sweden, to see if there was sufficient common ground for a truce between Britain and Germany. However, are there more sinister forces at work here? Wilde’s painstaking investigation then takes him on a rollercoaster ride in search of the truth.
Structurally, the story is told chronologically through interwoven threads, taking the reader from England and Scotland to Poland and Sweden. The main characters have their backstories delivered along the way to give them depth. The author has clearly carried out a huge amount of research and I commend him for his attention to detail. To create authenticity, he has blended fact with fiction and several times I found myself checking to see if events as described, actually took place.
In the early stages I was a little confused who certain characters were but this became clearer as the plot unfolded. The first half of the book was at times was a little pedestrian but the second half sprang to life. I think Wilde’s original remit was a little contrived and his reason for continuing with his investigation rather tenuous. His partner, Lydia, with whom he has a son, was clearly of the same mind, as she actually asked him what he was doing and why. ‘Haven’t you done enough for the bloody war effort?’
If you enjoy a good thriller with political intrigue thrown in, you’ll enjoy this tale. At 469 pages, it is longer than the books I normally review but I’m very glad I stuck with it. There’s an historical note at the end from the author, along with an explanation of what happened to the real people who found themselves entangled in this hypothetical account of events. In spite of a couple of observations raised above, Rory Clements handled sensitive aspects of Nazi wartime policy very well, so I’m happy to award five stars.
‘A Prince and a Spy’ is the latest book from the pen of best-selling British based author, Rory Clements. The story is written in the third person and the past tense and we witness most of the action through the eyes of American-born Cambridge Professor, Tom Wilde. Wilde is an academic whose wartime role has seen him employed by the Office of Strategic Services, a newly formed intelligence agency.
A disturbing train journey encounter with an ex-undergraduate, leads Wilde into an investigation into the possible cover up of the 1942 aeroplane crash which ended the life of the Duke of Kent in Dunbeath, Scotland. The official version of events was that he was flying to Iceland as part of an RAF non-operational team but was this true?
The author gives us another scenario; a clandestine recce mission to meet his cousin, Prince Philipp von Hesse, in Sweden, to see if there was sufficient common ground for a truce between Britain and Germany. However, are there more sinister forces at work here? Wilde’s painstaking investigation then takes him on a rollercoaster ride in search of the truth.
Structurally, the story is told chronologically through interwoven threads, taking the reader from England and Scotland to Poland and Sweden. The main characters have their backstories delivered along the way to give them depth. The author has clearly carried out a huge amount of research and I commend him for his attention to detail. To create authenticity, he has blended fact with fiction and several times I found myself checking to see if events as described, actually took place.
In the early stages I was a little confused who certain characters were but this became clearer as the plot unfolded. The first half of the book was at times was a little pedestrian but the second half sprang to life. I think Wilde’s original remit was a little contrived and his reason for continuing with his investigation rather tenuous. His partner, Lydia, with whom he has a son, was clearly of the same mind, as she actually asked him what he was doing and why. ‘Haven’t you done enough for the bloody war effort?’
If you enjoy a good thriller with political intrigue thrown in, you’ll enjoy this tale. At 469 pages, it is longer than the books I normally review but I’m very glad I stuck with it. There’s an historical note at the end from the author, along with an explanation of what happened to the real people who found themselves entangled in this hypothetical account of events. In spite of a couple of observations raised above, Rory Clements handled sensitive aspects of Nazi wartime policy very well, so I’m happy to award five stars.
May 18, 2021
The 5th book in the Tom Wilde series sees Tom, now working for the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) sent to Scotland on behalf of President Roosevelt, to investigate the crash of a Sunderland flying boat which was carrying Prince George, Duke of Kent, brother of the King of England.
Once in Scotland, he discovers various discrepancies in the story of an unfortunate accident which leads him to seek out a mysterious woman who survived the crash.
Soon, Tom is involved in a battle to reveal the deadliest secret of the Second World War and finds himself wondering who he can trust.
This is a marvellous mix of fiction and historical fact which adds up to a fast moving, gripping spy thriller.
Once in Scotland, he discovers various discrepancies in the story of an unfortunate accident which leads him to seek out a mysterious woman who survived the crash.
Soon, Tom is involved in a battle to reveal the deadliest secret of the Second World War and finds himself wondering who he can trust.
This is a marvellous mix of fiction and historical fact which adds up to a fast moving, gripping spy thriller.
January 21, 2021
As far as I’m concerned it’s always a cause for celebration when a new book in Rory Clements’ Tom Wilde series arrives. As my reviews will testify, I’ve loved all the previous books in the series – Corpus, Nucleus, Nemesis and Hitler’s Secret – but to my mind A Prince and a Spy is the best yet.
The novel is inspired by the real-life events surrounding the death of King George V’s brother, the Duke of Kent, in a plane crash in the far north of Scotland in August 1942. All but one of the occupants of the plane were killed, including the Duke. The author has used the continuing mystery surrounding the circumstances of the crash as the starting point for a story involving wartime atrocities, covert operations and a conspiracy at the heart of the British establishment.
If that isn’t enough to whet your appetite there are also dramatic pursuits across land and sea by ruthless enemies who will stop at nothing, the use of truth drugs to extract information and some rather unconventional flight accommodation. And fans of the series will no doubt share my delight as Tom Wilde fires up his trusty Rudge Special motorcycle for breakneck journeys across the country.
Sent to Scotland to investigate the air crash, Wilde just can’t stop himself from asking questions that go well beyond his stated cover story, bringing him to the attention of some particularly dangerous individuals and to others whose motives are less than clear. At one point, Wilde is warned, “Now you’re getting in tricky waters, Tom. Any herring man will tell you to stay away from the shallows and the rocks”. But, as anyone familiar with Tom Wilde will know, he’s just as likely to steer straight towards them.
Moving between Scotland, Sweden and wartime London, at certain points the author also transports the reader to the heart of the Third Reich giving a chilling insight into its evil efficiency and the personal rivalries between its key figures.
Eventually all the threads are brought together in order to explain the background to the dramatic event that opens the book. Although dark deeds dominate most of the book, its ending is just perfect and offers a much needed ray of light. However Tom being Tom, there are still unanswered questions that linger in his mind. I would have liked a more prominent role for Lydia, Wilde’s partner and the mother of his son, as she’s rather consigned to the domestic sidelines. However, that’s only a very minor gripe because in every other respect A Prince and a Spy has everything I look for in a historical thriller.
The author’s historical note provides fascinating information about the individuals who inspired some of the fictional characters, about the afterlives (where known) of the real characters and about some of the events portrayed in the book. Sadly, some of the most shocking scenes in the book are based on historical fact.
The novel is inspired by the real-life events surrounding the death of King George V’s brother, the Duke of Kent, in a plane crash in the far north of Scotland in August 1942. All but one of the occupants of the plane were killed, including the Duke. The author has used the continuing mystery surrounding the circumstances of the crash as the starting point for a story involving wartime atrocities, covert operations and a conspiracy at the heart of the British establishment.
If that isn’t enough to whet your appetite there are also dramatic pursuits across land and sea by ruthless enemies who will stop at nothing, the use of truth drugs to extract information and some rather unconventional flight accommodation. And fans of the series will no doubt share my delight as Tom Wilde fires up his trusty Rudge Special motorcycle for breakneck journeys across the country.
Sent to Scotland to investigate the air crash, Wilde just can’t stop himself from asking questions that go well beyond his stated cover story, bringing him to the attention of some particularly dangerous individuals and to others whose motives are less than clear. At one point, Wilde is warned, “Now you’re getting in tricky waters, Tom. Any herring man will tell you to stay away from the shallows and the rocks”. But, as anyone familiar with Tom Wilde will know, he’s just as likely to steer straight towards them.
Moving between Scotland, Sweden and wartime London, at certain points the author also transports the reader to the heart of the Third Reich giving a chilling insight into its evil efficiency and the personal rivalries between its key figures.
Eventually all the threads are brought together in order to explain the background to the dramatic event that opens the book. Although dark deeds dominate most of the book, its ending is just perfect and offers a much needed ray of light. However Tom being Tom, there are still unanswered questions that linger in his mind. I would have liked a more prominent role for Lydia, Wilde’s partner and the mother of his son, as she’s rather consigned to the domestic sidelines. However, that’s only a very minor gripe because in every other respect A Prince and a Spy has everything I look for in a historical thriller.
The author’s historical note provides fascinating information about the individuals who inspired some of the fictional characters, about the afterlives (where known) of the real characters and about some of the events portrayed in the book. Sadly, some of the most shocking scenes in the book are based on historical fact.
January 7, 2021
I love this series featuring American Cambridge History Professor Tom Wilde and his partner Lydia Morris.
Set in the summer of 1942 the book opened with Professor Wilde being asked go up to Scotland to check out the crash site on behalf of OSS, the new American Intelligence section and FDR, the American President. As is usual for Tom Wilde it wasn’t a simple task as he wasn’t wanted up there asking awkward questions. Add subterfuge and characters that I really wasn’t sure if I should trust, plus a plot had me turning the pages really fast as I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next!
Characters from previous books make reappearances, including the enigmatic Philip Eaton. He always makes me feel wary as I know something bad is probably going to happen to poor Tom or Lydia.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, in fact it’s one of my highly anticipated reads for 2021. I’m very happy to say that it lived up to my expectations. Rory Clements once again took a historical event that I knew nothing about and worked a fantastic spy story into it. It was fascinating to read at the end of the book about the real events it was based on and the people who were involved.
I thoroughly recommend this book and the series, especially if you enjoy spy thrillers set in World War Two.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Bonnier Zaffre for my digital copy.
Set in the summer of 1942 the book opened with Professor Wilde being asked go up to Scotland to check out the crash site on behalf of OSS, the new American Intelligence section and FDR, the American President. As is usual for Tom Wilde it wasn’t a simple task as he wasn’t wanted up there asking awkward questions. Add subterfuge and characters that I really wasn’t sure if I should trust, plus a plot had me turning the pages really fast as I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next!
Characters from previous books make reappearances, including the enigmatic Philip Eaton. He always makes me feel wary as I know something bad is probably going to happen to poor Tom or Lydia.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, in fact it’s one of my highly anticipated reads for 2021. I’m very happy to say that it lived up to my expectations. Rory Clements once again took a historical event that I knew nothing about and worked a fantastic spy story into it. It was fascinating to read at the end of the book about the real events it was based on and the people who were involved.
I thoroughly recommend this book and the series, especially if you enjoy spy thrillers set in World War Two.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Bonnier Zaffre for my digital copy.
April 25, 2022
Having now finished A Prince and A Spy, I can say I actually really enjoyed it. The plot follows Professor Tom Wilde on a mystery solving mission around England, Scotland and Sweden. It's full of twists and turns and the pace never really slows down so my attention was held throughout the whole book.
I really enjoyed the way Rory Clements was able to weave the historical aspect of the book in amongst the intrigue so that the two areas work together rather than against one another.
The characters and the relationships between them (both new and established) feel brilliantly worked out and detailed and I have a soft spot for some of the side characters (Jimmy Orde and Anders Skoog in particular) which shows Clements dedication to making each aspect work with every other aspect.
The ending is satisfying, the twists and reveals realistic and the suspense simmers away in the background, keeping you enraptured and turning the pages.
I'm definitely going to keep my eyes peeled for any of the other Tom Wilde and read them when I find them!
I really enjoyed the way Rory Clements was able to weave the historical aspect of the book in amongst the intrigue so that the two areas work together rather than against one another.
The characters and the relationships between them (both new and established) feel brilliantly worked out and detailed and I have a soft spot for some of the side characters (Jimmy Orde and Anders Skoog in particular) which shows Clements dedication to making each aspect work with every other aspect.
The ending is satisfying, the twists and reveals realistic and the suspense simmers away in the background, keeping you enraptured and turning the pages.
I'm definitely going to keep my eyes peeled for any of the other Tom Wilde and read them when I find them!
February 2, 2022
A Prince and a Spy is Rory Clements’ fifth Tom Wilde novel, a fact I wasn’t aware of until I started reading it.
The centrepiece of the plot is the death, in a plane crash, of the Duke of Kent (QE II’s uncle) during the war.
The main character is History Professor Tom Wilde, an American at Cambridge but, secretly an espionage agent. He’s the main attraction of the book, a very clever and ruthlessly determined man in pursuit of truth. The action switches from the Scottish Highlands to London, Cambridge and Sweden, occasionally calling in at Gestapo HQ in Berlin where the head of that organisation, Heinrich Muller, plays an important role in the development of the plot.
Location and character descriptions are first class and the narrative exciting. A winner.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War and The Summer of ‘39, all published by Sacristy Press.
The centrepiece of the plot is the death, in a plane crash, of the Duke of Kent (QE II’s uncle) during the war.
The main character is History Professor Tom Wilde, an American at Cambridge but, secretly an espionage agent. He’s the main attraction of the book, a very clever and ruthlessly determined man in pursuit of truth. The action switches from the Scottish Highlands to London, Cambridge and Sweden, occasionally calling in at Gestapo HQ in Berlin where the head of that organisation, Heinrich Muller, plays an important role in the development of the plot.
Location and character descriptions are first class and the narrative exciting. A winner.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War and The Summer of ‘39, all published by Sacristy Press.
January 16, 2021
This is a fantastic series and I couldn't wait to read it. A brilliant story that is also disturbing and harrowing at times as Wilde and others come to realise fully the nature of Hitler's plans. My only gripe is not enough Lydia. Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights.
September 27, 2023
This was a rattling good read, a really good thriller by an author I have never come across before. Apparently there are several other books with the same hero as in this book, Tom Wilde, and set in the pre WW2 years and then into WW2. I do like a historical novel with real facts and people woven into a fiction story with invented characters. This story revolves around the mystery of why a plane carrying Prince George, Duke of Kent, (younger brother to King George VI) crashed in Scotland in 1942, killing the Prince along with all but one of the crew. There were a few theories at the time, which are repeated in this book, but nothing conclusive. Why was the plane flying so low and why was it in that particular place? Also where had The Duke of Kent been travelling to in the first place before the fatal crash on the return journey? Tom Wilde is a Cambridge history professor, now working for an American intelligence agency and is sent to investigate. The story moves along at an excellent pace and I liked Rory Clements' writing style. There are historical notes at the end about some of the real people and some theories about what the plane mission might really have been for. I will look for the other books in this series.
January 22, 2021
A Prince and a Spy is the first novel by Rory Clements I have read. The cover stands out being mostly red and black, I'm not sure i would have picked up the book based on the cover. However I was pleasantly surprised by the novel once I started reading and really enjoyed it. The novel is well written and the characters so well rounded that I felt I knew them inside out by the end of the novel.
The story is set during world war 2. Prince George brother to the British King meets his cousin in secret in Sweden. His cousin is a Nazi and close friend of Hitler. On the way home the plane crashes but the true journey is covered up.
In the meantime the main character Professor Tom Wilde who is an American living in Britain working for the American government, meets an old student on a train. This student kills himself after telling Wilde he had betrayed his country.
Wilde is sent to investigate the plane crash and ends up embroiled in trouble, in danger and not sure who to trust.
I really enjoyed following the story to s gripping resolution and would highly recommend this novel.
The story is set during world war 2. Prince George brother to the British King meets his cousin in secret in Sweden. His cousin is a Nazi and close friend of Hitler. On the way home the plane crashes but the true journey is covered up.
In the meantime the main character Professor Tom Wilde who is an American living in Britain working for the American government, meets an old student on a train. This student kills himself after telling Wilde he had betrayed his country.
Wilde is sent to investigate the plane crash and ends up embroiled in trouble, in danger and not sure who to trust.
I really enjoyed following the story to s gripping resolution and would highly recommend this novel.
July 6, 2021
The death of the Duke of Kent on August 25th 1942 holds mysterious connotations similar to the death of Diana Spencer in Paris in 1997. The crash of the Sunderland flying boat in Scotland during WWII has been featured on televised investigative programmes, but I have never come across any book covering this subject before. Rory Clements' 'A Prince and A Spy', just published in 2021, is a fictional thriller very much centred on the Duke's demise that weaves a different scenario around this event than the official 'accident' verdict.
Clements is a clever writer who continues to feature the wartime espionage exploits of Cambridge professor Tom Wilde. As in his previous publications in this series which include 'Corpus', 'Nucleus', 'Nemesis' and 'Hitler's Secret'.
Fiction is not my usual reading fayre but I found this a compulsive page turner, somewhat in the style and pace of John Buchan's '39 Steps'. I also found this plot far more logical that the official story from 1942.
Clements is a clever writer who continues to feature the wartime espionage exploits of Cambridge professor Tom Wilde. As in his previous publications in this series which include 'Corpus', 'Nucleus', 'Nemesis' and 'Hitler's Secret'.
Fiction is not my usual reading fayre but I found this a compulsive page turner, somewhat in the style and pace of John Buchan's '39 Steps'. I also found this plot far more logical that the official story from 1942.
November 21, 2021
I heard about this book on the “Meet the Thriller Author” podcast. Great way to hear about writers in the genre that you don’t know. Listening to Rory Clements speak about his book he mentioned his protagonist, Tom Wilde, a professor and OSS agent. I thought it might be fun to read it on that basis as well as the germ of the idea for the book was borne from conspiracy. In WW2 the Duke of Kent died in a plane crash on a relatively clear day, with an experienced crew and no apparent mechanical problems.
I felt the book was well done but that the main character was not opened up to the reader as much as it could have. Traditionally, I enjoy a book so much more when I care about that character. Maybe what was missing was some form of inner conflict or crucible.
I love almost any work of fiction with a basis in a real conspiracy theory. So I was drawn to this. Listened to the podcast on the way to fredericton on business. Arrived early and went to one of my favourite bookstores, Westminster Books. This was my first stop upon arrival. I walked in and looked to my right. There was the book I’d just heard about.
I felt the book was well done but that the main character was not opened up to the reader as much as it could have. Traditionally, I enjoy a book so much more when I care about that character. Maybe what was missing was some form of inner conflict or crucible.
I love almost any work of fiction with a basis in a real conspiracy theory. So I was drawn to this. Listened to the podcast on the way to fredericton on business. Arrived early and went to one of my favourite bookstores, Westminster Books. This was my first stop upon arrival. I walked in and looked to my right. There was the book I’d just heard about.
October 18, 2022
Probably the best book on the series up to now touching on real life events during WW2. I also enjoyed the notes at the end that provided more detail to the real events and people. Hopefully this isn't the last we've heard of Professor Wilde....and there were hints in the book that he'll be back!
April 5, 2022
Superb!
November 17, 2024
A historical thriller that is full of action and developments that push the bounds of plausibility well beyond its usual limits – were it not for the elements of historical truth in there. In the breathless rush, we even get to meet Churchill, while hearing quite a lot too about Hitler. A great insight into the dark diplomacy and the machinations of the secret services during the war years.
October 1, 2021
Excellent espionage novel set in Sweden, Scotland and England as a desperate manhunt takes place to find a young girl and to rescue a disgruntled Nazi. Fast paced and most compelling. Enjoyed it.
January 31, 2025
Throughly enjoyed this straightforward spy thriller. I hadn’t realised at first it was book 5 in a series but I will now look out for the earlier ones. I was attracted by the history element at first - world war 2, the mysterious air crash that killed the Duke of Kent - but although based around that, the story is more about a German defector trying to alert the allies to what was happening to the Jews in Poland. It is not a true story but combines elements of truth very effectively.
January 25, 2021
This is the second Tom Wilde novel I have read and I don't know which one I prefer.
Both were excellent.
This one deals with a clandestine meeting between Prince George, Duke of Kent and Prince Phillip Von Hessen.
Just a little time later Prince George dies in a mysterious plane crash in the North of Scotland.
With a suggestion of foul play though official stories say otherwise Tom Wilde is sent to investigate what really happened and how does the shadowy figure of Harriet Hartwell fit into the picture?
So exciting and with wonderful plots but with the added interest of some key figures and situations being based in fact.
I love the Tom Wilde spy series.
Looking forward to the next one already.
Both were excellent.
This one deals with a clandestine meeting between Prince George, Duke of Kent and Prince Phillip Von Hessen.
Just a little time later Prince George dies in a mysterious plane crash in the North of Scotland.
With a suggestion of foul play though official stories say otherwise Tom Wilde is sent to investigate what really happened and how does the shadowy figure of Harriet Hartwell fit into the picture?
So exciting and with wonderful plots but with the added interest of some key figures and situations being based in fact.
I love the Tom Wilde spy series.
Looking forward to the next one already.
January 7, 2021
Rating: 3.3/5
This is the fifth book by Rory Clements to feature the character of Professor Tom Wilde, an American who lectures in history at Cambridge University and who doubles up as an agent for the O.S.S. I hadn't read any of the previous books in the series, but I didn't feel that this hampered my ability to enjoy this novel in its own right.
In this outing we find Tom Wilde being charged with the task of getting to the truth behind an aeroplane crash in the north of Scotland ... a plane that had been carrying George, the Duke of Kent, younger brother of the King of England. Was it purely an accident, or was some form of sabotage involved? If the latter, then what was the motive and who was responsible?
The plane crash itself was a factual event and Rory Clements mixes fact and fiction to create an engaging wartime adventure. Not only is the setting of the story in the 1940s, but for the most part, the author also adopts an appropriate writing style that fits well with that era. However, there are also occasions when a much edgier approach is taken, which generally works well. The scenes relating to "the Jewish question" are particularly impressive and are suitably harrowing and disturbing.
A few plot devices are employed that are a bit on the convenient side and they do stretch credulity at times. Otherwise, I would have probably rated this as a 4-star read. That said, it does serves the purpose of helping the writer to move the storyline forward and to maintain a good level of pace throughout.
Overall this is an enjoyable read, which should appeal to fans adventure stories, spy dramas, or those who just have an interest in this period of history.
This is the fifth book by Rory Clements to feature the character of Professor Tom Wilde, an American who lectures in history at Cambridge University and who doubles up as an agent for the O.S.S. I hadn't read any of the previous books in the series, but I didn't feel that this hampered my ability to enjoy this novel in its own right.
In this outing we find Tom Wilde being charged with the task of getting to the truth behind an aeroplane crash in the north of Scotland ... a plane that had been carrying George, the Duke of Kent, younger brother of the King of England. Was it purely an accident, or was some form of sabotage involved? If the latter, then what was the motive and who was responsible?
The plane crash itself was a factual event and Rory Clements mixes fact and fiction to create an engaging wartime adventure. Not only is the setting of the story in the 1940s, but for the most part, the author also adopts an appropriate writing style that fits well with that era. However, there are also occasions when a much edgier approach is taken, which generally works well. The scenes relating to "the Jewish question" are particularly impressive and are suitably harrowing and disturbing.
A few plot devices are employed that are a bit on the convenient side and they do stretch credulity at times. Otherwise, I would have probably rated this as a 4-star read. That said, it does serves the purpose of helping the writer to move the storyline forward and to maintain a good level of pace throughout.
Overall this is an enjoyable read, which should appeal to fans adventure stories, spy dramas, or those who just have an interest in this period of history.
March 15, 2021
A Prince and a Spy is the latest in the WW2 spy-thriller series featuring Cambridge Professor-turned-Spy Tom Wilde from former journalist Rory Clements. The plot is carved out from the real-life circumstances surrounding the death of Prince George, Duke of Kent (younger brother of King George VI & the abdicated Edward VIII, and Uncle to the Present-day Queen) who was killed in a military air crash in 1942 whilst en route, or, as has been suggested, on the way back from a clandestine mission to Scandinavia.
With his main plot line Clements subtly draws attention to the unsavory links of the British Royal Family to the Nazis. Edward was pro-Nazi, and Hitler most certainly would have installed him as a puppet Monarch had England been invaded, whilst Wallis Simpson was well known to be likewise minded and scandalous rumor of the time had her to be an old lover of Joachim Von Ribbentrop. How much of this is true and how much is suspicion due to Royal blood ties to the former Kaiser and German aristocracy who later became ardent Nazis remains a matter of historical speculation.
The other factual backdrop to the books’ plot is that of Sweden’s murky role in World War II. The author only refers here to Stockholm’s reputation as a den of spies during the War, and doesn’t touch on the still-controversial links of the Swedish business and ruling elite to the Nazis as the country played both sides for profit.
Clements’ is undoubtedly Robert Harris ~esque - if you didn’t know it, you could be forgiven for thinking that you were reading Harris; the hidden secret at the heart of the plot is straight out of Fatherland. This is not to take away from Clements’ work, which is as fast-paced, well constructed and tightly plotted as any of Harris’ works.
With his main plot line Clements subtly draws attention to the unsavory links of the British Royal Family to the Nazis. Edward was pro-Nazi, and Hitler most certainly would have installed him as a puppet Monarch had England been invaded, whilst Wallis Simpson was well known to be likewise minded and scandalous rumor of the time had her to be an old lover of Joachim Von Ribbentrop. How much of this is true and how much is suspicion due to Royal blood ties to the former Kaiser and German aristocracy who later became ardent Nazis remains a matter of historical speculation.
The other factual backdrop to the books’ plot is that of Sweden’s murky role in World War II. The author only refers here to Stockholm’s reputation as a den of spies during the War, and doesn’t touch on the still-controversial links of the Swedish business and ruling elite to the Nazis as the country played both sides for profit.
Clements’ is undoubtedly Robert Harris ~esque - if you didn’t know it, you could be forgiven for thinking that you were reading Harris; the hidden secret at the heart of the plot is straight out of Fatherland. This is not to take away from Clements’ work, which is as fast-paced, well constructed and tightly plotted as any of Harris’ works.
April 11, 2021
Pedestrian
This is billed on Amazon as “the most anticipated spy thriller of 2021” so it was not without a certain amount of dread and misgivings that I started the first chapter. I appreciate that publishers must do their best by their authors and their company to maximise sales and generate interest but it reaches a point where every single new publication proclaims something similar and quotes several famous authors and newspapers that this book outshines any other and stands head and shoulders above the rest. Surely, they can’t all be right.
The plot is set during the Second World War and dives straight into the action with a plane crash in Scotland which kills most onboard including the brother of the British monarch, hence the use of “Prince” in the title. The action moves around the country and then on to Sweden. For some reason which I have yet to fathom the plot revolves around Professor Tom Wilde (the spy) trying to establish and prove that the Nazis are murdering thousands of Jews in death camps in Eastern Europe. To what end remains a mystery to me. Even if FDR and Churchill could be convinced it’s not clear what action would or could be taken.
The prequel to this thriller is Hitler’s Secret which based on this offering won’t be on my birthday or Christmas present wish list but this is the 5th in the Tom Wilde series. The characters have little to commend them and in many cases are caricatures of the British aristocracy or the wicked German High Command. The dialogue is flat and stilted and, in many instances, appeared to try to recreate the atmosphere of the 1940s without a great deal of success.
mr zorg
Elite Reviewing group received a copy of the book to review.
This is billed on Amazon as “the most anticipated spy thriller of 2021” so it was not without a certain amount of dread and misgivings that I started the first chapter. I appreciate that publishers must do their best by their authors and their company to maximise sales and generate interest but it reaches a point where every single new publication proclaims something similar and quotes several famous authors and newspapers that this book outshines any other and stands head and shoulders above the rest. Surely, they can’t all be right.
The plot is set during the Second World War and dives straight into the action with a plane crash in Scotland which kills most onboard including the brother of the British monarch, hence the use of “Prince” in the title. The action moves around the country and then on to Sweden. For some reason which I have yet to fathom the plot revolves around Professor Tom Wilde (the spy) trying to establish and prove that the Nazis are murdering thousands of Jews in death camps in Eastern Europe. To what end remains a mystery to me. Even if FDR and Churchill could be convinced it’s not clear what action would or could be taken.
The prequel to this thriller is Hitler’s Secret which based on this offering won’t be on my birthday or Christmas present wish list but this is the 5th in the Tom Wilde series. The characters have little to commend them and in many cases are caricatures of the British aristocracy or the wicked German High Command. The dialogue is flat and stilted and, in many instances, appeared to try to recreate the atmosphere of the 1940s without a great deal of success.
mr zorg
Elite Reviewing group received a copy of the book to review.
April 4, 2021
We've all heard of Edward VIII I'm sure - him and Mrs Simpson. But, I for one, did not know he had a brother, George (well he had other siblings for sure) but George, or Georgie, seems airbrushed out of history. The reason why can be found here: https://therake.com/stories/icons/the...
It's quite a tale and it surprises me its take Rory Clements to find it and turn it into a novel some 80 years later. So much intrigue, mystery and loose ends and all coming from a series of true (unfortunate?) events. I'm even more surprised that Robert Harris didn't get hold of this first.
I think using his American Tom Wilde character to investigate the very strange air crash and stumble across the loose ends - Harriet Hartwell for one and the silence and rebuttals of the RAF and the establishment as well as the strange secret service people- and then start to find the connections with the Hitler regime finding himself sucked deeper and deeper into a twisted story that an American has no place to be, or maybe only an American could get into and sort out. The story is full of characters we know from history (and are included in the link above) making Rory Clements telling of the events and the unraveling of a (still) secret story all the more believable. Maybe the crash did happen the way he describes, for the reason he describes. In any event, the Allies should hang their head in shame for not acting on the evidence this all uncovered (in fact as well as fiction) including Churchill and Roosevelt.
It's quite a tale and it surprises me its take Rory Clements to find it and turn it into a novel some 80 years later. So much intrigue, mystery and loose ends and all coming from a series of true (unfortunate?) events. I'm even more surprised that Robert Harris didn't get hold of this first.
I think using his American Tom Wilde character to investigate the very strange air crash and stumble across the loose ends - Harriet Hartwell for one and the silence and rebuttals of the RAF and the establishment as well as the strange secret service people- and then start to find the connections with the Hitler regime finding himself sucked deeper and deeper into a twisted story that an American has no place to be, or maybe only an American could get into and sort out. The story is full of characters we know from history (and are included in the link above) making Rory Clements telling of the events and the unraveling of a (still) secret story all the more believable. Maybe the crash did happen the way he describes, for the reason he describes. In any event, the Allies should hang their head in shame for not acting on the evidence this all uncovered (in fact as well as fiction) including Churchill and Roosevelt.
August 6, 2021
3.5 - I enjoyed this, but it’s probably my least favourite of the Rory Clements World War 2 spy thrillers so far.
On the plus side, it has the usual good stuff - a great fictional story based set around real historical events. It’s excellently researched, atmospheric and you really get a sense of the time. It’s also nice to be back in Tom Wilde and Lydia’s world - as they’re both great characters.
On the negative, you don’t really get enough of the characters - there’s relatively little development. I was also slightly underwhelmed with the story - the defection of a German officer set against the plane crash and death of the Duke of Kent. Part of this was about pace, but to me it just didn’t feel like it had the twists, peril and adventure of the previous books.
All that said, I of course enjoyed and look forward to more in future.
On the plus side, it has the usual good stuff - a great fictional story based set around real historical events. It’s excellently researched, atmospheric and you really get a sense of the time. It’s also nice to be back in Tom Wilde and Lydia’s world - as they’re both great characters.
On the negative, you don’t really get enough of the characters - there’s relatively little development. I was also slightly underwhelmed with the story - the defection of a German officer set against the plane crash and death of the Duke of Kent. Part of this was about pace, but to me it just didn’t feel like it had the twists, peril and adventure of the previous books.
All that said, I of course enjoyed and look forward to more in future.
February 6, 2021
Rory Clements is fast becoming an author I turn to when I need a page-turning read to relax into. ‘A Prince and a Spy’ is fifth in his Tom Wilde Second World War series and it doesn’t disappoint. Woven into true history of the conflict – the fatal crash in Scotland of the Duke of Kent’s plane, the holocaust – Clements adds real and fictional characters, intrigue and competing spies, to make this an enjoyable read.
When history professor Wilde returns by train home to Cambridge he bumps into a former student. Cazerove seems distracted, distressed, munching on a bag of sweets. Before the train reaches its destination, Cazerove dies of poisoning. So begins a typical Clements thriller – strong characters, true history and a string of unrelated incidents. When the Duke of Kent’s plane crashes on a remote hill in Scotland, the public is told his plane came down in heavy fog when taking off for Iceland on operational duties. In the world of ‘A Prince and a Spy’, the flying boat was returning from a secret diplomatic mission in Sweden where the Duke met his German cousin, a former member of the Nazi party. Wilde, working for the newly-established American secret intelligence service, OSS, is sent to Scotland to sniff around at the crash site and ask questions on behalf of his president. FDR wants to know why the plane crashed, was Prince George at the controls, was it shot down, and how did one person survive?
A keynote of this series is the multi-layering of rival spy agencies in the UK – the British, the Americans – the infiltration of Nazi agents, Soviet agitators and, in this book, a secret society. Clements is excellent at showing history through the eyes of fictional characters, a challenging task, and I particularly liked the Scottish segment with fisherman Jimmy Orde. A continuing thread from book to book is Wilde’s relationship with his partner Lydia, and Philip Eaton, the British spy who first involved Wilde in espionage. Clements twists reality in this book so Wilde doesn’t know who to trust, who to believe, and who is spying on him. So much so that at times, I lost track too.
An excellent weekend read.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
When history professor Wilde returns by train home to Cambridge he bumps into a former student. Cazerove seems distracted, distressed, munching on a bag of sweets. Before the train reaches its destination, Cazerove dies of poisoning. So begins a typical Clements thriller – strong characters, true history and a string of unrelated incidents. When the Duke of Kent’s plane crashes on a remote hill in Scotland, the public is told his plane came down in heavy fog when taking off for Iceland on operational duties. In the world of ‘A Prince and a Spy’, the flying boat was returning from a secret diplomatic mission in Sweden where the Duke met his German cousin, a former member of the Nazi party. Wilde, working for the newly-established American secret intelligence service, OSS, is sent to Scotland to sniff around at the crash site and ask questions on behalf of his president. FDR wants to know why the plane crashed, was Prince George at the controls, was it shot down, and how did one person survive?
A keynote of this series is the multi-layering of rival spy agencies in the UK – the British, the Americans – the infiltration of Nazi agents, Soviet agitators and, in this book, a secret society. Clements is excellent at showing history through the eyes of fictional characters, a challenging task, and I particularly liked the Scottish segment with fisherman Jimmy Orde. A continuing thread from book to book is Wilde’s relationship with his partner Lydia, and Philip Eaton, the British spy who first involved Wilde in espionage. Clements twists reality in this book so Wilde doesn’t know who to trust, who to believe, and who is spying on him. So much so that at times, I lost track too.
An excellent weekend read.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-revie...
May 20, 2025
What initially attracted me to this novel is the way the writer (or his publisher) had developed means of engaging with his readership. From Samuel Richardson, through Charles Dickens to the Twentieth century, readers have communicated with authors through published reviews and private correspondence. I have been interested in how social media (including websites such as this one) has transformed that part of the reading process. Rory Clements has a Readers' Club (www.bit.ly/RoryClements/Club) and, in a postscript, invites us to post reviews on Goodreads and Amazon. That's a move on from authors' Twitter feeds and Facebook Pages.
Whether is is because Clements' publisher is Swedish or not but another feature I enjoyed was the large font and the generous leading between the lines. It made for a larger book but enhanced readability. I read the book quite quickly.
However, I also read the book quite quickly because it is a fast paced narrative. In the mould of The da Vinci Code, Thomas Wilde is constantly just one step ahead of his enemies and the chief protagonist is not revealed until almost the end. However, an antagonist like Silas would not be credible in an account based on real events so we have to accept Mortimer and his associates as the resident villain, who are too physically repulsive to be assassins who inspire deep dread.
While a work of fiction, the novel does touch on real matters such as the role of the Duke of Kent in the war and the on going links between the Royal Family and the members of the other royal families including their German cousins. He also discusses in an afterword the appeal the Nazis had to the German aristocracy, the Junkers. But the most important historical information he gives us in the novel and his afterword is how courageous people tried to tell the world about the Nazis' genocide and how long Churchill and Roosevelt had known about the horrors of the Holocaust. Surely, something making this novel more than a thriller or "page turner".
Whether is is because Clements' publisher is Swedish or not but another feature I enjoyed was the large font and the generous leading between the lines. It made for a larger book but enhanced readability. I read the book quite quickly.
However, I also read the book quite quickly because it is a fast paced narrative. In the mould of The da Vinci Code, Thomas Wilde is constantly just one step ahead of his enemies and the chief protagonist is not revealed until almost the end. However, an antagonist like Silas would not be credible in an account based on real events so we have to accept Mortimer and his associates as the resident villain, who are too physically repulsive to be assassins who inspire deep dread.
While a work of fiction, the novel does touch on real matters such as the role of the Duke of Kent in the war and the on going links between the Royal Family and the members of the other royal families including their German cousins. He also discusses in an afterword the appeal the Nazis had to the German aristocracy, the Junkers. But the most important historical information he gives us in the novel and his afterword is how courageous people tried to tell the world about the Nazis' genocide and how long Churchill and Roosevelt had known about the horrors of the Holocaust. Surely, something making this novel more than a thriller or "page turner".
February 7, 2021
Synopsis:
In Sweden Two old friends meet. They are cousins, one is Prince George, Duke of Kent, the other Prince Philipp Von Hesse a committed Nazi and close friend of Adolph Hitler.
Days later Prince George is killed in a plane crash in the North of Scotland. The official story is that is was an accident – but not everyone is convinced.
There is even a suggestion that the Duke’s plane was sabotaged, but with no evidence, Cambridge spy Tom Wilde is sent North to discover the truth…
My Thoughts:
This is a wonderful blend of fact combined with superbly written fiction. I have had the pleasure to read all the books so far in the series, and it just keeps on going from strength to strength,
This was not a subject matter that I was familiar with, however this does not detract in any way as the author cleverly interweaves a plot of intrigue and mystery, along with suspense and tension filled drama.
Maybe unlike the other books in the series you get a sense that Tom is out on his own trying to survive and to some extent out of his depth, knowing that the truth maybe critical to both sides in the war and that maybe your closest allies can’t be trusted.
The plot moves seamlessly between Cambridge, Scotland, London and Sweden each location brought to life on the page to portray a vivid and stark reminder of war time Britain, the author has a knack for casting the suspicion of doubt over the main characters and just who can you trust, be prepared to undertake a journey filled with twists and turns as Tom Wilde tries to uncover the truth and just who he can trust, a story that will even bring his own relationship with Lydia (the mother of his child) into question.
Character wise we see the welcome return of old favourites to add some familiarity, blended with a welcome array of new characters in particular Harriet Hartwell fearless and unflinching but can she be trusted and can Tom trust himself in her company, in some ways whilst this is a thriller with a great plot-line it is also character driven such are they brought to life on the page.
Whilst the fifth book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone, however I think you would soon be devouring the rest.
The author has added all the elements which go into a thriller guaranteed to keep the reader enthralled and hooked, the ending when it comes is satisfying and dramatic but also leaves you knowing there is more.
There is clearly a great deal of research which goes into the book and I particularly enjoyed the notes at the end of the book.
Overall this is a wonderfully satisfying and compelling read
As Historical spy thrillers go this is up there with the best, and comes highly recommended
In Sweden Two old friends meet. They are cousins, one is Prince George, Duke of Kent, the other Prince Philipp Von Hesse a committed Nazi and close friend of Adolph Hitler.
Days later Prince George is killed in a plane crash in the North of Scotland. The official story is that is was an accident – but not everyone is convinced.
There is even a suggestion that the Duke’s plane was sabotaged, but with no evidence, Cambridge spy Tom Wilde is sent North to discover the truth…
My Thoughts:
This is a wonderful blend of fact combined with superbly written fiction. I have had the pleasure to read all the books so far in the series, and it just keeps on going from strength to strength,
This was not a subject matter that I was familiar with, however this does not detract in any way as the author cleverly interweaves a plot of intrigue and mystery, along with suspense and tension filled drama.
Maybe unlike the other books in the series you get a sense that Tom is out on his own trying to survive and to some extent out of his depth, knowing that the truth maybe critical to both sides in the war and that maybe your closest allies can’t be trusted.
The plot moves seamlessly between Cambridge, Scotland, London and Sweden each location brought to life on the page to portray a vivid and stark reminder of war time Britain, the author has a knack for casting the suspicion of doubt over the main characters and just who can you trust, be prepared to undertake a journey filled with twists and turns as Tom Wilde tries to uncover the truth and just who he can trust, a story that will even bring his own relationship with Lydia (the mother of his child) into question.
Character wise we see the welcome return of old favourites to add some familiarity, blended with a welcome array of new characters in particular Harriet Hartwell fearless and unflinching but can she be trusted and can Tom trust himself in her company, in some ways whilst this is a thriller with a great plot-line it is also character driven such are they brought to life on the page.
Whilst the fifth book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone, however I think you would soon be devouring the rest.
The author has added all the elements which go into a thriller guaranteed to keep the reader enthralled and hooked, the ending when it comes is satisfying and dramatic but also leaves you knowing there is more.
There is clearly a great deal of research which goes into the book and I particularly enjoyed the notes at the end of the book.
Overall this is a wonderfully satisfying and compelling read
As Historical spy thrillers go this is up there with the best, and comes highly recommended
December 27, 2020
Rory Clements obviously does a lot of research before writing his historical thrillers featuring Oxford Don turned spy, Professor Tom Wilde. I’ve read all of them and they are without exception, interesting and compelling.
In this book it is very difficult to tell the difference between fact and fiction. I did in fact google a couple of the characters to see if they really existed.
“A Prince and a Spy” is about a plane crash in Scotland in 1942. After a meeting with his German cousin, German aristocrat and Nazi, Phillip Von Hessen, in Sweden to discuss top secret war business, The Duke Of Kent, otherwise known as Prince George, is flying back home when his plane comes down. He is killed but there is a survivor who is transported to the local hospital. Was the crash an accident or was it deliberately sabotaged?
Tom Wilde is asked to investigate on behalf of the Americans as the British are trying to hush up the situation and Roosevelt wants to know what is going on.
This plane crash actually happened and there was indeed a survivor but the rest of the plot is obviously fiction. In 1942 little was known about the Nazis “final solution”and this too features in the novel although, defector Rudi Coburg did not exist: in this book he is trying to escape the Nazis and reveal the truth to the world.
As in other books by this author there is a lot of excitement and nail biting, edge of your seat action. Tom Wilde is a great hero who is constantly striving to do the right thing, even resisting romantic temptation when it is put in his path.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining read which intermingled fact and fiction to make a compelling novel. Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.
In this book it is very difficult to tell the difference between fact and fiction. I did in fact google a couple of the characters to see if they really existed.
“A Prince and a Spy” is about a plane crash in Scotland in 1942. After a meeting with his German cousin, German aristocrat and Nazi, Phillip Von Hessen, in Sweden to discuss top secret war business, The Duke Of Kent, otherwise known as Prince George, is flying back home when his plane comes down. He is killed but there is a survivor who is transported to the local hospital. Was the crash an accident or was it deliberately sabotaged?
Tom Wilde is asked to investigate on behalf of the Americans as the British are trying to hush up the situation and Roosevelt wants to know what is going on.
This plane crash actually happened and there was indeed a survivor but the rest of the plot is obviously fiction. In 1942 little was known about the Nazis “final solution”and this too features in the novel although, defector Rudi Coburg did not exist: in this book he is trying to escape the Nazis and reveal the truth to the world.
As in other books by this author there is a lot of excitement and nail biting, edge of your seat action. Tom Wilde is a great hero who is constantly striving to do the right thing, even resisting romantic temptation when it is put in his path.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining read which intermingled fact and fiction to make a compelling novel. Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.
January 17, 2021
A Prince and A Spy - Rory Clements
Thanks to Readers First, Rory Clements and Zaffre books for my copy of this book.
Sweden, 1942 - Two old friends meet. They are cousins. One is Prince George, Duke of Kent, brother of the King of England. The other is Prince Philipp von Hesse, a committed Nazi and close friend of Adolf Hitler. Days later, the Prince George is killed in a plane crash in the north of Scotland. The official story is that it was an accident - but not everyone is convinced. There is even a suggestion that the Duke's plane was sabotaged, but with no evidence, Cambridge spy Tom Wilde is sent north to discover the truth . . .
I loved this book and devoured in in 2 sittings. It is absorbing, compelling and sinister, reminding me in some way of The 39 Steps, with its twisting, racing, hunted nature.
The relationship to recent history and imagining of the story of real-world events is one I love. It made me wonder about shadowy societies that control the seats of power and the possibility that this could still be happening today in a dystopian type way. The chilling link to the Nazi Death Camps was hard to read but something that we cannot shy away from or forget .
The characters are all strong, I love Tom Wilde, the dependable old school hero, he doesn’t readily fall into the old hat spy trope and Harriet, the female protagonist knows what she is about and is not left as a cliche.
There is more than one storyline which funnel together as it races towards its conclusion.
A really gripping, addictive and thought provoking spy thriller. The real life connections at the end really left me thinking. 5 🌟
Thanks to Readers First, Rory Clements and Zaffre books for my copy of this book.
Sweden, 1942 - Two old friends meet. They are cousins. One is Prince George, Duke of Kent, brother of the King of England. The other is Prince Philipp von Hesse, a committed Nazi and close friend of Adolf Hitler. Days later, the Prince George is killed in a plane crash in the north of Scotland. The official story is that it was an accident - but not everyone is convinced. There is even a suggestion that the Duke's plane was sabotaged, but with no evidence, Cambridge spy Tom Wilde is sent north to discover the truth . . .
I loved this book and devoured in in 2 sittings. It is absorbing, compelling and sinister, reminding me in some way of The 39 Steps, with its twisting, racing, hunted nature.
The relationship to recent history and imagining of the story of real-world events is one I love. It made me wonder about shadowy societies that control the seats of power and the possibility that this could still be happening today in a dystopian type way. The chilling link to the Nazi Death Camps was hard to read but something that we cannot shy away from or forget .
The characters are all strong, I love Tom Wilde, the dependable old school hero, he doesn’t readily fall into the old hat spy trope and Harriet, the female protagonist knows what she is about and is not left as a cliche.
There is more than one storyline which funnel together as it races towards its conclusion.
A really gripping, addictive and thought provoking spy thriller. The real life connections at the end really left me thinking. 5 🌟
May 20, 2021
An excellent continuation of the Tom Wilde series. Touching on unsolved mysteries and, as the author says, difficult issues. When confronted with the story of the Nazis’ mass murder of the Jews (and others) Tom Wilde’s reaction was not unusual - he simply didn’t believe it and had to be convinced. Wilde is the intellectual spy - a Cambridge professor and a man of action so can handle thugs as well as interrogation. There is the love interest - not only his long term partner, Lydia, but the beautiful and alluring spy Harriet ( and whose side is she on?).
This time, perhaps because I listened on audio, Wilde came over as a bit of a prig and a bit less sympathetic than in the other two I have read.
One or two ironies: the British traitor Quayle is an overt homosexual. He wouldn’t have done well in Nazi Germany.
Clements deals with some difficult issues, including the extent to which German aristocrats embraced the Nazi party fearing Bolshevism more than the fascists. This touches on a key issue for me: the extent of support for Hitler. Collaboration in France is now well documented. It happened for a variety of reasons including anti -semitism and the need to blame others for Germany’s troubles. But I have always been concerned at the way history has been re-written now that Germany is a close ally. The common trope is that Britain fought ‘The Nazis’, as if somehow they had nothing to do with Germany. No. The Germans voted Hitler to power, supported him in their millions and fought and died for him. Of course there were objectors, who took action at their peril; but in 1939, as Chamberlain said, This country is at war with Germany’.
This time, perhaps because I listened on audio, Wilde came over as a bit of a prig and a bit less sympathetic than in the other two I have read.
One or two ironies: the British traitor Quayle is an overt homosexual. He wouldn’t have done well in Nazi Germany.
Clements deals with some difficult issues, including the extent to which German aristocrats embraced the Nazi party fearing Bolshevism more than the fascists. This touches on a key issue for me: the extent of support for Hitler. Collaboration in France is now well documented. It happened for a variety of reasons including anti -semitism and the need to blame others for Germany’s troubles. But I have always been concerned at the way history has been re-written now that Germany is a close ally. The common trope is that Britain fought ‘The Nazis’, as if somehow they had nothing to do with Germany. No. The Germans voted Hitler to power, supported him in their millions and fought and died for him. Of course there were objectors, who took action at their peril; but in 1939, as Chamberlain said, This country is at war with Germany’.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2021
Catches you in its snare straight away does this one, and has no intention of letting you go.
The story is staggeringly agile in typical Tom Wilde style. Deciphering who the hell has his back, especially when he turns it for a moment to do the right thing, is quite a feat.
To say the diplomatic operation he’s stumbled into is a matter of life or death would be the understatement of understatements – this must be the valiant Professor’s most heartrendingly brutal to date.
Depicting the harrowing nature of real-life into fiction is always challenging. But here the author shows us indelible inhumanity through fresh eyes, and it is unrelentingly authentic. To communicate this perspective so affectively in the shadow of such graveness is a testament to their immense skill.
With its terrific pace and heroically damned fine cast this book is first-class to its core. You never truly know who’s placed their trust in a friend or foe until it’s too late to reconsider other options.
And you don’t need to have read any of this series to be able follow this one right from the off, although I would highly recommend them all :)
I received a copy of this title courtesy of the publisher via their Reader’s First website, with my thanks, which it was my pleasure to voluntarily read and review.)
The story is staggeringly agile in typical Tom Wilde style. Deciphering who the hell has his back, especially when he turns it for a moment to do the right thing, is quite a feat.
To say the diplomatic operation he’s stumbled into is a matter of life or death would be the understatement of understatements – this must be the valiant Professor’s most heartrendingly brutal to date.
Depicting the harrowing nature of real-life into fiction is always challenging. But here the author shows us indelible inhumanity through fresh eyes, and it is unrelentingly authentic. To communicate this perspective so affectively in the shadow of such graveness is a testament to their immense skill.
With its terrific pace and heroically damned fine cast this book is first-class to its core. You never truly know who’s placed their trust in a friend or foe until it’s too late to reconsider other options.
And you don’t need to have read any of this series to be able follow this one right from the off, although I would highly recommend them all :)
I received a copy of this title courtesy of the publisher via their Reader’s First website, with my thanks, which it was my pleasure to voluntarily read and review.)
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