The Month of Falling Leaves

by Bruce Marshall

Professor of philosophy Harold Hilliard is the author of The Symphony of Discord , a metaphysical treatise on the “Dysteleological Surd”—the physical suffering which seemingly serves as proof against the existence of a benevolent Creator. Its limited sales in England notwithstanding, Symphony of Discord is a success in—of all places—Poland. Arriving in Warsaw for a lecture to the Metaphysical Society, Hilliard is mistaken for a British Secret Service agent and rapidly becomes embroiled in international espionage. Despite his best efforts to persuade Agent Karminski of the PZPR’s intelligence service to the contrary, Hilliard’s every move only serves as further evidence of his new identity as MI5’s new man in Poland and draws him deeper into the bewildering world of Cold War spies. A political satire akin to Graham Greene’s classic Our Man in Havana —more lighthearted but no less clever— The Month of Falling Leaves is a diverting story, swirling with suspicions and suspense, of scholar versus spy behind the Iron Curtain.

172 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Lieutenant-Colonel Claude Cunningham Bruce Marshall, known as Bruce Marshall was a prolific Scottish writer who wrote fiction and non-fiction books on a wide range of topics and genres. His first book, A Thief in the Night came out in 1918, possibly self-published. His last, An Account of Capers was published posthumously in 1988, a span of 70 years.

Reviews

[booklady · Rating 2 out of 5]

Usually I like Bruce Marshall more, but I had trouble following this one. So much so, I almost gave it up. I am glad that I stuck it out as the end is better than the beginning and I might have given it a single star had I not finished it. As it is, there are redeeming qualities to The Month of the Falling Leaves.

If you like Cold War mysteries, here is one. It captures the time and setting of post-WWII Poland where our main character, Harold Hilliard, a philosophical writer, has traveled to give sales talks on his most recent book, which is more popular there than in his home country, the United Kingdom.

TMotFL is fast-paced and keeps you guessing, (or it did me anyway) so if you don't get discouraged, you won't get bored. But for me, I often struggled to know who was who or what was what, going back and rereading sections for critical information. Unfortunately that did not usually help/clarify things for me. Marshall's writing could use editing in my humble opinion.

Or, perhaps, this would be better on a subsequent reading. I'm still debating lending it to my son-in-law who likes historical fiction to get his opinion. If I do and if he reads it, will update...

[Fides · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wouldn't even call it Christian fiction. Terrible language. Adult content. Unable to finish.