Another good one from Alan Furst
345074
I really enjoy Alan Furst's novels. I like the tales he tells as well as his characters who are sympathetic as well as interesting
3972016
Alan Furst's series of novels set in 1933-1941 Europe are fantastic on a number of levels: the noir tone of the book, the palpable dread that overlays the whole time period, the complex relationships among people of various nationalities in a highly fragmented continent.
The Polish Officer begins very ambitiously as the protagonist seeks to smuggle Poland's gold supply out of the country in September 1939; the daring exploits result from desperation, necessity, despair, honor, patriotism.  The settings are well-drawn and the politics well-researched.
This is a period piece.  Furst brings you to the time and place of the action with his writing.  It is honest, gritty, and real.  The book is not a single narrative, it is episodic -- like intertwined short stories or novellas.  Thus the intensity can wax and wane.  Nonetheless, if you are interested in the 1933-1941 time frame, espionage, Eastern Europeans under the shadow of war or all of the above, this is fine literature and highly recommended.
3358501
Night Soldiers is a dense and dark novel, rightly so inasmuch as it covers the period 1934-1945 in Europe, one of the most tragic periods in human history.  While nominally a spy thriller, it is that, but its real strength is the atmosphere it creates through Furst's fine writing and meticulous historical and geographic research, even though several reviewers have pointed out some small inaccuracies.  I was drawn into the times in a way that only very good fiction can do.

Still, this is a long book and not necessarily an easy read.  Action switches quickly and not always with explanation, characters appear briefly and are never heard of again, and the plot rambles forward rather than being propelled.  But I was gripped with the plight of the very believable characters and found the book rewarding.

I read Night Soldiers and other of Furst's books, with an atlas open and with frequent visits to Google maps.  It immeasurably aided my enjoyment of this excellent novel, and I felt I learned a lot about areas with which I was unfamiliar, especially the Balkans.  Rather than being a chore, referring to these reference tools, made the story that much more exciting.
1924843
THE MALCONTENTA by Barry Maitland will keep the reader thoroughly entertained on a long flight or wait at the doctor's office. The book has several strenghths and a few minor weaknesses.
First, Maitland creates relatively strong settings. Maitland teaches university level architecture and in THE MALCONTENTA he has inserted interesting material about 18th Century architecture -- the Italian influence on the English country house (Palladio)-- which will appeal to anyone familiar with the Italinate influence on the Neoclassical Age in England. And, despite what the reviewer says, the house in this story is based on an Italian design (Palladio) -- the original in Vicenza and known as The Malcontenta.
Second, Maitland does a pretty convincing job of developing his characters, though some are more adequately drawn than others. One character in THE MALCONTENTA, a woman with a serious illness is quite real and her discussions with Brock are so authentic I felt as if I was overhearing a conversation.
Maitland won't keep you in suspense for long. He has too many characters and they fall all over each other and drag down the action (Kathy's room mates and co-workers should be thinned out). The plot of THE MALCONTENTA is fairly believable although there are some nonplausible moments. I just don't think good cops travel without cell phones. However, Maitland is far better at avoiding mad plot twists than many of his contemporaries who boggle the mind at times.
All in all, this is a good and entertaining book, and I like it well enough to read other books by Maitland.
2718824
There have been twenty-one previous novels featuring DCI Alan Banks of Yorkshire CID and theyve generally been quite good, earning the author a number of honors and literary awards. Banks is a fully rounded character, now facing his last few years before retirement, and the homicide squad he has slowly built up is his pride and joy, staffed by characters who are also nicely developed and interesting. Of special interest is DI Annie Cabbot, once Bankss lover and now his strong right hand, and who is gradually making her way back psychologically from having been shot a few books back. The six-foot-tall Jamaican Detective Sergeant, Winsome Jackman, also gets a larger part this time out.
 The plot is a straightforward procedural this time, beginning with the theft of a large and very expensive tractor from a local farmer (more of a hobbyist, having retired from a banking career in the City of London). At the same time, human blood is found at a deserted air hanger, and a young man who apparently witnessed something he shouldnt have is on the run for his life. His girlfriend and her young son are under threat from the people who want to find him, and Annie takes the younger woman under her wing as well as providing protection. The two incidents, of course, gradually blend into a single, rather sprawling case involving illegal slaughtering, a murder committed with a rather bizarre weapon, a deadly crash in a mountain pass that reveals unexpected human body parts, and a wide range of rural crime.

In many ways, this is a somewhat routine adventure for Banks and his crew, but thats not really a criticism. The narrative adheres closely to the real world of police work and that makes it believable. And Robinson does a very professional job of telling the story.
460492
Well that isn't exactly true, i began reading Murder in Lamut by Feist and Joel Rosenburg, which i borrowed from the library after hearing good things about Raymond Feist's books. I have to say i didn't get captivated by it and didn't read much before sending it back. But in Talon of the silver hawk, i could see why so many people like his books. Truth to tell, the story has been done before, and the character is envisioned as almost perfect, but Feist has written the book in such a way that it doesn't really matter. The story has been done before, but i have not actually read any books with this story in, plus, it is my first Feist book, so the world with which so many avid readers are familiar with is a new and fresh one for me.
To counter the fact that Talon of the silver hawk (as the roldemish noble Talwin Hawkins) is virtually perfect, Feist has left Tal with no ability for magic. While this would have been interesting for a while, and amusing to read him blowing people up with enormous fireballs, Feist has done well to leave this out. Coupled with the fact that Through Tal's beginning and training he suffers a lot, faces embarrasment and a broken heart, it shows him as being more human and not as perfect as he later seems.
He is an interesting character to follow, and i have read the second book, "King of foxes" which i recommend to you as well, and i am eagerly awaiting his third book in this series (conclave of shadows) to devour even though it looks as though Tal may be retiring from it.
Overall it is thoroughly enjoyable and will make you want to read the rest of the books. Highly recommended.
3333327
The Alan Furst novels all have this inside close up feel of of war.  Not the raging battles scenes but the personal struggles and frightening situation people find themselves in by accident, association or choice.  Artfully descriptive.
One of the best features in he's stories is that the hero appears to always make it out alive.  I became addicted and have read almost all of his novels.
4897625
This is the second bood from Alan Nayes I have read, the other being Smiladon.  This one tells a good tale with a good plot and interesting characters.
2399114
This is the second volume in Lagercrantzs continuation of the late Stieg Larssons mystery series starring superhacker Lisbeth Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo etc.). As with the first one, I found it to be a worthy extension, though not as complex as Larssons books.

This book has rather less of both Salander (a pity) and Blomkvist (fine with me) than I would have expected based on previous books. The highlights here are two other stories, one of two men who at first seem to have nothing in common but eventually discover a very close connection indeed, and one of a young Islamic woman from Bangladesh who is a fellow prisoner in the jail to which Salander has been sent for a short period in the wake of her previous adventures. The young woman, Faria, is abused by both another prisoner and her ultra-religious family, and Salander determines to rescue her.

Both stories are complex and emotionally involving, and the first one has connections with Salanders own hair-raising background, even though she herself doesnt know the two men. Naturally there are several mysteries to be solved, as well as suspenseful action. The only thing I didn't like about the book was the ending, which seemed both abrupt and puzzling. It wrapped up everything, or almost everything, but it did so in rather a hurry and then set up a cliff-hanger situation for the Swedish (and maybe world) economy that echoed some events early in the book but was not explained or resolved. I suppose its a lead-in to the next book, but thats an authorial trick Im not fond of; writers should have the self-confidence to believe that readers will follow them into the next volume without having to be tortured into doing so.
962880
I like Alan Furst and when the beg. Was slow I knew that I would become involved in the lives of his characters.. I was not disapponted
4640401
I have read a couple of Fursts's previous novels, but this one I listened to on audio.
I don't believe anyone has yet talked about the audio edition.
The one drawback is that it is abridged.  There are times that you sense that something is being left out--description or small details that would enrich the story.
But the reason to listen is for Alfred Molina's reading.  It is nothing less than superb.  I listen to many audiobooks a year.  The reader can make or break a book, sometimes elevating it above its stature on the page.  Mr Molina may well have done this.  He brings a nuance and delicacy of expression to the character voices that brings them immediately to life.  Unlike many audio readers, he handles the variety of accents--German, Italian, French, Scottish--with panache.  There is an underlying sense of melancholy and urgency to his voice, reflecting the tone of the story about desperate men and women trying to fight the rise of fascism.
It is to be hoped that Mr. Molina will record more of Furst's catalog .
1638622
I have read all of the books in this series and I enjoyed this one.  While it is largely a military fantasy, It centers more on the motivations of the characters and their willingness to accept the consequence of their actions.  The title is apt because treachery at several levels  is what the book is about.  The plot detail is convoluted and descriptions of some events and mot;ivations are overly long.  That being said, it is still a great read and I highly recommend it for fans of Modesitt's books.  If you haven't read the earlier books in this series, I recommend a visit to the author's website to see his earlier works before tackling this one. The book ends on a note of sadness and hope which I. in turn, hope indicates that additional titles in this series are forthcoming.
668798
Midnight in Europe is a very good historical spy novel by a veteran writer in the genre. Alan Furst's novel begins in 1937 when Christian Ferrar is visiting New York on business for his internationally trusted law firm, Coudert Freres in Paris. The handsome, intelligent, 40 year old lawyer enjoys his work and finds time to treat himself well to the pleasures of life: good wine, food, women, and travel.

A Spanish migr to France, Ferrar supports the Spanish Republic in its fight against Franco's fascist government in the Spanish Civil War. There is a great deal of turmoil in Europe in 1937 including Hitler's increasing harassment of Jews (and other ethnic groups) and the continuing rise of Mussolini's National Fascist Party in Italy.

When Ferrar returns to Paris and resumes his legal work for wealthy clients, he is brought increasingly into the politics of intrigue and paranoia of Europe on the brink of chaos. The focus of Christian's political interest is on supporting the Spanish Republic in their war efforts by helping the army to obtain weapons. Also, he keeps an eye on the safety of his extended family who live in a town close to Paris.

In his interactions with an international player in criminal and espionage operations, Max DeLeon, Ferrar has a number of adventures that take him to dangerous areas of Europe. His work with Coudert Freres provides some cover for his covert work with Max. In Berlin, Ferrar and Max conduct business with a very frightened arms dealer in a safe house run by a woman with anti-fascist connections. The Berlin Staatspolizei come close to shutting down Max and Ferrar's operation, and the two are investigated as spies against the Reich.

To arrange shipping of weapons, Max and Ferrar travel to Warsaw. Again, they are confronted by fascist authorities and risk imprisonment and execution. Max has a history of engaging in high stakes risky business while Ferrar is a novice. Ferrar shows that he is not only handsome, intelligent, and hedonistic, but is also persistent and courageous, demonstrating grace and resourcefulness in life threatening circumstances.

Ferrar has an interlude with a Comtessa who may be a fascist spy. Christian is not a man easily manipulated by spies and he and Max travel to Odessa to make the final arrangements to deliver arms to the Spanish Republic. They board a Russian ship with an illegal cargo of arms and run a fascist blockade in the Mediterranean on their way to Valencia. The Spanish Civil war is destined to be overcome by Hitler's will to dominate all of Europe.

This is a very good historical spy novel with a likeable and complex main character. There are many interesting historical insights presented in the plot I outlined above. Also, there are many exciting, action filled scenes as Max and Ferrar conduct their operations. Thirteen books in the genre by Furst are listed in the front of this good novel.
(Full Disclosure: this novel was given to me for an honest review as part of the Early Reviewers Program of LibraryThing.com)
2711636
Groaning on my shelf are several espionage novels by Alan Furst. Furst is American born but lived several years in Paris and is thoroughly familiar with European capitals and cultures. Furst';s latest work is ":Mission to Paris.": The book is short and I read it ione day. It is light reading which is sensuously written so as to give the reader a feel for how Paris struck the senses in taste, smell, sight and memory in that ominous year of 1938.
  The plot is not hard to follow. The hero is Hollywood film celebrity Fredrick Stahl. Stahl is a native of Vienna who is in Paris on loan out from his studio to film a French film. He is introduced to high society becoming entrapped by Nazi agents who urge him to visit Berlin for a film festive promoting Nazi mountain films. Along the way Furst has sexual relations with three women  one of whom is a Russian spy. We see how movies were filmed in the Golden Age of Cinema and meet several interesting minor characters. The book is good in explaining the complicated French political doings especially the desire to refrain from war against Nazi Germany. The book moves slowly but has an exciting conclusion. Not a classic but a good read!
654374
In some of his recent novels, Furst has faltered a bit. Still enjoyable, they didn't have quite that same understated panache of his earlier works. Some reviewers remarked that his day had come and gone. Don't believe it. "A Hero of France" stands up to the best of his work. When Furst is hitting his stride, as he is here, we are glad to be along for the journey.
1435692
In "Dry Bones That Dream" Peter Robinson makes a nice comeback. This book is one of the better one in the series, after a couple of disappointing installments.

This time Alan Banks is dealing with the murder of Keith Rothwell, a seemingly dull accountant. Two masked men break into his farmhouse, tie up his wife and daughter, and proceed to blow his head off in the garage. It looks like a professional job, and after an initial investigation it is clear this is not just another murder. The involvement of Dick Burgess from Scotland Yard, a old nemesis of Banks, indicates that this murder has implications far and beyond a local Yorkshire crime.

Things become interesting when Banks follows a lead in Leeds (pardon the word game). A young and attractive woman there insists that the dead Keith Rothwell is none other than Robert Calvert, an extrovert, fun-loving playboy she used to hang out with. The fingerprints from Calvert's apartment in Leeds match those of Rothwell. Can the dull accountant and the playboy be the same person?

The plot is superb. Robinson leads the reader to believe he has "solved" the murder, but leaves the true surprise until the very end. Just what a good crime book should be like.
1509937
The dark, creepy world prior to WWII, reminds me of&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Gangsters-of-Shanghai-An-International-Mystery-Thriller/dp/B00E9MBUY0/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Gangsters of Shanghai - An International Mystery Thriller</a>.  Furst is a master of creating morally ambiguous characters, immersed in a world of spies, femme fatales, refugees and secret police.  Whilst 'Mission to Paris' is not Furst's strongest work, it nevertheless continues the fine tradition he has created with his other novels such as 'Spies of Warsaw', 'Red Gold' 'The Polish Officer' etc.

Furst has a way os putting a chapter's worth of information into a single, short sentence.  He is a delight to read and IMHO one of the best in this genre.  Basically, if Furst published a book of train timetables I would buy it.  He simply is the best at re-creating the late 1930's.  One critic described his work as being like watching 'Casablanca' for the first time.  I must say, I agree. And the great covers with the black and white photos of foggy, nighttime European streets add to the vibe.