Agent Dmitri - Emil Draitser - Guest Book Review

Published by Duckworth

Guest review by Mandy Jenkinson

Dmitri Bystrolyotov was one of the Great Illegals, a group of Soviet spies operating in the West between the two world wars. He was recruited in the 1920s and went on to lead a quite extraordinary life. He was a larger-than-life figure, courageous, charismatic, a master of seduction (he invented the modern “honey trap”), handsome, resourceful, and above all a committed Communist, dedicated to the service of his motherland.

Much of the trajectory of his life as a spy seems stranger than fiction, and that, for me, was one of the problems of this book. Emil Draitser has done an impressive amount of painstaking research, but still relies in part on Bystrolotov’s own memoirs, and Bystrolyotov is an unreliable narrator par excellence. He contacted the author back in the 1970s shortly before Draitser’s emigration hoping he would take on the task of writing his biography. Thirty years later and with increased access to the archives after the fall of the Soviet Union, Draitser set about the task. He admits to not being able to verify some of the events, but too often allows himself the luxury of speculating. Reconstructed conversations (which always sound false and stilted), cod psychological explanations of Bystrolyotov’s motives and actions, too much reliance on the memoirs, all made me distrustful.

Reading the tagline “The Secret History of Russia’s Most Daring Spy”, I expected the book to be more thrilling and exciting than it actually is. I was soon bored by the accounts of one incredible exploit after another. I found the book more interesting after Bystrolyotov’s ill-advised return to the Soviet Union, where instead of being feted for all he had done for his country, he fell foul of Stalin’s paranoia and was arrested and sent to the Gulag. His ordeal in the far North makes for some gripping reading. But essentially I just couldn’t engage with this man. He never truly came alive for me. Perhaps that’s inevitable with someone who spent much of his life pretending to be someone he wasn’t, and just as it’s impossible to really enter the heart and mind of many another super-spy, such as Kim Philby, perhaps such a biography is always doomed to partial failure. I would have liked to see more illustrations, but perhaps theses weren’t available.

Nevertheless, in spite of my reservations, this is an intriguing look into the world of high-level espionage, and a glimpse, at least, into the secretive world of Soviet intelligence. A pity about the lurid cover, though, one hardly appropriate for a serious biography.


Many thanks to Mandy for reading and reviewing this novel for The Little Reader Library. Mandy is an omnivorous reader who enjoys reviewing, for newbooks magazine as well as elsewhere, and enjoys discovering new authors.

The Ambassador's Daughter - Pam Jenoff

'Nothing is ever quite the same after you've been elsewhere, is it?'

We meet Margot Rosenthal and her father in London, and follow them to Paris in 1919, where her academic Papa Professor Rosenthal is assisting in an advisory capacity as a diplomat with the conference where the world's leaders have come together to try and move forwards after World War I. The bulk of the story is set in Paris and Versailles, and the final part is set back in Berlin, where Margot's Jewish family is from.

It is her days in Paris that will change Margot's life and her view of the world. There she meets Krysia, an enigmatic pianist who Margot is drawn to, feeling lonely and seeking friendship in this unfamiliar city where she is still regarded by many as the enemy. She also meets Captain Georg Richwalder, a handsome young naval officer who served in the war and is now working with the German delegation at the conference. There is an immediate and strong mutual attraction between Margot and Georg, but Margot holds back, feeling guilty that back home, her wounded fiancé Stefan is waiting for her. She is torn between her duty and commitment to him, made in haste pre-war, and the newfound, more passionate emotions she feels for Georg. She spends many hours working with him, assisting with translating some key documents.

Through the changes in Georg, as observed by Margot, Pam Jenoff writes perceptively of how innocent young men were irrevocably changed by their experiences in the war:

'"I was studying at university when the war broke out." His eyes have a faraway look and his voice sounds like mine when I speak of travel. I see him then as a boy, wide-eyed and bright with a future in front of him. He is so broken now, like so many others. I am seized by the urge to take him into my arms. Can he be healed or is he too far gone?'

Georg is only in his mid twenties now, but feels like an older, broken man in some ways. His work at the conference has given him some purpose again, as he searches desperately for some good to have come from the war; 'It has to have meant something, doesn't it?' The story also touches on the restrictions on a woman's life and choices back then. 

Margot is very close to her father, her mother having passed away years before as she understands it. Yet she suspects that her father keeps things from her, as she herself has now begun to keep things from him. Their relationship is subject to much change and damage as the story unfolds. 

'There is no one in the world to whom I feel closer than Papa. Yet despite our deep affection, there are vast areas of darkness, things unsaid, parts of ourselves that we cannot share. Once upon a time the idea of keeping secrets from Papa was unfathomable...Our trust is a thread that, once pulled at, is swiftly unraveling.'

Margot makes for a flawed, passionate, interesting and at times frustrating lead character. The narrative is written in the first-person, so we have only her take on everything, and she is at times very independent, yet at other times quite naïve and uncertain of herself. Her inadvertent mention to new acquaintances introduced to her via Krysia of matters that she ought to have kept to herself leads to her being blackmailed and becoming embroiled in deception involving those she cares about, leading to a heavy sense of guilt and anxiety.

Her relative youth and inexperience is reflected in the way she struggles to commit to one course of action, and a lot of the narrative has her debating internally as to what course she ought to take. When her fiancé Stefan re-enters her life, there is a sense that he is a 'long outstanding bill, now come due', a rushed commitment in her past, made too quickly due to the war, that she now feels obliged to fulfill, not through feelings of love but through duty and guilt. I could sympathise to some extent about her indecision though, and her conflicting feelings; after all, she is only twenty years old. By the end of the story though, she begins at last to find her own strength.

Although I wasn’t sure about aspects of the events towards the end - one in particular felt just too convenient in a way - overall I did really enjoy becoming immersed in this historical tale with its romance and mystery; I was intrigued as to what path Margot would take, and how the different plots that made up the novel would develop and conclude. In particular it was interesting to read something set at this pivotal time in history, and in these history-laden cities, facing up to the aftermath of the Great War. There is a hint that Georg, so unhappy by the conference’s conclusions, is leaning towards certain sympathies in Germany at that time, and bearing in mind Margot’s religion, I wonder if this is taken up again in Kommandant’s Girl, to which this novel is the prequel, and which I will try to read one day.

This is a good tale weaving together a key point in history with romance, mystery, desire and love versus loyalty and duty, with lies and secrets, dangerous encounters, and self-discovery; a young woman finding herself, making friends, learning who she can and cannot trust, and falling in love. It boasts an attractive, atmospheric cover design, too.

Published by Harlequin Mira

Thanks to Sophie at ED PR for kindly sending me a copy of this novel to read and give an honest review.

You can find the author on twitter @PamJenoff and visit her website here.

Dominion - C. J. Sansom

‘They can’t do this. Not here, not in England.’

Imagine a Britain with a recent past that is quite unlike the one we know…

It is 1952, and Britain has taken a different direction; an alternative history prevails here. One that sees Britain allied with Germany, Churchill not Prime Minister but instead a wanted man who is relegated to leading the British Resistance movement, Britain having surrendered to Nazi Germany in the war that began in 1939 after only one year. The government consists of right-wing fascists, appeasers and businessmen. There are ‘Nazi fingers in every dark corner of the state.’ There is no freedom of the press or unions, and protestors to the regime are dealt with harshly by the cruel Auxiliary police. There are rumours that British Jews may be moved to detention camps soon.

David Fitzgerald is a civil servant in the Dominions Office. He is also a spy for the Resistance. Sarah, David’s wife, is a pacifist like her father. She mourns, as David does, for the son they lost in a tragic accident. She seems opposed to the violence that the Resistance is increasingly turning to in order to make themselves heard. David argues: ‘What are people supposed to do? We’ve let it all go. Democracy, independence, freedom.’ Alongside their greater personal struggles, there is the question of whether their marriage can survive all that they have been through.

Frank Muncaster is a research scientist who has recently been shut away in a mental hospital. He has attracted the interest of both the Resistance and the Germans. What caused this quiet man to push his older brother Edgar through the window of his flat, what did Edgar say to him? Edgar had come back home to England from his job as a prominent scientist in America after their mother died, to deal with her affairs. What is the secret which Frank now knows, and why is it of such great importance to all sides? In fleshing out Frank’s background, the novel touches on public schools, spiritualism, and loneliness.

Gunther Hoth is the determined, driven Gestapo Sturmbannfuehrer brought over to England with a mission to track down Frank and discover just what he knows.

An array of strong characters represents the viewpoints of all sides. From those fighting for the resistance, to pacifists, to supporters of the government, to those who choose to look the other way and do nothing, to Germans, all are brought into the story, and so many carry weighty secrets. Barriers are broken down as Resistance fighters from all backgrounds come together to provide a network of safety and assistance to each other.

The world is unrecognizable. Will British values survive? Will Britain follow the lead of Germany in the abhorrent treatment of Jews? There is such fear on the streets. People are encouraged to spy on their neighbours, to report any suspicious activity. Those in power control all the news reported on the radio, television and in the press.

For David, there is the stark realization that he longs to believe none of this is real, but it is:

‘He understood suddenly how much of him, all this time, had remained anchored to the world he had been brought up in and longed, deep inside, to believe still existed: Britain, his country, dull and self-absorbed, ironic even about it’s own prejudices. But that Britain was gone, had instead turned into a place where an authoritarian government in league with Fascist thugs thrived on nationalist dreams of Empire, on scapegoats and enemies. And he was now, irrevocably, an enemy.’

London is heavy with smog, the gloom adding intensity to the frightening atmosphere, not knowing who is hiding where, who will appear out of the night?

There is tension throughout and this builds dramatically towards the thrilling finale as the assembled group of diverse characters we have come to know and cheer for must fight for their lives.

C. J. Sansom is masterful at creating and sustaining suspense; at making you turn the page, leaving you wanting more. He did this in Winter in Madrid and has done it again here. I found this a compulsive, frightening thriller; it is exciting, gripping stuff that had me turning the pages very quickly, fearful of what was to come and yet desperate to find out. The author re-writes history and depicts these momentous events so convincingly through the lives of these ordinary people, these ‘brave people with secrets’. Powerful themes run through this novel; most dominant are the divides of class, nationality, race and religion.

A thrilling and astounding re-imagining of our recent past.

Reviewed by Lindsay Healy

Published by Mantle, an imprint of Pan Macmillan

Here's a link to an article by the author about this book.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this novel to read and review.

Run Rabbit Run (Sophie Green Mysteries 5) - Kate Johnson

'I had to fall in love with someone who gets nearly killed three times a year.'

Sophie is an ex-spy who is having a very bad day indeed. She was the last person at the scene of the murder of an MI5 officer and despite her protested innocence, everything points to her being guilty of the crime; he was shot with her gun, and her fingerprints are found in his office. Now she's on the run, and trying to discover who has set her up.

Her boyfriend Luke Sharpe works for MI6, and he swore he'd never get involved with a woman like Sophie, but then: 'Hurricane Sophie had blown into his life, the levees had cracked, and a lifetime of emotion had unleashed itself...now the strength of his feelings terrified him'. He has fallen in love with her, and sets about trying to help her find out what has happened. 

Sophie meets Jack in a very entertaining way. He is wanted for a crime in the USA that seems all too similar to what Sophie is alleged to have done. Could the same person or people have set them both up? And can Jack be trusted? 

I think Sophie is a very likeable, highly entertaining and fun character, and despite the amount of trouble she seems to attract and the sometimes rather daft actions she takes, you get the feeling she would be a very interesting person to be around, and life would certainly never seem to be boring with her. She watches 'Buffy as a kind of therapy.' Sometimes she acts before she thinks, making her dangerous too. When a friend asks Luke if he intends to marry Sophie, the thoughts that run through his head give us a detailed picture of this larger than life lady who he loves:

'She was a lunatic. She had no prospects, even when she wasn't on the run. His family hated her. She was fast-mouthed and sharp-tongued and soft-hearted, and she'd turn his home into a lost-cat sanctuary given half a chance. She was young, irresponsible, bright, mad, and everything he'd spent his life ordering himself to believe he'd never wanted.'

The story concentrates alternately on Sophie's escapades, and then on what Luke is getting up to. The writer develops both characters, so we have both a heroine and hero whose points of view we get to know in this story. There is always something happening to keep the reader interested. I love how they travelled around and so we get many different locations in the story. There is also some lovely witty humour at times. This is a romantic story with two handsome heroes and a good deal of adventure and mystery woven in. I would have liked it to be perhaps a little bit more intricate on the mystery side and perhaps a little tighter in the middle, but the novel for the most part is fast-paced and Kate Johnson keeps us guessing and interested in what is coming next.

As mentioned in the title, this is number five in the Sophie Green mysteries series. I haven't read the other books in the series, but I enjoyed this one very much without any knowledge of her previous encounters. There are occasional mentions of past episodes in her life and career which adds a bit of background for those of us who are new to her adventures having only started with this book.

A fun read full of antics, dilemmas, disguises, mystery and romance featuring 'the stubborn, contrary, brilliant, corkscrew-brained entity know as Sophie Green.' 

Published by ChocLit and available now in paperback and ebook formats.


You can follow the author on twitter @K8johnsonauthor and visit her blog and website here.

Thank you very much to the publisher for sending me an ebook of this novel to read and review.


3.5/5

The Berlin Crossing - Kevin Brophy

Michael Ritter is mourning the loss of his country. It is three years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and life in the former East Germany is changing at a rapid rate. As a loyal Party member under the previous regime, he is viewed with suspicion and distrust by the new Western incomers with their capitalist system, and the dislike is mutual. He finds himself removed from the job he loves, as an English teacher in Brandenburg;  suddenly his previous achievements mean nothing and he finds himself surplus to requirements. Then, when attending to his dying mother, she utters about how he should speak to a man, Pastor Bruck, to find out about the father he’s never known, he finds himself feeling lost, as though he doesn’t belong anywhere anymore. As he delves deeper into the past, looking to find the man and the history that lies behind his mother's final few words, the narrative takes us back to 1962, to London and the divided Berlin then, and to a dangerous mission undertaken by a young Irishman. We learn about Michael's mother Petra in her younger years, and the risks she and Pastor Bruck took during those dangerous times, when anyone could be spying on your every move, day or night. Michael has to deal with what he has discovered, to heal personal wounds as his once divided country also begins to heal, and he must face up to how this all affects his life now.

I love, and am intrigued by, novels dealing with this setting and time period. This was a really good read, and the author has evidently done his research in writing about these remarkable times. As detailed at the end of the book, he spent time speaking to many citizens of the former GDR, hearing their personal stories. The two elements of the story woven together here, from 1962 and 1993, are both fascinating, though I was drawn more deeply into the events set in the past. I would definitely read more by this author in the future.

4/5


Published in the UK by Headline Review on 5th January 2012

Sektion 20 - Paul Dowswell

This is a wonderful, compelling young adult novel, portraying life in the former East Germany from the point of view of a teenage boy who is beginning to struggle to deal with all the constraints that that society imposed on the cultural and lifestyle choices of its’ inhabitants. Alex and his sister Geli live in East Berlin in 1972 and are trying to grow and develop their own interests, his in music and hers in photography, but under the restrictive rules of the socialist realist dictates of the DDR rulers. Their parents Frank and Gretchen have tried to live by the rules and adhere to the desired behaviour, being loyal party members. Alex meets Sophie at school, and together they quietly share their disgruntlement at the freedom of thought and expression denied to them in their country, which those in the West enjoy as of right. The less than entirely loyal behaviour exhibited by Alex attracts the attention of the Stasi, the state security services in East Germany. He learns that he must be on his guard, as anyone, anywhere, at any time, could be watching and listening. As the whole family becomes endangered, a thrilling turn of events changes their lives forever. The novel’s title, as explained on the inside cover of the novel, refers to the department within the Stasi that dealt with subversives who indulged in forbidden music, books, television and ideas. There are other stories weaved cleverly within the main one, with Geli worried about the strange changes to her athlete friend Lili’s personality and appearance, and the mysterious background of Stasi man Erich Kohl.

A superbly written and thoroughly researched story, bringing to life the worries, fears, and desires of the average citizien in the former DDR. The reader is transported into that world, where you cannot trust your dearest friend in case they too have been brought under the control of the Stasi and are required to spy and report on you. Where there is a wall that keeps you in, away from the opportunities and choices in the West, and where to try and leave, to attempt escape, means a treacherous disloyalty to your state which could result in your death. Agonizingly Alex and Sophie watch birds flying overhead, going to places they themselves can never freely visit. The author accurately portrays the different aspects of DDR life which meant that some citizens were happy there, in that certain things were well provided for, all were employed and so on, and makes it clear that it is not a black and white issue in comparing East and West. A brilliant novel set in a fascinating place and time, and I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

5/5

Visit the author's website to find out more about this and his other work.