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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Cartoonish characters that do not talk or act like real people. Just bad writing.
This book made me gasp at the twist, which is all you can ask for in a thriller!
Patton is making a pastry when she feels a bullet pass by her head. She figures she knows who is shooting at her, and why, but the person who enters her home isn't who she's expects. Nemo tells her that he just tranquilized one of the people hunting her - and he wants to know what she knows about her neighbor Jasper. Nemo was hired to kill Jasper, but when two other men ransack Jasper's home after he has left, he gets curious. He follows the other men to Patton's house and saves her, but now both of them are in a race with a mysterious woman to find a Nazi communique, use an old Enigma machine to decipher it, and find the treasure it leads to.
There have been a lot of thrillers written about WWII, but this one doesn't feel like it is going over old territory. Perhaps it is because the group going after the treasure consists of a hit man, a former intelligence agent who is a lesbian and her one-time lover, and a civilian who doesn't give up investigating when she receives an unexpected package related to their quest. And of course, the people Patton expected to kill her show up at exactly the wrong (or right?) time as well.
The story is very satisfying and keeps you turning the pages. I did literally gasp at one point (you'll know when you read it). It is a really enjoyable thriller and a history lesson as well.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.
Patton is making a pastry when she feels a bullet pass by her head. She figures she knows who is shooting at her, and why, but the person who enters her home isn't who she's expects. Nemo tells her that he just tranquilized one of the people hunting her - and he wants to know what she knows about her neighbor Jasper. Nemo was hired to kill Jasper, but when two other men ransack Jasper's home after he has left, he gets curious. He follows the other men to Patton's house and saves her, but now both of them are in a race with a mysterious woman to find a Nazi communique, use an old Enigma machine to decipher it, and find the treasure it leads to.
There have been a lot of thrillers written about WWII, but this one doesn't feel like it is going over old territory. Perhaps it is because the group going after the treasure consists of a hit man, a former intelligence agent who is a lesbian and her one-time lover, and a civilian who doesn't give up investigating when she receives an unexpected package related to their quest. And of course, the people Patton expected to kill her show up at exactly the wrong (or right?) time as well.
The story is very satisfying and keeps you turning the pages. I did literally gasp at one point (you'll know when you read it). It is a really enjoyable thriller and a history lesson as well.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
I was so excited to find that Charlie Lovett, a favorite author of mine, had a new book coming out, but I'm sad to say this one fell a little flat for me. I'm used to the other books Lovett has written being mysteries with storylines that take place in the past and the present, and I've always loved that about his other works. The Enigma Affair, however, falls much more into the thriller genre, which isn't really my cup of tea. So through no fault of Mr. Lovett's, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I had hoped I would. However, if you're a fan of WWII mysteries/thrillers, I'd be willing to bet this book would be right up your street!
One note on the fun addition of encrypted text, which I hope won't be spoiler-y: I was expecting something more interesting when I decrypted it, but in the end it was interesting to have a chance to actually use an Enigma emulator after reading so much about the original machine throughout the book.
Many thanks to Blackstone Publishing for the eARC of this novel, provided in exchange for a review.
One note on the fun addition of encrypted text, which I hope won't be spoiler-y: I was expecting something more interesting when I decrypted it, but in the end it was interesting to have a chance to actually use an Enigma emulator after reading so much about the original machine throughout the book.
Many thanks to Blackstone Publishing for the eARC of this novel, provided in exchange for a review.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a pretty fast moving thriller full of twists and turns! The cast of characters grows as the book goes on, so the large ending cast isn’t overwhelming. The tie in to the history is really fascinating, and heartbreaking. And I liked where it ended.
The book was slightly too long, in my opinion. While all the twists were fun, I did find myself saying at one point, how is there still MORE? There was also one torture scene that I really could have done without.
The book was slightly too long, in my opinion. While all the twists were fun, I did find myself saying at one point, how is there still MORE? There was also one torture scene that I really could have done without.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, War
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Book 39 of The 52 Book Club Challenge for 2024
I did really like this book but there were a few things that irritated me enough drop the star rating down a bit. For starters, it was waaaay too long. Good story just too long.
I did really like this book but there were a few things that irritated me enough drop the star rating down a bit. For starters, it was waaaay too long. Good story just too long.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Kidnapping, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
I can't properly "blurb" this book without spoilers, so all I will say is that I was hooked from the page 1 introduction of Patton Harcourt: "Most women who suddenly came under fire in the middle of a Sunday morning bake would be terrified or panicked or at the very least shocked." I now have two Charlie Lovett titles on my everyone-should-read-it list.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review; all opinions are my own.
Genre: Historical Thriller, Historical Fiction, WWII Fiction
Violence Level: Med-high (some grisly scenes but not many)
Spice Level: Med-high (some on the page)
Representation: LGBTQ (one of the primary characters is a lesbian)
Structure: Multi-POV in 3rd-close
Trigger Warnings: WWII descriptions of the holocaust, references to suicide, torture, death, PTSD
What an interesting premise! I really don't want to spoil the surprise for you, so instead, I'll tell you I was on the edge of my seat and was caught off guard several times. Turing and the Enigma machine fascinate me.
What you'll find:
A coded message
A mismatched group thrown together
Traipsing across Europe
White Supremicists
Clues
Thugs
Mysteries
Agendas
Bombs
Art
Books
Charity organization
Lies
I enjoyed this book and figuring out how it would all work out.
Genre: Historical Thriller, Historical Fiction, WWII Fiction
Violence Level: Med-high (some grisly scenes but not many)
Spice Level: Med-high (some on the page)
Representation: LGBTQ (one of the primary characters is a lesbian)
Structure: Multi-POV in 3rd-close
Trigger Warnings: WWII descriptions of the holocaust, references to suicide, torture, death, PTSD
What an interesting premise! I really don't want to spoil the surprise for you, so instead, I'll tell you I was on the edge of my seat and was caught off guard several times. Turing and the Enigma machine fascinate me.
What you'll find:
A coded message
A mismatched group thrown together
Traipsing across Europe
White Supremicists
Clues
Thugs
Mysteries
Agendas
Bombs
Art
Books
Charity organization
Lies
I enjoyed this book and figuring out how it would all work out.
adventurous