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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
I really liked this book and look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.
Max comes home from the war, having been a fighter pilot who was also a POW. His father dies in France and while he and his brother are in Paris to collect his body Max realises that his father's death was no accident.
He decides to stay in Paris to find out what happened, he is helped by Sam who was his mechanic during the war.
The characters are well written, the pace is good and you get caught up in all the politics and wondering who are the good people and who aren't.
Definitely a book to read if you like spy adventure novels.
Max comes home from the war, having been a fighter pilot who was also a POW. His father dies in France and while he and his brother are in Paris to collect his body Max realises that his father's death was no accident.
He decides to stay in Paris to find out what happened, he is helped by Sam who was his mechanic during the war.
The characters are well written, the pace is good and you get caught up in all the politics and wondering who are the good people and who aren't.
Definitely a book to read if you like spy adventure novels.
I did enjoy this book. I think I read in another review, it's like a grown up Biggles from my childhood. Fast paced, a bit of a simplistic 'stiff upper lip' view of the English. I would have given 4 stars but I've given 3 as I didn't like that it just stopped. I like books to be stand alone and not lead into the next in the series. It's like those awful Lord of the Rings films, one was a start, the other the middle and the final one the end. I have not read those books and they may follow them, if they do, I wouldn't like them either.
Interesting, enjoyable, but spoilt by the words To Be Continued at the end.
Yes, I know it forms part of a trilogy, but usually these are also capable of standing alone as novels. Now I'll have to wait for my local library to stock the next two parts.
Yes, I know it forms part of a trilogy, but usually these are also capable of standing alone as novels. Now I'll have to wait for my local library to stock the next two parts.
Shelfari Description:
A thrilling espionage story set in Paris after the First World War, full of classic Goddard double crosses and triple twists. 1919. The eyes of the world are on the city of Paris where diplomats, politicians, spies and opportunists have gathered to discuss the fate of Germany in the aftermath of the cataclysm that was the First World War. In such circumstances, the last thing the British diplomatic community need is the untimely death of one of their delegation. So when Sir Henry Maxted falls from the roof of his mistress’ apartment block in mysterious circumstances, their first instinct is to sanitize any unexplained aspects to his death. But his son ex Royal Flying Corps ace, James ‘Max’ Maxted, has other ideas. He resolves to get to the bottom of Sir Henry’s death - even if it does mean disturbing the impression of harmonious calm which the negotiating teams have worked so hard to maintain. In a city where nations are jostling for position at the crossroads of history and stakes are very high, it is difficult to tell who is a friend and who is a foe. And Max will soon discover how much he needs friends.
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would seeing that Historical Fiction isn't usually something I like. At first I thought it was a bit overly descriptive, but quickly got over that and settled into the amazing adventure. I will most definitely continue the series.
A thrilling espionage story set in Paris after the First World War, full of classic Goddard double crosses and triple twists. 1919. The eyes of the world are on the city of Paris where diplomats, politicians, spies and opportunists have gathered to discuss the fate of Germany in the aftermath of the cataclysm that was the First World War. In such circumstances, the last thing the British diplomatic community need is the untimely death of one of their delegation. So when Sir Henry Maxted falls from the roof of his mistress’ apartment block in mysterious circumstances, their first instinct is to sanitize any unexplained aspects to his death. But his son ex Royal Flying Corps ace, James ‘Max’ Maxted, has other ideas. He resolves to get to the bottom of Sir Henry’s death - even if it does mean disturbing the impression of harmonious calm which the negotiating teams have worked so hard to maintain. In a city where nations are jostling for position at the crossroads of history and stakes are very high, it is difficult to tell who is a friend and who is a foe. And Max will soon discover how much he needs friends.
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would seeing that Historical Fiction isn't usually something I like. At first I thought it was a bit overly descriptive, but quickly got over that and settled into the amazing adventure. I will most definitely continue the series.
A cracking historical mystery with great characters.
I lost interest in this book about halfway through it. Shortly after WWI, former RAF flyer James Maxted ("Max") learns that his father has died under suspicious circumstances. He is asked by his mother to look into what happened. He visits Paris to find out about his diplomat father's final days, and is stonewalled by the police and others. He persists and finds that his father was murdered, and that his death may be related to an elusive German spymaster.
De jonge Britse James 'Max' Maxted, voormalig RFC/RAF-piloot uit de Eerste Wereldoorlog, vertrekt eind maart 1919 naar Parijs in verband met het onverwachte overlijden van zijn vader, Sir Henry Maxted, aldaar tijdens diens deelname aan een internationale vredesconferentie. De dood van Sir Henry, een hooggeplaatst Brits diplomaat, wordt door de Franse autoriteiten afgedaan als een bizar ongeval, maar Max accepteert deze officiële lezing niet, gaat zelf op onderzoek uit en belandt daardoor in de levensgevaarlijke wereld van politieke intriges en spionage...
Een vlot leesbaar en onderhoudend verhaal met voldoende spanning. 3½ ster.
Een vlot leesbaar en onderhoudend verhaal met voldoende spanning. 3½ ster.
An intriguing story told tediously. Author does a lot of unnecessary padding with street names crossing other street names or the colors of the fabric flecks in the tweed, e.g. By doing so, he managed to turn an approximate 50 chapter book into 75! And then, darn it all, he ended with such a come hither luring ending that I now have to put myself through the tedium of the next book in the series. Thank heavens for audiobooks; I can let the superfluous padding flow over me. But, if you have a low tolerance for wordiness, beware!
It had a slow start, I'll admit. The action is slow building and there is more mystery than anything else. The ending was pretty anti climatic, but that's to be expected because this is a series. Strangely enjoyable and I'll continue reading to see what's going to happen.
Entertaining, for sure, but not sure that I'm interested enough in the characters to seek out the sequel.