The Swiss Spy

Spy Masters, Book 2

De: Alex Gerlis

Narrado por: Derek Perkins

It's not unusual for spies to have secrets, but Henry Hunter has more than most, and after he is stopped by British Intelligence at Croydon airport on the eve of the Second World War, he finds that he has even more. From Switzerland he embarks on a series of increasingly perilous missions into Nazi Germany, all while having to cope with different identities and competing spymasters. In March 1941 in Berlin, haunted by a dark episode from his past, he makes a fateful decision, resulting in a dramatic journey to the Swiss frontier with a shocking outcome. The Swiss Spy is set against the real-life backdrop of the top-secret Nazi plans to invade the Soviet Union. The story paints an authentic picture of life inside wartime Europe: the menacing atmosphere, the ever-present danger, and the constant intrigue of the world of espionage.

©2015 Alex Gerlis (P)2015 Tantor

Great WWII spy fiction

the author goes through great pains to make this book as historically accurate as possible

Very enjoyable

I like a good spy vs spy...especially one set in War 2. This was nicely written and narrated.

Old Fashioned Spy Novel

It kept me going, with some surprises. Great book for this genre around Nazi Germany.

Solid read

What did you love best about The Swiss Spy?

Always nice to have new additions to the WWII spy genre, I believe.

What did you like best about this story?

Fairly unique story.

Have you listened to any of Derek Perkins’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No.

Loved it

Alex Gerlis has the great talent of creating unlikeable characters whom I root for. This was an excellent mix of history and fiction, a spy story and a story of atonement (almost). I enjoyed every moment.

Mr. Perkins' narration was equally superb. He didn't just read the book, he performed it. I will make sure to look for more of his work.

Another learning experience

I have enjoyed two books by this author. I am a person who does not deem it necessary to have detailed romance scenes or bad language. The later of taking the Lords name in vain occurred repeatably towards the end of the book...not necessary to understand the intensity of the moments described. Why do people do this? Ever hear anyone say for example "George Washington" as an expletive?

Same fate for all Spies

well, I was certainly entertained and found the story exciting. I have to give the author credit for amazing historical research. However, SPOILER ALERT, don't get too emotionally invested with the characters, they all end up dead as in his previous book.

Excellent WWII espionage novel!

This realistic and gritty historic espionage novel is set mostly in Germany during the early years of WWII. If one is looking for a story where the heroic protagonist is always successful, one should look elsewhere because this novel is about real life. British journalist Alex Gerlis has written an outstanding novel.

Another winner for Gerlis

I have listened to three of Gerlis’s spy novels and enjoyed each of them.
The background info all makes sense and the plots are realistic and captivating. I await his next novel.

Reveals the Germans Mindset

I think this may be the first WWII novel that I have read that reveals the every day life of average Germans in the early days of the war. It certainly doesn't pull any punches. Most citizens were complicit, according to Gerlis, in the evil reign of the Nazi party.

Gerlis does a wonderful job recreating the oppressing and fearful atmosphere of living in In Nazi Germany. It's why I gave it 4 stars. But it is also why it is so tragic to read.

You should not read this if you are simply wanting an escape. Because in Nazi Germany there was no escape.