Spies of the Balkans

By: Alan Furst

Narrated by: Daniel Gerroll

Historical espionage at its finest by the New York Times bestselling author of The Foreign Correspondent , Alan Furst.

The bestselling author of The Spies of Warsaw returns with a stunning new WWII-era novel of intrigue, danger, and love set in Balkan Greece. Master of espionage fiction Alan Furst transports us to the port city of Salonika, Macedonia in 1940. A novel full of intrigue, passion, and the fierce pride of resistance, and peopled with spies and agents operating from Germany, Britain, Hungary and Yugoslavia, Spies of the Balkans confirms Alan Furst’s status as the undisputed master of historical spy fiction.

Another great book by Furst

Strong characters; plot moves along; fascinating information about Eastern Europe’s experiences in WWII.
Strongly recommend

Most Enjoyable

Most Enjoyable to be sure. Daniel Gerroll's reading was suburb and the story is a good yarn about a slice of WWII that takes place mostly in Thessaloniki, Greece. I've recently spent some time in the Balkans, mostly Albania but always a neat feeling when the story takes place in cities one is familiar with. It's got suspense, love, and danger with the familiar cast of characters you should know and love if you've read other war novels. And there are some great passages of prose mixed in with all the drama. A good read to be sure.

Smart and understated

A very enjoyable read. The historical backdrop is the real star of this book, and you can't help but become involved in the uncertainty and fear that permeated the months leading up to the occupation of Greece. You get a fantastic sense of the relationships, the dynamics and pasts of Balkan countries and the psychology of their peoples. I enjoyed the narration a great deal - a very unusual reading style that you will learn to appreciate as you absorb the book.

Very REAL!!

As you listen to this one, you can practically "hear" the Nazis coming. Character development is exceedingly well done. The "action" is subdued - but completely realistic and believable - as if the writer were actually THERE at the time of the story.

Mr Furst has lost whatever edge he had

I am actually commenting on two books, Mission to Paris and Spies of the Balkans, because my comments are essentially identical. I read quite a few Furst novels over a few years. Then they started feeling a bit stale, so I set them aside. Recently, I tried the two mentioned here. I got through Spies with effort, but had to stop reading Mission. Mr Furst has settled into so much of a pattern that it's impossible to stay interested. Some aspect of European confict in or around WWII. A suave, sophisticated, male European protagonist. A succession of sexually available women. The characters, taken individually, lack real emotional resonance and depth. And taken together they are very much from the same few cookie cutters. Too bad. His first two or three Midnight Soldier novels promised more.
The narrator does his best, but even he seems a little bored on these recent outings.