Wormwood

By: Mark Dawson

Narrated by: Gemma Whelan

What if it wasn't an accident?

1969. Eloise Shepherd, one of MI6's brightest rising stars, is working undercover in Soviet Russia as Magdalina Novikova. Her mission is to persuade nuclear physicist Stanislav Kalashnik to defect and bring his knowledge of Russian weapons back to the UK. On the verge of success, the operation fails suddenly and spectacularly.

Seventeen years later, Kalashnik is Chief Engineer at the power plant near Pripyat known as Chernobyl. His concerns for the safety of the plant are growing. When his views lead to accusations that question his patriotism, he finds himself in a very risky position.

Meanwhile, back in London, Eloise Shepherd's life and career are spinning out of control when she's approached with a one-time offer to redeem herself. The mission: to get Kalashnik over Soviet borders once more. It's an opportunity that could change everything and Eloise knows there's no reward without risk. But she's heading straight towards a danger far greater than she could ever have anticipated.

©2022 Unputdownable Limited (P)2022 Tantor

Not like the Atticus Series

Much too violent for my taste - once I reached the first torture scene I immediately clicked it off…I loved the Atticus Priest series - I was really bummed this was so dissimilar…

Another great addition by Mr. Dawson

4.25 Stars 🌟

First of all, I pretty much love all of Mark Dawson's series. The John Milton series, The Beatrix Rose Series, the Isabella Rose series...and I guess this is a new spin off series set in the same world called the Group Fifteen Files. It isn't until the VERY end of this book that I was able to figure out how in the world that this book fit into any of the existing worlds of any of the previously mentioned series...but I DID figure it out.

This story is set in a couple of different timelines but the crux of the story centers on two particular characters. A British woman working for the Service in the 1960's whose job it was to convince a Russian nuclear submarine scientist to defect to the West and the actual Russian scientist. Without going into spoilers, things do not work out as planned and the book goes from there.

Then the time line moves forward many years and we are somehow thrown back to a situation dealing with these two characters again.

I enjoyed this book. The story was exciting and pulled from the headlines (granted, these headlines occurred n the 1980's, but they still occurred.

As always, I loved then narration done by Gemma Whelan because these books always feature at least one British citizen and I am a sucker for the accent.

The storyline was filled with drama, intrigue and lots of action as things grew to the climax. I'm interested to see where Mr. Dawson goes from here since as a long time reader, I know the ending already or at least how things wind up with Group 15.

It will be fun to see how it became the organization it eventually grew in to - for better or worse.

okay

took to long to get into it. couldn't return so I plowed through. ended up ok do to the fact that it was about Russia and Ukraine

Another Dawson home run

Love his style and characters. I hope there is a follow to this lady Eloise.

More idiotic Commie propaganda

Plot: Chernobyl was a nefarious US plot and the Soviets are imperfect, but the good guy.

Liberals hate the USA.