BEST OF ENEMIES

Prepare to rethink everything you thought you knew about World War Two.

1940, Britain’s darkest hour and as Naval Intelligence officer Tom Belvoir negotiates the corridors of power he hears the murmured talk of surrender.

Desperate times call for truly desperate measures, an extreme operation and the ultimate sacrifice, in a plot which will change the course of history.

Now, seventy years later, what secrets are still too dangerous to be talked about today?

Fatherland meets Smiley’s world of bureaucracy and deception in a book which will make you question the history you’ve been told.

This was not at all what I expected and I’m so delighted by it. Unlike so many WW2 themed novels that consume pages trying to create evocative images of (usually) London under siege shrouded in the gloom of blackouts and wracked with nervousness, Iain dives straight in and layers scenes plucked from decades apart which pull you into the characters lives so convincingly that you barely sense the 70 year space between the two narratives. Like reading excerpts from the diaries of two strangers from years apart and suddenly realising that they are about to converge in a starting epiphany. This is a very easy read but that is because it’s so cleverly crafted; your perceptions and your political allegiances will be challenged by this story which is history, intrigue and modern day commentary woven into one masterpiece. Le Carre meets Dan Snow! A great book to read on the daily commute but you could miss your stop!