Mikhal Lammeck is an historian, writer and a teacher in Scotland, oh and he trains the military to work behind enemy lines. I’m reading another second world war novel, but this one has a twist.
An assassin has landed in America and she has a contract to assassinate the president, FDR. Mikhal is rushed to the U.S. to help the secret service stop her. She can adapt to her surroundings, she is highly skilled, motivated and a seasoned assassin and she eliminates people in her way. Can Mikhal and the secret service find her in time?
Mikhal’s character was surprising. I was expecting a James Bond sort of chap, perhaps even a Die Hard style, John McClane fighting his way to a conclusion. I got neither. Mikhal knows his history, has intelligence many would envy, but it wasn’t ‘we have a problem’ and then a few days later job sorted, oh and my dry cleaning bill will be a tad expensive. Instead patience, team work, lead following and hunches, plus a limited freedom to act were littered across the pages.
As well as bringing home how fragile life can be, the book painted a fantastic picture of Washington and FDR during the last days of the war. His life, his illness, his strength and the wider political picture and implications. The author where possible stayed true to historical facts and I was rewarded with a book more interesting.
Small details contributed to a rich novel. From the historical research of the period, to the layers surrounding the characters and the rich descriptions. He didn’t just drink a mug of coffee at a police station. It wasn’t just a pint of beer at a pub, and neither were the boxes of files just sorted through. The attention to detail throughout, built a better world and thus better novel.
The assassin herself was given a decent back story. You tried to understand her motivations, as well as following her progress.
The book didn’t shy aware from the awful racism of yesterday; it didn’t try and hide from the awful reality of that era. The assassin being a female also showed equality. It took racist and gender issues and made them powerful aspects of the book.
This book was far better than I expected. It was enjoyable and held plenty of surprises throughout.
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