This novel takes place in Spain in 1940. The country has
been devastated by the civil war that lasted from 1936-1939. The war was won by
Franco, of the Nationalist Party. Although
Franco received assistance during the war from Germany and Italy, he is
remaining neutral in the war raging across Europe at this time, leading up to World War II. England was
trying to ensure that he remained neutral.
The story centers on four central characters; Harry Brett, who fought for England at the
battle of Dunkirk and was wounded; Sandy Forsyth, who was a schoolmate of Brett’s
in London and is now in Spain doing shady business deals with the regime;
Bernie Piper, another schoolmate who became a Communist and fought on the
Republican (losing) side during the Spanish civil war and disappeared, and
Barbara Clare, a Red Cross worker in Madrid who met and fell in love with
Bernie before he went to war.
Brett is recruited by English Intelligence to spy on Sandy, whose business deals may help Franco become independent of England and perhaps align with Hitler.
When he gets to Madrid, he finds that Sandy is now living with Barbara.
Meanwhile, Barbara has discovered that Bernie is not dead, as had been assumed,
but is in a brutal prison camp. Brett is an uncomfortable spy, Sandy is a
ruthless profiteer, and Barbara is trying to get Bernie out of the camp.
This is not a book I would have chosen to read. It is for my
book club, and I always read them, although I do not always enjoy them. I did
not enjoy this book. None of the
characters were very likeable, and war/espionage is not favorite subject. I did
find the history fascinating, and found myself spending a lot of time looking
up information on Spain and on World War II.
544 pages
