Scan barcode
jeremyxjones's review against another edition
3.0
Not bad, I liked mission to Paris more. I am still all for the anti fascist spy books. He’s not Le Carre though.
kanejim57's review against another edition
4.0
A wide-ranging piece, set in an area of the world that did not get much coverage in my history classes but was, and is, just as important in understanding WW2 and what led up to it. A cast of characters novel, this one is, instead of having a main character as in some of the other novels in this series.
jacki_f's review against another edition
4.0
Set in Salonika, Greece during the early years of World War 2, this is the story of a police official called Costa Zannis who gets involved in helping Jews to escape from Germany through Greece into Turkey. There are also a number of sub-plots - a couple of which end inconclusively - and a semi-plausible romance. There are times that the narrative feels disjointed or bitsy. Nevertheless the reader's attention is held because the characters are so rich and the setting (both geographically and historically) are so interesting, with an undercurrent of menace throughout. Greece is on the cusp of invasion and tensions are high.
This is my first Alan Furst novel. I thought it was similar in style to Philip Kerr's excellent Bernie Gunther series and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
This is my first Alan Furst novel. I thought it was similar in style to Philip Kerr's excellent Bernie Gunther series and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
meghan111's review against another edition
4.0
Elegant way to learn a little about Greece in the Second World War. Structured in a low-key, episodic style, this never picks up into an intricate thrill ride of a spy story, but I enjoyed the protagonist Zannis and his mountain sheep dog Melissa. Zannis is a 'fixer' in the city of Salonika, the guy on the police department who is called to handle the most delicate problems with discretion and the help of a large number of contacts, a network of sorts.
barts_books's review against another edition
4.0
If I could offer one criticism of this book then its brevity. Furst creates his most engaging, likeable character in the most atmospheric early 40's Balkan setting but we only get sub-300 pages and numerous intriguing plots are left unresolved. Finally he then leaves his fate on an absolute knife-edge and to date there is no sequel. Damn you Alan, damn you!
Spies of the Balkans is 40's film noir in text. You can almost picture the scenes in grainy black and white as Thessaloniki police detective Costa Zannis deftly shifts his way through an extremely fluid and dangerous geo-political picture following a chance 4am encounter with a German spy.
As stated above Zannis is a marvellous character. In love with this colossal sheep dog, his family, his city, his job and lets be honest, numerous ladies. He is both Oskar Schindler, helping German-Jews escape Berlin in a convoluted Underground railroad-esque system, and British Agent, assisting his ex-girlfriend's Oxbridge colleagues in increasingly dangerous covert missions.
This is one of the finest additions to Alan Furst's Night Solider series.
4.5 stars.
Spies of the Balkans is 40's film noir in text. You can almost picture the scenes in grainy black and white as Thessaloniki police detective Costa Zannis deftly shifts his way through an extremely fluid and dangerous geo-political picture following a chance 4am encounter with a German spy.
As stated above Zannis is a marvellous character. In love with this colossal sheep dog, his family, his city, his job and lets be honest, numerous ladies. He is both Oskar Schindler, helping German-Jews escape Berlin in a convoluted Underground railroad-esque system, and British Agent, assisting his ex-girlfriend's Oxbridge colleagues in increasingly dangerous covert missions.
This is one of the finest additions to Alan Furst's Night Solider series.
4.5 stars.
spaffrackett's review against another edition
3.0
His human and capable protagonist seems a stock character, used in his other books but I still found myself caring for what happened to him. Quick easier reading and at times effortlessly suave.
heritage's review against another edition
3.0
A high-ranking police officer in Greece gets caught up in espionage and anti-Nazi activities in the months leading up to the invasion of Greece by Germany during World War II.
After reading most of Alan Furst's novels about spies in World War II, one has a sense of what to expect: great atmosphere, sex, espionage, history, intrigue, inevitability. It seems unusual, then, for Furst to fumble the novel when he's done it so well so many times before. That's not to say the novel is without merit--it does open and close well--but it seems lacking when compared to his others.
For starters, I think he tried to copy Kingdom of Shadows in the basic premise of the novel: living in the time period leading up to the inevitable invasion. And, like Kingdom of Shadows, it is also one of his least plot-intensive ones. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to capture the atmosphere, intrigue, and romance that makes him so renown. Indeed, the mission to Paris in the middle smacks of contrived conveniences and inconveniences, and the whole love affair is halfheartedly written. Even the dog seems forced in there just to add filler.
It's not a bad novel, but merely okay. Perhaps a reader new to Furst's writing would be better off seeking out The World at Night, Dark Voyage, Blood of Victory, or The Foreign Correspondent instead.
After reading most of Alan Furst's novels about spies in World War II, one has a sense of what to expect: great atmosphere, sex, espionage, history, intrigue, inevitability. It seems unusual, then, for Furst to fumble the novel when he's done it so well so many times before. That's not to say the novel is without merit--it does open and close well--but it seems lacking when compared to his others.
For starters, I think he tried to copy Kingdom of Shadows in the basic premise of the novel: living in the time period leading up to the inevitable invasion. And, like Kingdom of Shadows, it is also one of his least plot-intensive ones. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to capture the atmosphere, intrigue, and romance that makes him so renown. Indeed, the mission to Paris in the middle smacks of contrived conveniences and inconveniences, and the whole love affair is halfheartedly written. Even the dog seems forced in there just to add filler.
It's not a bad novel, but merely okay. Perhaps a reader new to Furst's writing would be better off seeking out The World at Night, Dark Voyage, Blood of Victory, or The Foreign Correspondent instead.
alexsiddall's review against another edition
4.0
Furst brings to life an otherwise neglected place and time in the history of WW2, with his usual fine writing, clever plotting, and believable period detail. The subsidiary characters remain ciphers (for the most part), and the sex scenes lack conviction - I get the feeling he puts them in because they're part of the formula. An enjoyable and educational read nonetheless, and I'll be looking to read my third Furst in due course.
banjax451's review against another edition
4.0
not the best Furst novel, but still very good - and a "very good" Furst is better than 90% of the other drivel out there