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celtic67's review against another edition
5.0
This was a very entertaining book. It is the story of Luke, a foundling, who is left at the doors of an English convent when he was supposed to die. Fast forward 25 years, his mentor Sister Agnes is murdered and an attempt is made on Luke's life and he is saved by the man who is meant to kill him. This plunges Luke into an adventure which rages across Europe. As Luke struggles to find out who wants him dead, about his past and his future, if he has any. This is worthwhile read , the writing is excellent and it keeps the reader turning the pages. Thanks to lovereading.co.uk , author and publishers for the ARC.
jmatkinson1's review against another edition
5.0
Luke Hamilton is an air force pilot temporarily attached to the British Embassy in Paris on the eve of the War. He receives news that the nun who cared for him as an orphan before his adoption has been brutally murdered and plans to return to England for the funeral. Before he can do so an attempt is made on his life and so he flees to Switzerland aided by Borodin, a man hired to kill him but who changes his mind at the last minute. Luke becomes involved with a group smuggling scientists out of Nazi Germany and from there flees to Venice where the truth about his background becomes clear.
Written as a precise, the plot for this novel sounds preposterous with a series of coincidences and chance meetings that are at best implausible. however in the hands of Mills the reader is just carried along on a wave of excitement and a desire to read further - this is book that needs to be devoured. Under all the flash there is an interesting story which looks at various aspects of politics in the 1930s - the Spanish Civil War, the rise of Nazism and anti-semitic acts, the troubles in the Balkans, changes to Italy with Mussolini and the behaviour of the British in Afghanistan - and whilst they are woven into the narrative, there is a sense of enlightening the reader as well. This is the first book by Mark Mills that I have read and I was drawn to it by the reviews I read elsewhere, I don't normally pick up this genre but I'm glad I did with this one - it's a thrilling tale told engagingly.
Written as a precise, the plot for this novel sounds preposterous with a series of coincidences and chance meetings that are at best implausible. however in the hands of Mills the reader is just carried along on a wave of excitement and a desire to read further - this is book that needs to be devoured. Under all the flash there is an interesting story which looks at various aspects of politics in the 1930s - the Spanish Civil War, the rise of Nazism and anti-semitic acts, the troubles in the Balkans, changes to Italy with Mussolini and the behaviour of the British in Afghanistan - and whilst they are woven into the narrative, there is a sense of enlightening the reader as well. This is the first book by Mark Mills that I have read and I was drawn to it by the reviews I read elsewhere, I don't normally pick up this genre but I'm glad I did with this one - it's a thrilling tale told engagingly.
debrup_bhattacharya's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
smaravetz's review against another edition
4.0
I had no idea going in what this would be, but I really enjoyed it. It hit right at the intersection of several of my interests, and coming off a book about England between WWI & WWII, this is also the same time period, but travels all over Europe during that time & takes into account the atmosphere that was building.
vsbedford's review against another edition
3.0
Pacey thriller set in pre-WWII Europe involving reclaimed identities, hitmen trying to atone for previous sins, and the general tenseness of a Europe on the edge of war. I wanted this to be a bit more Eric Ambler or Alan Furst, and it gets there at times (especially in the beginning), but as a whole it was just okay. A solid B, because there's something great about jetting around Europe with assassins in pursuit, but not enough shine for me.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
gawronma's review against another edition
4.0
What a very atmospheric novel. Mills really captured the period of Europe between the wars. It was such a visual novel.
speesh's review against another edition
5.0
This is a thoroughly enjoyable, well-written story of intrigue and life or death deception, which races across Europe just before the outbreak of World War Two. I've not come up against Mark Mills before and I don't know if this is a one-off, or the start of a series. I rather hope it is a one-off - it certainly reads as a self-contained novel - as that's what we need just now. More one-offs. Instead of the 'first in an exciting new series...' crap we're constantly bombarded with these days. You know it's the idea of marketing men, rather than authors.
The premise, that the Englishman Luke Hamilton, thinks he knows who he is, but doesn't at the same time, is really well done. The accompanying characters stand up as well, with the love-interest well-written, rather than "look, you have to have a woman in it!" I am, of course, a sucker for novels set in between the wars, whether they relate directly to WWII or not, and this one doesn't, not directly anyway. They are on the run from something else I guess - without giving too much away.
I say, I miss one-off books these days, and hope this isn't the start of a series. One-offs would seem to be the more difficult type of story to write, as everything you need has to be placed within the one volume, without hitting you over the head with background and whatnot. This book, if it is a one-off, accomplishes the task really well indeed. He's got a way to go before he can rival The Incomparables: David Downing and Philip Kerr, but he's showing the right signs.
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The premise, that the Englishman Luke Hamilton, thinks he knows who he is, but doesn't at the same time, is really well done. The accompanying characters stand up as well, with the love-interest well-written, rather than "look, you have to have a woman in it!" I am, of course, a sucker for novels set in between the wars, whether they relate directly to WWII or not, and this one doesn't, not directly anyway. They are on the run from something else I guess - without giving too much away.
I say, I miss one-off books these days, and hope this isn't the start of a series. One-offs would seem to be the more difficult type of story to write, as everything you need has to be placed within the one volume, without hitting you over the head with background and whatnot. This book, if it is a one-off, accomplishes the task really well indeed. He's got a way to go before he can rival The Incomparables: David Downing and Philip Kerr, but he's showing the right signs.
Read the blog: Speesh Reads
You're very welcome to join Speesh Reads on Facebook too
belcherbird's review against another edition
4.0
Gripping,fast paced. Enjoyable. My second by this author and I will definitely read some more.
jeanetterenee's review against another edition
I tried to listen to the audio book of this. My notes say, "Hard to follow. Try printed?" So maybe I will do that someday. I have enjoyed some of Mark Mills's other work, so it's probably worth another go.
twistedsittler's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent thrill-a-minute spy thriller. Check out my review at bigbaldbooks.wordpress.com/2017/06/19/review-where-dead-men-meet/