Reviews

Dark Voyage by Alan Furst

kanejim57's review

4.0

I call this one a slow boiler as it takes a long time for the climax of the plot to arrive. But the anticipation of it was there for me almost from the beginning.

I liked this one because it opens up the geography of WW2 in a way that allows the reader to better understand the breadth of the conflict.

kanejim57's review against another edition

4.0

I call this one a slow boiler as it takes a long time for the climax of the plot to arrive. But the anticipation of it was there for me almost from the beginning.

I liked this one because it opens up the geography of WW2 in a way that allows the reader to better understand the breadth of the conflict.

jacki_f's review against another edition

4.0

Alan Furst has written a series of novels set in Europe in the 1930s and early 1940s. They overlap and characters occasionally reappear in different books. I've now read all but one of his books and I've enjoyed them all, although some are better than others and like many authors the most recent few feel a bit more "dialled in" than the early books in the series.

Dark Voyage differs from the others in that it is set almost entirely on a Dutch cargo ship, the Noordendam. It is also one of the few that has a title that actually helps you to remember which book it was. I defy even the hardiest Furst fan to remember which was which among the generically titled [b:Dark Star|435897|Dark Star (Night Soldiers, #2)|Alan Furst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388197377l/435897._SY75_.jpg|1769710], [b:Blood of Victory|345354|Blood of Victory (Night Soldiers, #7)|Alan Furst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1366699494l/345354._SY75_.jpg|891479], [b:The World at Night|919231|The World at Night (Night Soldiers, #4)|Alan Furst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389225856l/919231._SY75_.jpg|245710] or [b:Midnight in Europe|18490852|Midnight in Europe (Night Soldiers, #13)|Alan Furst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1404476468l/18490852._SY75_.jpg|26174635].

The captain of the Noordendam is approached by British intelligence and asked to disguise his ship as a Spanish freighter so he can undertake clandestine missions for the Allies. The book starts slowly but Furst is a master at ramping up the tension and getting you to care deeply about the fate of Captain DeHaan.

British Agent Kolb turns up in Dark Voyage but what he's been up to is never explained. For an answer, you need to read [b:Spies of the Balkans|7440139|Spies of the Balkans (Night Soldiers, #11)|Alan Furst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436807050l/7440139._SY75_.jpg|68990258] which immediately precedes this one (although it was written 6 years later). While it's not possible to read this series in perfect chronological order, because they overlap so much, this prompted me to try to compile a list of how you'd do it if you could:

1. [b:Night Soldiers|627614|Night Soldiers (Night Soldiers, #1)|Alan Furst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436043153l/627614._SY75_.jpg|810894], Autumn 1934 - April 1945
2. [b:The Spies of Warsaw|2294328|The Spies of Warsaw (Night Soldiers, #10)|Alan Furst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1440429439l/2294328._SY75_.jpg|2300636], Autumn 1937 - May 1938
3. [b:Dark Star|435897|Dark Star (Night Soldiers, #2)|Alan Furst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388197377l/435897._SY75_.jpg|1769710], Autumn 1937 - October 1940
4. [b:Midnight in Europe|18490852|Midnight in Europe (Night Soldiers, #13)|Alan Furst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1404476468l/18490852._SY75_.jpg|26174635], December 1937 - July 1938
5. [b:Kingdom of Shadows|253556|Kingdom of Shadows (Night Soldiers, #6)|Alan Furst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1319655964l/253556._SY75_.jpg|2758250], March 1938 - June 1939
6. [b:Mission to Paris|12963396|Mission to Paris (Night Soldiers, #12)|Alan Furst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388187801l/12963396._SX50_.jpg|18121159], September 1938 - January 1939
7. [b:The Foreign Correspondent|253555|The Foreign Correspondent (Night Soldiers, #9)|Alan Furst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388372475l/253555._SY75_.jpg|1344970], December 1938 - July 1939
8. [b:The Polish Officer|918284|The Polish Officer (Night Soldiers, #3)|Alan Furst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388197378l/918284._SY75_.jpg|1769725], September 1939 - November 1941
9. [b:The World at Night|919231|The World at Night (Night Soldiers, #4)|Alan Furst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389225856l/919231._SY75_.jpg|245710], May 1940 - June 1941
10. [b:Spies of the Balkans|7440139|Spies of the Balkans (Night Soldiers, #11)|Alan Furst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436807050l/7440139._SY75_.jpg|68990258], October 1940 - April 1941
11. [b:Blood of Victory|345354|Blood of Victory (Night Soldiers, #7)|Alan Furst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1366699494l/345354._SY75_.jpg|891479], November 1940 - July 1941
12. [b:A Hero in France|43095197|A Hero in France (Night Soldiers, #14)|Alan Furst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1571499073l/43095197._SY75_.jpg|66906623], March 1941 - July 1941
13. [b:Dark Voyage|776710|Dark Voyage (Night Soldiers, #8)|Alan Furst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1323316043l/776710._SY75_.jpg|1281559], April 1941 - June 1941
14. [b:Red Gold|253558|Red Gold (Night Soldiers, #5)|Alan Furst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1173162943l/253558._SY75_.jpg|1448817], September 1941 - April 1942
15. [b:Under Occupation|44280165|Under Occupation (Night Soldiers, #15)|Alan Furst|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1571502680l/44280165._SY75_.jpg|68793451], October 1942 - January 1943

constantreader471's review against another edition

3.0

3 and 1/2 stars rounded down. This was a good spy story, set in Europe/Africa 1941. Eric DeHaan, a Dutch Captain of a tramp freighter is enlisted by the company's owner and the Netherlands Navy to help British intelligence in transporting men and cargo for spy missions. The plot moves slowly but the characters are well written, I thought that the marine descriptions were authentic.
One item that surprised and disappointed me was that the author identified Holland as a country. Holland is actually part of the country of Netherlands. When the Dutch Navy enlist him to help, they urge him to do so on behalf of Holland.
This was a library book.

joestewart's review against another edition

4.0

Another good one, this one based largely on a freighter. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

thrillhouse57's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

newishpuritan's review against another edition

4.0

This is arguably the point at which first-tier Furst (I'd rate the previous seven novels in this series at four or five stars) begins to shade over into something lesser. Plenty to enjoy here, including a new (for this series) setting on a Dutch merchant-marine ship, some very well-handled set pieces and fantasticly choreographed and convincing action scenes, but – I don't know – it just seems to lean a little heavier on genre shorthand and cliche than earlier novels in the sequence. And I remember finding the ending very disappointing on first read when it came out, though it bothers me less on this third or fourth read. The fact I can still come back to it argues in its favour of course. Hence the (perhaps generous) four stars.

blevins's review against another edition

4.0

Furst's books, set in or around WW2, are always atmospheric, tense explorations of morality and suspense as people drift in and out of trouble while connected to events of the time. This novel, largely set on a ship, is more of the same as it is a tense, very well done story about a Dutch merchant ship that is used to carry cargo through hazardous waters to Allied forces (Nazi ships and subs and U-boats threaten their mission and their lives).

Good stuff. I'd read Furst's Dark Star years and years ago and have meant to read more of his stuff but just now got around to it. I won't let that much time pass before I read something else by him.

librarian_lisa_22's review against another edition

4.0

Furst is a superb observer of people and tells a complex, compelling story.

lian_tanner's review against another edition

4.0

An understated and intelligent book. A terrific read.