A Real Life Cold War Spy Tale

 

The tale begins with a package received by the American Embassy in Bern, Switzerland. The cover letter asked that the enclosed package be forwarded to J. Edgar Hoover. The choice of Hoover at the FBI was deliberate. Agent Sniper, otherwise known as Lt. Col. Michal Goleniewski, being a Soviet agent, knew the CIA had been infiltrated by Russian agents. However, it took three years for Goleniewski to be actively recruited and then the CIA was the contact.

Goleniewski as head of the Polish espionage service spied on the Poles and sent the information back to Moscow. Although it isn’t explained in the book, he somehow became disenchanted with the communists and decided to sell his services to the US instead. Over the years, Goleniewski provided extremely useful information to the CIA, but eventually the Russians were aware of his activities and he had to escape to the American Embassy in Berlin with his mistress.

The first half of the book is the story of Goleniewski’s activities as a spy. It is well researched, well paced and very entertaining if you enjoy spy stories. The second half of the book is equally well researched, but much drier. It is the story of his increasingly troubled relations with the CIA. He eventually became mentally disturbed calling himself the heir to the Russian throne, Aleksei Romanoff.

Unlike James Bond stories, this one doesn’t have a happy ending, but it is a realistic, detailed picture of spy-craft during the cold war and a behind the scenes look at Washington politics in the espionage world. If you’re interested in the cold war and particularly espionage, this is well worth reading.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

A Colorful Way to Explore the Zodiac

 

The twelve signs of the zodiac are featured in multiple pages for each sign. I like the fact that there are both pictures associated with each sign as well as sayings and descriptors of the personal characteristics that typify the sign.

Some of the pictures are quite intricate, but others are simple. The two types of pictures makes the coloring book suitable for all age groups. As the author says, don’t be afraid to color outside the lines.

Coloring can be both relaxing and creative. I don’t draw well, but I enjoy deciding which colors to use to enhance the drawing.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

Excites Your Creativity

 

I love these coloring books. I can’t draw well, but colors are important to me. I love deciding how to enhance the drawings with colors of my choice. It stimulates your creativity. I particularly liked the section in this book where finished colored plates by readers were displayed. Some of them were truly wonderful and provided inspiration.

Some people have complained about the repetition of plates from other books. I thought it was a great idea. It gave me a chance to try new color schemes on the plates I’d already done.

I highly recommend this coloring book. It can be relaxing to fill in these wonderful pictures. It always makes me feel more creative and even spills over into other work.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

Murder: A Medieval Monk, or a Live Murderer

 

St. Anne’s in Knaresborough, in Yorkshire, is an ancient church with a history of ghostly doings. A medieval monk seeking revenge is rumored to walk the church at night looking for victims. The Reverend Clare Wilcox is the latest victim. She was found bludgeoned to death in the church where she had gone to meet a parishioner.

DCI Oldroyd and Sargeant Andy Carter are assigned the case. Oldroyd finds it hard to believe that a ghost is killing people, but with no obvious murder weapon and parishioners convinced of the reality of the ghost, he has a difficult time. The case is personal for Oldroyd. Clare Wilcox was the protege of his sister Alison, also a cleric. The weather is no help. Knaresborough experiences a snow storm that has Oldroyd and Andy spending the night in the church complete with a visitation from the ghost.

This is another delightful glimpse of Yorkshire. I am always drawn into the story as much by the description of the area as the plot. Oldroyd is unperturbed by the unusual aspects of the case and works step by step to uncover the truth. I particularly like mysteries where the detective gathers information and finds clues rather than violence and chasing criminals.

The interactions between the main characters are well done. However, I did miss Stephanie, Oldroyds other assistant. She made only brief appearances. The plot moves well and keeps you guessing about the motives of the people in town and particularly about the method of murder. I recommend this one. It’s part of a series, but this book can be read as a standalone.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

FDR’s Ambassadors Watched Hitler’s Rise to Power

 

Roosevelt’s Inauguration coincided with Hitler’s rise to power in Germany. Roosevelt was committed to getting the economy back on track and trying to stay out of the coming storm in Europe. Hoping that international trade would help the struggling economy he appointed ambassadors to Europe who would be his eyes and ears.

The four most influential ambassadors were William Bullitt first stationed in the Soviet Union and later in France. Breckinridge Long, a long time friend, was sent to Italy where he came to admire Mussolini. William Dodd, professor of history, was sent to Germany. He became appalled at what he saw happening in the country. The fourth ambassador was Joseph P. Kennedy to whom FDR owed political favors. Kennedy would settle for nothing less than and ambassadorship and was sent to England. His sympathies were on the side of Hitler which made his reporting to Roosevelt rather biased.

The book relies on the papers of the four ambassadors as well as documents from members of the administration. The four men saw the world through their own eyes which often resulted in biased reporting to Roosevelt. This is an insightful look at what was happening in Europe during Hitler’s rise to power and the lead up to WWII. I found the book fascinating. It was easy to read and caught me up in the drama of that time.

I received the book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

Watson and Holmes Meet in Egypt

 

It’s 1911. Watson is taking his wife Juliet to Cairo for treatment of her recent bout of tuberculosis. Watson is happy to support his wife, but her treatment regimen is very strict, and he’s hardly able to see her. He wanders around Cairo becoming bored until he goes into a bar and sees a fellow who he is sure is wearing his regimental tie. He can tell by the spot.

Of course, the man turns out to be Holmes in disguise. He’s on the trail of the Duke of Uxbridge. He came Egypt to search for a missing tomb. His mistress hasn’t heard from him and believes that the circumstances of his disappearance are suspicious. Holmes has been tasked with the investigation and now that Watson has appeared he is a welcome addition to the team.

It’s an interesting time in Cairo. Not only are numerous adventurers looking for hidden tombs, but the international situation comes into play. The British, French and the Egyptians themselves want to control the country, not to mention the importance of the Suez Canal. It’s ripe for a good Holmes adventure with overtones of international intrigue.

Nicholas Meyer does a good job recreating the Holmes era. This book is reminiscent of his first novel, the Seven Percent Solution. I am not a fan of many recreations of the Holmes Watson partnership, but this is a good one.

The story starts slowly with Watson’s travel to Egypt and getting Juliet settled, but it quickly picks up when Holmes comes on the scene. The pace accelerates to that of a thriller. The history is accurate and the glimpses of the Nile and Egyptian archaeology are well done. If you’re a fan of Sherlock, this is a good one.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

A WWII Missing Pilot and a Jazz Age Mystery

 

At the end of WWII, Ellie Morgan is engaged and hoping to move up from the job as a secretary at the San Francisco Chronicle to become a journalist. Then she receives the news that her adored pilot father was shot down of the Adriatic Sea and may not be alive. Ellie is devastated. She keeps hoping her father will come home, but when his effects arrive a mystery surfaces.

In the pocket of his uniform jacket, Ellie finds a bundle of love letters, but the woman is not her mother and there is the possibility that a child is involved. Ellie’s mother is locked in her own world so Ellie goes to her aunt Iris and persuades her to go with her to New York to find out about this mysterious woman and her daughter.

Iris agrees to help her niece, but with trepidation. Her past will come out. She was a Zigfield showgirl and worse, she thinks she may have been involved in the murder of another showgirl.

This is an excellent historical novel. Ellie is a strong character. She’s at the cusp of doing things women before WWII only dreamed of, but she’s also tied to the patterns of behavior inculcated by her strict mother. Iris is also a good character. She obviously lived her life to the full and accepted the price at the end of her show career.

The historical content is accurate and based on an actual Jazz Age murder in 1920 in New York. Both time periods came to life in the narrative. If you enjoy historical fiction and a good mystery, this is a good choice.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.