I’m delighted to welcome you today to my stop on the blog tour for exciting WW2 espionage thriller City of Spies by Mara Timon. Thank you to Tracy Fenton and Zaffre Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.
About the book:
The stunning debut from the new name to watch in espionage thrillers. For fans of Charlotte Philby and The Bletchley Circle, this is perfect Sunday night drama.
LISBON, 1943: When her cover is blown, SOE agent Elisabeth de Mornay flees Paris. Pursued by the Gestapo, she makes her way to neutral Lisbon, where Europe’s elite rub shoulders with diplomats, businessmen, smugglers, and spies. There she receives new orders – and a new identity.
Posing as wealthy French widow Solange Verin, Elisabeth must infiltrate a German espionage ring targeting Allied ships, before more British servicemen are killed.
The closer Elisabeth comes to discovering the truth, the greater the risk grows. With a German officer watching her every step, it will take all of Elisabeth’s resourcefulness and determination to complete her mission.
But in a city where no one is who they claim to be, who can she trust?
About the author:
Raised in New York Mara Timon moved to the UK almost 20 years ago; and fell in love with London and the way it melds the old and the new. Growing up with one parent fascinated with literature and the other with history, she started writing from an early age, although it wasn’t until a programme on the BBC caught her interest, and one ‘what if’ led to another, and another, and her first book began to take shape.
City of Spies is her debut novel.
My Review:
Oh my goodness, what a stunning read this is! A fast paced and stylish WW2 espionage thriller that kept me completely gripped throughout, it introduces SOE agent Elisabeth de Mornay who, pursued by the Gestapo, flees Paris and makes her way to neutral Lisbon. There she receives a new assignment along with a brand new identity.
With its vividly portrayed and unique cast of characters, Mara Timon’s debut novel City of Spies is an exciting espionage thriller that moves along at a cracking pace, the action never losing momentum right up until the final page has been turned. Elisabeth is a character I loved from the outset, with her strong, feisty personality, breathtaking bravery and loyalty to her country. But there’s also a vulnerability to her that makes her resilience in the face of danger all the more admirable, bringing an authentically human aspect to the story that I loved.
Mara Timon’s beautiful writing transported me to WW2 Lisbon, bringing it so vividly to life I almost felt like I was there. I had no idea that Lisbon was neutral territory during the war, so that was an interesting historical aspect of the story that I found fascinating!
From the opening page right through to its final, thrilling denouement, City of Spies had me on the edge of my seat throughout. An exhilarating and highly entertaining read that took my breath away, I honestly can’t recommend this wonderful espionage thriller highly enough.
And after that ending, I’m so pleased to learn there is going to be a sequel. I can’t wait to read it!
City of Spies by Mara Timon is available to purchase now: Amazon UK
Check out what these other fabulous bloggers have to say about this book:
Cal Turner Reviews 