CITY OF SPIES by Mara Timon

 

Best character in this WWII spy thriller amongst an overwhelming list of characters is the city of Lisbon. Rich with history, old buildings, tiny cafes and atmospheric restaurants, hills, steep streets, beautiful views and outlooks, poky alleyways, people of all nationalities herded together in what was, at the time, known as the City of Spies. Lisbon was the last city of any size at the westernmost point of Europe on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Portugal was supposedly neutral during the war, although its president had definite Nazi leanings. It follows that the city was a melting pot of French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, English, German, everything in between and many pretending to be what they weren't. A city of intrigue, depiction, danger. 

Into this comes a young English woman, employed by the SOE. She has been an operative in Paris, but with her cover blown, has had to flee Paris, making her way with a RAF airman she meets along the way, out of France. That is a great journey in itself, well worth its own novel. 

Once she gets to Lisbon, she runs into her godfather, and trusting him, takes on the identity of a young French widow - Solange - her job being to infiltrate local high society and see what she can find out. A most intrepid and courageous young woman, our hero does all of that and more. Plenty of traces of Nancy Wake and many other brave and fearless young women who belonged to the SOE, putting their lives at risk on a daily basis. 

It's a good read, but is probably a tad too long, with as I said, way too many characters. I was sort of expecting something along the lines of John Le Carre - there is a comment on the back cover that says 'Casablanca meets le Carre...', but it lacks the careful plotting, the subterfuge, understated action and complex characters of le Carre. Everything is too obvious in this, lots of action - there is never a spot of down time or waiting time - a hall mark of a suspense novel. And having been to Portugal I am staggered at the geographical range of territory Solange covers in her exploits. Fast paced, and delivers well on the pressure cooker atmosphere that a place like Lisbon would have been at this time - never knowing the true self of those around you.