Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Politics, intrigue, conspiracies and a great ending, 2 Nov 2009
After reading and greatly enjoying the first in the Peter Cotton series, The Maze of Cadiz, I was curious to know what the follow-up would be like. It's always interesting to see how book two of a series will turn out and, in this case, I think Aly Monroe has not only lived up to expectations, but may have even produced a book that tops the first. They are very different books, mostly because Washington and Cadiz (a small town in Southern Spain) are obviously worlds apart. This means that whereas The Maze of Cadiz is a slow-building suspense novel in which readers get to work out with Cotton what is happening in 1944 Cadiz, Washington Shadow has much more going on - as there was in 1945 Washington - and there are many more characters, such as Tibbets, a very well portrayed irritating colleague sent to Washington together with Cotton; Dr Aforey, a wonderful African scholar with some brilliant lines; Mrs Duquesne, a sharp sort of `grande dame' who engineers social encounters; Slonim, a mysterious Soviet; and Katherine, Cotton's love interest. Again, as with the previous book, I was immediately drawn in and read it non-stop during an afternoon, evening and the following morning. Washington Shadow is a spy tale combining several different threads, and proves an exciting, delightful and interesting read. The spying is believable, making it, perhaps, all the more gruesome. The struggles for power are all too recognisable, as is the way everyone is vying for their own interests. Though not the general tone, both books have a rather melancholy and moving side to them, perhaps because they show a combination of idiocy, incompetence and ruthlessness behind mid- or high-level decisions -people often seem confused, don't know what they are supposed to be doing, are sent off to do things ill-equipped, and are ultimately on their own when it comes to sorting out the mess. The books portray an at times rather menial side to spying and dirty work that is refreshing, and I have to say I have definitely developed a soft spot for Peter Cotton. Beautifully written, Washington Shadow is a clever novel with plenty of politics, intrigue, conspiracies and a great ending. I loved it and thoroughly recommend it.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gripping stuff, 9 Nov 2009
In the last months of 1945, the immediate aftermath of World War II, when Britain is broke and Maynard Keynes is in Washington trying to negotiate a loan out of the US government, as the British Empire is about to be broken up and the US intelligence world is afraid of a domino effect and a Marxist Africa, Cotton is sent undercover to Washington. The historical setting to this spy novel is superbly drawn, and it is actually an integral part of the plot (as opposed to just being a backdrop). The book also does a great job of transporting the readers back to the social world of 1945. (The attitudes toward class, racial difference, homosexuality, women, marriage, etc, are entirely those of 1945, and the language in the book reflects this. I found this very convincing as well as unsettling--it makes you think about how much the world has changed in the last fifty years). As in the Maze of Cadiz, Aly Monroe is very good at portraying confusion, stupidity, and pettiness, as well as resilience and resourcefulness in situations when one has very little power. There is a great assortment of characters--a Russian spy, an African academic, Cotton's boss, his love-interest from the US State Department, etc. The pace begins slowly, as Cotton gets to meet people and finds his way around Washington, and gradually the tension builds toward the gripping and very moving ending.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Intelligent and well-written, 10 Nov 2009
I picked this up not having read the first one in the series and got into it straight away. It is witty and gripping, and has lots of different ingredients that will definitely appeal to different people. It manages to be an intelligent, well-written spy story, and that's no small thing these days... I really enjoyed it and have in fact just bought the first Peter Cotton, the Maze of Cadiz - really looking forward to it!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
