What a tour de force this book is. Thrilling, suspenseful and fascinating, this is a spy thriller on steroids. A Cambridge scholar, Tom Wilde, is recruited by the secret services to smuggle a package out of Germany. But the package turns out to be a ten year old girl, Klara. Klara is thought to be Hitler's secret love child, one that he is not even aware exists. But the cruel and ambitious Boorman knows about her and will go to any lengths to find and destroy her. Now begins a race against time to rescue this young girl. Murder, intrigue, betrayal - this book has it all. I read this in one sitting as I just couldn't put it down!

This was the first novel of Rory Clements that I had read, a suspense thriller set in the dark days of World War Two. However, it was not too my taste although very atmospheric and could not finish it.

8/10

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this. I was expecting similar to the previous Tom Wilde novels I read where they were decent enough and the setting was great but the story was just ok. In this outing things are shaken up a bit and we’re removed from war time Cambridge and sent behind enemy lines into Germany on a secret mission.

Admittedly, it seemed a bit forced to be sending Wilde on this mission and in afterthought it could have been any new character set away from this series but if you get past that then there was plenty of excitement and suspense whilst trying to stay hidden in sight with those pesky Nazi’s snooping around every corner.

This is where I thought the novel excelled; the atmosphere was terrifying and the fear that at any moment you could be sent off and never seen again depending on who you knew or what your beliefs were. I guess the period has to be one of the darkest in modern history and the author portrays it well and weaves a decent story through it.

I’d say this was a cut above from your normal thriller and I would recommend to anyone who wanted a taste of the era and a suspense ride.

Wow, my first book by Rory Clements but definitely won't be my last. Despite this being the fourth in the Tom Wilde series, you don't have to have read the first three to understand the plot of this book (I think I'm now going to read the first three). I was gripped from the very first chapter, and was hooked with the plot throughout the whole book, each chapter leaving you wanting to know what was to happen next. We are initially introduced to our main character Tom Wilde as a professor during the war at Cambridge. However, he is also an agent linked with the British government, and so is given the task of travelling to Germany to bring back a 'package'. At this point he - and neither do we as readers - know what this package consists of. It is not until he arrives in Berlin and the plot begins to unfold as he learns that there is a child living in a German village, Klara, who is believed to be the unknown and secret daughter of Adolf Hitler. Her life at this point in the war is in grave danger, and so it is the job of Wilde and various accomplices along the way, to get young Klara safely back to England, Along the way Wilde is faced with many obstacles, many of them life threatening, and as he travels with the child he begins to learn more of the political story behind all of this. I found that this was a very well written book, which depicted a good image of life in Germany and surrounding countries during the war, where you can imagine such operations of this kind were frequently carried out under cover. Written as a piece of historical fiction, the book makes particular references to factual characters and events during the war, whilst being embellished by the plot. The plot had me engrossed throughout, with believable characters created. If you are interested in fictional stories set during WWII I can't recommend this book highly enough. My thanks go out to netgalley and Bonnier Zaffre books for giving me the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this.

Hitler's Secret is a fast-paced, twisty thriller set during the Second World War. At its heart is a bold premise, a what-if which the author keeps hidden until the last moment - while dropping enough hints to let the reader work it out before the reveal, which is always satisfying.

It's Rory Clements's latest in his series about Tom Wilde, the Cambridge history professor turned spy. I've read the previous book, Nemesis, and it does help to know a bit about Wilde and his previous story, but this book can be read as a stand-alone without missing much; Clements has a knack for slipping in background information without the reader noticing.

A quick plot summary: it's 1941, and the US is teetering on the brink of joining the war against the Axis. An American agent recruits Tom, via UK security, to go to Germany to collect and bring back a package - one which could change the course of the war. Posing as a Nazi sympathiser, Wilde makes his contact and discovers the nature of the 'secret he has to smuggle out of Germany.

Warning: spoilers. The secret is a girl, believed to be the daughter of Hitler and his niece, Geli Ruebal. Hitler doesn't know she exists, her mother died mysteriously, and top Nazi official Martin Bormann wants her for his own reasons. Wilde and his implausible sidekick, Sunny Summerfeld, have to get little Klara north and onto a boat - but Bormann's murderous hitmen are on their trail..

The plot drives relentlessly on, with plenty of surprises, and mostly it's a fun ride. But the last few chapters are so rapid, with so many twists, that you're left behind, running to catch up. And that - plus the feeling that the author crammed as much as he could into the denouement for lack of time, or space - brought my suspension of disbelief crashing down to the ground.

Still, it's an enjoyable read, if you don't mind what for me were the moments of implausibility and the hurried ending.

This is the fourth in the Tom Wilde series of thrillers. One has to accept the basic premise of the hero, a Cambridge professor of history, just nipping over to Germany in the middle of the Second World War to collect an unstated package - which turns out to be a young girl who nay or may not be Hitler's daughter. so some suspension of disbelief needed. Having said that there is much interesting historical detail and the Hitler/Goering rivalry might conceivably have resulted in the circumstances forming the plot. Not so much an espionage thriller as an adventure story that would appeal to lovers of John Buchan. The story certainly has pace and twists and made for an interesting if undemanding read.

I read one of Rory Clements previous novels 'Corpus', featuring the American born Cambridge history professor Tom Wilde and was not overly impressed. However, in his latest book 'Hitler's Secret' he has written a classy espionage thriller.

The plot revolves around Tom Wilde being sent on a mission to retrieve and bring back a 'package' from Nazi Germany. It is a roller coaster of a plot as Wilde attempts to smuggle the package out of Germany, whilst fending off agents sent by Martin Bormann and looking out for possible double agents. Plenty of action and strong characters, both fictional and historical. Clements also excels at the cliff hanger ending at the end of each chapter.

Clements has penned a proper page turner, as you keep wanting to read on as the chase across Europe intensifies. Impressive and I eagerly await the next book in the series.

Oddly for a such a prolific reader, I haven't had the pleasure of reading a Rory Clements novel until now, but I wish I had!

Hitler's Secret is a thoroughly engaging and exciting read.

Autumn 1941 and Professor Tom Wilde is called upon to help smuggle a mysterious package out of Nazi Germany. Tom has no idea of the significance or importance of the package until he discovers that Hitler's most loyal allie, Martin Bormann is hot on his heels, also wanting the package.

When he discovers that the package could end the War for Nazi Germany, he is even more determined to be successful in his mission.

But Martin Bormann is just as determined and needs to get his hands on the package if Nazi Germ nay are to move forward in the War.

If Hitler's secret is exposed, it could bring down the whole of the Third rich.

This book is the fourth in a series, but I wouldn't have known that had I not read it online. This can absolutely be read as a standalone novel.

I can't say too much more as I don't want to give anything away, but this novel is a must for historical/WW2 fiction fans.

I really enjoyed this I'm not usually a fan of historical books. I found that, although set in WWII times, this was largely invisible and used as a method rather than a prescribed style. It took me longer than normal to read, but I never felt the need to abandon it at any time...its just a good story, well written and paced well.

While Adolph Hitler was establishing himself and his party in Germany in the late 1920s and early 1930s, he spends time, and for a while lives with his niece, the daughter of his step sister. The nature of this relationship has never been established but when his niece, unknown to him, becomes pregnant, it is rumoured that Hitler is the father. These rumours are known to the allies and when war is later declared they seek to make capital of this secret to undermine Hitler’s declared image which underwrites his favour with the German people. But first they must find the now 10 year old girl and bring her to England. This novel is the story of that quest. Full of political intrigue and adventure, the narrative is gripping and credible. One not to be missed.

Although Tom Wilde knows he will be called into action by the secret services, his mission is rather odd. He is to go to Berlin in the guise of an American businessman and collect a package. The package turns out to be a young girl with an interesting background and Tom has to get her out of the hands of the Third Reich. However when he returns to England he is uncomfortable with the consequences and so risks a charge of treason to try to do the right thing.
Rory Clements knows how to craft a book that keeps the reader engaged, one that bonces along and thoroughly entertains. That's a good thing as there are so many flaws with this book! The plot is silly, the characters very one-dimensional and there are huge gaps n the narrative. That aside though I devoured this novel and loved it

What a wonderful thing to be on holiday and have a book like this to read! It only took me a couple of days to race through it but even though it was a page turner it also made me pause several times for thought and was a book that my mind returned to several times since finishing it.

This is a fast moving dramatic thriller as well as a historical mystery that helped me imagine how life was in Nazi Germany, when Americans and UK citizens could still visit but when at any moment you could find life turned upside down and yourself in mortal danger.

The story follows an American professor turned spy who agrees to go into Nazi Germany to pick up a package. But things are not quite as they appeared and the ‘package’ is not easy to smuggle out. He has to duck and dive his way through many dangerous situations.

It’s hard from our present comfortable and cushioned perspective to understand why people put themselves in such danger in the war years – why risk torture and death? But this book helps give clues about what makes human beings take themselves well beyond their comfort zones. A desire to protect, to preserve a world where compassion and kindness matters, the sense that if you allow ‘the bad people’ to win then we are all lost. I think that nowadays, in 2020 as I write, it is an important thing to remember.

Who knows how we would behave – would we resist and risk our lives, or would we keep our heads down, our mouths closed and close our eyes and to the suffering of others? Or would we even be one of those who sought power and money by any means even when it entailed losing our humanity?

This book is covering a particularly dark period in European history but is very relevant today – the themes are timeless and the characters surround us right now – those who are selfish, those who are brave, those who are scared and fail to live up to their own principles. And those who are ruthless and cruel. May we all find our Tom Wilde when we need him!

Okay, we're sure Hitler had many secrets but it was, nevertheless, intriguing to wonder which secret Clements was to write about. His combination of historical background, description of the characters and inclusion of twists to the plot enable the reader to believe this could indeed have been a possibility..
This is not a serious historical tome with lengthy passages of description but really is a must-read if you relish the prospect of a gripping spy-mystery set in the historical background of Hitler's rule.

Thank you to Bonnier Books UK Zaffre and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Professor Tom Wilde is called upon once again to help the war effort. This time he is sent to Nazi Germany to collect a package and bring it back to England. He has no idea what he is collecting of the dangers he will face both home and abroad.
As with previous works by this author I found this book gripping, with a plausible and fast moving plot. I found it very hard to put down. I hope author has some more books in this series up his sleeve and I look forward to reading them.

Hitler’s Secret by Rory Clements is a “what if?” spy thriller set in 1941.

Martin Bormann is desperately trying to locate and kill Hitler’s illegitimate daughter before Hitler and the rest of Germany learn about her existence. Tom Wilde an American academic based in Cambridge is recruited by British intelligence services and their US counterparts to get into Germany, find the child and get her to safety. Of course things aren’t as simple as they appeared, who are Tom’s allies and helpers in Germany? Why are they helping?

This tale of intrigue amongst the different factions of the German leadership, along with competition between the British and the US has plenty of twists and turns and is quite easy to read but overall it is both unbelievable and predictable. Might make a good film script for the streaming factories.

Where can you go wrong with Rory Clements wartime thrillers? This is the fourth in the series following reluctant hero Professor Tom Wilde in his most challenging role yet. With the allies struggling they need a new weapon to fight the Nazis. When Tom is approached by US intelligence and told of a secret weapon, one so secret even Hitler doesn't know about it he is recruited to retrieve it. and smuggle it out of Germany. However once behind enemy lines Tom discovers that the Nazis will do anything to prevent him getting the package back to England, including tracking him across Europe. Will Tom make it and more importantly will the package arrive safely?

This is a fantastic read, however it is not my favourite of the series, but I do hope we will see more of Tom Wilde and his adventures as they are expertly written with great research and interesting plots.

Every book in this series has been excellent, written in Clements' inimitable style and with a flawed hero who is all the more likeable for it. This is no different. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

This is the fourth in Rory Clements’ series set during WWII and featuring Cambridge academic Tom Wilde. I’ve read the first two but somehow the third one passed me by. It didn’t matter though, this book stands alone as a clever and exciting wartime spy thriller.

It’s 1941 and Wilde is living a relatively peaceful life (all things considered) as a history professor in Cambridge with his partner Lydia and their newborn son. Of course it’s not long through before he’s approached by the shady intelligence service characters we know from the previous books, who call on his proven skills as an spy to smuggle a mysterious ‘package’ out of Nazi Germany. Meanwhile Hitler’s henchman Martin Bormann is very keen to ensure that a 10 year old girl by the name of Clara Woolfe is secreted away and disposed of before she can cause untold damage to the Fuhrer’s reputation as the clean living, upright father of the nation.

The secret at the heart of the book goes right to the top of the Third Reich and Wilde becomes involved in a frantic and bloody battle between ruthless opponents. As usual with Clements’ books, there are lots of twists and turns, a frenetic ending and a bit of a cliffhanger to leave the reader looking forward to the next one. I loved the John Shakespeare Tudor series a few years ago and these books are just as enjoyable.

This is the first book I have by Rory Clements, the main character is Tom Wilde, a Professor at Cambridge University, This is actually the fourth book in the series but didn't detract from not having read the first three at all.

Tom is approached by an American intelligence officer to bring an important package out of war time Germany, the importance of the package could end the war for the Nazis. All becomes clear when Tom actually arrives in Germany and finds out exactly what he needs to collect. Also snapping at his heels his Martin Boorman, who needs the package for himself, he cannot afford to let Hitler know what he did......

Book was action packed and I actually could not put the book down, loads of twists and turns, through different countries and with a who can you trust element.

Really enjoyable read and will go back and read the rest now.

I am quite a big fan of this series so I was delighted to be back in espionage world with Tom Wilde and Lydia Morris.

Tom and Lydia are happily settled in Cambridge and living together with their baby son Johnny when he is asked to help out once more by Philip Eaton, who works for the British Intelligence. When asked to retrieve a valuable package from Germany, he is at first hesitant to get involved again. His priorities have changed and the war is still in full force. To go to Germany would be quite a dangerous move on his part.. However, he decides that this something that he needs to do.

Once in Berlin, he liases with the widow of a German war hero, Sunny and they have to work together to get the 'package' out of Berlin. Rory Clements has written a brilliant series featuring Tom Wilde and this is another adventure packed addition to one of my favourite series. The tense atmosphere in Germany is written brilliantly and we can get a real sense of panic as Tom and Sunny are against the odds trying to escape. The descriptions of the Nazi regime are tense and definitely put me on the edge of my seat as I read into the early hours of the morning.

The historical detail is second to none and I found this absolutely fascinating reading about things that I didn't really know too much about.

Another brilliant addition to this series, I'm hoping there are more!