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!

This is the first of Rory Clements Tom Wilde WW2 espionage thrillers I've read  although it is actually the fourth in the series,this in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the book merely increased my interest and had me look up the previous books and plan to read them.
The story has the Hero Tom Wilde a Cambridge professor contacted by the secret service to travel to Germany posing as an American businessman (It's set just prior to the USA entering the war.) looking to do business with Germany,the real reason is to collect an important 'package' that could cause enormous trouble to the Nazi regime even resulting in its overthrow.
Needless to say Wilde has not been given all the facts and on arriving in Germany finds out the details and the fact that Martin Boorman has killers out searching for the package and murdering anyone who has any knowledge of it exists,
T here follows a chase across Germany to the Baltic a clandestine escape to Sweden before .Wilde gets the package back to England only to find his worst fears realised and that a killer worse than all the others is still hot on his heels.
This novel fairly rattles along at breakneck speed and its 400+ pages slipped by without ever feeling a lull in the action.There are plenty of twists and turns and the depiction of life under the Nazi's is chilling,A great read thoroughly recommended.

When the invitation for this blog tour popped into my inbox, I was quite excited as I enjoy reading stories set in World War 2. Hitler's Secret is quite different to other books I’ve read from this period though. It’s a gritty, dark, historical spy thriller that took me on quite a journey. 

When history professor Tom Wilde is asked to go undercover to Germany to pick up a ‘package’ to smuggle back to England, I'm not even sure he realises what he is taking on. What ensues is espionage, Boorman’s men chasing Wilde across land and sea who will do anything, and I mean anything, to destroy the package, mortal danger as well as other things that come with war: road blocks, checkpoints, not knowing who to trust, the list is endless. 

I thought the story was well plotted, researched and flowed. There are quite a few characters in the story so I had to concentrate a little but it soon become clear how they all fit together. I really like Tom Wilde as a character. He is a decent man and makes a brilliant agent. 

Hitler's Secret is the 4th book in a series featuring Tom Wilde. I've not read the other books in the series nor experienced Rory Clements writing before. I felt that it was fine to read as a standalone novel. However, I do like a back story and would love to know more about Wilde's background and what missions he has been sent on in the past. This was a mission and half to say the least. I will definitely be reading the other books in the Tom Wilde series.

This is part of the Tom Wilde series, although it was my first outing with him. Tom Wilde is a Cambridge History Professor and the setting for this story is Autumn 1941.
The war isn't going particularly well for us against Germany so when an American Intelligence Officer approaches Tom, he persuades him that he is the right man to travel to Germany and retrieve a package, one that has been well hidden for the last ten years. The package is a game-changer that even Hitler is unaware of. Tom is given a new identity and says farewell to his wife Lydia and young son.
As soon as Tom sets his foot on Germany soil the story becomes one almighty intense hold your breath adrenaline rush. He speaks some German and some French but neither enough to be a native of either country. His accomplice in Germany is a fabulous character. Meanwhile, Bormann, Hitler's righthand man who is feared by anyone that knows him and those that only know his name, is also trying to get to the package at the same time. His psycho thugs enjoy their work a little too much, in order to get the information that they need. 
What an absolutely top-class book this is, Tom Wilde is a superb character, a truly good guy that just doesn't follow an order because it came from the side he is fighting for, he is a rebel that does the right thing. The story doesn't lose its high level of action after he leaves Germany but follows him home to Britain. Heart in my mouth moments increased on every turn of the pages. Brilliant ending.
I have been left wanting more from this author and Tom Wilde so the good thing about coming in at the fourth book is I have three more to go at. Very highly recommended.

A WW2 plot that ratchets up the tension as it goes until the mission is complete - or is it? Further intrigue and subterfuge then envelop our part time spying professor who, having just escaped the in fighting and henchmen of the Nazi hierarchy walks into much the same back home. 
A good old fashioned entertaining read and my thanks to Amazon and Net Galley.

An interesting story with twists and turns that keeps you involved right to the end. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend it.