There’s quite a lot of scene setting at the start of this WW2 novel which takes some concentration as, at first, I wasn’t sure which direction the book was heading but the pieces start to fit together and a story of wartime experiences start to come to life.

Gradually a picture starts to emerge of what was happening on both sides of the war, we begin to understand the troubled mind of Peter Thorpe, once a WW2 test pilot who is writing a memoir of his wartime experiences. He is upset by a failed wartime mission and still experiences nightmares because of what happened. Over in Germany, Johanna Schreib finds a wartime photo amongst her grandfather’s possessions however Erich Schreib is unwilling to reveal anything to his granddaughter.

After an initial slow start I found the story blended history and fiction well and I enjoyed how the story unfolded. The author has obviously done his research in order to bring a realistic edge to the story. Published to coincide with the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Airthief is an interesting story about a different aspect of WW2.

I enjoyed the concept of this book. It was a little difficult to follow in the beginning due to the multiple point of views from each character. Some of the language was also difficult to follow, such as some names of things in England and Germany. The story came together nicely at the end, bringing all of the point of views together. I would recommend this book to historical fiction readers and history enthusiasts.

Thank you to Michael Kearns and Cameron Publicity and Marketing Ltd for allowing me to read and review this book.