Member Review
Review by
Martin P, Reviewer
Fans of Harry and Stella will love this new adventure.
"Appointment in Paris" opens more than a year after the events of "Midnight in Vienna". It's Spring 1940 and Harry and Stella, their job done, have gone their separate ways. Harry is still suspended from his MI5 job, and is surviving as a private detective, and Stella is working for the GPO film unit. Britain is living in fear of Germany invading, and is doing all it can to gather information on when it will happen. High-ranking German POW's are being held in Trent Park - a stately home now used as a prison and where intelligence is gathered covertly from prisoners by secret listeners. When one of the POWs is found murdered, and a listener goes missing, the fear is that vital information is about to be passed to Germany. So Maxwell Knight, Harry's former boss, recruits Harry to track down the listener, while insisting Stella also do her bit by investigating the murder.
And so, Stella, through some devious subterfuge by Harry, is drawn into the case - one which rapidly develops into a more sinister and complex mystery. She goes undercover at Trent Park and soon realises it houses more than just prisoners of war, and that she has a personal connection to at least one person there. At the same time, Harry slowly closes in on the missing listener. Despite the title of the book, much of the story takes places in London, but her investigations do take Stella to Paris, when it becomes clear the murder and the missing man cases are connected. Paris just before the German invasion is nicely depicted while Harry's own trails around London are also wonderfully painted, with black-outs, pubs and bohemian artists.
Trent Park was a real place, and the details of how it operated, are fascinating - the latest technology was used to listen in on conversations, and native German-speaking listeners were used to transcribe those conversations, many of which were graphic and highly disturbing. The effect on the listeners, including Stella, makes for harrowing reading.
Fans of the first book will be happy to learn that familiar faces are here - Stella's actress friend Evelyn, and her brother Tom and Maxwell Knight all have a part to play. We also learn a bit more about Stella and Harry. He is now 41, and too old to be called up, so his frustration and guilt about not doing his bit are clear. His skills as a detective, however shine through. Stella, likewise, is unsure how best she can play her part but her feisty and determined character makes her a formidable opponent. Further adventures of the pair would be interesting.
Highly recommended for fans of Alex Gerlis, Deborah Swift and SJ Parris.
"Appointment in Paris" opens more than a year after the events of "Midnight in Vienna". It's Spring 1940 and Harry and Stella, their job done, have gone their separate ways. Harry is still suspended from his MI5 job, and is surviving as a private detective, and Stella is working for the GPO film unit. Britain is living in fear of Germany invading, and is doing all it can to gather information on when it will happen. High-ranking German POW's are being held in Trent Park - a stately home now used as a prison and where intelligence is gathered covertly from prisoners by secret listeners. When one of the POWs is found murdered, and a listener goes missing, the fear is that vital information is about to be passed to Germany. So Maxwell Knight, Harry's former boss, recruits Harry to track down the listener, while insisting Stella also do her bit by investigating the murder.
And so, Stella, through some devious subterfuge by Harry, is drawn into the case - one which rapidly develops into a more sinister and complex mystery. She goes undercover at Trent Park and soon realises it houses more than just prisoners of war, and that she has a personal connection to at least one person there. At the same time, Harry slowly closes in on the missing listener. Despite the title of the book, much of the story takes places in London, but her investigations do take Stella to Paris, when it becomes clear the murder and the missing man cases are connected. Paris just before the German invasion is nicely depicted while Harry's own trails around London are also wonderfully painted, with black-outs, pubs and bohemian artists.
Trent Park was a real place, and the details of how it operated, are fascinating - the latest technology was used to listen in on conversations, and native German-speaking listeners were used to transcribe those conversations, many of which were graphic and highly disturbing. The effect on the listeners, including Stella, makes for harrowing reading.
Fans of the first book will be happy to learn that familiar faces are here - Stella's actress friend Evelyn, and her brother Tom and Maxwell Knight all have a part to play. We also learn a bit more about Stella and Harry. He is now 41, and too old to be called up, so his frustration and guilt about not doing his bit are clear. His skills as a detective, however shine through. Stella, likewise, is unsure how best she can play her part but her feisty and determined character makes her a formidable opponent. Further adventures of the pair would be interesting.
Highly recommended for fans of Alex Gerlis, Deborah Swift and SJ Parris.
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