Set principally towards the end of the Peninsula War this is the story of an Anglo Spanish colonel, Tomas Mablethorpe, and his search for a spy embedded in Wellington’s HQ. I found the character of Mablethorpe rather hard to believe in: he’s super intelligent and insightful, a master of weapons and fighting, a strategist but lacking in any real human substance. Because of his extreme competence there was no sense of jeopardy and I had no doubt that he would identify the villain. The remaining characters tend to fall into two categories, the unpleasant and stupid, and the pleasant and stupid. It is an easy read but I suspect that it will not last long in my memory. Thanks to the Book Guild and NetGalley for this review copy.

Colonel Mablethorpe must determine if the contents of a letter are true whilst trying to track down a French spy operating with the Spanish penisular armies under Wellington.
He has to evade those trying to kill him and has to rely on Spanish friends to find the information he needs. He has to track down the spy without upsetting his Spanish allies.
A great read set in Spain mainly during the Napoleonic wars in 1812.
If you like spy stories but set in historic times you will enjoy this.

The novel opens in 1812 following the fall of Salamanca to the Allied troops.

Colonel Thomas Mablethorpe has been reassigned to Wellington's staff to perform one task,find the senior officer who is a French spy.

A tale of intrigue set against the backdrop of the Peninsular War. It's a good read for fans of Cornwell's Sharpe books and this period of history.

I would like to thank The Book Guild and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

A fast moving and dramatic story, well told.

"Raven Must Fall" opens in Salamanca, 1812. Wellington has triumphed over the French, but the Peninsular War rages on and rumours of conspiracy threaten to shatter Britain’s fragile alliance with Spain. Colonel Thomas Mablethorpe, an intelligence officer for the War Office whose current job as a translator is a dead-end, so when a summons arrives from Army Headquarters, he jumps at the chance to prove his worth

Quickly, Mablethorpe realises someone close to Wellington is a French spy, and sets out to identify the culprit. What follows is an excellent tale of conspiracy, threat and subterfuge. There's enough facts scattered through the story to make it feel authentic, and the characters are well-enough drawn to make you feel invested in the outcome.

Definitely one for fans of Cornwell's Sharpe or O'brian's Aubrey and Maturin books.

A suspenseful novel about spying. It was interesting to read about the war between the French and the English/Spanish in Spain and all its ramifications with Napoleon and family. Though well done, it was too military for me. That might appeal to other readers interested in strategical tactics. Good characterization.

This book was really interesting. It didn't grab me straight away, and I didn't get into it properly until around a quarter of the way in, but after that it was great.

This is set in the early 1800's, in the war between Spain and France. It was interesting to learn about this period, as I had no prior knowledge of this conflict.

I really warmed to Don Tomas (Colonel Mablethorpe) and was invested in his quest to uncover the French spy known as 'The Raven'.

Slow start, but picked up as it went on, well written and interesting plot.