I finished this book with a tinge of sadness as this is the end of the story of The Choir, the dedicated and ludicrously brave escape committee dedicated to help allied military personnel escape from occupied Rome.

As in the previous two books we marvel at hw they all put their lives on the line and continually outwit the cruel but overmatched Paul Hauptmann , the despicable, murderous Gestapo Chief in charge of the German occupation forces. You almost feel sorry for him but then reality kicks in as he is nothing more than a murderer who deserves what is coming to him.

There is non-stop action involving the whereabouts of a massive sum of money purloined from the Nazis by a local master criminal and the allies are drawing ever nearer.

Who will survive and who will not?

The main characters are brilliantly depicted with May in the forefront and the Monsignor not featuring as much as previously.

What has to be mentioned is the sheer quality of the writing - rich and lush with incredibly detailed descriptions of the architecture of Rome but the action never stops and this is an incredible book which pays tribute to a brave group of people from diverse backgrounds who came together to do so much good.

Although this is fiction it is based on reality and just has to be read - but please read the first two in the series beforehand or you will miss so much back story.

Easily the best book I have read this year.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy and this last book may be the best. The characters are brilliantly portrayed, you really get to know them. Even the Nazi General Hauptmann is a fully rounded person person. The books are based on a true story, the Rome escape line which saved thousands of allied soldiers lives. It is a thrilling, exciting read and as usual the quality of the authors writing ensures that this is a top class book.

‘The City of Echoes’,by Joseph O’Connor,is the third book in the superb Rome Escape Line series. As far as historical fiction is able to transport us back in the time this novel excels extraordinarily,reaching far beyond even the highest expectations of this esteemed author’s output.The sense of being in German occupied Rome in the face of the onslaught of the Allies immanent liberation is brilliantly told at various intervals through the eyes of main characters including Johnny May,and the Gestapo Commander Paul Hauptmann.
Many layers of intrigue are exposed through people suffering on all fronts in the desperately pressurised boiling pot of the ancient city.
The dynamic in the relationships of the Choir is further unsettled by the notorious underworld character of Gesmas lurking in the shadows willing to murder anyone without hesitation and change alliances for personal gain.
The human cost of war is articulated beautifully in some particularly poignant episodes detailing events that speak volumes about the courage of individuals acting selflessly for others.
This instalment of the trilogy is a more than fitting finale to honour respectfully the brave actions of the Choir.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK,Vintage , for an Advance Readers Copy for review.