This is a stylish and well plotted mystery set in 1937 Europe. The characters will draw you in. It's a good read.

This is definitely a vintage spy story. I was really interested at first - the mystery centers around a man orphaned as an infant who has never known his real identity and suddenly finds himself the center of a large conspiracy.

Unfortunately, for me, I had trouble keeping all the players straight, and at 70% of the way through, found that I honestly didn't care enough about any of the characters to stick it out to the end. I put it down for a few days and tried to pick it back up on multiple occasions and just couldn't get interested again.

This is a terrific action adventure story set in western Europe circa 1937.
Luke Hamilton is enjoying his life in Paris as an intelligence officer at the British Embassy after a tour of duty as a pilot in India. His routine is disrupted by two things. First is the murder of a nun who found him as an infant on her doorstep and settled him with the couple who raised him. Then, there’s an attempt on his life, which escalates into a full blown chase through Europe. Nobody is as they appear to be and it’s difficult for Luke to know who his friends are, and some of his enemies become friends. It’s a story that will appeal to readers of Robert Goddard (like me).
Highly recommended.
I received an advance reading copy of the book through Netgalley in exchange for an objective and review.

In Mark Mills' deft cat-and-mouse game of a thriller, Where Dead Men Meet (Blackstone Audio, digital galley via NetGalley), someone is trying to kill Luke Hamilton. Or it could be a case of mistaken identity in 1937 Paris, where Hamilton is assigned to the British Embassy. He is grieving at the news of the murder in England of Sister Agnes, the nun who took him in as an abandoned baby 25 years ago. Readers already know Sister Agnes' murder is connected to the attempt on Luke's life, but it is the appearance of the mysterious Bernard Fautrier who warns Luke he is in real danger.  The race -- to escape the killers and to find out their motives -- takes Luke to Nazi Germany, to neutral Switzerland, to enigmatic Venice. There are moments of exquisite tension, although the resolution of the main mystery comes a little too early. Still, complications ensue as table turns. Revenge is cold and deadly. -- from On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever

This novel was a fun, exciting read! Check out my review at https://bigbaldbooks.wordpress.com/2017/06/19/review-where-dead-men-meet/

A superb adventure thriller. Mark Mills takes you on a rollercoaster journey peppered with elements of espionage, secrets and lies. Set in 1937 Luke Hamilton is preparing to attend the funeral of , Sister Agnes, the nun who had looked after him when he was abandoned at the orphanage. She had been murdered and Then an attempt is made on Luke's life causing him to take flight and go on the run. Is there a connection? The story meanders and veers across Europe leaving you wondering where the plot will lead you next. Who is Luke? Why is he in danger? Who exactly is his enemy and why? Who can you trust? Will there be a positive outcome for him?These are all questions you will ask as you career along with him on his epic journey. A thriller that drags you in, grabbing your attention and keeping you gripped all the way through.

I am a sucker for a good suspense novel. I love the feeling of being on the edge of my seat and speculating the direction the author is going to take me. I have also been on a historical fiction kick this year so I was very excited when I picked up Where Dead Men Meet by Mark Mills.

Set in 1937, you see the framework for World War II being set in Europe and all the horrors that went along with that time period. Luke Hamilton was an orphan who was taken care of for years by a kind-hearted nun before being adopted. Years later, the nun is brutally murdered and Luke finds himself being in the assassins crosshairs. With Luke's journey of dodging assassination attempts and traveling all over Europe trying to find the truth, you find yourself getting lost in the details, and never feeling like you can keep up.

This is the first book I've read by Mark Mills and I hate to say I was extremely disappointed. It took me months to get through this book and I finally gave up. The beginning grabbed my attention but as I read on the pace felt forced and the story line became muddled to me. I finally gave up and put it down. Sometimes you're just not in a right frame of mind to read a certain type of story.

I didn't want to give up on Where Dead Men Meet since the synapsis was intriguing and I've heard good things about Mark Mills' work. I picked the book back up a few weeks later and the same thing happened. I struggled to get lost in the story. I felt no connection to the characters whatsoever and even though I was curious to find out who it was that was hunting Luke and killed the nun, I couldn't finish it.

I really wanted to love this book, but I really didn't. It was chaotic, convoluted, and forced and this is the first fiction in a long time I couldn't finish.

This is a finely crafted traditional thriller in the style of John Buchan's The Thirty Nine Steps. The characters are complex and in particular the shadowy figure Borodin gives an intriguing edge. An enjoyable holiday read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for an advanced review copy.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars

I just could not get into this book. It didn't hold my attention and I found myself putting it down and having no desire to return to it for weeks at a time. I finally gave up on the book and couldn't finish.

This is a historical fiction book that is set in Paris in 1937. It involves a junior air intelligence officer serving at the British Embassy. He is the target of an assassination attempt and as he runs for his life, begins to realize that he wasn't the mistaken target as he first believed.

The book is well written and I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy it. I also really enjoy these type of books. For some reason, this book just didn't connect with me. I found it boring, confusing and at the end, just couldn't force myself to keep reading it.

Pacey thriller set in pre-WWII Europe involving reclaimed identities, hitmen trying to atone for previous sins, and the general tenseness of a Europe on the edge of war. I wanted this to be a bit more Eric Ambler or Alan Furst, and it gets there at times (especially in the beginning), but as a whole it was just okay. A solid B, because there's something great about jetting around Europe with assassins in pursuit, but not enough shine for me.

Mark Mills had me from the first sentence of Where Dead Men Meet. “Had Sister Agnes been less devout, she would have lived to celebrate her forty-eighth birthday.” Well, Jeez.

This is one of what I call extraordinary-ordinary people books. You know, everyday guy is just living his life and then, out of the blue, all these experts at espionage, crime, murder, and mayhem are suddenly after him and through pluck and luck, he somehow lives to fight another day. This is exactly that kind of book, but it avoids the usual requirement that we suspend all disbelief by providing him with some help in the form of an unlikely guardian angel and an extraordinary-extraordinary woman who is cleverer and more capable than he.

Luke Hamilton is our ordinary guy, a British Air Force pilot stationed in pre-war Paris after running into trouble with a woman in Afghanistan. He visits Guernica and is moved by the painting and falls into a strangely intrusive conversation with another man who is there. The man, Borodin, has been hired to kill him, but recognizes something in Luke that makes him hesitate. He soon decides to save Luke, though that will be difficult because there are several killers on his trail. After a fracas or two in Paris, now Luke has the French police on his trail, too.

Borodin sends him to safety, if safety is the fire after the frying pan. However, he does meet Pippi who is all kinds of competent and smarter than most, certainly quicker than Luke. Things move apace and now he not only has French Police, but some Nazi soldiers as well. So, let’s just add the British army and the Italians for good measure. Luke pretty much makes a big circle of Europe picking up new folks on his trail, leaving bodies (usually not of his doing) and learning more about himself than he ever suspected.

There is also a love story, the burgeoning romance between Luke and Pippi. It’s very much a fade-to-black affair, surprisingly chaste for a book full of so much murder and violence. It’s funny how much more squeamish people are about sex than violence. We have a nun beaten to death, some waterboarding, shootings galore, and nothing more sexual than a kiss before they wake up in the morning. Not that I am complaining, people trying to be inventive when writing about sex can sound ridiculous, but I just can’t help notice how much more comfortable we are with violence.

I spent the day in the library of PNCA, a library filled with beautifully illustrated art books, but I was glued to Where Dead Men Meet. It is just one firing pan after another with frequent fires in between. It does stretch credulity to the snapping point, the success with which Luke and Pippi escape from more trained, skilled, and experienced agents of one sort or another, even with the occasional intervention of their guardian angel Borodin and his cherubim.

The mystery of Luke’s real identity is central to the story and I am eternally grateful he was not some lost Romanov. I confess my first reaction when I realized this was a secret identity story was a loud groan fearing that would be the story line. I am so glad it was much more inventive than that.

I liked Where Dead Men Meet. I liked the characters, though sometimes Luke needed a kick in the rear. Luckily, Pippi was there to give him those much needed kicks when he was ready to pack it all in. I like that they made a point of developing a plan and then trying to tear it apart to see where it could fail. I liked that they weren’t suddenly efficient killers and made mistakes. There are a few times the foreshadowing is a bit too revelatory. For example, when Borodin gives Pippi a heads up when they separate for the last time, I knew that there was another enemy in addition to the Croatian crime bosses. I appreciate, though, that when they went to Italy, they did not run to their hidden enemy to seek his help all unaware, avoiding the ultimate thriller cliche of the bad guy soliloquizing his entire plan before some miraculous intervention saves the day.

The writing is clear and direct with a strong narrative drive. Mills succeeds in creating a vivid sense of place, but this story is more about pace and action than mood. It is almost cinematic during the scenes of intense jeopardy, all the action is there in your mind’s eye. If you like thrillers with people who are confused and at sea, but competent and proactive. you will enjoy Where Dead Men Meet .

Where Dead Men Meet will be released on May 30th. I received an advance e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley.

This historical thriller was an average read for me about a young man who is the subject of an assassination attempt in pre-war Paris. There were a lot of characters throughout and I did not feel engaged and invested in any of them. I also found it a little hard to believe that a complete amateur could outwit professional assassins, so there was that to contend with as well. I didn't love it, but it wasn't terrible either.

Gripping book. Had me drawn in from page 1
Will recommend

A nice old fashioned, in a good way, thriller set across Europe just before the Second World War with a host of well drawn characters.

Luke Hamilton, our hero, is a British Officer thrust into an suspenseful historical adventure tale set in the early 1900's of Europe. The murder of a beloved guardian sets Luke on journey where he becomes the target of assassination due to a dark past of which he must unravel. Along the way he meets an unlikely cast of interesting characters, including Pippi Keller, a reluctant companion in his treacherous path where stakes are high, nothing is as it seems, not everyone can be trusted and the possibility of war looms in the background. Mark Mill's has a strong hand at storytelling and whether you are a fan of historical fiction or not, 'Where Dead Men Meet' is an intriguing read. High recommendation.

Looking for a little jaunt across pre-World War II Europe? Want a few thrills along the way? Then this is the book for you. “Where Dead Men Meet” reads like a spy story with lots of action and suspense. Luke is an RAF pilot who has been grounded and is stuck behind a desk in Paris. Pippi is a young woman, who along with 2 thugs, is smuggling Jews out of Germany. Ivan is an aging hitman whose job is to kill Luke, until he has a change of heart. Throw in some German military officers and a mysterious adoption story and the bullets soon start to fly.

Spy stories aren’t my usual thing but this one sounded like a good one and I was not disappointed. I took an instant liking to Luke and then to Pippi, and even though their first meeting was less than ideal, you could tell these two liked each other. Luke has a very mysterious past and suddenly it catches up to him and places him on the wrong side of a gun. Ivan has a suspicion about who Luke really is and decides to help him escape the men that are trying to kill him. This proves to be easier said than done. I was particularly impressed with the author’s descriptions of the various villages and cities where the story takes place. This story has lots of interesting twists but none of them feel contrived. There’s bad guys, and good guys, and some for whom it’s hard to tell. Bottom line: this is a great story that I highly recommend.

I had such high hopes - a very cool cover, intriguing quotes, great beginning... Then nothing. Then it picked up again. Then nothing. Later, rinse, repeat...

I was almost 2/3 through when I realized I simply didn't care what happened to Luke or who he really was, what Borodin was really after, whether Pippi would cut and run, if Wilke would get his revenge... And that was the death knell for me. Each of those questions - let alone all of them collectively - SHOULD have been suspenseful enough to keep my attention, but somehow they just were not. I kept hitting lulls throughout the book, but pushing through because I liked the concept - until I suddenly realized the concept was nothing without the characters, and they were falling oddly flat for me. Increasingly so, with each page.

It's not so much that there's anything wrong here, just that there's not enough right to keep me consistently engaged and invested in any of the characters... Sister Agnes was, pretty much, the most interesting one - and she bowed out within ten pages or so. Not a good sign...

A rollicking good thriller set in pre-war (1930s) Europe

It is 1937 and Luke Hamilton, a twenty-something Englishman, is working at the British Embassy in Paris. Luke is a foundling, left at a convent when a baby by a mysterious man and raised by the nuns, particularly Sister Agnes.

He hears that Sister Agnes has been murdered and endeavours to go back to attend her funeral in England. Before he can leave Paris, however, there is an attempt on his own life and he is forced to flee.

He is sent to Konstanz, on the German side of the border between Germany and Switzerland. He has been given a contact there, Pippi, and soon becomes embroiled in the anti-Nazi activities there. All the while, he is attempting to discover his own identity.

Mark Mills has written several novels set in the mid twentieth century, and, if this book is any indication of the style of the others, then I shall be reading them before too long. He sets the scene well, and draws the reader into the various characters.

Luke comes across as a very sympathetic “hero” in the book and copes well with the danger he seems to be thrust into constantly. As with all thrillers, the reader has to take a leap of faith that the author stays just on the right side of believability. Mills accomplishes this, just.

I read a kindle format of this book and one major source of irritation was the complete absence of capital D, G and K throughout the book. Thus, Germany became germany etc. I thought I would get used to this and dismiss it, I didn’t. Hopefully the printed books will be correct, and future kindle editions will have been corrected.

That fault hasn’t affected a deserved 4 star rating for the work.

Mr Bumblebee

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Nice title, but what does it actually mean? I suppose it conjures up an image of a gritty thriller and, if so, then that is what the reader gets. Mills’ novel is a curiously old-fashioned adventure story, filled with twists and turns and lots of action over a wide geographical canvass. Set in 1937, the world is gearing up for war, but the core of this story lies much deeper in the past, in Austro-Hungarian Croatia.
Luke Hamilton, the central character, a foundling child, now working for RAF Intelligence in Paris, finds himself the target for a series of European assassins. Why? That is what he has to find out, while remaining alive long enough to do so.
This is high adventure, well written, but all rather implausible. Others have compared the plot and setting to Greene and Ambler. There is a superficial resemblance, but Mills does not attain the heights of either. Where he does succeed is in drawing a number of very sympathetic central characters who make reading the novel a pleasant experience throughout.

Where Dead Men Meet is set in 1937. War is on the horizon, and Europe is full of nervous anxiety. Luke Hamilton, a young British air force intelligence officer in Paris, is shocked to find himself the target of an assassination attempt.

Initially, he believes the attempt to be a case of mistaken identity, but that misconception doesn't last long. Finding an unlikely ally in Borodin (one of the hit men originally targeting him), Luke ends up on the run. Borodin sends him to a woman who has been helping Jews escape from Germany, but his welcome doesn't reassure him, and Pippi has a grievance against Borodin.

Fast paced, this prewar thriller kept me on edge. A little convoluted with all of the mysterious backstory, but a suspenseful romp across Europe during a dangerous time.

Read in Jan.; blog post scheduled for May 14, 2017.

NetGalley/Blackstone Publishing

Suspense/Historical Fiction. May 30, 2017. Print length: 448 pages.