A WW1 spy thriller that misses the mark

Try as I might, I could not enjoy this book. Dr Anthony Brooke is a secret agent for the British government, called upon to investigate a murder/suicide. As he proceeds, he seems to uncover all manner of plots fronted by a gang using a housekeeping agency as its front.

A small child called Milly, cloistered in a convent in Belgium, becomes a target and Dr Brooke has to race to save her. In order to do this, he has to infiltrate occupied territory.

The plot seems to have an inordinate number of twists and turns, many of which are never explained. This made me feel frustrated and the feeling of unresolved issues left me wanting more.

I am a huge fan of spy thrillers but this book did not hit the mark for me.

Gillian

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

Set during WWI, The Price of Silence has Doctor Anthony Brooke, a secret agent for the British government, trying to make sense of the murder -suicide of an unlikely couple. Before long the investigation becomes more complicated and widespread. All clues point Anthony to a gang of blackmailers and extortionists, using a housekeeping agency as their front. But every time Anthony gets close to any person with ties to the gang, he or she is killed off. At the very bottom of the investigation is Milly, a little girl hidden in a Belgian orphanage in German occupied territory. Anthony must race around the clock to solve the crimes in order to get to the bottom of the murders, understand what Milly has to do with it, and then rescue her before she falls prey to the gang.

The Price of Silence is a fast paced and enthralling mystery that hooked me from the onset and kept me guessing and mystified as any good crime-mystery should. Gordon-Smith kept loading on more complications, adding to the suspense, as Anthony tries to unravel the mystery, which isn’t resolved until the very end. According to the publisher’s write-up, the novel is “…Dolores Gordon-Smith’s tribute to John Buchan and the Thirty Nine Steps, now celebrating its centenary. All references and similarities are intentional.” I have not read this novel, but thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Gordon-Smith’s spin. A fun and exciting read.

Reviewed for Historical Novels Society

A story set in London in the main during World War I. Anthony Brooke is recruited to work for the British Intelligence Service. What begins as a murder enquiry takes a decidedly nasty turn, as a viscous blackmail plot is uncovered, as well as kidnapping. A perilous trip into Belgium to gather more information leads to more questions than answers.

A very enjoyable murder / mystery read, with the back drop of WWI. It includes mentions of how lives have been changed, the living conditions, the economic climate and the suffering, not just here but also in Europe and especially in Belgium. This was a section I found really interesting, how the lives of people are touched by war. As women are leaving paid service as maids, cooks, cleaners etc to work in factories, particularly the munitions factories, it show the change in the social side of the country. Better wages for factory jobs, also better working hours with more time off. This is not the view of all, the old stalwarts who remain in service see this as a lack of respect and loyalty.

The plot has been cleverly thought out and put together and twisted around actual historical figures and events, the author has let her imagination well in this respect. It has a very convincing and mysterious plot with many twists and turns. I did like the characters and found them memorable quickly, even when the plot caused them to change their names for undercover work. It is set at a very good pace than is consistent throughout. The descriptions of settings had been executed to a good standard giving a good insight into the various locations.



As I read this I had a sense of Agatha Christie’s Captain Hastings in Anthony Brooke, not exactly the same but similar in some instances. It also had a similar feel and structure to it, and came across as very logical, a sleuthing mystery. I did see that this is the authors tribute to John Buchan’s; 39 Steps, but it was many years ago that I read that book, so I cannot comment on this.

I would recommend this book to readers who like a period crime / mystery read. Some good historical elements, characters, plot and well written. This is my first meeting with this author and it will not be my last.

This novel is a homage to the adventure stories published in the 1920’s and 1930’s which were full of daring deeds by stalwart heroes who, through quick-thinking and honorable actions, foil the villains of the piece. The McGuffin in the story is Millie, a little girl who has been kidnapped by the bad guys who could be German spies or just working for lots and lots of money. It is up to Dr Anthony Brooke, on leave from duty in the trenches, to rescue the little girl. The story has everything: the murder of a sweet old couple and their even older butler; a group of despicable blackmailers; really nasty WWI Germans officers; children in danger; daring escapes and even more daring secret entries. Oh, I almost forget the famous aviator and his lovely, tormented wife and the kindly priests who contribute to the solution plus two genuinely horrible women, And 20 millions dollars worth of gold bars! There is a brilliant amateur sleuth, Dr. Brooke’s wife, who can decipher a key cryptic message just from a few word fragments and can even pretend to be a loose woman to further the game. Le Carre this novel is not. But if the reader is prepared to check his deductive genes at the door he (or she) is in for a rollicking good time.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Severn House for providing a copy of this novel for an honest review. When the police are called to the Jowett's home, they find the bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Jewett in his locked study. After a cursory investigation the deaths are ruled a murder/suicide and the case is closed. As Father Quinet sits in his confessional, he overhears conspirators plotting the kidnapping of a small child. Comments are also made suggesting the conspirators' involvement in the deaths of the Jowetts. Father Quinet takes his information to Scotland Yard, re-opening the case.

Jewett worked for a bank owned by a German-American and as WWI rages, Intelligence must find a connection between the murders and kidnapping. Anthony Brooke, a doctor working with Intelligence, discovers that the endangered child is in an orphanage in Belgium, behind German lines. It falls to Brooke to rescue the child and return her safely to England. It is. Not until he returns that he learns of the child's importance to the outcome of the war.

Dolores Gordon-Smith has written an espionage thriller that takes the reader behind enemy lines to witness the destruction of war and the bravery of the resistance. The pages are filled with chases and narrow escapes to keep you on the edge of your seat. If you enjoyed John Buchan's The 39 Steps or Ken Follett's thrillers, this book comes highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House Publishing for a digital galley of this novel.

I've read several novels by Dolores Gordon-Smith in her Jack Haldean mystery series and enjoyed each of them. I definitely appreciate the writing talent of this author and her characterizations and plotting are spot on. I did not read the first book in this new series, Frankie's Letter, but will definitely look for it after reading this second installment. This is a World War I espionage thriller which begins with either a murder/suicide or a locked room mystery. Once that is sorted out the need becomes apparent for Dr. Anthony Brooke to infiltrate behind the front lines into Belgium in order to rescue a little girl. Getting in isn't easy, getting out safely is just as hard.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read for me and a little more of a departure from the Jack Haldean series than I had expected. I must say, Ms. Gordon-Smith handled the change in series very well. As with most espionage novels the characters often have one or more names they go by and some of that got a little bit confusing at times but the general story was very well done to show the factual devastation in Belgium. Ms. Gordon-Smith also used the real name of an underground Belgian spy network, The White Lady, as well as one of the smuggler operatives in that organization, but his actions in this book were wholly fictitious. I was also very interested to learn about an organization called the American Relief Administration set up by the future United States President, Herbert Hoover, to supply food to the people of Belgium while being exported through British ports. It seems an impossibility that this could have all worked so well when the Germans and the British were engaged in a full scale war, but the organization was undoubtedly responsible for saving an untold number of citizens in Belgium from starvation. This depth of research is what I love to find when I read such a quality product as this novel.

The author describes this novel as a tribute to John Buchan's classic 39 Steps, which I have not read, so it is possible my reception to this book is colored by that.

British secret Agent Anthony Brooke, with help from his wife Tara, gets caught up in a World War 1 case involving blackmail, murder, and the welfare of a 5-year-old girl. The book has lots of exciting scenes as Brooke goes into occupied Belgium disguised as a German officer.

The characters are interesting and the narrative moves right along. I found the plot to be murky at times and was unclear even at the end of the book why some things happened. It also felt to me that the plot was quite over the top and unbelievable in many instances.

I received an ARC via Net Galley in return for my honest review.

World War One and British agent Anthony Brooke is on the verge of being sent back to the front, when events in London transpire to keep him away from the front line – for now. A well-to-do couple, the Jowetts, seemingly shoot each other inside Mr Jowett’s study, but there are clear signs of murder. And when it becomes clear that a kidnapped child is involved, Brooke, and his new wife, Tara, find themselves up investigating.

But the investigation will soon take Brooke to Belgium, which students of the period might realise will be a problem. The child is being held deep inside German-occupied territory and Brooke must risk life and limb to infiltrate a hospital and escape with a child in tow. Shouldn’t be too difficult…

This is the second Brooke novel, following Frankie’s Letter. I haven’t read that one, which was a bit of an issue initially as I have no idea who “Milly” was. Our hero immediately realises that the kidnapped girl must be “Milly” but unfortunately, unless I missed it, I didn’t feel I had enough information concerning her importance.

That’s the complaints over with, though. Be warned, this isn’t, and doesn’t try to be, a traditional mystery. Instead, Dolores Gordon-Smith has written an homage to John Buchan and it’s that style (as much as I know that style) of tale. The sequence when Brooke is in Belgium is cracking stuff, and the parts either side are highly entertaining too. Don't be put off by that cover, which really makes it look like an entirely different genre, this is a fun thriller.

Not a traditional mystery, but if you’re looking for a different style of crime novel, then this is Highly Recommended.

Many thanks to Severn House for the review copy.

Anthony Brooke is a secret agent working for the British Government during the First World War. His latest mission is to investigate a gang responsible for murders, blackmail, and kidnapping.

The opening chapter takes place in the wealthy Jowett household. This was an era when the servants quarters were below stairs, completely separate from their employers. However, on the day in question, the servants gather to listen at the drawing room door after hearing a violent argument taking place between Mr and Mrs Jowett. The servants are not to know that it will lead to a murder, a suicide, and a natural death. Or is that really what happened? Well have no fear, because Anthony Brooke is about to swing into action, he's determined to get to the truth, and in doing so, it also brings him closer to the vicious gang that he seeks to expose.

Anthony's inquiries into the gang, uncover a plot to kidnap a young girl from a convent in war ravaged Belgium. He intends to find and rescue the girl, but this will be no easy mission, as Belgium is a country that is still under German occupation.

From the parlours of the wealthy, to the muddy and dangerous minefields behind enemy lines in Belgium, this story is rich in detail, and very much of its era. The characters are wonderful and the plot is such that it ensures that attention doesn't wander. I love this particular period in history when detection work relied on the brilliance of great minds working together, without the aid of modern technology. A great story, well told, and very entertaining.

*Thank you to Severn House Publishers for my ARC in exchange for an honest review *

Have you watched the Downton Abbey series? If the answer is yes, you will surely, like me, enjoy the introductory atmosphere of the book The Price of Silence by Dolores Gordon-Smith. It is the era of the First World War and the action takes place at the home of a wealthy Jowett family. The first characters we come across are Mrs. Rachel Harrop, a housekeeper, who resembles the character of Mrs. Hughes, a housekeeper from the aforementioned series, and also the perfectly cool and professional batler, Mr. Hawthorne (Mr. Carson in Downton Abbey). Of course, it is a typical contemporary composition of a British household, so it's not so surprising to have those type of characters, although it was very interesting to me because the characters in my head immediately took on the characters of the series, so this time my mind did not have to bother with their visualization.
And there is where the similarities to the series end, but the real plot begins. In the house of Jowetts, in a short time, there is a murder, a suicide and one natural death - or at least it appears so. Suspicious circumstances lead to Sir Charles Talbot, an associate of Scotland Yard and his assistant, soldier and physician Dr. Anthony Brooke (do you see the similarity with some of the most famous detective couples?) and his brave wife Tara Brooke. There is a very interesting inquiry that leads to surprising conclusions. In the case of all three deaths, investigators conclude it is a cold-blooded murder, but perpetrators and motives are still unknown. There are a Roman Catholic priest, an employment agency for housekeepers, an orphanage under the supervision of nuns in occupied Belgium, and a five-year-old girl are involved in the case, although their connection is unclear. The story finally gets a completely unexpected breakthrough interwoven with espionage, blackmail, trespassing and kidnapping. And of course, ultimately, a happy ending.
The Price of Silence is definitely a story worth reading. An interesting start and an excellent plot and details of investigations in which investigators truly use their brilliant minds and rely not only on modern technology, as it often happens in modern crime stories, and it leads to interesting, although I personally believe somewhat weaker spy story, but the act remains uncertain to the very end.
Although these elements of Downton Abbey, Sherlock Holmes, and Dr. Watson (and Mary) seem to be somewhat like the author follows a well-established path, which at first may be partly true, the story finally develops in a quite different direction and takes on the uniqueness that distinguishes it if the mentioned, popular templates. The book comes out on November 1, 2017, in the edition of Severn House Publishers, which I thank for allowing me to read and review this book.