An interesting novel by Stephen Hunter. I have always enjoyed his novels and this one was great. The story was interesting and a James Bond (without the gadgets) type of humor. I did not want to put this down till I finished the book. I hope that this character is in more novels in the future.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! I have read most of Stephen Hunter’s books from the very beginning, but I have not enjoyed one as much as this one—-the first of what I hope will be a series of books featuring Basil Florian— British adventurer, cad, spy,,and all around cool guy. This book is set during WWll and features cameos by real people including Churchill and Vivian Leigh. Its a short novel-which is a good thing-not bloated like many thrillers. Hunter is historically accurate but dozens teach but shows and the book moves fast leavened with humor and sex. And always intelligent. Read it and Mr. Hunter keep writing these!

Rating: 5 stars

Summary: An aloof British spy more concerned with avoiding the war is asked to jump into France and recover by whatever means a missing code book that will convince the Russians of German plans to invade Kursk. This could add years to the war and millions more dead.

Comments: Hunter writes a comedic spy thriller that will have you chuckling along. As much as we love Hunters Bob the Nailer series, this is a great spy novel and shows exactly how talented and researched Hunter really is. Have fun it’s a great novel.

A rake and a rogue, Basil the spy has his fun as he fights his way through WW II as a British spy. After reading most of the author’s books, I was surprised by the amount of silliness. But that’s probably what helped most people maintain some semblance of sanity.

A silly spoof of the swashbuckling spy tale, this one features Basil St. Florian , a feckless English aristocrat whose James Bond-like exploits during a patch of the second world war are rendered like an extended vaudeville sketch - definitely a different take for Hunter, who tends to offer steely jawed hero soldiers rather than well-bred Brits who when not carrying out missions involving Churchill, Turing, and the Special Operations Executive is bedding Vivien Leigh at Claridge's . This reader didn't quite know what to make of Basil or the novel itself - it feels like it should be a movie.