Agent in Berlin is a historical spy novel set in the period right before WWII. Barbary is a British spy tasked with creating a "wolf pack" of spies. The pack includes a diversity of folks who all work to find out what is happening in Germany.

A secret plan for a new Jet is discovered, and the book reaches it's apex at Pearly Harbor.

The book is historical fiction based on historical facts. If you are interested in WWII spy novels this is right up your alley

I have to admit that even though the field of WWII fiction seems to be getting very crowded lately, Alex Gerlis continues to move up my list of authors that capture the mood and feeling of that terrible time while still providing an action-filled tale with memorable characters (BTW, Alan Furst is still at the top of that list, as Mr. Gerlis will agree). “Agent in Berlin” is the first in a new series, The Wolf Pack Spies, from Mr. Gerlis, having recently finished his wonderful Richard Prince series (which you should read).

England, 1930s. War is coming, although some in the British diplomatic corps don’t seem to think that it will happen. However, there are a few in MI6 that realize what is happening and are starting to prepare for the inevitable (even though most view spying as not being “very sporting”).

Enter Barnaby Allen, who is looking for a job and uses his old school connections to join MI6. His task is to create an autonomous spy network in Germany, know only to him, not vetted through the embassy. Luckily for the UK, Barnaby is a natural at reading people and determining the points which will motivate a person to betray the Nazis. He starts with an acquaintance from his horse racing days, a German who seems to be able to strike up a conversation and wheedle out information without even trying; as a gay man in Nazi Germany he already is living a double-life so he joins up willingly. And so Barnaby continues: an American journalist who is frustrated at what he sees and wants to make a difference, a Luftwaffe officer who has his own secrets, a Japanese diplomat with knowledge of a new fighter, and finally Sophia, the wife of an up-and-coming SS Officer. Some of these help and fade away, some are caught by the Gestapo and don’t make it, others continue to fight for what they believe in.

Mr. Gerlis does a wonderful job at capturing the mood, the danger, the tension – after all, these are just ordinary people caught up in an extraordinary time in history, trying to do the right thing. This book is a series of snapshots as the war marches on, we see the frustration as people risk their lives and see nothing being acted upon – after all, they are just pawns in a much bigger game.

Wonderful start to a new series, looking forward to the next chapter.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Canelo via NetGalley. Thank you!

I find that Alex Gerlis novels vary greatly. I was looking forward to reading this one and indeed it is a reasonable start to a new series. The beginning is a bit of a plod as you get used to the new characters set ready to star in what I presume will be a collection of stories. Stick with it as further in the true tale develops into a good yarn. However I found that Barney somewhat annoyed me, being inconsistent in his levels of secrecy and behaviour. Perhaps he will develop his skills as he appears in up and coming books!

Loved this thriller! British spymaster Barnaby Allen begins recruiting a network of agents in Germany. With diplomatic relations quickly unravelling, this pack of spies soon comes into their own: the horse-loving German at home in Berlin’s underground; the young American sports journalist; the mysterious Luftwaffe officer; the Japanese diplomat and the most unlikely one of all... the SS officer’s wife. Despite constant danger and the ever-present threats of discovery and betrayal, Allen’s network unearths top-secret plans for a new German fighter plane – and a truly devastating intelligence prize... an audacious Japanese plan to attack the United States. But can they prove it? Gripping from page one! I’m recommending this as a five star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author Alex Gerlis http://alexgerlis.com published the book Agent in Berlin in early November. He has published nine novels, with this being the first in his Wolf Pack Spies series.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this book as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of violence, mature language, and adult situations.

Barnaby Allen leaves the world of horse racing and joins MI6. With a bit of training and a natural talent for people, he assembles a network of spies in Germany. Some join because they are appalled at the Nazis. Others must be encouraged through blackmail. A few do not even realize they are revealing secrets to the British.

It is slow work with the need to trust prospective agents only after they have proven themselves. The primary agents are an odd assortment. An American journalist. The gay Jewish horse race enthusiast. An officer in the Luftwaffe. A Japanese diplomat. The wife of a dedicated SS officer.

The intelligence they turn up is first-rate. Living constantly under the threat of the Gestapo takes its toll. The British are sure that a war with Germany is coming. They begin to build their network of agents as early as 1935. As the Nazis gain more power, the information gathered is more important than ever. But the risks grow as well. Many agents do not survive.

I enjoyed the 10 hours I spent reading this 411-page WWII spy thriller. This is the third novel by Gerlis that I have read (The others are Prince of Spies and Ring of Spies). I have enjoyed each and every one of them! This novel shares some characters from his ‘Richard Prince’ series. Gerlis' novels remind me of those written by Helen MacInnes, Ladislas Farago, and Alistair MacLean. I like the cover art selected for the novel. I rate this book as a 5 out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

An Agent in Berlin by Alex Gerlis is the beginning of a new series, The Wolf Pack Spies, which promises to be an unmissable Second World War espionage thriller.
In short, British spymaster Barnaby Allen is on a quest to recruit a network of agents in Germany…eventually he finds his pack of spies, a horse loving German, an American sports journalist, a mysterious Luftwaffe officer, a gay Japanese diplomat and the most unlikely one of all, an SS officer’s wife. Barnaby now had his functioning network of spies who would all prove critical in collecting intelligence involving the development of the Focke-Wulf 109 fighter plane and Japanese intelligence leading to the attack on Pearl Harbour.
I always enjoy a good, clever spy thriller and an Agent in Berlin did not disappoint, it’s packed with drama and detail, so much so it’s easy to find yourself immersed in the horror and tense times during the dark times of WW2. For me, it wasn’t just that the plot that was good it was the characters which totally made the story for me…”ordinary people with blameless and straightforward lives tend not to become spies. The best ones are people who’ve been tested by life in one way or the other.”
The ending seemed slightly weak for me, however, I soon discovered that there is a follow up and that makes me very happy because there is so much more left to discover and I can’t wait to read more.
Big thanks to Alex Gerlis, Canelo and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily.
I enjoyed the 'Secret Trilogy' by John Gardner and looked forward to this book being as thrilling and exciting, especially as the author has written other books of this genre. I thought the first few pages were written in a strange way, with characters' names repeated in full every few sentences almost as though the author thought it was necessary to ensure the reader completely understood who he was writing about. I became more disappointed very quickly as Barney met Werner and the story progressed: I think it very odd that Werner manipulated Barney into revealing information about the horses despite Barney's insistence that he was not allowed to discuss such matters and yet a few chapters later Barney thinks he is suitable as an agent.
I didn't like the narrative style and couldn't help thinking if we had such bumbling spies in our team we'd have been likely to lose the war. I couldn't read more than 20% before giving up.

A work of fiction built on the solid foundations of fact this book will have you clenching various parts of your anatomy as the story unfolds in the lead up to WW2 and beyond. Establishing and running a network of agents in Berlin falls to Barnaby Allen, ex jockey club and “old school tie” he finds himself with the vision and wherewithal to recruit well placed individuals who risk all in providing background, plans, politics and policy information whilst avoiding the Gestapo and the Kenpeitai (Japanese Secret Service/Military Police) - not always successfully. As the need for intelligence grows - so will the Wolfpack…….
Grateful to NetGalley and publisher Canelo for the reading opportunity.

A gripping start to an exciting new series by Alex Gerlis. This is a tautly written, well researched and cleverly plotted spy thriller.
The author takes one right to the heart of the intelligence service in England and Germany as war looms in the 1930s.
Alex Gerlis is right at the top of the league of contemporary spy writers.

I’m a great lover of World War 2 novels and also massively enjoy spy thrillers so this was the perfect book for me.
Set in Berlin before the war started and moving into the early 1940s this was a well researched and gripping read.
Barney Allen is working for the jockey club when personal circumstances compel him to find a better paid job. Using a school connection he manages to get a job at MI6 and is tasked with setting up a spy ring in Berlin.
Barney goes about this assiduously and by the time war breaks out he has a “wolf pack” of spies from various backgrounds. They mostly hate the road the Nazis are taking Germany down and want to help to rid the country of them by aiding the British.
The tension is evident throughout the book as Barney’s spies lead double lives and try to evade capture by the Gestapo.
There is Werner, an old friend, who is persuaded to help as well as the wife of an SS officer, Sophia, and an American journalist called Jack Miller. They even enlist the help of a Japanese diplomat who supplies a lot of secrets.
All the characters in the novel are incredibly brave and despite the fact that they are not professional spies, they manage to find very useful information for the allies.
I couldn’t put this book down and raced through it in a couple of days. For me it was an enjoyable read which had me on the edge of my seat in places. The claustrophobic atmosphere of Berlin in the late 1930s and early 1940s was extremely well described and pointed to a lot of detailed research on the part of the author.
The end of the novel did seem a bit abrupt at first but then I realised that it was part of a series so I could look forward to another book featuring these wonderful characters. Bring it on ASAP!
Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for my arc copy.

One of my favorite genres is historical WWII thrillers and this is an excellent one. The book is totally captivating, well crafted, believable, relatable, and from the first page pulls you into a web of intrigue. Barnaby Allen a British spy begins to put together a cadre of spies in World War II Berlin, he recruits Jack Miller an American journalist, and in due course a Luftwaffe officer, a high-ranking Japanese diplomat, and even an SS officer’s wife.
This disparate group of people all have their own reasons for helping Barney and although not trained agents they quickly adjust and become excellent at stealth and undercover operations. Mr. Gerlis gently guides his cadre of spies and the reader into the inner circle of espionage and they become very real to
It is in some ways a brutal story of the necessities of wartime spying when niceties and civility are suspended to further the resistance effort and help to end the war. There are some casualties along the way for the war effort unlike in many Hollywood movies all of the “good guys” do not make it through but their efforts were not in vain. The characters that Mr. Gerlis has created are very realistic and relatable and believable. His story makes you feel as if you actually were in wartime Berlin and a part of his “Wolf Pack”. The author weaves real characters in with the fictional ones which lends a sense of authenticity to the book.
The story is well drawn in such a way that the reader feels as if s/he were a part of the story it is very fast-paced and has many twists and turns and some situations that kept me awake reading late into the night.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will definitely read more by this author.
Many thanks to Canelo publishers and to Netgalley for an ARC on the proviso that I write an unbiased review.

Excellent, and very well written, novel set in Berlin during the years before and at the beginning of WW2. All the characters are realistic, well-rounded and believable - and so are their reasons for being involved in espionage. The tension they must have experienced in leading double lives is palpable, and makes it a real page turner.

I haven't read any of Alex Gerlis's novels before, but will definitely look out for them now.

Highly recommended.

Wonderful read of good research and story-telling about the build up of US involvement in WW2 but set in Berlin. Global reach and appeal for sure

Agent in Berlin by Alex Girlis: This is the 9th book by Mr. Gerlis, and like the previous books the title includes the word Spy or Spies, so there is comfort to those of us who enjoy espionage books. Having read his two previous series “ Spy Masters” and “Prince” Series of four books each it gives a warm feeling to know that there are at least two more books in the new “Wolf” Series”.
As Mr. Gerlis mentions on his website, he was turned on to writing espionage books set in the WW II period by a recommendation to read Alan Furst’s; The World at Night. He also writes that his is a fan of David Downing and Philip Kerr’s books as well. All three are very good authors to be compared with.
Agent in Berlin, follows the previous books in that most of the story takes place in Germany, Switzerland or Austria under the cloud of Nazism. As much as possible the fictional plot takes place in the factual historical time of the era.
However, I think this newest book has some interesting developments compared to his previous books. These include a more nuanced development of what makes a good agent. In this book many of the agents working for the British are gay, both Germans and Japanese. Through their handler, he suggests that since homosexual acts are against the law at this time, those who are gay must lead secretive lives which is something a spy must do. Secondly, a bit of leCarre plotting occurs since there are HQ turf wars as well as it turns out to be factual the British Intelligence in Berlin did not have diplomatic cover. I also found it thought provoking that the agents questioned their value and worth risking their lives to spirit out documents and plans when it did not seem the British or American acted as a result of this information.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and when it ended there seemed to be some loose ends. It was only then I remembered this is the 1st book of his new series. So now I must wait until Spring for the next book. Well done Alex pulling me into your new “Wolf” Series!

Another fantastic book from Alex Gerlis, whose Richard Prince novels are as fine fiction as I've ever read.

We're back to Berlin and more spying, except this time, it's a bona fide ring of spies, cast from diverse characters living in Berlin.

Barnaby Allen is recruited to the spy game and tasked with setting up a network of spies in Berlin after the Nazis have taken hold but before the invasion of Poland in 1939. He also encourages those recruits to be on the lookout for others who may be willing to engage in a very dangerous game as well.

His very first recruit is a gay German citizen and businessman, Werner Lustenberger, who is affable, charming, and about as Bondian a spy as it gets in Gerlis' world. He befriends, and then beds a member of the SS, among other things.

American Jack Miller joins the ring of spies, having come to Berlin to cover the Olympics, and who stays to write travel and sports pieces, which allows him to go practically anywhere with a ready-made reason to be there. He gets friendly with the Reich's sports minister, who gives him additional protection when he wanders out of bounds a couple of times.

There's Sophie, sick of her high ranking SS husband, and who finds the husband's personal diaries and realizes the horrific things he's doing. Though afraid, she's able and willing to do the things the spywork requires: taking pictures of various places, getting people out of the country, and so on.

And there's the saddest spy ever: Tadashi Kimura, a diplomat at the Japanese embassy in Berlin, who, in his words, commits treason for the sake of love.

Spycraft abounds: secret meeting places, coded phone calls, and, as the years roll by, an ever-tightening, claustrophobic feeling that the next encounter could be game over for the spies. For some of them, alas, it is.

It's a fascinating read that at points may feel slow but isn't: the slower areas are just a pause, so the various pieces can be put into place before setting the board in motion once more.

Highly recommended, and five stars out of five.

Thanks to Canelo and NetGalley for the reading copy.

Agent in Berlin is the first book in a new series by Alex Gerlis and it is a great start with a page turning and intriguing novel.

Set before and during the early stages of World War 2 the author captures the tenseness of the period and uses this as an extra character with all the main characters well sketched and easily identifiable. He also mixes true events into the narrative.

Highly recommended and I look forward to further books in this series.

A thrilling new World War 2 spy novel. This is the first in The Wolf Pack series. The story begins in 1935 and Barnaby Allen is recruited by MI6 to form a network of spies in Berlin. Set against the rising tensions of the build up to the war, the story gathers pace as the network grows. With an excellent cast of characters and a very atmospheric historical setting, the story reaches a climax with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour.
This is an exciting read and I can't wait to read more of this series.