An Affair of Spies by Ronald H. Balson is a thrilling spy book showing how the scientific community also did what they could to stop the Nazis. So from the beginning this book was different from other WWII books I had read. Time is of the essence so Nathan Silverman is quickly draw into a mission somewhat unlike what he has trained to do. Dr. Allison Fisher volunteers but is over her head in the spy business of helping a theoretical physicist to defect. It does not go exactly as planned so the danger becomes close at hand.

While the mission seems impossible it also feels authentic. The Manhattan Project couldn’t have been the only one of its kind. Knowing the enemy’s timeline would have been important. However one of my favorite parts was reading how some of the German scientists tried to stop the development in crafty ways. Also how Jewish German Nathan Silverman joined the US military to fight any way he could against the Nazis.

Of course, a book of fiction but the research to write it is very real. Hats off to the writer for An Affair of Spies. Recommend to all WWII fiction fans.

The publisher through Net Galley provided a digital ARC. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts.

Having enjoyed other Ronald Balson books, I looked forward to reading An Affair of Spies. Nathan Silverman was sent to the U.S. by his Jewish parents in 1938. He was sponsored by his Aunt Gertrude who lived in New York. When the war started, he joined the Army and was in training at Camp Ritchie, a specialized unit. He found himself reassigned to the Manhattan Engineer District in New York. Nathan was surprised at this and reported to General Groves. At a meeting, he is told that he would be used for a mission to go to Germany to get out a defector Dr. Gunther Snyder. The General knew that Nathan’s dad had worked with Snyder. His job is to take Dr. Allison Fisher, a nuclear physicist, with him to get Snyder out of Berlin. I thought this could get very interesting. However, I had difficulty with so much info about nuclear bombs and the shallowness at times in the relationship between Allison and Nathan. I had a hard time staying focused. My thanks to st. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Nathan Silverman is a "Ritchie Boy" - an American soldier who is being trained to go with the expeditionary force in Europe because he is a native German speaker and is familiar with the territory. His superior officers have other plans for him. He is to become part of the Manhattan project and travel with a beautiful nuclear scientist to Europe to try to discover the progress the Nazis are making toward developing an atomic bomb.

This is a very interesting and well-written work of historical fiction. It includes all perspectives - the human, the scientific, and the adventure of spies in dangerous situations.

I have read and enjoyed many of Ronald Balson's books and always look forward to future writings.

An Affair of Spies by Richard H. Bolson is a spy mission to get a defector from Germany and prevent the Nazis from creating an atomic bomb. Nathan Silverman grew up in Berlin, the son of a theoretical physicist. His idyllic life was soon shattered by the increasing levels of hostilities toward the Jewish communities. He leaves for New York City in 1938 with only his mother’s wedding ring to sell for survival. He enlists in the Army with the desire to help fight the Nazi regime. He is quickly selected for special training and ordered to report to the Manhattan Project. As he learns that the Americans are racing to beat the Nazis in the nuclear arms, he discovers that an old friend of his father’s wishes to defect and it is his mission to get him safely out of Germany. He is joined by Dr. Allison Fisher, a brilliant young physicist, and together they embark on a dangerous mission deep in enemy territory.
An Affair of Spies is described as “an action-packed tale of heroism and love in the face of unspeakable evil.” While it is a tale of heroism and love in the face of unspeakable evil, I would hardly call it action packed. As a man who has been trained as a spy, Nathan breaks every rule and makes bad decisions after bad decisions that I would hardly call him a hero. He often takes his own agenda ahead of his mission and forgets the importance of stealth and secrecy. While the explanations of the physics is appreciated, Mr. Balson tends to explain and reexplain repeatedly that it bogged down the flow of the story. Even the close calls and almost catches were melodramatic. The historical research is well done. Unfortunately, it was not the spy thriller novel I was expecting. It seems to be more about the budding relationship between Nathan and Allison than espionage. Overall, An Affair of Spies wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great either.

An Affair of Spies is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook.

A Romantic WWII Spy Novel

Nathan Silverman escaped to the US from Germany in 1938 with only his mother’s wedding ring to sell. His Jewish family is still in danger and Nathan is desperate to find out what happened to them and rescue them if possible. While studying at Columbia, he spots a recruitment poster and decides to enlist in the Army. Because of his German language skills and knowledge of the country, he is almost immediately given a special assignment and trained as a spy.

His mission will be to try to help a German scientist and friend of his father’s who wants to defect and may be able to help on the Manhattan Project. In his mission, Nathan is joined by Dr. Allison Fisher, a nuclear scientist, who speaks French and would be in a position to determine how much progress Germany has made in developing an atomic bomb.

The book is filled with dangerous situations as the couple progress through Germany disguised as a Wehrmacht officer and his French girlfriend. As the mission progresses so does the attraction between Nathan and Allison.

The pace is reasonably fast. The only problem is the rather pedantic discussions to bring the reader up to speed on the science. The dialog is more of a data dump than the way people talk. However, having a great deal about the Manhattan Project and the science behind it, I found the book both scientifically and historically accurate.

If you enjoy romantic spy novels with a historical background. This is a good one.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

Ronald H. Balson is one of my favorite authors. It is impossible for me to pick a favorite book of his that I have read. Unfortunately, this is probably my least favorite of his books. I do not know if my expectations are just very high, or if this one just fell a little short. Don’t get me wrong, it was still amazing, well written, well researched, with some personal drama thrown into the mix. I was captured from chapter 1. I was not quite as obsessed though - I did not find myself reaching to read a page here and there all day long. I think the downside of the book to me was the emphasis on science and atomic bombs. I am interested in science, but wanted this book to be all about WWII. Again, this book was still amazing, but for any Ronald H. Balson fans, it was not his best, in my opinion. It moved quickly, pulled on all your emotions and had you rooting for the characters safety and relationship.

Nathan, grew up Jewish in Germany in the 20s and 30s, until he escaped to NYC to avoid the Nazis. After enlisting in the military to help fight the Nazi’s, he finds himself on a special assignment. He needs to determine where the Germans are in creating a nuclear weapon, hopefully by working with a physicist looking to defect, one that was once a friend of his fathers. He will be accompanied by Dr. Allison Fisher. Will they be able to escape Europe with the defector? And will their feelings continue?

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for sending me an ARC of this book to read and review. I've been a fan of Balson's work for some time now and this one completely blew me away. There was an air of intensity without making the story too heavy to read. It was a complete page turner and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time while rooting for Nathan and Allison to make it out undiscovered. I really enjoyed the combination of science, mystery and historical fiction. Balson does WWII fiction exceptionally well and his representation of Jewish characters is done in a way that feels accurate. The research put into this story is also felt and I appreciated that aspect immensely. I truly couldn't stop reading and I was so engaged in what was going to happen next. This was bingeable and I truly loved each of the characters.

Nathan Silverman’s father was a brilliant scientist who relied on the importance of his work to keep his family safe in Berlin. As life becomes more restricted for Germany’s Jews, Nathan is sent to live with his aunt in America. Joining the army, he anticipates a return to Europe with his unit if America joins the war. Familiar with Berlin and the scientists who worked with his father, he is chosen for a mission to extract one of Germany’s scientists. Gunther Snyder is offering to brief the government on Germany’s progress toward a nuclear weapon if he can be taken out of the country. Nathan is teamed with Dr. Fisher, who will evaluate the information. He pictures leading an older man into Germany and is surprised when he meets Dr. Allison Fisher, a young woman. With little preparation, they are landed in France. From the moment they arrive their lives are in danger. An encounter with a German officer brings them to the attention of the Gestapo and they are hunted through France and Germany. With the help of Fred Gluck, an agent from Berlin station, they connect with Snyder and plan their escape route. Gluck calls on every favor and trick that he can to ensure their safety, but it is a race to get out.

Nathan has not heard from his family for several years and he has made it a personal mission to discover the fate of his family. Snyder, who worked with him, offers little hope but what little information he can give him leads to the discovery of their fates and a chance to say good-bye. Ronald H. Balson has presented a solid spy thriller. It is built around the development of nuclear power and Allison spends time educating Nathan on the science. While her description is detailed, it is a basic lesson that explains the importance of their mission without taking away from the story. There is also an element of romance as Nathan makes it his mission to keep Allison safe even as she takes some big risks to obtain the information that they need. Balson keeps the tension high as the Gestapo gets closer and time is running out. This was an excellent historical thriller and I thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for my review.

2.5 clunky stars

The premise for this book sounds good – two people are sent to Germany in WWII to assess how far along the Germans are in developing nuclear weapons and to potentially help a top scientist to defect.

Nathan Silverman, born in Germany but sent to the US by his parents, ends us volunteering for the US Army. His language skills are an asset and he’s later recruited for a special mission because his father is a leading physicist in Germany and might have crucial details. He’s sent on the mission with an American scientist (Allison Fisher) who can help vet the information in Germany.

I struggled with this book because the characters did not feel genuine to me, with awkward dialogue, scientific conversations, and bumbling spying activities. Nathan and Allison seem to disregard all the directions they are given but still survive being in enemy territory. It was well researched, but I did not get drawn into the story enough to root for the characters.

Nathan Silverman grew up in Berlin. In 1938 his parents sent him to America to keep him safe from the Nazis. His father was a high ranking physicist working on developing a bomb so his wife and daughter had some level of protection. When given the opportunity Nathan joins the army to fight Hitler but with his knowledge of Germany and his father's connections he is sent to Germany with an American physicist, Allison Fisher, to help a fellow scientist to defect. He also hopes to locate his family who he has not heard from for a few years.

At times the dialog seemed a little forced and there were times during the mission where Nathan wasn't very discrete but in all fairness he was trained as a soldier, not a spy. But I liked Nathan and Allison. She was terrified but very brave and determined and at times was able to keep Nathan in line and he was fiercely protective of her. While the story was not a nail biter it had lots of moments of tenseness and urgency which kept going until the end. All in all I felt like it was an easy read even with all the physics thrown in.

I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me a digital copy.

I loved An Affair of Spies. I have read many of this Authors books about World War ll and the atrocity's of the Jewish race. This novel is full of excitement, I loved Allison and Nathan. Their connection was moving and I loved the way they bantered with each other. My favorite part is when they sneak into the KWI disguised. A very interesting read. This is one of my favorite Authors.
#AnAffairOfSpies #Netgalley

I give An Affair of Spies 5 stars for its engrossing read.
I would recommend this book to Historical Fiction fans

An Affair of Spies was a book that could have really happened. It was believable. It takes place in 1942, mostly in Germany. Army captain Nathan Silverman was sent to America in 1939 to escape Nazi Germany. Not long after arriving he enlisted in the army. He was tasked, along with scientist Allison Fisher, to go to Germany to debrief a top scientist, Gunter Snyder, regarding their bomb making procedures. After which they were to help Gunter to defect.

Nathan went through three different identities, as did Allison. Their perils included Nathan's ex girlfriend, Lena Hartz being tortured and killed to save their lives. There were many situations where Nathan and Allison were almost found out. There was adventure galore.

In the end, they were able to rescue Nathan's sister, Rachel. With the assistance of a make-up artist, the group was able to board the train to take them to safety. Gunter was a nun, Rachel was a noviate, Allison was a younger girl and Nathan was a businessman. Aside from Gunter and Rachel traveling together, Nathan and Allison traveled separately. At one stop Nathan was detained but was rescued by someone he didn't know. They met up on France and continued to America.

This book was filled with adventure and espionage. I had a hard time putting it down. The only problem I had with it was the exorbitant amount of time spent on the discussion of atoms. I could done with much less. Other than that, it was a very good read. I would most definitely recommend it for book club. I give it five stars!

This was almost a DNF for me but the well-narrated audiobook helped me stick with it! My main struggle is that I found the story too heavy on the nuclear science aspect, and rather integrate these pieces into the story naturally, it felt like factual over load. Despite the science heavy parts, I enjoyed the action, twists and turns and the side romance storyline. If you are a fan of the author’s previous books, or enjoy spy thrillers set during WWII, give this one a try! !

An Affair of Spies, is Ronald Balson’s remarkable new novel. The plot is packed with intriguing characters and Balson’ entertaining writing style doesn’t dissapoint. As the United States works to develop a nuclear bomb, it is confirmed that Nazi Germany is on the same track. American intelligence needs to quickly ascertain how close Hitler is to achieving that goal. In November of 1943 Sergeant Nathan Silverman, a Jewish soldier stationed at Camp Ritchie, is told to report to Army Headquarters. Nathan, a German national, was forced to leave his family behind in Berlin and has not heard from them in years. His father is renowned physicist, Josef Silverman. Josef may be working (under duress) on Germany’s nuclear bomb alongside his colleague and friend Dr. Gunther Snyder. American authorities have been notified that Gunther wants to defect and that he is willing to reveal Germany’s nuclear secrets to them. Nathan will be sent to Germany to decide if Gunther can provide the information Army intelligence desperately seeks. Although he is an inexperienced spy, Nathan has almost the perfect credentials for this assignment. He is familiar with Berlin, speaks German and is acquainted with Gunther. However, he is not a scientist. Enter Dr. Allison Fisher. Allison is a brilliant young physicist who works in Enrico Fermi’s lab at the University of Chicago. Nathan is told that he and Allison will travel together to Germany via Paris. Nathan will meet with Gunther in Berlin. Once Nathan is convinced of Gunther’s motives, he will bring him to Allison at their safe house for further questioning. If Allison is satisfied with the information Gunther provides the three will immediately leave and return to the United States. Complicating this already dangerous mission is that Nathan wants to find out the fates of the family members he left behind in Berlin.
Balson sends Nathan and Allison on a harrowing journey that will keep readers riveted to this novel. Although the characters are new, the author’s suspenseful storytelling and engaging characters are both familiar and better than ever. An Affair of Spies is Balson at his best.

Set in both the US and Fermwny during WWII, Nathan Silverman is recruited ti become a spy. Along with a physicist he quickly becomes attracted to, it’s a race against time to dismantle the nuclear prospects of the Nazis and maintain America’s advantage.
It’s a fast paced read with lots of shivery moments. The science talk made my eyes roll back in my head a bit, but I loved all the spy stuff. Nathan is also able to reconnect with him family whom je was forced to leave behind when he left for the US.
If espionage novels are your niche, you’ll want to spy on this one.

Engaging historical fiction. Obviously a great deal of research went into this book and it is filled with a lot of scientific information that is easily skimmed across if you want to get to the story rather than the detail. The escapades of the main characters is well thought out and believable. Excellent character development and the story will keep you on the edge for many pages! Interesting and enjoyable book. Enjoy! I received and anvanced reader copu & was under no obligation to provide a review. The opinions express are my own. Many thanks to the author, St.Martin's press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

An Affair of Spies is a well-written and impeccably researched mystery thriller spy-thriller novel. Keep that in mind if you’re thinking this will be a quick read—another marvelous, well-researched book by Mr. Balson.

AN AFFAIR OF SPIES by Ronald H. Balson is a beautifully-told and gripping tale of espionage and heroism set during World War II. It is the story of a dangerous spy mission to smuggle out a German physicist that wants to defect to the United States to work on the Manhattan Project while also doing everything possible to ascertain where Germany stands in the race to develop an atomic bomb. Nathan Silverman grew up in Berlin in the 1920s but after the atrocities of Kristallnacht and the disappearance of his father he is sent to the New York City by his mother with only her wedding ring to sell for cash. Later, while studying at Columbia University, he notices a military recruitment poster on the wall and decides to enlist to help fight the Nazis. It is not long before Nathan is transferred to an intelligence unit because of his fluency in German and knowledge of the region. Not only must he enter Germany undetected to carry out his mission, but he will be accompanied by Dr. Allison Fisher, a brilliant American nuclear scientist who will verify what they learn. Can they pull off a daring impersonation of a Wehrmacht officer and his girlfriend to accomplish their mission? As the pair go undercover, they face numerous life-threatening situations that made my heart pound. While this story is a work of historical fiction, it is based on factual events surrounding the development of atomic bombs that were kept secret for many years. The story is fast-paced and filled with intrigue and plenty of twists and turns. I enjoyed this well-written and -researched book and I thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

Any story that has an American going into enemy territory during WWII will always capture my interest. This one surely did with a soldier of German background and a young woman who is a scientist being sent right into the center of the spider’s web.

Nathan, the soldier was born and raised in Germany. His father was a scientist who worked for the Nazi’s, but was also Jewish. While he felt he was relatively safe due to his work, he did not feel the same about his family, so he sent Nathan to the United States to live with an aunt.

Nathan signed up with the military as soon as the US entered the war. While in training, he was taken from his regiment to go on a special mission that could be accomplished only with an insider’s knowledge. Because Nathan was a native German, familiar with the area and could recognize his fathers co-workers, he was the best man for the job.

The plan was for them to go in and extract one of the scientists who wanted to defect. Because the US wanted to make sure the scientist had information about nuclear weapons, they sent along Dr. Allison Fisher.

As soon as the two begin their mission, they are faced with obstacles. They managed to accomplish their mission, but Nathan had an agenda of his own and that was to find out what happened to his father, whom he had not heard from in months.

The story was very suspenseful from start to finish and had a bit of romance and a satisfying ending. Highly recommend!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to give my honest review.

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. This is an amazing story set in WWII - I loved it! The “spies” are ordinary people forced to step up and make a difference, The characters are flawed and brave and unforgettable. This is a book I wanted to read in one reading marathon but that was not possible. I totally recommend this book to readers who enjoy twists that knock the characters off balance and pull the story in a different direction.