Mission Churchill is both historical fiction and a thriller. It's set in Cuba in 1933 and again in 1940 London. it's a fast paced book with a few interesting twists. Good historical fiction is sometimes hard to find but this is a good one.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy.

A ton of stuff is going on in this Historical Fiction book. There's, also, a lot of characters. Abella wrote this book as a prequel to 'Target Churchill ' by Warren Adler and James C. Humes.

This starts off in Cuba, where Churchill was writing for the London Times. It then advances to 1940, when Churchill was once again Prime Minister of England. There are quite a few characters in it, but it was easy to keep them in line. It focuses on the time that the Nazis were trying to assassinate Churchill

This Historical Fiction Novel is researched well. It was well written in that I could really visualize some of the scenes. It is a WWII book, so if that's your cup of tea, I think you may enjoy it.

I now have to read 'Target Churchill '. I want to know a couple of things this book brought up, that I'm sure will be made clear in 'Target Churchill '.

Tentative Publication Date: January 31, 2024

Thanks to Netgalley and Book Whisperer for the E-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Mission Churchill by Alex Abella is a historical thriller that follows the attempts of an IRA assassin to kill Winston Churchill in 1933 Cuba and 1940 London.
The book is fast-paced and suspenseful, with vivid descriptions of the historical settings and events. The author does a good job of blending fiction and fact, and explores the what-ifs of history. The book also portrays the complex personality of Churchill, who is both admired and despised by different factions. The book is well-researched and includes a bibliography and an author’s note that explain the sources and inspirations behind the story.
If you’re interested in Churchill and or the World War II era you’ll find this book to be interesting.
Thank you netgalley

Mission Churchill

Mission Churchill is a thriller involving the assassination attempts against Winston Churchill—in 1933 Cuba and during the German Blitz on London. Walter Thompson who is Churchill’s bodyguard, saves the Prime Minister, whilst uncovering a wide conspiracy at the highest levels of British society to dispose of Churchill. There is a lot of suspense that starts in Cuba and picks up years later in England.
A host of other historical figures are mentioned in this book including members of the British government, Irish Republican Army sympathizers and Nazi including Hitler who all have a role in the plot to murder Churchill. This is a good thriller especially if you are interested in history. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

1933-Havana Cuba: Irishman Marcus Riley’s objective is to kidnap the visiting Winston Churchill and hold him hostage in exchange for IRA members serving time in London prisons. However former Detective Inspector Walter Thompson, now serving as Churchill’s bodyguard, thwarts his plans.

Fast forward to 1940. London is under siege by Nazis bombers. Prime Minister Churchill refuses to sign a treaty with Hitler, even after massive public and political pressure. Thompson finds himself constantly on guard to protect Churchill against possible Nazi agents, domestic and foreign.

Meanwhile Riley is alive and well in London, and has become obsessed with Churchill, seeking to kill him as retribution for the Irish people and his own family.

From pacifists to Nazi sympathizers to IRA fighters, Thompson soon realizes that Churchill is in danger on so many fronts, even to the point that maybe the MI5 and security branches could be involved.

Though "Mission Churchill" features Thompson as its protagonist, Riley and his deteriorated emotional state play a key role in this fast-paced thriller. The supporting characters are just as fascinating, some playing into Riley’s scheme and even become collateral damage. I also enjoyed the portrayal of Churchill himself, exposing his numerous idiosyncrasies.

This story was inspired by and serves as the prequel to the novel Target Churchill, written by the late Warren Adler and James C. Humes. If it’s as good as this one, I think I'll pick it up.

Winston Churchill is probably the most essential non-monarch in British history and one of the most extraordinary personalities. He has been the subject of countless fiction and non-fiction works, and his actual exploits could fill a library. So, it’s unsurprising that author Alex Abella made the wartime Prime Minister the central character of his new historical thriller, “Mission Churchill.” But Abella wasn’t content to dramatize various aspects of Churchill’s life. Instead, he invents an alternative history for Churchill, replete with imaginary crises and fictional speeches patterned after his style. However, Abella’s Churchill isn’t nearly as interesting as the real thing, and the novel is a tepid, padded effort.

Based on the publisher’s statement, the novel “Mission Churchill” was “inspired” by a work by Warren Adler entitled “Target Churchill.” Both books concern fictional assassination plots against Churchill. Beyond that central premise, though, the two works have little in common. Most of “Mission Churchill” takes place in England in September 1940. What’s left of the British army is in shambles after the Dunkirk evacuation, and the Luftwaffe has begun a nightly bombardment of English cities. That much of the story is factual. Against that historical backdrop, Abella creates an elaborate assassination plot against Churchill. The triggerman is Marcus Riley, a fanatical IRA member with a deep, personal hatred of the Prime Minister. Riley is aided by various undercover German agents in prominent positions in the British government. (The Germans apparently have more operatives in England than the British.) These agents help smuggle a powerful secret weapon into England that will make Riley’s job easier. The only person with a clue of what’s happening is Churchill’s bodyguard, Walter Thompson (another real person). Thompson had met Riley years earlier, and when he spotted the Irishman again in England, he deduced Riley was up to no good.

A fictional assassination plot against Churchill has the makings of an excellent historical thriller (as evidenced by Warren Adler’s book). “Mission Churchill” isn’t that thriller. The author spends too much time introducing the various plotters and explaining their motivations. These plotters include the real-life Duke of Windsor and various fictional government figures. Despite (or, perhaps, because of) its plethora of villains, “Mission Churchill” lacks the tautness of a first-rate thriller. An excellent author like Frederick Forsyth can create down-to-the-wire suspense in this type of scenario, with audiences wondering if the plot will succeed (even though they already know the answer). Here, Thompson, the book’s ostensible hero, always seems too far from the action. (He and the other authorities also seem very gullible in accepting “evidence” of Riley’s supposed death on multiple occasions.)

While “Mission Churchill” is too unfocused to be a terrific thriller, it’s also not very effective as historical fiction or a character study of Churchill. The first quarter of the book takes place in Cuba in 1933. Churchill, no longer associated with the government, and Thompson meet Riley for the first time and get involved in the Cuban revolution that took place that year. Although the revolution occurred (eventually leading to the ascension of Fulgencio Batista, Castro’s predecessor, to power), Churchill was nowhere near Cuba then. This episode in Cuban history is little-known and worthy of a full-length book treatment discussing the various individuals and factions involved. However, the primary purpose of this imaginary prequel to “Mission Churchill” is to have Thompson walk in on Churchill in bed with a local woman. (Years later, in England, the now-Prime Minister meets what might be a love child that resulted from his affair.)

Having wasted almost one-quarter of his novel on an imaginary trip to Cuba, the author gives Churchill another fictitious crisis to overcome: a vote of no confidence. While Churchill’s popularity waned later in the war, he was pretty popular in September 1940. The only tangible result of this phantom no-confidence vote is to allow the author to draft a speech that he believes Churchill might have given in such an event. Unfortunately for the author and readers, Churchill was a much better speechwriter than Abella.

Based on some reviews I’ve read of “Mission Churchill,” many readers have accepted the author’s version of Churchillian history. I admit the events Abella describes were at odds with my understanding of Churchill’s life, so I did follow-up research to verify my facts before writing this review. I have no problem with authors changing or creating a new version of history to make a story more interesting or suspenseful, but there was absolutely no need for Abella to do so here. The various Churchill subplots are mere filler whose only purpose seems to be to create character foibles that turn one of England’s greatest leaders into a character from a third-rate soap opera. Churchill isn’t the only character to get the soap operatic treatment here. The author’s attempts at character development for the villains typically involve mentioning their often bizarre sexual preferences.

I was very disappointed in “Mission Churchill.” Alex Abella takes a fascinating thriller premise and turns it into a confusing, lackluster story with some gratuitous kink thrown in. He also distorts Winston Churchill’s life for no good purpose and probably leaves many readers with incorrect notions about the man. The author is an experienced journalist who should have known better. Churchill’s life story is fascinating enough without the need for pointless embellishment. This book is a mission that goes wrong in the first chapter.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.

I love historical fiction and what a bonus that is was a thriller as well. From the very first page you are captivated as the story unravels. So many twists and plots and it seems so many have it out for Churchill. A definite must read!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.” Thank you NetGalley and Book Whisperer.

I enjoyed reading this historical fiction story which reads more like a political thriller. The action starts in Havana while Churchill and his bodyguard stay there during the Cuban Revolution. There an attempt on Churchill's life by an IRA sharpshooter is foiled by his dedicated bodyguard Walter Thompson. Years later, they run into him in London, and a cat-and-mouse sets in motion between the sharpshooter, Marcus Riley, and Churchill's bodyguard.

I love political thrillers and historical fiction so I found it interesting. In this story, Churchill wasn't very likable between his relationship with Ireland as well as his insistence on fighting Hitler and Nazi Germany. I enjoyed the relationship between Churchill and the bodyguard. It was definitely a page-turner and I had to keep reading to find out what happened next. This is a good read and I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Thanks to Book Whisper, Netgalley, and the author for this ARC!

This may be historical fiction, but reads like history. It brings out the life of Churchill seldom written about and is a joy to read.

I very much enjoyed this book. It read very much like a nonfiction.

My background in WWII is extensive and I am found the historical references in the story was spot on. That is commendable.

Characters were strong and easy to follow, and gave credible support to the story.

It was a book that I could not put down.

I highly recommend.

“Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own”

REAL Rating: 3.5* of five, rounded up

Top-shelf prose and superior grasp of the telling detail, and the timing necessary to deploy them together. I had to go look up stuff to see how much fiction and fact resembled each other...a really high compliment from me. I don't give it more stars because the antagonist is a cipher to me, and that really seriously reduces the internal tension of the narrative.

I recommend the read to Alan Furst and W.E.B. Griffin readers. This is one y'all will be glad to read by a writer most of y'all won't have encountered before.

The job of being Prime Minister pre-war was as eventful as the war itself when it finally arrived.
1933, Winston Churchill is in Cuba. Marcus Riley, an Irishman, sees Churchill and Walter Thompson, his bodyguard and is irate. This is the man who ruined his beloved Ireland! Marcus and his uncle make plans to kidnap Churchill and hold him hostage for ransom. Marcus would rather kill him outright, for all the blood he has on his hands. Thanks to Thompson, this act is foiled and the pair return to London.
1940, London is experiencing the effects of the Blitz. King George and the Queen are not fond of Churchill, there are murders of dissent from the Cabinet, and powerful rich people would rather sue for peace than fight.
Marcus and Thompson clash many times throughout this novel, it is a busy read and very action packed. I felt the most admiration for Thompson, the bodyguard. Churchill was one to set his own agenda, which must have been exhausting, to make plans for keeping him safe and then have all up in the air at the last moment.
This novel gives a real idea of the depth of feeling about appeasement in England, the upper classes wanted the peace to continue their privileged lives, and some actually thought we would be better off being governed by Hitler, whereas the common folk wanted none of this, they wanted to take the fight to the Germans, show them who was Boss!!
This book shows much of the politics that were happening in the background. What we know of Churchill is accurately depicted, he was extravagant and bossy, short tempered, but he did have much on his shoulders, and he did have his ‘ black dog’ of despair, but he got the job done.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Book Whisperer, for my advance copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review. Four star read. I will leave a copy to Goodreads and Amazon UK.

This book sent me down so many rabbit holes as I researched what was real and what had been fictionalised. I feel like it opened the door for a lot of new information and ideas about this fascinating man. The bodyguard was an interesting character and his point of view added a great deal to the book and to my understanding of what Churchill’s life may have been like.

I really wanted to like this book, loved the idea of a book about Churchill, but I struggled through most of it. I found it read more Political Thriller vrs a Historical Fiction. Found most of the characters very dull and lacked little, if any, personality. The sexual scenes were a bit much and not necessarily needed for plot, and caused me to roll my eyes and skim ahead. I'm sure others more suited to this type of story would enjoy it, but it just wasn't for me.

I am not often a big fan of historical fiction but this book was definitely an exception. The characters were so vivid that they jump off the page and the action kept me moving through the story. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review a prerelease copy of this book.

Loved this book! Everyone is out to get Churchill. Thanks to his bodyguard, no one succeeds. The novel was very well written and I found myself looking various parts up to see if they were fact or fiction. I highly recommend this book.

Mission Churchill by Alex Abella is a tension filled historical fiction novel. This is my first book by Alex Abella and I was delighted. The plot is very intriguing and the book moves along at a good pace. I think any historical fiction fan would definitely find this worth the read.

Apparently the story is a continuation of a book by Warren Adler entitled “Target Churchill”. I did not read that book. I cannot tell you if the continuation is valid. However, I feel this book is definitely a stand alone and there would be no need to read Mr. Adler’s book in order to read this one.

Basically, without giving too much away, this novel involves several assassination attempts on Prime Minister Churchill. The first occurring in Cuba during 1933 and the second during WWII. The dogged assassin is an IRA operative who wants revenge for the mistreatment of the Irish by the British.

While Churchill plays a very prominent role in the book, it is his bodyguard, who lurks in the shadows of the Prime Minister who really is the star of the book. Walter Thompson, Winston’s trusted bodyguard, is everything you could look for in a tenacious protector. Following Thompson trying to find this IRA operative is quite the journey. It is packed with intrigue, suspense, action and daring do.

Mr. Abella’s characters are deep and you find yourself cheering at their successes and worrying about them if something goes wrong. The settings are vivid and intricate. You can picture yourself in Cuba and in the UK. You can smell the woods, the steam in the bathroom, the winding and maze like hallways and dirt paths.

Mr. Abella is a good writer and I enjoyed the story very much. I would like to thank Mr. Abella, Book Whisperer and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Mission Churchill by Alex Abella is an excellent piece of historical fiction. There are a lot of things we all know about Churchill and there are some probably only scholars know. Some of both are in this book. Winston was a pretty spoiled man, especially as he got older. He was a spendthrift, always needing clothing, liquor, and cigars, with several homes to support. His wife was out of patience with his spending. The story started when he was in Cuba, during the revolution that put Bautista in power. There he had an affair; he and his wife were at odds at the moment and she was back in England. That affair was to pop up later in his life. In Cuba we also met Thompson, an officer from Scotland Yard that was permanently assigned to guard Churchill. He corrected Churchill early on that he was a guard, not a valet or maid. He would run some sorts of errands but only if asked properly, not ordered about. It was a conversation that Churchill seemed to take to heart. While they were in Cuba there was a failed assassination attempt. It was Thompson who saved Churchill’s life from another such attempt, because he recognized the killer. Also included were stories about Winston working in the bathtub and wandering around in an open robe. It was a thoroughly entertaining book with plenty going on. It covered a lot of ground so out of necessity it skipped much.

That he was a great man, history has proven. That many were against him, history has also proven. From what I know this book seems to be a pretty accurate portrait of his personality, although there is only a limited bibliograph. Abella is a noted writer and reporter. It was an enlightening book, especially in view of today’s political climate where there is so much criticism of personality and personal habits. I enjoyed reading about Winston Churchill.

Thank you Book Whisperer for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. #Netgalley #BookWhisperer #AlexAbella #MissionChurchill

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. I thought the synopsis sounded very interesting, but the book read more juvenile/unrealistic to me at times, especially churchill’s dialogue. I read 20% and ended up but finishing.

This is the story of Winston Churchill before and during World War II. Walter Thompson is Churchill's bodyguard and friend. He takes his job very seriously.

Mr. Churchill, wildly popular with the common people, was not so popular with many of his upperclass countrymen who wanted to capitulate to Hitler. He also had old enemies from the IRA. Keeping him alive turns out to be a cat and mouse game over a period of years between Thompson and Marcus O'Riley, an Irishman out for vengeance. Additionally Nazi infiltrators are also trying to take potshots at Churchill. When both enemies collaborate, Thompson has his hands full.

This is truly a suspenseful thriller. I find myself wanting to find out what, if any, of this story has a factual basis. Mr. Abella certainly knows how to keep the action going and the reader interested.