Can Thompson from Scotland Yard keep Churchill safe through the Cuban revolution and afterward, while he was Prime Minister during WWII? Both the Irish Republican Army & the Germans are wanting Churchill incapacitated. Mission Churchill, by Alex Abella, takes the reader through the events. This was not my favorite book, but if you’re a history buff, you’ll like it. I was able to read an ARC on #NetGalley.

This an alternate or the author's point of view on the life of Winston Churchill, and we are page turning for answers.
I know that politicians have attempts on their lives, but Winston here is really not liked by many people, including some war machines which included the evil that was present in Europe, when Winston was Prime Minister. There is also a man whom blames him directly for the death of his brother, and IRA supporter, whom seems to have more than nine lives, and has no regard for human life.
Thank goodness Mr. Churchill has a body guard, Walter Thompson, with skills that equal James Bond!
You will soon experiencing the Country of Cuba, and then back to England, and then bombs falling every night, and such destruction!
We know that Churchill survives, but the attempts here make you wonder, and the danger becomes so great you will wonder if Mr Thompson is alive at the end!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Book Whisperer, and was not required to give a positive review.

It would have been a fast page turner, but I kept googling different people to see if they were real. Churchill, of course, was authentic but I didn't know he actually stayed in Cuba for a bit. Walter Thompson was indeed Churchill's body guard and Churchill's life was threatened 13 times. The rest is fiction - all built around the facts and it's exceptionally told. You know Churchill avoided being assassinated - but still, you hold your breath as you read to see if Riley, an angry Irishman with an axe to settle with Churchill, will actually execute the British Prime Minister.
Abella does a good job of recreating scenes in England during the early part of the war. I had never really thought about the disposal of hundreds (even thousands?) of bodies who naturally died, but most of whom had been killed by the Germans. (Most were incinerated).
I've gotta see if this guy has written some other books as this one is a slam dunk.

This book explores the lack of popularity of Sir Winston Churchill. The poor treatment of the Irish by the British in the 18th and 19th centuries has left a hate for the aristocratic British by the people of Ireland. The Prime Minister was the target of disaffected Irishmen looking for revenge.

The story begins with an accidental meeting between an Irishman tasked with killing the man in a jewelry store in Havana, Cuba! At that time Churchill was a member of Parliament and had a number of detractors who could not understand why he did not simply sue for peace.

The assassin, Marcus Riley, cannot believe his luck! Running into that hated man in a jewelry shop in Havana! His attempts are thwarted by a member of Scotland Yard named Thompson who shadows Winston everywhere.

Alex Abella has devised a very intriguing and intricate plot around the killing of the perceived enemy of Ireland. The orders come from Germany as do a very sophisticated new weapon.

The end result is an example of hate and revenge at their best! Churchill’s life hangs in the balance as does the fate of the free world. This book will captivate you as a reader and raise additional questions about that time in history. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are my own.

A taut thriller involving assassination attempts by an IRA supporter on the life of Winston Churchill in Cuba (1933) and during the Blitz years later in London. Britain's PM and his intrepid bodyguard Walter Thompson and the conflicts in both eras come vividly to life, creating a gripping narrative Churchill fans will adore!

Although the author Alex Abella has many published books and acclaim therefrom under his belt, there was something about this book I just couldn't get very hooked into. I did skim over some parts, I confess, but otherwise read to the end of the book. Perhaps, it just was not my cup of tea.

Others may find the life of Winston Churchill being in the line of fire of an assassin's gun of interest. I did learn a thing or two about him though as this is rather a plausable work of historical fiction, given the facts of such atttempts on this volatile man. Thompson was a handy man to have around too.

On a more positive note, I did find the multicultural input somewhat absorbing, especially since I don't know much about Cuba's history.

Those who do not wish to read about bedroom intimacies should take caution.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

October 2023

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy given by NetGalley and the publisher.

I loved this book! I love anything that has to do with Churchill. This book had me on a roller coaster! I highly recommend this book!

I received a copy from Netgalley for my honest review.

"Mission Churchill" is very well written. Winston Churchill becomes important enough early in his career to need a bodyguard, Walter Thompson. Thompson earns his keep, and probably would have liked a good raise. He intercepts an IRA sniper and prevents the assassination of Churchill during WWI.

Thanks to Thompson, Churchill survives to WWII, where his skills and personality will be desperately needed. Unfortunately, his enemies are still after him. Thompson has to keep his boss alive long enough to help win WWII. Winning a war isn't easy when there's a faction of turncoats in your own government who would dearly like to see Hitler win and take over Great Britain and her allies.

Churchill himself isn't an especially likable individual, and he doesn't make it easy to keep himself alive. Walter Thompson has his work cut out for him.

I love alternate histories, and this one is interesting.

A lot is going on in this novel...so many characters with their own agendas in the plot against Churchill. There is the IRA, the Duke of Windsor, fascist members of the British aristocracy, Hitler fanatics, Scotland Yard, MI5, and even a Nicaraguan dwarf. Most of the story is set in 1940, in the darkest days of the Blitz, which adds plenty of confusion to the plot.

At times it felt as if I'd been given a round, 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle to put together while blindfolded. There is a plethora of Cuban history worked in and though interesting, didn't seem necessary in the long run. Many American readers may not know Churchill's connection through his policies to Ireland which fueled the IRA's hatred of him. If you only know Churchill through his famous WW II speeches, you may be surprised to discover that his feet were made of clay.

When the entire plot was revealed, it was truly ingenious. I found it gratifying that Churchill's loyal bodyguard, Walter Thompson, had the best ending of all.

Many thanks to NetGalley & The Book Whisperer for providing the digital ARC. All opinions & the review are my own.