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A review by spaceforcewife21
An Affair of Spies by Ronald H. Balson
1.0
The idea of this book is interesting- they send spies into Nazi Germany to retrieve a defecting scientist who is working on the atomic bomb. Yes, I'm in! However, that was the only good thing about this book. The characters are terrible! Horribly awful spies! All I could think about the entire story was "how are these people still alive!?! Is it true that some people are just too dumb to die? They are going to get everyone killed!"
They make frustrating awful decisions the entire time they are in Germany. They have horrible covers anyway, but hey let's not stay at the safe house- let's sightsee. In fact, let's not only sightsee, but go back to his old neighborhood in broad daylight to visit his parent's house. What could go wrong?!? I wish that was the only dumb thing they did, but it was only one of so many more - talking about their plans in English in public while he's in a Nazi uniform , giving out information to people before confirming they are in fact who they are supposed to be talking to, constantly forgetting to use their aliases, using the defector's name while talking to people, telling outside people their entire plan, telling outside people the safe house address, openly talking about what Germany is doing wrong with the bomb in front of the defecting scientist while still in Germany.... The list goes on and on. Also, who in their right mind sends a woman to walk home alone while the neighborhood is being bombed? Not a single character seemed to have any common sense!! Thus the story just felt all wrong.
I am flabbergasted by the rave reviews! This book is awful!
They make frustrating awful decisions the entire time they are in Germany. They have horrible covers anyway, but hey let's not stay at the safe house- let's sightsee. In fact, let's not only sightsee, but go back to his old neighborhood in broad daylight to visit his parent's house. What could go wrong?!? I wish that was the only dumb thing they did, but it was only one of so many more - talking about their plans in English in public while he's in a Nazi uniform , giving out information to people before confirming they are in fact who they are supposed to be talking to, constantly forgetting to use their aliases, using the defector's name while talking to people, telling outside people their entire plan, telling outside people the safe house address, openly talking about what Germany is doing wrong with the bomb in front of the defecting scientist while still in Germany.... The list goes on and on. Also, who in their right mind sends a woman to walk home alone while the neighborhood is being bombed? Not a single character seemed to have any common sense!! Thus the story just felt all wrong.
I am flabbergasted by the rave reviews! This book is awful!