Book received via GoodReads FirstReads program in exchange for an honest review. Thanks, Mr. O'Bryon, for the book!

I adored this spy thriller set in the opening years of the Nazi rise to power. The author has managed to create the ambiance and intensity of spy thrillers of old while managing to keep the characters devoid of some of the character flaws those older heroes/heroines had. This is definitely a novel to point out if someone is looking for an intense story set in the early years of Nazi Germany.

The setting in this novel is something else. The streets of Berlin and Marburg literally breathe with life and intensity. The reader could hear the roars of passionate Communist gatherings, feel the heaviness of time in medieval German universities, and experience the ever-approaching darkness of oppression that is looming over our characters. The author has taken the time to create a world and backdrop for story that is second to none and just makes the reader live the story, not just read it.

The reader really connects with the characters in this book. Only a very few secondary, background characters could be considered flat or one-dimensional. Everyone who had any bearing on the story was gorgeously three-dimensional, with good traits and faults to balance each other out.

I especially enjoyed our main character, Ryan, one of his love interests, Erika, and our villain, Horst. Ryan was suave, debonair, intelligent, and able to think on his feet in some pretty sticky situations; just like many heroes of older generation spy thrillers. Yet, we're also able to see that he doesn't always have all the answers in enemy territory, makes mistakes, and doesn't accomplish all his goals in the end. Erika is portrayed as intelligent and courageous woman as well as a beauty. She's dedicated to those she loves but is willing to put it all on the line for the greater good against the looming Holocaust.

Horst was a fascinating character to read about. I think he was my favorite, surprisingly enough. The author was able to bring him alive in a horrible, evil way but, at least to me, I was able to get into his head and really see the mindset of a dedicated SS man at work. I found it enlightening to see how a man like him was able to operate. Even though I grew to hate him, I loved to read about him.

The story kept this reader enthralled page by page. I anxiously wanted to know what was going to happen to our characters all the way up to the end. It's intense as all our characters meet up in a revving pre-Nazi world and as Ryan and Erika struggle to escape Nazi Germany in an escalating journey to the big showdown at the end. The writer grabs his readers from page one and just makes them care about his characters and their situations.

This book stands as a great example of a spy thriller done right. It's got an intense story, a setting that brings the readers imaginations to life, character I grew to love, and a satisfying ending that provides resolution but leaves room for the upcoming sequel (consider me sold when it comes out, Mr. O'Bryon!!). I can't wait till that sequel comes out and highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a great spy thriller set in the WWII years. ( )