France, 1944: Nobody expects Peter Eddy to survive his first commando mission—to retrieve a code book stolen by the Nazis—so when he does come back alive, his success is rewarded with an even more daunting assignment. Partnered with French Resistance leader Jacques Olivier, Eddy must identify which of three Allied contacts in Calais is a double agent and use the traitor to help implement a strategic Allied diversion that might win the war. Eddy and Olivier secretly cross the English Channel to confront their suspects one at a time, but what appears to be a clean assignment soon turns disastrous, and a shocking betrayal leaves Eddy in the grip of the Gestapo. With the courageous aid of Olivier and his sister, Genevieve, Eddy evades his captors with a dangerous escape plan. But as the Allied invasion approaches, treachery in the least likely places leads to fresh graves in the bloodied European soil—and only the power of loyalty and love can transform tragic endings into new beginnings.
First off, I'm so happy to be a part of this blog tour! My thanks to Lexi over at The Book Bug for putting it together and allowing me to participate. Also, a thanks to A.L. Sowards who actually sent me a signed copy of the book to review along with a thank you note. How nice is that?
Second, before I get to my review, I just have to say something about this cover. It's good, right? A bit unnerving. The longer I look at it the more I feel like I have to look away. It sort of gives me shivers. It's a good representation of what is to come in this book.
Yeah, so, Espionage. This book falls into a category which is one of my favorite. Historical fiction. I really love reading books set during important times in history. This book is LDS fiction.
Espionage was not light, easy reading. It was intense and filled with the realities of war. The scenes with the Gestapo were especially hard to read. It just makes my heart so sad that people are capable of treating other people so awfully. It's just sickening. It happened then, it happens now.
I think Sowards has done a great job of painting pictures of characters and places in my head. I could visualize things so vividly. I felt so many emotions as I read. I was anxious, scared, sad, hopeful and even angry. In the end, I'm grateful. Grateful to the many, many people that most of us will never know about who did what they could and gave what they had to end that war. I'm grateful for where I am today. I know it is because of courageous people then and courageous people now.
Here is a list of places you can purchase Espionage:
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Deseret Book and Seagull Book.
And a bit about the author:
Sowards is a graduate of Moses Lake High School and Brigham Young University. She swam competitively for sixteen years, including while she was in college. She found it more entertaining to think of plot ideas while following the black line up and down the bottom of the pool than having a song in her head that restarted with every flip-turn. Sowards currently lives along the Wasatch front with her amazing husband and her adorable twin toddlers. She loves hearing from readers and can be found on ALSowards.com, Facebook, or Goodreads.
Yipee for me because I get to host a GIVEAWAY for Espionage here today. The giveaway is for one print copy of Espionage, open to US residents only. Giveaway ends May 8th.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Sounds like an exciting read! My mom grew up in Moses Lake. =)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for being a part of the tour Aimee! I totally agree with your review and I didn't realize it but you are completely right about the cover! Love it!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the review, Aimee! And for being part of the blog tour!
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