SUMMARY: When a former Nazi scientist and a current NASA rocket expert arrive in 1960s London for a conference. International spies and war criminals alike are still looking to settle old scores from World War II.
The BookViral Review: Duty & Betrayal – The SS Brotherhood & the NASA Connection certainly proves an absorbing and smart read. More, it reminds us that when done right, the moral and political quandaries of an espionage thriller can make for intensely dramatic and entertaining escapism. With accelerating plot twists that are more than just surprises delivered by rote, Oliver creates both suspense and an emotional impact with plenty of appealingly classic qualities that speak to his novel’s theme. Rich in both resonance and elegiac melancholy he gives us marvellously nuanced characters without the frills and in doing so makes them feel organic and believable, never contrived. Three that particularly stand out are Spencer Hall, Garvan and Joyce Leader who find themselves faced with the deep and painful ironies that created a special chemistry between them. Dark ironies that teeter on the deadly but come to a startlingly satisfying and warmly human conclusion whilst others like Stein, Schneider and Frenzel allow for an intriguing look at MI5’s Double Cross System and the suspicion-fueled days of the cold war era. All brought vividly to life by Oliver with inventive narrative flair.
A genuine pageturner from start to finish, when all the plot twists are unravelled Duty & Betrayal – The SS Brotherhood & the NASA Connection is a solid thinking readers novel. Sure to be well received by discerning fans of the genre it is recommended without reservation.