What If?

This is the only one of the Tom Wilde series I have read (actually I listened to the audio version). It can definitely be standalone, I did not feel that I missed anything from the previous five books.

I hold a fascination for the last months of WW2 and what happened to Nazi leadership following the end of hostilities. Why some were let go and attended SS reunions for decades following while others were executed or imprisoned. And, of course, there are the tales of those who got away presumably to South America and sympathetic, autocratic leaders.

That is the plot of this book…proving definitively that Hitler was dead and had not found refuge somewhere. Anything more on that would involve spoilers so I will restrain myself.

The book is a tad too long, side plots and some unnecessary characters distracting (I understand the author was trying to portray the extent of the war’s impact on many), and motivations for actions not properly fleshed out. All that being said, it was entertaining and held tension.

My last comment refers to the audio narrator. He is English and has narrated scores of books. His voice reminded me of those early series and documentaries on the war produced in the 50’s and 60’s. Most specifically, it was like a fictionalized episode of The World at War, a 26-episode British documentary television series produced in 1973 at a cost of £900,000 (equivalent to £13,700,000 in 2023), it was the most expensive factual series ever made at the time. That narrator was Laurence Olivier.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!