The Shadow Network by Deborah Swift Book Review (Blog Tour)

Publication Date: 13th February 2024
Publisher: HQ Digital
Page Length: 376
Series: Secret Agent Series (but can be read as a stand-alone)
Genre: Historical Fiction / WW2

Synopsis

One woman must sacrifice everything to uncover the truth in this enthralling historical novel, inspired by the true World War Two campaign Radio Aspidistra…

England, 1942: Having fled Germany after her father was captured by the Nazis, Lilli Bergen is desperate to do something pro-active for the Allies. So when she’s approached by the Political Warfare Executive (PWE), Lilli jumps at the chance. She’s recruited as a singer for a radio station broadcasting propaganda to German soldiers – a shadow network.

But Lilli’s world is flipped upside down when her ex-boyfriend, Bren Murphy, appears at her workplace; the very man she thinks betrayed her father to the Nazis. Lilli always thought Bren was a Nazi sympathiser – so what is he doing in England supposedly working against the Germans? Lilli knows Bren is up to something, and must put aside a blossoming new relationship in order to discover the truth. Can Lilli expose him, before it’s too late?

Set in the fascinating world of wartime radio, don’t miss The Shadow Network, a heart-stopping novel of betrayal, treachery, and courage against the odds.

My Thoughts

Deborah Swift's latest novel focuses on the Political Warfare Executive (PWE), a secret operation responsible for creating and spreading propaganda to German soldiers during World War II by utilising the talents of enemy aliens.

Half-Jewish Lilli Bergen, interned on the Isle of Man, is offered a position as a singer for the PWE broadcasts. Aside from contributing to the fight against the Nazis, her aim is to contact her father. She hopes he is still alive and will hear the broadcasts, recognise her voice and gain some comfort.

While Lilli is happy to be singing despite some of the material she is given, she is more interested in the technical side of the operation, having learnt about radios from her father, a radio engineer before the Nazis ended his career. While denied a transfer, Lilli's knowledge is not completely wasted.

There is also a budding romance for Lilli with Neil Gallaghan, a mild-mannered Scot, who oversees the broadcasts. Neil was crippled in a bomb blast and walks with the aid of a stick, the result of a mistake in his past that he is reluctant to reveal. Neil was my favourite character.

I also liked Lilli and found her actions believable, that is until the man she thinks is a Nazi sympathizer re-enters her life. He manipulates her into an engagement and setting up house together, then agrees to a platonic relationship. Given the time period and the nature of the man and his treatment of Lilli, I had my doubts about the whole situation. Perhaps if Swift hadn't created her villain so successfully I would have found it plausible? Anyhow, this was the only glitch in a story that had engaged me from the start.

The wide scope of historical content was fascinating and included the treatment of Jews in pre-war Germany; in England, the round up of enemy aliens and their internment once the war began; the garnering of material for the PWE broadcasts; and enemy agents, highlighting Swift's knack for turniing her research into a fast-paced and enjoyable read.

The Shadow Network is another great addition to the category of World War II fiction.

Where to Purchase

Universal Buy Link : Link to bookshop

Meet the Author

Deborah Swift is the English author of eighteen historical novels, including Millennium Award winner Past Encounters, and The Lady’s Slipper, shortlisted for the Impress Prize. Her most recent books are the Renaissance trilogy based around the life of the poisoner Giulia Tofana, The Poison Keeper and its sequels, one of which won the Coffee Pot Book Club Gold Medal. Recently she has completed a secret agent series set in WW2, the first in the series being The Silk Code.

Deborah used to work as a set and costume designer for theatre and TV and enjoys the research aspect of creating historical fiction, something she loved doing as a scenographer. She likes to write about extraordinary characters set against the background of real historical events. Deborah lives in North Lancashire on the edge of the Lake District, an area made famous by the Romantic Poets such as Wordsworth and Coleridge.

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