Rory Clements’ latest spy thriller in the Tom Wilde series delivers everything and does not disappoint on a single front.
Okay, so I might be a little late to the party with this one. The English Führer, was released on 19 January 2023. But you’re never too late to discover a new story, and an amazing new story I discovered.
Clements begins the story with mystery and intrigue. A Japanese submarine unloading its cargo. But what is it and why bring it here? Also in the same chapter, the tension is heightened and we are already left wondering and fearing for the fates of minor characters as one of the men unloading the submarine looks their way.
The setting itself; the autumn of peace just after a world war sets the tone nicely. Tensions are still there politically as the world reels from the bloodiest conflict in its history. Set in history too; it takes you back to a time before many of the modern-day stresses and envelops you in what—with the exception of the war and rationing—could arguably be, for some, a simpler time. For people who enjoy old-looking and rural places, the settings of Cambridge and rural areas around Norfolk appeal well and offer a fresh perspective in contrast to the many London-centric stories I’ve read before.
Thomas Wilde himself, a college professor and retired spy, is the perfect choice for the protagonist. A man who would appear dull on the surface to many, actually leads the most exciting and dangerous of lives.
But the story itself is what’s most gripping. As someone who is very much interested in politics as well as history, a book about a Nazi plot on British soil which includes a good look at the politics of many of the potential protagonists and antagonists is just too good to resist. The politics is woven excellently into the story and used perfectly and appropriately. But putting the politics to one side, the author gives nothing away. In each chapter, I found myself forming theories on what’s going on and speculating about the true intentions of each character. Almost every character received some form of accusation and second-guessing from me as Clements throws all kinds of different mysteries and doubts around. Clements leaves it so painfully close to the end until we find out what is really going on and even then, even after the big reveal, there are still unanswered questions and dangers afoot for some characters.
I loved this book; it was an absolute masterpiece and the best book I’d read in easily three years—maybe more. They say never judge a book by its cover, but this cover had so much promise and oh boy did it deliver! Frustratingly, I discovered this book first and it was the latest in a series but it’s not the end of the world as I found myself understanding the story without the need of reading any of the previous Tom Wilde books.
I was also inspired to not only begin reading the rest of his series (I’ve nearly finished the first Tom Wilde book: Corpus) but also to pick up a book that I had started writing again and take it to the finish line. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in spy thrillers, politics, history or all of the above and definitely to any aspiring writers, as Clements’ work gave me inspiration for how I want to write my own stories in the future.
Words by James Jobson
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