Today, I'm delighted to welcome back my dear author friend, Deborah Swift. We're on blog tour with her thrilling new novel, Operation Tulip, and you'll find my review below. It's well worth checking out. Read on!
Back in March, I reviewed the previous book, The Shadow Network, and you can find my review HERE. I can highly recommend it.
Operation Tulip is currently on blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club. Make sure to check out all the other fabulous tour stops for excerpts, interesting guest posts, and more reviews HERE!
Operation Tulip
WWII Secret Agents Series
Deborah Swift
Operation Tulip is the third in Deborah Swift's gripping series about remarkable women in World War II, and it throws you right into the action.
Nancy Callaghan is a secret agent, working on behalf of the British with the Dutch Resistance. When an operation goes awry, she faces exposure, so she is moved to Den Haag, in Nazi controlled territory. Her new identity is a widow of a well-off Dutch businessman, who was a member of the Dutch version of the National Socialist party, and who was killed during a previous bombardment. Her character was presumed dead, so it was the ideal cover. Nancy must find out where a senior member of the Dutch Resistance is held, and devise a plan to free him. But as he is held in the infamous Oranjehotel prison, she must watch her every step.
Once in the apartment building that houses many prominent Nazis, she settles in quickly. Her resistance contact is the concierge, Steef, who keeps her updated on resistance movements. It doesn't take long before she meets a neighbour, Detlef Keller, a member of the local SS, who is intrigued by her. But during a night out, she attracts the attention of his boss, Fritz Schneider, and soon, she finds herself gently but firmly fending off his growing attraction.
However, it's clear to her that the resistance expects her to do her thing – even if that involves becoming his lover, an idea that appalls her. After all, the love of her life, Tom, is in England, working as a coding expert – a safe desk job. Or so Nancy thinks.
When Tom doesn't hear from her, and with the Nazis fighting back the Allied approaches, he is fraught with worry for Nancy's safety. Hearing about the starvation of the locals, he hatches a plan with Nancy's brother, Neil, to get her out. But after he sets off, he's soon left to his own devices, and sticking out like a sore thumb as a Brit heading into a Nazi-occupied area, with little knowledge of the Dutch language, he must join the Dutch Resistance for support.
Will Tom manage to find Nancy, before her Nazi neighbours suss out her fake identity? And will she manage to fulfil her brief? Well, read the novel to find out!
Operation Tulip is a gritty novel that shows the realities of life as a member of the Dutch Resistance (or any continental resistance group during WWII, really). The riveting, fast-paced plot doesn't try to prettify the daily struggle – and in doing so, it creates a strong sense of reality.
We feel Nancy's hunger, her fear of discovery, her uncertainty and mistrust of other members of the resistance, who may turn out to be Nazi informers, and her worry for the locals, who are under observation 24/7.
Nancy faces several threats to her life, and has to run for cover more than once. She witnesses how far people – even children – go for a scrap of food. And she has to watch as fellow members of the resistance are arrested or killed.
Operation Tulip is not a whitewashed, fluffy read, but in its grittiness, you find an utterly mind-blowing, addictive plot, that has you turning the pages fast. There is a constant sense of danger, and the threat of discovery hangs over Nancy every minute of the day.
There are several clever twists and turns in Operation Tulip, which add to the thrill. No one is safe – not even the Nazis! It makes for riveting reading.
Staying clear (for the most part) of clichéd characters, the novel outlines the harsh realities of life under occupation by an oppressive regime. You barely have time to breathe as the next disaster looms on the next page, and Ms Swift vividly brings across this constant sense of fear and torture. Her characters know well what awaits them, should they be arrested. Many are afraid, others brave to the point of irresponsible, some arrogant in the belief they're untouchable –but all of them know their place, and their fate, should things go awry for them.
I must say that I preferred Nancy's story to Tom's. He is a bit the bumbling desk clerk who finds himself in the thick of it, and I found that a little clichéd. He is well-meaning, but in reality, even though his path is littered with stumbling blocks, I don't think it would have been that easy for him to proceed the way he did. He would have been a major risk to members of the resistance, which makes him irresponsible. His presence in Nancy's undercover life could have led to major issues, and it did, of course. Personally, I'd rather have kept the full focus on Nancy, who is a brilliant, brave, and independent character.
If you love reading gripping fiction featuring strong women, Operation Tulip is for you. Don't expect innocent, fluffy females, who are just bumbling along with a strong dose of luck – you won't get them.
Instead, you'll find flawed, realistic characters who are trying to stay alive during one of history's darkest times; and who are working hard – at high personal risk – to beat a regime that has control over everything that goes on.
Chilling, thrilling, and highly recommended.
~~~
Blurb:
Holland, 1944: Undercover British agent Nancy Callaghan has been given her toughest case yet. A key member of the Dutch resistance has been captured, and Nancy must play the role of a wealthy Nazi to win over a notorious SS officer, Detlef Keller, and gain crucial information.
England: Coding expert Tom Lockwood is devastated that the Allies have failed to push back the Nazis, leaving Northern Holland completely cut off from the rest of Europe, and him from his beloved Nancy. Desperate to rescue the love of his life, Tom devises Operation Tulip, a plan to bring Nancy home.
But as Nancy infiltrates the Dutch SS, she finds herself catching the eye of an even more senior member of the Party. Is Nancy in too deep, or can Tom reach her before she gets caught?
Inspired by the true events of occupied Holland during WW2, don't miss this utterly gripping story of love, bravery and sacrifice.
Praise for Deborah Swift:
'A well crafted tale… this book did not disappoint' NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'There is action, mystery and romantic entanglements stirred into the story for a fantastically entertaining read' NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Deborah Swift never disappoints' NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'A joy to read' NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Buy Links:
Universal Buy Link
Bookshop Buy Link
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About the Author:
Deborah Swift
Deborah Swift is a USA TODAY bestselling author of twenty books who is passionate about the past. Deborah used to be a costume designer for the BBC, before becoming a writer. Now she lives in an old English school house in a village full of 17th Century houses, near the glorious Lake District. After taking a Masters Degree in Creative Writing, she enjoys mentoring aspiring novelists and has an award-winning historical fiction blog at her website www.deborahswift.com
Deborah loves to write about how extraordinary events in history have transformed the lives of ordinary people, and how the events of the past can live on in her books and still resonate today.
Recent books include The Poison Keeper, about the Renaissance poisoner Giulia Tofana, which was a winner of the Wishing Shelf Book of the Decade Award, and a Coffee Pot Book Club Gold Medal. Her most recent books are The Silk Code and The Shadow Network, both set in the Second World War.
Connect with Deborah:
Holland, 1944: Undercover British agent Nancy Callaghan has been given her toughest case yet. A key member of the Dutch resistance has been captured, and Nancy must play the role of a wealthy Nazi to win over a notorious SS officer, Detlef Keller, and gain crucial information.
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