This novel could have been titled ‘The Continuing Espionage and War Survival Education of Jean Casson.’ It is the exciting and suspenseful sequel to The World at Night but not quite as intense as that book. Casson is even more vulnerable in this novel, more desperate, and has several more close calls. I loved the way Furst takes the reader into the reality of partisan action during WWII, the waiting, the unpredictability, the failures as well as the successes, and how Casson changes as a result of his participation. Again, I didn’t want to put down this book!
My quibbles are kind of picky. The largest concerns the Gestapo not pursuing Casson after his escape from them in The World at Night. I would have liked them to be actively looking for him, forcing him and his comrades to be even more careful. This would have added another layer of danger to Casson’s life and heightened the suspense. Furst does some nice intertwining of character’s lives in unexpected ways that I liked, and that included certain Nazis in relation to Casson. And I liked the way Furst showed the Nazis were not the only adversaries — there were French groups/partisans who had their own agendas that clashed with the partisans Casson becomes involved with.
Another quibble is that Casson seems to slide smoothly around and through the obstacles that are put in his path — too easily. An example occurs after a major partisan operation that’s a resounding success and Casson is in his hotel room. He has a nagging feeling that he needs to leave after the phone rings once (usually a signal to leave). He decides to go to the hotel bar where he orders a wine. Then there’s a big commotion as 3 or 4 men (Furst doesn’t say if they’re Nazis or French) enter the hotel and race upstairs to his hotel room where they break down the door and search the room. But Casson is safe in the bar. These 3 or 4 men don’t check the bar, and this didn’t make sense to me at all. Too easy that Casson isn’t threatened more here, although I don’t question that something like that could have happened in reality.
Furst’s writing continues to please, and I am looking forward to reading the rest of his novels although I understand that he is done now with Jean Casson. This book and the first Casson novel would make a wonderful movie that I’d go see. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves espionage, thrillers, WWII novels, historical novels.
- Goodreads rating – 4.04
- REVIEW – CC Yager