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A review by saltygalreads
The Last Line by Stephen Ronson
5.0
Summary: John Cook is a gentleman farmer living in Uckfield, Sussex, England in 1940 when he decides that it is time to do his bit in the war and decides to journey to London to enlist. When he arrives there and meets with an officer, he is advised that the army declines to take him, a forty-something man who has already seen service during the first war and in Afghanistan. He is offered another option instead – to head up a top-secret unofficial militia – operated entirely by private citizens and provided with weapons and supplies. The idea appeals to him and he heads home to commence preparations, in a time when Germany was riding roughshod over Europe on its way to England.
While this is happening, thousands of young children are being evacuated out of London and sent to the countryside to protect them from the expected German bombing raids. When the evacuations commence, it is chaotic and disorganized, and a pretty 12-year-old girl goes missing. Cook becomes aware of this disappearance and when he discovers that other young girls are also missing, he suspects that a more sinister operation is at work.
Thoughts: I don’t read much historical fiction, especially books set during wartime. Something about that time period and setting just depresses me and turns me off from reading war-era novels. The Last Line just proved me completely wrong! This was an excellent wartime thriller/mystery/action novel with a sexy, courageous soldier-turned-gentleman farmer as the hero.
It sounds unlikely. John Cook is an unassuming man of few words who is trying to do right in the world. Although we know he is a former soldier, it is a bit of a shock to realize that he knows many excruciating ways to harm and kill an enemy. He does just that.
The pace is quick and the action keeps coming. With well-chosen prose, the author gives the reader a snapshot of English countryside during wartime, with victory gardens, makeshift landing strips in farmers’ fields and railway platforms full of evacuated children. It was a page-turner and I couldn’t get enough. From the author’s comments at the end, it sounds like a second book is in the works and I will definitely be reading it.
Many thanks to Stephen Ronson, the author, for offering me a copy of his excellent book to read.
While this is happening, thousands of young children are being evacuated out of London and sent to the countryside to protect them from the expected German bombing raids. When the evacuations commence, it is chaotic and disorganized, and a pretty 12-year-old girl goes missing. Cook becomes aware of this disappearance and when he discovers that other young girls are also missing, he suspects that a more sinister operation is at work.
Thoughts: I don’t read much historical fiction, especially books set during wartime. Something about that time period and setting just depresses me and turns me off from reading war-era novels. The Last Line just proved me completely wrong! This was an excellent wartime thriller/mystery/action novel with a sexy, courageous soldier-turned-gentleman farmer as the hero.
It sounds unlikely. John Cook is an unassuming man of few words who is trying to do right in the world. Although we know he is a former soldier, it is a bit of a shock to realize that he knows many excruciating ways to harm and kill an enemy. He does just that.
The pace is quick and the action keeps coming. With well-chosen prose, the author gives the reader a snapshot of English countryside during wartime, with victory gardens, makeshift landing strips in farmers’ fields and railway platforms full of evacuated children. It was a page-turner and I couldn’t get enough. From the author’s comments at the end, it sounds like a second book is in the works and I will definitely be reading it.
Many thanks to Stephen Ronson, the author, for offering me a copy of his excellent book to read.