A very entertaining historical mystery set in 1914. I could not wait to get into this story due to the ties to The Great Gatsby. I think most of us have read that fantastic story and to find a young Jay Gatsby was truly a treat!

The author takes us on a journey with Jay and famed journalist Ella, a strong, intelligent and woman before her time! Told in each of their perspectives, it gives insight into the times and challenges of this moment in time.

Full of red herrings and unexpected tidbits, I cannot wait to read more in this soon to be series

As far as prequels go, "Agent Gatz" by RM Spencer is pretty good. I preferred this prequel over "Nick" by Michael Farris Smith. This prequel follows Jay Gatsby and imagines that he is a spy in World War I. I particularly enjoyed the scenes on the boat at the beginning. Admittedly, I think I would have got more out of the book if I had thorough knowledge of "The Great Gatsby" as there is probably a lot of things that the author has spent time imagining and tying up with future plot lines but I enjoyed it for what it was.

As a long time fan of the great Gatsby this prequel did not disappoint! It takes place 8 years before the original story as Gatsby, going by a different name, he boards a ship to Europe and works as a spy to hide from the mob and pay off debts.

I loved how this author really peeled back the onion on Gatsby’s character. This historical fiction novel could really be enjoyed my reader fans of all genres.

Thank you NetGalley and Loredan for a digital copy of this ARC for my review.

As a lover of The Great Gatsby I couldn't resist this book and I wasn't disappointed. This takes us back in the life of Gatsby and is a wonderful thriller set at the beginning of WWI where we see Gatsby as a foreign spy.

This book takes us on a journey with Jay Gatsby through Europe and through his life at this time. But there is also another tale entwined in this story and that is of Ella Kaye. She is a journalist pushes boundaries and proves to be a strong and courageous character in this book.

There are plenty of twists and turns, a bit of romance just to spice things up and plenty of adventure and thrills. There isn't just one main character in this book, there are two. And what wonderful characters they are. A well written book and one I enjoyed and was entertained by. A great read!

Thank you NetGalley and Loredan for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

AGENT GATZ gives us a look at who Jay Gatsby might have been before he became The Jay Gatsby of THE GREAT GATSBY. To make money to pay off the Eastman Gang, Jay Gatsby agrees to steal technology from an American inventor and turn it over to the Germans at the start of the Great War. His mission takes him across the Atlantic to Europe just as war breaks out. Hot on his heels in reporter Ella Kaye. To get close to the fighting, Ella agrees to go undercover as a spy while she reports on the war from Germany and Belgium. Their paths finally cross and the two join forces against the German Army as they move across Belgium towards France.

AGENT GATZ is an interesting story. THE GREAT GATSBY has been my favorite novel for twenty years, and it was interesting to see Jay Gatsby before Nick Calloway befriends him. There are a lot of twists and turns in the novel as Jay and Ella travel across Europe and find themselves in numerous predicaments. In my opinion, Ella Kaye is really the star of the novel.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Victory Editing for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. A few years ago, the copyright ran out on The Great Gatsby. That allowed authors to write books using the characters from the book- to rewrite or reimagine, the familiar names and plots. I have read several of these books. Some were very good. Some were ok, and of course at least 2 were awful. Agent Gatz is very good. It takes Jay Gatsby , before he was great, into a Secret Agent/Spy persona. It is set just before WW!, and Jay , in debt to gangsters, and calling himself Teddy Belmont, is sailing to Europe to carry out a theft for the German War Effort. He does not care about Germany, actually, he just needs the money. It is a different Gatsby than the one we meet later, he is young, brash, and not the suave man about town. We also meet Ella Kaye,a reporter who has a back story connection to Gatsby, as well as a need to prove herself. The story is told by Ella and by Jay, in alternating chapters.The action moves from New York, to England, to Germany and to Belgium. It is a war story, and a spy story, complete with double agents and fake covers. It is fun in parts, thrilling in others, and unsparing in details of the horrors of war.I really enjoyed this book.

I enjoyed how good the historical thriller setting was, I appreciated that this was a Great Gatsby prequel. It worked with the original novel and still be it’s own original thing. The characters felt like they were suppose to and I enjoyed how well R.M. Spencer wrote this.

What a fun read! I'm a huge Great Gatsby fan. And I loved this pretend background story. Having read two other Gatsby prequels that failed to deliver, this was a nice treat!

3.5/5, I enjoyed the dual POVs and Ella Kaye’s character a lot, however I was bored throughout the first couple of chapters and the book is heavily World War One focused, which is fine but I think it should be marketed as such instead of just a Gatsby backstory. The Great Gatsby is my favourite book so I liked this take on his past and character.

As a longtime fan of “The Great Gatsby”, I was excited to read this book. I wasn’t disappointed. I enjoyed reading about Gatsby’s previous life. Recommend for Gatsby-lovers!

I always wondered who Jay Gatsby was before all the riches. What a fun read! A prequel to “The Great Gatsby”, follows J.Gatsby and Ella Kaye through a series of adventures and misfortunes that always left me saying “just one more chapter”.
Keep a look out for some “easter eggs” hinting at future Gatsby! What a great touch.
Highly Recommend!