It is so easy to forget that during World War II, there were Germans actively working from the inside to destroy Hitler. Very often, they would pay a terrible price. This is certainly the case for the people in Jonathan Freedland's The Traitors Circle.

I hesitate to give any of the plot away, so I will keep to a very high level recap. The story is centered around a gathering of Germans who are in various stages of resistance against the Nazis. Some are just talkers while others are actively making things happen. Unfortunately, one of the attendees is an agent for the Gestapo. I'll leave it there.

Freedland does write this like a thriller. Chapters end on ominous notes which promise twists, turns, and further betrayal. I generally hate books which try to hard to make history into something that it is not. However, this is one of the few times where it absolutely works. Freedland doesn't overdo it, and his characters are not well known enough for the reader to know what ultimately happens to each. For example, Dietrich Bonhoeffer is mentioned, but he is not a direct part of this particular group. This makes sense since anyone familiar at all with World War II knows exactly how Bonhoeffer's brilliant life ends.

All of this is to say that this book works for every audience. Non-history readers will be enthralled by the propulsive and novel-like storytelling. History nerds will once again be reminded that doing the right thing can sometimes exact a terrible cost.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by NetGalley and Harper Books.)