Room 40

While I’ve read a bunch of WWII books, I haven’t read much about WWI. This is rich with details and definitely a page-turner like the sticker says. The plot was multi-faceted and engaging throughout. It was nice to read historical fiction that isn't about women or romance. I like those too but this one was a refreshing change.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Military history is a passion of mine, especially subjects surrounding the two world wars. A lot has been written about espionage, SOE, Bletchley Park etc. of WWII, less so regarding WWI, so the synopsis for this story really intrigued me & didn't disappoint. It's very easy to read, draws you in & has a ring of historical truth about it: someone who has done the research & sets the scene perfectly. (No matter how good the story, I will often switch off if an historical element is missed or feels wrong for the period.) The battle scene was particularly well done (Coronel) & knowing the history of the period, I was looking forward to the next battle in the south Atlantic, but this was told in hindsight, which was the only disappointment.

The other issue is with the editing itself, not the story. i.e. a scene may be set in an office in The Admiralty, you start reading a new paragraph & the scene has moved to onboard ship, in the south Pacific without any delineation, which I found upset the rhythm of my reading. If you could add ********* or a sub-heading "London" to break up the scenes, it would make for a better reading experience.

A really enjoyable, well-written story & I for one, would be interested in reading a sequel.

The author has a good imagination, and seemed to capture the historical feel pretty well. This is my kind of story, and I enjoyed this. I found it compelling. Recommended.

Thanks for the free review copy!!

A reasonably interesting yarn based around the early days of British naval intelligence - the famed Room 40. The writing weaves together a fictional story with historical background facts, including the battle off Coronel and the later Battle of the Falkland Islands. The fictional story stretches credulity somewhat, but not enough to spoil the tale. it passed a pleasant few evenings reading and I wanted to see how the story ended, so I guess that tells us it was a perfectly reasonable novel.

3.5 stars. While WW1 isn't my normal genre I found this an impeccably researched book and extremely interesting. Bravo to the author for seamlessly weaving the details in without making it come across like a history lesson.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this in exchange for my review.