Mr. Fernie continues to take events from history and build around them interesting and exciting stories.
His research into the events written about is just the beginning. He then builds around these events all the necessary activity to create a thrilling and believable story. He, in a clever manor, weaves the plot through our minds with style and creative excitement. I am sure you will be as happy as I was in traveling through his latest endeavor.

Spencer Birt

Tom Munro a Britsh pilot is working for a German airline
He notices on his flights that the Germans are up to something and he falls foul of the up and coming Facist SD
With others he tries to find out what the Germans are doing and whether they are breakng the Versailles treaty.
An easy read but I thought it would be more gripping.

Tom is pilot for the nascent Luft Hansa who gets kidnapped not once but twice when he shows interest in what is going on at the remote Russian airport of Lipetsk. I suspect, since this is part of a series, there is a whole other story about his exploits with Alice, his lover, as they spied for Britain. She ended up dead and he is determined to keep looking because he knows there are some shady shenanigans going on well away from prying eyes.

The Germans are the first to kidnap him and then the Russian blackmail him just before the Germans do the same. He is in quite a pickle. There are lots of daring near misses both in the sky and on the ground but he gets a glimpse of what the Germans are doing contrary to the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. There is no doubt that before Hitler came to power and openly contravened it, there had been work done in Russia to rebuild the Luftwaffe. While the story is a bit of a stretch, it is still exciting and I stayed with it to the end to see what happened to Tom and his friends.

t did have some problems with time lines in the book however. The Nazis were dangerous thugs before they took over but there are things that are mentioned that are put into the story before they might have happened. Certainly the Racial Laws were not applied until after 1933. There was plenty of antisemitism but it was not formalized until that time. It made me come out of the story and question the timing of the events which was a bit of a distraction. I know this is historical fiction but I do like things to jive. Three purrs and two paws up.

This is the fourth book in a series of four. What was happening in Germany between the world wars???Germany was forbidden to rearm–but obviously it did rearm. The book is written by a flying instructor and aeronautical engineer,and, the realism in the book carries the book. Captain Tom Munro is British, but flies for Luft Hansa as a commercial and test pilot. His test pilot abilities get him involuntarily drafted’ into the service of the Germans and he tests new warplanes in a Russian field while spying for the British. He knows he must escape before the Germans decide they have learned all they can from Tom’s flying ability, and he must bring his friends with him if they are to survive. The book is historical, and will be good for teenagers who think they don’t like to read, as well as for their parents.

Tom Munro Aviation and Espionage Series Book #4

The story in a few words:

Berlin 1926

Germany conducts secret aviation trials at a remote airfield deep in Soviet Russia, laying the foundations of an air force that would later devastate Europe. The hidden collaboration between the Reichswehr and the Red Army remains one of the most extra ordinary military deceptions of the interwar years.

Captain Tom Munro, a pilot for Deutsche Luft Hansa, is determined to expose the truth by infiltrating Lipetsk, the Russian Air base….His plans go awry when he is forced to serve in a flying role.

My thoughts:

Although this is not my usual read, I was captivated nevertheless by the style, the language and how the story developed in a smooth and entertaining way. Getting into the base at Lipetsk was not an easy task. As a test pilot Tom risked his life…if caught he will be considered a spy.

By exploring this fascinating chapter of military history and the lesser-known chapters of Germany’s clandestine military build-up, I am even more curious to discover more. The story talks intensively about airplanes that were tested at the time: Ardo, Albatros, BFW, Heinkel, Dornier to name a few. The test pilots and their prowess in the sky. Tom was one of them….a spy but a darn good pilot first.

“The Lipetsk Conspiracy” blends real historical events with compelling fiction and technical authenticity and brings the interwar to life. The author’s builds his stories on real covert operations making reading more than interesting…never hurts to be a bit more knowledgeable at the end of the day….

At the heart of this series is Tom Munro: pilot and reluctant spy. In each installment we follow him into the dangerous world of espionage….

Excellent read: well-said and well-done.

Net Galley Review August 2026
An honest Review

The Lipestsk Conspiracy
The True Origins of Hitler’s Luftwaffe

By William Fernie

The Lipestsk Conspiracy is actually part of a historical fiction series. I did notice references to a few characters and events that had happened in the previous book, but was able to enjoy and follow this adventure without having read its prequel.

There are many technical aviation terms as the protagonist is a pilot turned spy who is seeking information about Germany’s development of fighting planes. The adventures of Tom as he is led into danger are exciting and described in detail. I was engaged and eager to read each chapter. It is clear that the author has extensive experience as a pilot with great knowledge of airplanes and historical aviation.

I highly recommend The Lipestsk Conspiracy for readers who like excitement, World War II historical fiction, and especially have an interest in historical aviation.