Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Espionage

by A.L. Sowards (Goodreads Author)

3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 · rating details · 97 ratings · 46 reviews

France, 1944: Nobody expects Peter Eddy to survive his first commando mission—to retrieve a code book stolen by the Nazis—so when he does come back alive, his success is rewarded with an even more daunting assignment. Partnered with French Resistance leader Jacques Olivier, Eddy must identify which of three Allied contacts in Calais is a double agent and use the traitor to...more

Paperback, 242 pages

Published March 2012 by Covenant Communications

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 313)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Aug 12, 2012 A.L. Sowards rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

Shelves: action-fiction, clean-love-story, lds-fiction, wwii-fiction, whitney-finalists-2012

I love this book, so I'm giving it five stars.

like 4 likes · see review

Feb 02, 2013 Valynn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Clean historical fiction. This book had a good mix of action, plot twists and character development. It had some fighting and some kissing but not too much of either. The main character was LDS/Mormon, so there were a few parts where he explained his beliefs, but there wasn't too much preaching (I generally like to keep preaching and entertainment separate). The ending had enough closure to feel satisfying, but there's obviously a sequel in the works. I look forward to following Peter and Genevi...more

like 1 like · see review

Jun 06, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reviewed for www.compassbookratings.com

Espionage by A.L. Sowards is an exciting spy thriller set during World War II. Fast-paced and engaging, readers will find themselves enthralled with the underground Allied spy effort and their dangerous missions into Nazi-occupied territory. First-time author Sowards writes with authenticity and expertise, combining a great amount of fact with fiction.

Besides the Bond-esque action, Espionage has heart. The main characters are realistic, yet likable and easy...more Reviewed for www.compassbookratings.com

Espionage by A.L. Sowards is an exciting spy thriller set during World War II. Fast-paced and engaging, readers will find themselves enthralled with the underground Allied spy effort and their dangerous missions into Nazi-occupied territory. First-time author Sowards writes with authenticity and expertise, combining a great amount of fact with fiction.

Besides the Bond-esque action, Espionage has heart. The main characters are realistic, yet likable and easy to root for. Hoping that these characters would survive their mission kept me reading well into the night!

Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: ***

Violence/ Gore: German soldiers verbally threaten characters; second hand reports indicate men being beaten, a Jewish man being shot, and a character shooting a German guard; a character relates the story of a woman who was hit and killed in a car accident; a character strikes a man in the back of his head, leaving him unconscious (3 times); a character fistfights with another character; a character is slapped, beaten and tortured by being held underwater; a character is tortured by being cut on the neck with a knife; a character is shot in the arm; characters blow up buildings or boats with stolen explosives; a character engages in a gun battle with German soldiers where injuries are sustained; a man commits suicide by taking a lethal pill; a body is found with apparent physical trauma; a character slits a few German soldiers' throats; on several occasions (one extended incident), characters shoot and kill German officers in non-detailed scenes of violent death; a character throws a grenade, injuring and killing German officers.

Sex/Nudity: Characters kiss a few times; a reference is made to a man visiting local brothels; a reference is made to a man's desire to "sleep with" a woman; a reference is made to "sleeping with the enemy"; a character relates a time when she was almost sexually assaulted by a German officer.

Mature Subject Matter:
War, murder, death, betrayal, forgiveness, redemption, God and religion, love
(less)

like · see review

May 13, 2012 Kathryn rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love historical fiction books with the fictional romance mixed in. This book is very similar to Sandra Grey's books about WW2. This one has a male spy though. Peter Eddy,a farm boy from Idaho, enlists after his older brother is killed at Pearl Harbor. It is 1944 and his first assignment is in Italy until he is injured when a bomb goes off while he is in a tank. After recovering he is asked to go on a solo mission into France to retrieve the Allies agent undercover list not knowing that he is a...more

like · see review

Apr 25, 2012 Books for Me - Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, free-publisher-review-copy

I was sitting here trying to think of what to write that would really portray how awesome this book was. As I was thinking I stared at the cover of the book. The more I stared at it, the creepier it got. The man on the front just glares back at me. I had to turn it over. LOL! :) You try staring at it and see how long you last. ;) Anyways... moving on from the cover (which is totally perfect for the book), my favorite way to learn history is by reading historical fiction. I love becoming part of...more

like · see review

May 29, 2012 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

I have never been a huge fan of LDS fiction (with a few exceptions); most of the time, I feel like the standards for good-quality writing are lower because the market isn't as competitive. However, I really do feel like it's getting better, and I think "Espionage" is a great example of that. While it still is prey to some of the pitfalls of LDS fiction, for the most part I found this to be a tight, well-written, exciting novel and one that I very much enjoyed reading. I did feel like I was left...more

like · see review

Apr 24, 2012 Aimee rated it 4 of 5 stars

First off, I'm so happy to be a part of this blog tour! My thanks to Lexi over at The Book Bug for putting it together and allowing me to participate. Also, a thanks to A.L. Sowards who actually sent me a signed copy of the book to review along with a thank you note. How nice is that?

Second, before I get to my review, I just have to say something about this cover. It's good, right? A bit unnerving. The longer I look at it the more I feel like I have to look away. It sort of gives me shivers. It'...more

like · see review

Apr 17, 2012 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've been reading a lot of historicals lately so I jumped at the chance to be read Espionage. (Isn't that a creepy looking cover? The eye is so weird and, well, creepy.)

We are quickly introduced to Peter Eddy who is on his first covert ops mission in 1944 France. He's crossing enemy lines, trying to steal back a code book from the Nazis that they've stolen and could compromise Allied agents. The mission quickly goes bad and Peter's wholesome Idaho upbringing is severely tested.

We are also intro...more I've been reading a lot of historicals lately so I jumped at the chance to be read Espionage. (Isn't that a creepy looking cover? The eye is so weird and, well, creepy.)

We are quickly introduced to Peter Eddy who is on his first covert ops mission in 1944 France. He's crossing enemy lines, trying to steal back a code book from the Nazis that they've stolen and could compromise Allied agents. The mission quickly goes bad and Peter's wholesome Idaho upbringing is severely tested.

We are also introduced to Jacques Olivier, a French resistance fighter who is blowing up Nazi strongholds and generally trying to make their lives miserable and stay alive himself.

Peter and Jacques cross paths on an undercover mission that puts both of their lives at risk as they fight to mislead the Germans into thinking the Allied forces will be attacking Calais, France, instead of somewhere else, like Normandy. I was amazed at the level of detail throughout the entire book, for the military missions, the characters, and the French town of Calais. As a reader I became quickly invested in Peter's life as he struggled to reconcile his LDS upbringing with his feeelings for what he was doing during the course of the war. There was also a similar internal struggle with Jacques who had become hardened in his hatred for Nazis and what they had done to his family and friends. There were some interesting asides as both men wrestled with their feelings.

There was plenty of action in this book, as you might expect in a novel set during a war, but there are some fairly graphic torture scenes and quite a bit of killing as well (although the killing isn't very graphic per se. We mostly see the blood etc. left behind). I liked the spy stuff a lot and it was so authentic it was easy to lose myself in 1944 France. My only complaint was the middle of the book was a bit long which slowed the pacing down somewhat, but all in all, I really enjoyed this book. I think A.L. Sowards will be a great addition to my favorite historical authors. I will definitely be anxious for her next book.

Originally reviewed on http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com (less)

like · see review

Apr 20, 2012 Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: received-to-review, 2012, clean-read

It's amazing to me that this is the author's first published book. The book had a solid plot and story line.

Peter is a young man in the US military during WWII. He enlisted in anger because his brother was killed at Pearl Harbor. He quickly discovers that war is not what he imagined.

Peter is sent on a mission behind enemy lines in France. He is to discover who is a double agent and feed false information to the German's. He meets Jaques and his beautiful sister. Jacques is his partner in the mi...more

like · see review

Apr 22, 2013 Rosalyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

This novel follows Peter Eddy, an American spy set down in Calais to convince local Nazi leaders that a decoy invasion in Calais is the real thing. Naturally, in such a setting, he encounters a variety of villains and heroes, including a French resistance fighter Jaques Olivier and his sister Genevieve. I thought the writing flowed smoothly and the pace, particularly of the last third of the novel, was good. However, I wasn't in love with the characters or the voice--the characters, to me, all s...more

like · see review

Mar 02, 2013 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

I first heard about Espionage last year during a blog tour. I was able to read a few sample chapters at that time, and was immediately drawn into the WWII action. I was excited to finally get my hands on a copy of the book. The story is pretty intense, and I really liked the characters. I was saddened by the idea that military leaders send their guys into certain situations not expecting them to survive. Using them as decoys or whatever may be very important for an overall goal, but it just seem...more

like · see review

Apr 29, 2012 Lexie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

I love World War II novels (which is sort of ironic because I have a really hard time watching World War II movies!) I enjoy reading historical fiction and learning about different people and eras. And World War II is especially fascinating to me partly because I have a personal connection to it (as most of us probably do) since both of my grandfathers fought in this war. And partly because this war had a major impact on our country and the world as a whole.

Because Espionage is a World War II n...more I love World War II novels (which is sort of ironic because I have a really hard time watching World War II movies!) I enjoy reading historical fiction and learning about different people and eras. And World War II is especially fascinating to me partly because I have a personal connection to it (as most of us probably do) since both of my grandfathers fought in this war. And partly because this war had a major impact on our country and the world as a whole.

Because Espionage is a World War II novel, I knew I wanted to read from the minute I heard about it. And it met and exceeded my expectations! It had all the elements of a great novel as well as compelling moral dilemmas which left me reflecting over it long after I finished reading.

Espionage was also full of a wide array of personalities. From the main character to the little neighbor girl, each of the characters had a story to tell and each of the stories helped to add to the historical context of the book. I especially admired Genevieve, Olivier's sister. She was spunky and just as full of patriotic fire as her brother and other members of the Resistance. Being a woman did not hold her back from participating in acts of espionage right alongside her brother. And she showed every bit as much bravery and courage as the men did.

The main character, Peter Eddy, was a member of the LDS faith which presented some interesting moral issues. He had been brought up believing that killing was wrong and yet, he must "kill or be killed" so to speak. It was thought-provoking reading about the moral dilemma that Peter and many soldiers during this time must have felt.

Peter felt like he was standing waist deep in a mud puddle, but instead of mud, he was waist deep in darkness. . . His faith told him the Savior's Atonement could help, could make everything within him good and clean again, but he felt he had to get out of the puddle he was stuck in before any real cleansing could take place. [p. 86]
Peter's character did progress and grow over the course of the novel and he was even able to share these thoughts with Olivier to help him move past the hate he felt and work on forgiving others and himself.

Another thought provoking aspect of war that Espionage pointed out, was that not everything is completely "black-or-white". Most people would agree that Hitler and the Nazis were evil. However, that does not mean that all those who fought for him were. During his time in the war, Peter comes to learn this very thing and helps Genevieve to see it also.

"I met too many Italian civilians, and they told me about their husbands, sons, brothers. They were fighting against me, but they weren't evil, not if their families were to be believed. They were just victims of bad government. Then I met a few German prisoners. They weren't machines; they are human, and they were scared. And most of them didn't want to be at war any more than I did. They wanted to be farming or building things or taking care of their families. Hating them was the easy way, but it wasn't the right way. I had no more right to hate them than they had to hate me." [p.131]

There were also a number situations in the book where not everything was simply "black-or-white". Many people in the war were simply desperate to survive. I wondered a number of times while reading Espionage what I would have done in the same situation. Would I have had the courage to stand up for what was right and fight back? Or would I have succumbed and turned against friends and loved ones to save my own life?

Espionage is a fantastic debut from author A.L. Sowards. It is well written, with believable characters, and an exciting plot line. However, the thing that I appreciated the most about this book was the way it made me think--about war, about courage, about hate, and about forgiveness.(less)

like · see review

Mar 27, 2013 Paul rated it 5 of 5 stars

A good novel about a young America sent to Calais in May 1944 to convince a mole in the French Resistance that the expected Allied invasion would come there and not to Normandy (about 200 km west). Along the way, he works with a young French widower (who believes himself beyond redemption because of the enjoyment he has taken in killing Nazis) and his young sister, and he finds more adventure, friendship, and romance than he bargained for!

The best part of the book is that the author clearly know...more

like 3 likes · see review

Apr 16, 2012 Brooke rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book was an excellent read. For a first book by the author, it was very well done. She understands World War II history very well and weavers it into her story. The characters are very believable and very well thought out. Sowards has created characters that can definitely be built on for future books. She has a chance to become a writer that people will be anxious to get her next book.

like · see review

Mar 05, 2012 Shelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

A delightful read. Clean, charming, and engaging. It was wonderful to read a book that had plot, history, intrigue, a bit of romance and no offensive language. I enjoyed the charactors and found myself engaged with them. Thanks Soward! The perfect "curl up with a blanket and a good book" read. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

like · see review

Jun 06, 2012 Monica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Espionage is a spy thriller set in WWII. Peter Eddy accepts a mission to France to plant false information and pry out a double agent. Things are rarely what they seem and his only trust lies in his french contact. The cleverly crafted plot is propelled forward with secrets, action, and little dash of a love story.

like · see review

May 10, 2012 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: giveaway-entry-books, first-reads, mystery-crime, history

I won this book in a goodreads- first reads giveaway.

This book was amazing!!! It starts off with a bang- Peter Eddy's first spy mission into occupied Europe during World War II. From there is keeps going and going. Most of the book takes place during one week, in Calis where he is on his second espionage mission with the help of a man name Jaques and his sister Guineve. This book is not at all what I expected, but even better. It is an easy to follow book, historically related, and mixed in with...more

like · see review

Jul 16, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked this one. It was well paced and interesting. I'm not usually much of a fan of historical fiction, but this was a good one. (Also, my 12 year old son read it and loved it.)

like · see review

Mar 28, 2012 Nadine rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love historical fiction. This book was one that you didn't want to put down, even though it was pretty predictable. I will read more of this author's books in the future.

like · see review

Dec 02, 2012 Charissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

Great WWII book. The plot centers around an American spy--Peter Eddy--sent into France to deceive the Germans into thinking the Allied invasion will come at a different beach and time than they suspect (planting false information for them to act on and ferreting out the double agent in Calais). The timing is short (not drawn out like some WWII books), the action is mostly centered in the small town of Calais, and the characters (Peter, resistance fighter Jacques Olivier and his sister, Genevieve...more

like · see review

Jul 18, 2012 Peggy McClanahan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: lds-fiction, historical-fiction

I liked this book a lot. I was hoping that the author would write more books about Eddy's experiences as a spy during WW2 but by the end of the book the war was over. Likable characters and interesting content.

like · see review

Sep 10, 2012 Emily Anderson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Excellent novel! The characters were incredibly life-like. I am excited for future work from this author!

like 1 like · see review

Apr 16, 2012 Sheila rated it 5 of 5 stars

Excellent World War II novel, very thoroughly researched. Great first book for A.L. Sowards!

like · see review

Mar 08, 2012 Cheri rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: lds-fiction

I loved this book!! I was pulled into the story from the very first page and had a hard time putting it down.

like · see review

Aug 02, 2012 Sheena Matylda rated it 4 of 5 stars

an odd disturbing book i read standing up when i am listening to telecaster music

like · see review

Jun 11, 2012 Lela rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've read my fair share of books over the years, and I have always loved spy thrillers. This book had all the elements of my favorite spy thrillers, but also a freshness that I haven't seen before. I can tell that the author did a lot of research into the era and that it was historically accurate. The characters were well developed and interesting. I got really involved in their lives, because I felt like I got to know them through the book. I like that the ending of the book is not a cliffhange...more

like · see review

Feb 23, 2013 Wendy added it

Hate and love are both very powerful emotions. Once you feel one for someone, its hard to go back to neutral ground. pg 150

like · see review

Apr 07, 2012 Jennie rated it 5 of 5 stars

well written, fascinating story. I'll write a more complete review later.

like · see review

May 31, 2012 Kristen rated it 3 of 5 stars

A good WWII spy story, but in some parts it was rather unrealistic.

like · see review

Apr 22, 2013 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Intense. Good strong characters and lots of action.

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Book Giveaways: Book Giveaway "Espionage" by A.L. Sowards	2	65	Jul 10, 2012 01:02am
Giveaways and Con...: Book Giveaway "Espionage" by A.L. Sowards	1	1	Jul 09, 2012 09:58am
Free Book Giveaway: Book Giveaway "Espionage" by A.L. Sowards	1	3	Jul 09, 2012 09:49am

combine
Other Editions (2)

Genres

Historical Fiction

9 users

Lds > Lds Fiction

7 users

See top shelves...

About A.L. Sowards

About My Writing: A little mystery, a little history, a little romance, and a lot of action, adventure, and suspense. Primarily, I write to entertain. I also hope my books will teach readers something new about history or about life. My books are usually set during wartime, so there is some violence, but I keep the language and romance family-friendly. My goal is for my writing to be thrilling, cl...more About My Writing: A little mystery, a little history, a little romance, and a lot of action, adventure, and suspense. Primarily, I write to entertain. I also hope my books will teach readers something new about history or about life. My books are usually set during wartime, so there is some violence, but I keep the language and romance family-friendly. My goal is for my writing to be thrilling, clean, and uplifting.

About My Goodreads Ratings:
5 stars: If you like the genre or if you're interested in the subject, you’d probably enjoy it. It’s not necessarily perfect, but good enough that there’s not much I’d want the author to do differently. Good enough that I wouldn’t mind reading it again, and I’ll look for more by that author.
4 stars: Good, but something kept me from giving it 5 stars. Maybe it had a few plot holes, writing that needed a little more polishing, or a main character I couldn’t connect with. A 4-star rating shouldn’t discourage you if it sounds like a book you’d like. I’d read more by an author of a 4-star book.
3 stars: Not sorry I read it, but I thought the book had a few problems. It wasn’t so bad that I’ll avoid the author in the future, but I won’t actively seek them out either.
2 stars: Wish I would have spent my time on something else. I’ll avoid the author in the future.
1 star: I rarely finish a book if I start it and it looks like it’s going to be that bad. A book with one star is one I think shouldn’t have been published.
no rating: Either I read it too long ago to remember, I wasn’t sure what rating to give it, or I know the author and didn’t want to be impolite. I often won't rate a book if I can tell it has merit, but the genre just isn't my thing.

About Me: I was born in Georgia but consider Moses Lake, Washington my hometown. I came to Utah to attend school (BYU) and ended up staying. Books have always been an important part of my life. I remember writing self-illustrated storybooks at my grandparent's house when I was in elementary school (none of those made it to publication for many good reasons) and attending my first writer's conference when I was in third grade.

Now I'm a busy mom of twin toddlers. I still love to read and I also love to write. I'm usually reading a couple books at once and working on multiple writing projects too. Other than that, my life is pretty ordinary. I'm grateful for that. I'll let the characters in my books have all the adventures.(less)

More about A.L. Sowards...

Books by A.L. Sowards

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Espionage

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Espionage
avg rating	preview: Espionage Goodreads rating: 3.92 (97 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13452775-espionage?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331090398l/13452775.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13452775-espionage?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Espionage by A.L. Sowards[/url]

Espionage

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (2)

Genres

About A.L. Sowards

Books by A.L. Sowards

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Espionage

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (2)