An extremely convoluted tale that takes quite a while to develop. If you are used to action thrillers, this will not be your cup of tea. At times the narrative is maddeningly slow, reflecting the rambling nature of the ninety-one year old protagonist. However, the plot is well constructed, if not very believable, and the story gets more interesting in the final third of the book. Set mostly in 1939 in Europe and the US prior to the outbreak of WWII, the book does a fair job of reproducing the atmosphere of these troubled times, but is not in the same league in this respect as Alan Furst. Nevertheless, an enjoyable read and engaging characters.