As this book opens in 1944, Flick Clairet, an experienced British agent working with the French Resistance, fails to blow up a crucial piece of infrastructure. She returns to England and argues for a another shot at it; she is given leave to take a group of inexperienced female agents back to France with her and try again. Meanwhile, a German officer has captured the remnants of the original force and infiltrated the Resistance cell Flick expects to meet. Now Flick has to escort a group of rank amateurs against a wily and determined opponent, with no time for mistakes.

In this book, Follett again shows his mastery of pacing. He sets up a number of rendezvous and escapes for Flick and her team that are consistently entertaining, while using the known facts of the D-Day invasion as a ticking clock that highlights the importance of their mission. I was especially impressed to consider the pacing of this book, which takes place over about a week, in comparison with Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, which take place over decades.

There were a few moments when I found it hard to take the story seriously because it reminded me so much of "Allo Allo," a British sitcom about Occupied France. But on the whole it was a good, quick read. If you enjoy WWII thrillers, do yourself a favor and read Alan Furst. There may not be as much shooting as in this novel, but Furst's work is more atmospheric, detailed, and involving.