Raid 42

Wars Within #4

by Graham Hurley

1941. Dieter Merz is the Reich's most celebrated fighter ace and his aerial prowess has brought him into close contact with the top echelons of Hitler's regime. Even so, everything in the Nazi state still comes at a price. If Dieter wants help for an injured friend, he must inform on the modest, lifelong confidant always at Hitler's side: Rudolf Hess.

Meanwhile Scotsman and ex-marine Tam Moncrieff is working for M15, attempting to sound out Germany's intention of withdrawal. With most of Europe already fallen to Hitler's armies, Germany considers the war won. Berlin would be only too happy to call off the bombers and the U-boats in exchange for a formal peace treaty. But only if the English to turn their backs on Europe and attend to their precious Empire – leaving Germany the rest of the territorial spoils.

With Churchill refusing to negotiate and intelligence agencies at each other's throats, Rudolf Hess becomes the unexpected catalyst that changes the fortunes of the war.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, War, Military Thriller, Espionage

377 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 13, 2019

About the author

Graham Hurley was born November, 1946 in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. His seaside childhood was punctuated by football, swimming, afternoons on the dodgems, run-ins with the police, multiple raids on the local library - plus near-total immersion in English post-war movies.

Directed and produced documentaries for ITV through two decades, winning a number of national and international awards. Launched a writing career on the back of a six-part drama commission for ITV: "Rules of Engagement". Left TV and became full time writer in 1991.

Authored nine stand-alone thrillers plus "Airshow", a fly-on-the-wall novel-length piece of reportage, before accepting Orion invitation to become a crime writer. Drew gleefully on home-town Portsmouth (“Pompey”) as the basis for an on-going series featuring D/I Joe Faraday and D/C Paul Winter.

Contributed five years of personal columns to the Portsmouth News, penned a number of plays and dramatic monologues for local production (including the city’s millenium celebration, "Willoughby and Son"), then decamped to Devon for a more considered take on Pompey low-life.

The Faraday series came to an end after 12 books. Healthy sales at home and abroad, plus mega-successful French TV adaptations, tempted Orion to commission a spin-off series, set in the West Country, featuring D/S Jimmy Suttle.

Launch title - "Western Approaches" - published 2012. "Touching Distance" to hit the bookstores next month (21st November).

Has recently self-published a number of titles on Kindle including "Strictly No Flowers" (a dark take on crime fiction), "Estuary" (a deeply personal memoir) and "Backstory" (how and why he came to write the Faraday series).

Married to the delectable Lin. Three grown-up sons (Tom, Jack and Woody). Plus corking grandson Dylan.

You're very welcome to contact Graham through his website: www.grahamhurley.co.uk

Or direct on seasidepictures@btinternet.com.


Series:
* D.I. Joe Faraday

Reviews

[Geevee · Rating 2 out of 5]

A story with a connection to Rudolph Hess's landing in Scotland and British Intelligence picqued my interest, but rather like the real Hess mission it failed to deliver much.

The background is a simple character driven suspense/spy adventure connected to real events.

Set in Britain, Germany and Portugal with London, Berlin and Lisbon all featuring as the Hess story developed to it's real climax in the Scottish hills.

There were some interesting avenues with Luftwaffe pilots, MI5 and 6, communists and real figures from history, but too many and all these, even the main ones, to my mind were shallow and underdeveloped for what was on the surface a solid idea for a great story.

Some events and the involvement, and their dialogue, felt too contrived and made to fit the agenda of the outcomes - fiction of course but just not great fiction for me.

And thus the difficulty for me was that this lead me to read dispassionately about the events and the book's characters' stories running along together.

A book to pass the time certainly, but one that won't linger or entice me to read more of the author's work.

[BrianC75 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book thoroughly and will be reading more by Graham Thurley. It was structured well with a subtle roll out of the plot across different geographical locations and characters. Dialogue and storyline were both very strong and the regular inclusion of well known historical figures from World War 2 added immensely to overall effect.
Quality writing and a treat for the reader.

[Heep · Rating 4 out of 5]

What was Rudolf Hess thinking?
You can read that question with any inflection and it describes this book's central theme.
Hess's flight to Scotland in 1941 is, without doubt, one of the most bizarre and inexplicable events of WWII. Perhaps it wasn't a throw-away one-off act in the pivotal career of an influential Nazi, but represented a more sophisticated and aspirational act with Hitler's full support. That is this book's premise. And but for some glitches, particularly a navigation error and consequential bail-out, it might have worked or incited a difficult challenge to Britain's war-time morale. At the least, it is an event that helps provides context to the imminent and ultimately self-defeating Nazi offensive against the USSR.
This is a well-written, entertaining and credible book narrated with panache by Andrew Cullum. On that point, when looking for a new book to read, I am now almost as likely to search out narrators as authors. So, my next task is a Google-search of Andrew Cullum. Here's hoping....

[Felicity · Rating 4 out of 5]

This surprised me and I totally enjoyed it! After I’d finished, I discovered it’s number 4 in a series but that didn’t take anything away from the storyline. Having borrowed it as a Blind Date from my library, I very nearly returned it unread - I don’t read war novels. This wasn’t what I was expecting! It wasn’t about the blood and guts fighting of war. This took me into the secret meetings where plans were made, deals were devised and negotiations were stalled. These top men and women were the movers and shakers who ran the war. Raid 42 is full of spies, double agents, MI5, MI6, the Russians and a peace proposition put forward by the Germans. Had it gone through things might have been very different. The intrigue, the lies, the mysterious disappearances, it had me hooked, line and sinker. I can see a possible follow up as one lead character, abducted by men in black towards the end...... is still missing!

[Peter Timson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book from the library and the fourth in this "series". Got four of five in one go and started with Finisterre (the first) and then went to Last Flight to Stalingrad (the most recently published). These were in hardback but then I went back to Aurore (second book): a paperback.

Raid 42 is the fourth and there is a connection between characters - as least from Aurore and into Last Flight. It's not crucial to the reading of the series (as I've said before) but for anyone who likes things neat and tidy it is worth remembering that there is a thread at least.

In the next batch from the library, should come Estocada - looking forward to this now since Raid 42 was definitely to my liking - I like these "alternative history" fictions. There seems to remain an eternal fascination (in the UK at least) with WW2. That is another matter though - and is becoming somewhat morbid these days.

[Grant S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow burning world war two spy thriller.
This story is written around one of the true enigmas of the second world war; why did Nazi deputy Fuhrer Rudolf Hess fly to Scotland in 1941?
Was there a collusion between British appeasers, MI6 and Nazi high command to get rid of Churchill and form a peace treaty?
Or was Hess a misguided Anglophile suffering from a mental illness?
It's always interested me and this book weaves an intricate story to try and give us an answer.
It's slow though. I kept waiting for the brakes to come off and the story to get out of second gear. It never really does.
Tam Moncrieff a Scots M15 operative with strong contacts in the Abwehr from before the war might be able to save the day and prevent a coup if he can salvage the letter outlining the proposed peace treaty carried by Hess.
Or will communists, Kim Philby, Royalty or MI6 stop him?

[Lysergius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you ever wonder why Rudolf Hess flew to Scotland? Here in Raid 42 is what went on behind the scenes. A fascinating fictional reconstruction that keeps the reader entertained to the very end. Another great read from Graham Hurley.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great spy novel set during WWII, the fourth in the series by G.H. This book carries on with the same characters as in the previous two in the series and places them in many tense situations against the backdrop of the history of WWII. I really enjoyed this book and recommend to other readers.

[Leonie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one, as the back and forth of appeasement/war was fascinating - as was Hess and his motivations. Loved Tam as always - and his tendency to fall for the obviously wrong women! On to Kyiv next.

[Layla · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be, it was interesting but would not read again,

[John Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, politics, conflict and intrigue. What more could one want!
Another excellent tale. Can't wait for the next one.

[Alan GW]

Excellent read Hurley is full of surprises

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting take on the reasoning behind the flight of Rudolf Hess in 1942 to Scotland

[The Villan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read and interesting insight into the complexities of espionage during WWII and the proposed peace treaty brought by Hess to the sympathetic British parties who wanted Churchill removed.

[David Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating view on the actions of Hess during the war, and the others from both sides and their interactions

[Judie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A smashing good read.