From the Bookshelf of Retro Reads…

Above Suspicion

Helen MacInnes

Start date: October 1, 2017

Finish date: October 31, 2017

Discussion: Buddy reads

Discussion leader: Hana

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Oct 03, 2017 Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: suspense, oldies-but-goodies, historical-fiction, wwii

I've seen Helen MacInnes vintage thrillers on library and used bookstore shelves many times over the years, but never bothered picking one up and reading it until now. I should have given her a chance earlier; this was pretty compelling reading.

Above Suspicion, published in 1941 and set in 1939, on the eve of World War II, is about a young British couple, Richard Myles, an Oxford don, and his wife Frances, who are approached by one of their friends, Peter Galt, who's been involved in anti-Nazi e I've seen Helen MacInnes vintage thrillers on library and used bookstore shelves many times over the years, but never bothered picking one up and reading it until now. I should have given her a chance earlier; this was pretty compelling reading.

Above Suspicion, published in 1941 and set in 1939, on the eve of World War II, is about a young British couple, Richard Myles, an Oxford don, and his wife Frances, who are approached by one of their friends, Peter Galt, who's been involved in anti-Nazi espionage. He asks them to use their summer vacation on the European continent to try to contact another British spy in Europe, who's been a key figure in helping people escape from Nazi Germany. The British fear that this man may have been killed, but he's so difficult to contact that no one is quite sure.

Peter asks Richard and Frances to go through the various levels of contact required to find out what's become of their man, hoping that they'll succeed because they're intelligent but unconnected to the espionage organization - thus (hopefully) they'll be above suspicion to the Germans. So Richard and Frances, beginning in Paris, go through the painstaking process of traveling from place to place, and contact to contact, all the while with suspicious Nazis eyeing their moves (not quite as suspicion-proof as their friend Peter hoped).

I enjoyed the first part, with all of its spycraft, though the process of reaching out to this mysterious man struck me as a bit illogical, or at least unnecessarily complex. But there's an unexpected turn of events in the middle of the novel, and then things really get crazy and tense for the last half. It's not nearly as graphic as it probably would be if this novel were written nowadays - I did get the sense that MacInnes was pulling her punches a bit - but it's still very tension-filled and sobering reading.

Perhaps the most interesting part is that MacInnes actually wrote this just when the Nazi machine was really gearing up. It's fascinating to read her views in the things the characters say and think: their horror at how the Nazi regime is changing people, and what it leads them to do; the pleas for people and countries not to be isolationist and stand aside, but to get involved to stop the Nazi threat to individuals and countries.

I will say that the novel is rather old-fashioned in its social views, especially with respect to the role of women. As intelligent as Frances is, she still exhibits weakness (which, honestly, isn't that unlikely), and it's still the men who are in charge and come to the rescue. That might frustrate some readers, though you have to take into account that this book was written over 75 years ago. Also there is one particular event where Frances takes action that made me cheer for her. (view spoiler)

October 2017 buddy read with the Retro Reads group. ...more

80 likes · Like · see review

Jun 20, 2012 Hannah rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: spies-espionage, 2012-reads

Entertaining (if terribly dated) spy novel published in 1941 but set a few years earlier.

The action begins in Oxford, England, where professor Richard Myles and his (lovely, of course) young wife Frances are asked by a friend to do a spot of espionage under cover of their annual holiday hiking jaunt. The couple are earnest and willing (if not exactly eager) to do their small part in facing down the Nazi threat that's looming over Europe.

It's standard, retro-classic spy fare from chapter two onw Entertaining (if terribly dated) spy novel published in 1941 but set a few years earlier.

The action begins in Oxford, England, where professor Richard Myles and his (lovely, of course) young wife Frances are asked by a friend to do a spot of espionage under cover of their annual holiday hiking jaunt. The couple are earnest and willing (if not exactly eager) to do their small part in facing down the Nazi threat that's looming over Europe.

It's standard, retro-classic spy fare from chapter two onward, as Richard and Frances travel to Paris, then Germany, then Austria. Along the way, they meet up with their various underground contacts, exchange cryptic passwords, wear identifying gear to mark them out, and get shadowed by fascist trolls in every town. Despite being healthy, athletic hiker-types, Richard and Frances manage to puff away a least a pack of cigs between them a day, as well as down copious amounts of beer and other adult beverages. I really admire them for being winded enough, (and sober enough) to tackle all the mountain hiking trails - not to mention those rascally Nazis.

Eye-rolling coincidences abound throughout the novel, with secondary characters met originally in England or Paris magically re-appearing later in small towns in Germany and Austria. Believable? Not on your life, but despite some trite plotlines, I did enjoy the story and found MacInnes a very good writer.

Which brings me to Helen MacInnes, who, IMHO, has one of the best ever author photos:

I mean, is this a classic 1940-1950's "dame" shot or not?
Note the cool, worldy-wise sophisticated look and the ciggy dangling from her elegant fingers. And if she isn't sporting blood red lipstick behind that black and white studio shot, I'll eat my hat.

Women of 2012 don't have a chance in hell of being this svelte, self-confident and uber-goddess cool. We've lost that type of style forever, even though our lungs are healthy and clear...

I've officially got a girl-crush goin' for Helen, and plan on several more forays into her spy-meets-spy worlds. ...more

21 likes · Like · see review

Oct 27, 2017 Elinor rated it really liked it

This 1941 mystery by "the queen of the spy novels" is a period piece in every way -- the characters, clothing, setting, social customs, etc. (For example, the two main characters do a lot of mountain climbing, while pausing frequently for cigarette breaks.) A young English couple from Oxford are asked to travel through Europe on a spy mission in the summer of 1939, just before the start of World War Two. Although the wife Frances is both intelligent and courageous, all the male characters includ ...more

8 likes · Like · see review

Oct 08, 2017 Barb in Maryland rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller-goodies, historical-fiction

Oh wow!
Set in the summer of 1939 (and published in 1941), the story's sense of impending doom really ratchets up the suspense. This falls into the 'amateurs recruited for a tricky job' subset of thrillers (as opposed to the 'seasoned agent doing a tricky job' subset). Our amateurs are an English couple: Richard Myles, an Oxford professor, and Frances, his lovely wife. Their cover is just being themselves on their annual summer hiking/sight-seeing vacation in Europe. And, yes, it does help that ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Apr 12, 2018 Karen rated it really liked it

Shelves: travel-the-world, 2018-country-read-20

This is Helen MacInnes' first book, written in 1941. The book takes place in 1939, so the events are raw for the author I would say. Richard and Frances Myles are asked by a friend to work with an anti-Nazi spy to ring to determine what happened to someone in their chain of agents. The events take place in the summer of 1939, while Europe is waiting for the other shoe to drop that will surely bring war. Their friend is convinced that they will have no problems because they are so "innocent" look ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 27, 2021 Samantha Glasser rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, i-own-a-copy, adapted-to-screen

Above Suspicion is a WWII spy novel about a couple on holiday in Europe during summer break; the husband is a college professor. A friend approaches and asks them to make contact with several Allied contacts to pass information back to him. He promises them safety, because no one would suspect normal vacationing Englishmen to be up to any espionage.

What a surprise this book was! I saw the movie years ago and liked it well enough, but never thought to seek out the novel. I found it at a conventi ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

May 13, 2015 Jodi rated it liked it

3.5. Fun and exciting! Love the descriptions of the places they go. I'm hoping her other books are as much fun and keep me in reading material as we head into summer and lots of hours by the pool. ...more

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Sep 10, 2023 Sewingdervish rated it it was amazing

I absolutely loved this one. A married couple find themselves accidentally involved with espionage, several countries, Nazis, extreme peril. The works.

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