It’s March of 1942. Ireland is determined to maintain its neutrality in the war, which the government refers to as the “Emergency.” But there’s dissension all around; some favor the Germans, believing that they offer the best road to a reunited Ireland. Others favor alliance with the Allies. Mixed into this chaotic cauldron is a diverse cohort of spies and conspirators. They include Julia Winter, who’s half German and half Irish and is working for German intelligence; American reporter Virginia Payne, who’s recruited by American intelligence; various government officials of questionable allegiance; and Karl Degler, a captured U-boat commander planning an escape. Fergus Finnan, a seasoned Dublin detective with a reputation for indulging in women and alcohol, is now a lieutenant colonel in Irish military intelligence. He grills Peter Moynihan, a member of the Irish Republican Army whose brother has just been executed for the murder of a garda (national police) detective. To save himself from the hangman, Peter reveals that the IRA is expecting a shipment of weapons from the Germans. A hunt for the shipment begins, and Fergus finds himself in the center of a dangerous web of competing conspiracies. Chadwick’s intricate narrative, inspired by real events, contains a hefty assortment of secondary characters—readers will have to stay on their toes to keep track of them all. There are two romantic entanglements, one between Julia and Fergus and another between Virginia and Karl, relationships further complicated by the fact that both Julia and Karl are operating under aliases. The twisty plotline overflows with intriguing behind-the-scenes trickery and betrayals—fortunately, Chadwick is a skillful storyteller. His descriptions of life and death in Dublin have a visceral impact, and the battle at sea between Karl’s U-boat and British destroyers is riveting, filled with mechanical details and daring maneuvers that bring the action to life: “The diesel engines sent a shiver along the sleek hull, making the boat seem alive, eager for the hunt.”
