Nucleus is Rory Clements’ second book in the Tom Wilde series and it is an enthralling, high tension spy thriller that merges many of the political events at play in Europe at the dawn of the Second World War. Tom Wilde, Cambridge University professor, finds himself in the middle of a deadly game of espionage that could see the victor deliver the atom bomb. With a race to deliver the ultimate weapon of destruction, all threats must be eliminated and resources protected. Misleading and deceiving the enemy is key to winning the impending war. Tom has to weave his way through this dangerous web.

The Nazis have just produced a fission reaction and are now much closer to delivering an atomic bomb. They need to know how far the British and US research has developed in their race to be the first to use it. Cambridge University is the centre of where the Germans are trying to infiltrate the research centres and where the Russians have already established a spy ring that will become infamous, and last for over a decade. The backdrop to this unseen war is a bombing campaign of sabotage from the IRA in Britain, as they see an opportunity with British concerns refocusing towards other major European forces. The IRA create a link with the Nazis to help destabilise Britain further.

The blend of historical conspiracies and alliances is fictional but intriguing how they add to his story. The writing is slick and extremely well controlled to manage the various plot threads and maintain suspense throughout. The conspiracies and allegiances are complex and not immediately obvious, with plenty of surprises and suspense to keep the reader captivated until the end.

Tom Wilde is an intriguing and interesting character and is set to continue on a series of thrilling adventures for Rory Clements. I would highly recommend this book.

I would like to thank Bonnier Zaffre and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in return for an honest review.

The second the series with Tom Wolfe as the hero dragged into shady dealings, murder and spying in 1930s Cambridge. It is 3 years on from the first novel and Britain stands on the brink of war with Nazi Germany. It is race against time to perfect the perfect weapon which will give one side the advantage of the other. The discovery of fission seems to give Britain and its scientists in Cambridge the advantage and Nazi Germany will stop at nothing to stop them. Caught up in this Lydia Morris and Tom Wolfe are dragged apart as the Kindertransport children, a missing child, friends who may not be all they seem and enemies who may be friends conspire to create a fast paced novel which was enjoyed by both myself and my husband. I look forward to Tom Wolfe;s future adventures in the dark times ahead.. Wolfe's understanding of the machinations of Tudor hisotry and the spy network of Walsingham help him to unravel the knotty problems.
A good read!

Thankyou to NetGalley, Bonnier Zaffre and Rory Clements for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of Nucleus.
I have read books written by this author before and have never been disappointed. Nucleus is no exception.
The plot was well thought out and fast paced. I found myself holding my breath on more than one occasion. Definitely well worth a read.

Brace yourselves for more conspiracy, subterfuge and a good dose of derring-do in Nucleus, an accomplished follow up to the brilliant Corpus , which first introduced us to dashing American academic Tom Wilde. Must admit I was on tenterhooks waiting for this next book after the explosive and captivating events of the first outing…

Rory Clements could not have picked a better era as the backdrop for these books, with Europe on the cusp of war, the reluctance of America to be drawn into the crossfire, the race for the harnessing of atomic power, and the hotbed of Cambridge academia where the security services plucked the finest and the best for a life of espionage. Throw into the mix a missing young German boy, the son of a prominent scientist, the increasing occurrence of IRA activity, and a smattering of Hollywood glamour, and the scene is set for a rich reading experience indeed. As in Corpus, Clements is incredibly proficient at drawing on the salient historical detail of the period, and the subtleties of the underlying political and racial conflicts, without compromising the tautness and tension of the plot itself. I think when I reviewed the previous book, I made a similar point that as I was fairly unfamiliar with this period, I came out of the book with an enriched and enhanced knowledge of the era, as Clements is so good with this balance of detail and narrative. I was fascinated by not only the background to the race for atomic supremacy, but also the Quaker involvement in shepherding so many Jewish children to safety from the increasing persecution of their families in Germany. This latter theme of the book is incredibly important in one character’s foray to Berlin, at an incredibly dangerous time, and I thought this aspect of the book was very well executed indeed, with a palpable sense of peril. I was also impressed with Clements’ handling of each branch of his storyline, as referenced above, and the balance that he keeps between them, pivoting the readers’ attention between them effortlessly, but maintaining the harmony overall, and never to the detriment of our engagement with his cast of characters.

After a hiatus in reading Corpus and Nucleus appearing, I was drawn back instantly into the world of Tom Wilde, a character that has obviously stayed in my mind since, and equally with Lydia Morris, whose personal involvement with Tom has moved on apace in the meanwhile- admittedly with some tribulations along the way. Although they are the real lynchpin to both books, Clements surrounds them again with an interesting, and broad ranging supporting cast, who enliven and colour the story further, and arouse in the reader a mixture of empathy, revulsion or distrust depending on their interactions with Tom and Lydia themselves. By carefully manipulating the foibles, duplicity or amiability of this surrounding cast, Clements has the opportunity to produce a couple of real sucker punch moments, which surprise and unsettle the reader. I thoroughly enjoyed being drawn into this world of contrasting nationalities, social standing and their guiding beliefs, some abhorrent, some not. It’s a rich mix, and carries the book along with aplomb.

All in all, Nucleus is a very satisfying thriller that captures the spirit of the era perfectly, enlightens the reader with its intelligent, but never overpowering, use of historical and social detail, and provides a wide ranging and engaging group of characters, who perfectly fit the model of the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Believe me, you’ll be consistently changing your mind as to who belongs to each category…

The first couple of pages did not instantly grab my attention, but once the book got going, it was a well constructed mystery. Set in 1939, just before the start of the Second World War, the novel links the development of nuclear fission with preparations for War on both the Nazi German side and the UK/US, with double agents at every turn.
The history professor at the centre of the story seems an unlikely candidate to be dabbling in espionage , but becomes more convincing as the story continues.
Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable read, perfect for fans of Robert Harris.