Author Robert Webber published the novel “Winston’s Spy: Carlton Chronicles 1” in 2020. This appears to be Mr. Webber’s first novel.

I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains mild scenes of Violence and Mature Situations. The story is set 1939 as Europe sits on the brink of WWII.

Britain needs information about Russian interests in the pending war. The best place for them to sue out that information is in the countries of the Baltic. They have particular interest in Finland.

MI2 approaches Alex Carlton. Carlton’s mother is Russian nobility and fled due to the revolution. Carlton was born in Finland. He seems the perfect match for MI2’s assignment. As Carlton prepares for his assignment he is involved in both romance and intrigue.

I enjoyed the 9.5 hours I spent reading this 339-page WWII spy thriller. It did start off a little slow, and seemed to focus more than necessary on Carlton’s day-to-day life. The novel also seemed to end abruptly. That obviously is leading up to a second novel, but it left me with the feeling of the novel being unfinished. I will be looking for the next novel in the series. The cover art is OK, but it doesn’t do a lot to interest me in reading the book. I give this novel a 3.5 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

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Alex Carlton is a Russian exile that came to England as a 12 year-old with his Countess mother. His father is presumed dead, a victim of the Bolshevik Revolution. Alex would be mistaken for an Englishman, he went to prep school, has great social connections and enjoys a quiet life in London living with his widowed mother.

Alex Carlton had too much to drink one night, then things got really interesting! It's 1939, war is on the horizon and he gets recruited by a very secret organization sanctioned by no other then Winston Churchill You see, Alex has some very necessary skills, including the fact that he was actually born in Finland after his pregnant Mother escapes Russia, so he speaks Finnish. Then, he and his Mother moved to Sweden, so he speaks Swedish. While undergoing some interesting training at a secret location he stumbles across a situation and reacts, but there are some very upset people in several branches of the Government. Oh, and before he left for training he met and fell in love with a girl named Teddie, the sister of a school friend. In the first installment of a trilogy Alex is under scrutiny, in a hurry to marry Teddie before he ships out on assignment and determined to prove his mettle.

At first I thought this would be a story of espionage, but it's more about the bloody mindedness of how the different branches of a government get in each others way, and how individuals are often cogs in the machine. The characters Alex and Teddie, along with his mother and her parents (her father is a WW1 war hero, and a TERROR) and their friends are believable and fun. I can't wait for the second book in this series to come out and learn what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Storm clouds over Europe World War Two on the horizon.Alexi born in Russia now living in Britain is being trained to work as a spy for England.So well written really an intriguing story a series to follow.#netgalley#troubadorbooks

This is the story of Aleksander Nikolayevich Karlov whose family fled Russia in the face of the Bolsheviks and who grew up in Finland and Sweden before finally coming to Britain in the 1930s. Alex, on the eve of World War II, finds himself approached to do some secretive work on behalf of the British Government - his ancestry will come in very handy indeed.

This easy to read first chapter (ie: book) deals with all the preliminary work needed to get Alex on his way, whist at the same time navigating a new romance, finishing off his required training, and adjusting to the potential declaration of war whereupon he could be called up at a moments' notice..

If you were expecting things to kick off straight away you will be a little disappointed - there were times when I found myself wondering if Alex was ever going to start his mission. However, I did persevere and am looking forward to the next installment.

The idea of a WWII spy novel set during the Scandinavian front is the reason I picked this up, but if you're going to promise me a spy thriller, it should be the thing you promise. The characters in here are well drawn and have excellent back stories that will give the author a lot to play with but 65% of the book is Carlton bopping about with his wartime romance. Don't get me wrong the whirlwind romance part fits the time and it's a nice piece, but I didn't start reading the book for that. I mean, even the author gets fed up with Carlton and sends him back for more training after he botches a writing assignment. We only get to the spying part at the very end of the book, so it's kind of not about being a spy yet at all. Additionally the title of Winston's Spy made me think that Churchill would've played a heavier part in the story, but he's tangential at best.

All in all, it's a good book, but the premise don't match the reality. It's 50/50 if I pick up the second, because I do want to read a spy thriller set in the Scandinavian front, but if the second book is like the first, I don't know if that's actually what I'm going to get.

What I expected when I read the title and description of this book: a young James Bond who answers directly to Churchill, may even be chummy with him, goes to Finland in World War II, and tries not to get himself or his new love interest killed.

This is not what I got. Firstly, I spent the entire book waiting for Alex to get to Finland. He didn’t. I’ve decided it’s not a plot spoiler to tell you that, as I reread the description and, to be fair, it does actually say “as he goes through training and PREPARES for his mission...” Secondly, he’s no James Bond (yet?). Everyone has to start somewhere. I suppose even 007 was a rookie once. Still, any heroics he manages are more by luck than skill. I’m not sure he’s ready for Finland yet. Thirdly, whilst Churchill is mentioned a couple of times, he hardly features.

This book is written in an interesting way. Between the descriptions and some technical and historical information, I kept feeling like I was reading a biography rather than fiction. For the most part, that worked quite well, but the descriptions of intimacy were too frequent and too awkward. All up, it started well but then dragged. I won’t be reading the sequel.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for my opinion.

Alex Carlton has had an interesting life in getting to where he is now. His adopted country would like to use his knowledge and experience to work for Britain. This is the first book as he gets ready to be a spy. He has fallen in love and gets married. It lays the ground work for what is to come for Alex.

This book was a great preface for the sequels to come. It lays a great foundation with the character development and the beginnings of a plot. I enjoyed and look forward to Webber's next novel.

As Britain prepares for war in 1939, we follow the story of Alex Carlton as he is recruited, and trained to become agent/spy. The book takes you back to when Alex was born and explains why he is the perfect recruit for MI2 (focusing on Scandinavia and USSR). An agent in secret division in secret agency, a division that Winston Churchill is relying on to give information on Finland’s position.
History, training, romance, espionage, overall a page turner. A great set up book for more in the Carlton Series. I highly recommend Winston’s Spy and am looking forward to book 2.

Winston’s Spy, Carlton Chronicles 1 is the first book in a new series by Robert Webber. It deals with lesser-known aspects of world war 2.

From the first page, it's apparent Robert knows his stuff and has meticulously researched the topic.

The story itself is intriguing and extremely interesting, with many different characters who all add different layers to the plot. An exciting read, that makes you want to read more by the author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Matador for the arc of Winston's Spy by Robert Webber.

It is the year 1939, storm clouds of war are clouding over Europe. How can Britain plan for war with Germany without knowing the intentions of Stalin’s ?

The Baltic states actually have the hold of the key and old grand duchy, Finland. One man can make a really difference? Alex is ended up being scouted and recruited by MI2 (the division of Military Intelligence that deals with Russia and Scandinavia) to go undercover in Finland to gain insight into Finnish intentions; but will Alex’s past be a help or hindrance? As he ends up progressing through the training and prepares for his deadly mission, His life becomes extremely complicated by love and intrigue that nearly derails his assignment… and that would upset Winston Churchill the man himself!

Was a very great historical book, i loved it, and the war elements and the Mi2 undercover work! was very gripping and captiviating

recommend to anyone
4 stars