It’s the end of the war and Tom Wilde is back at Cambridge University teaching his students when he gets a call from his former boss at MI5 saying he needs Wilde’s help.
There has been an outbreak of a deadly illness in a village close to his home. No one allowed in or out of the village and Tom is asked to investigate.
Before Wilde knows it he is embroiled in a conspiracy with Nazi sympathies who plan an attack on the nation’s capital. To top things off, he and his wife are on a Gestapo kill list, so he will have to watch his back whilst trying to prevent a biological catastrophe that will kill millions.
Rory Clements is truly a wonderful writer. The Tom Wilde series of books are astonishing pieces of historical fiction and The English Fuhrer is as good as it gets.
One not to miss out on. Just superb.

2023: Book 2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - swipe for synopsis.

Thank you to @bonnierbooks_uk @zaffrebooks and @netgalley for this ARC.

This is the first #roryclements book I’ve read and it definitely won’t be the last. The English Führer is a gripping piece of historical fiction which continues the work of protagonist Professor Tom Wilde - it can be read as a standalone novel within the series of books. Highly recommended.

Publication date is 19 January 2023.

#booksof2023 #netgalley

From the moment I read Corpus back in 2017, I knew I was going to love the Tom Wilde series and to my mind it just keeps getting better and better.

The conclusion of the previous book, The Man in the Bunker, saw Wilde involved in the defection of a Soviet intelligence officer and he harbours lingering doubts about the whole affair. Something just doesn’t seem quite right about it. He even begins to doubt those he has previously trusted.

The plot is way too involved to describe without giving spoilers but it includes biological warfare, far right extremism and the impact of the changes in the world order following the end of the Second World War. Your enemy’s enemy may not always remain your friend. We get a picture of a Britain struggling to reconstruct itself, not just physically – ‘The rubble was still there, the bombed houses had not been rebuilt and water mains went unfixed’ – but politically and psychologically. ‘The rage on all sides of those whose loved ones were killed by bombs, bullet, fire, water and gas didn’t just vanish like smoke because peace treaties were signed.’

As Rory Clements observes in his afterword to the book, ‘It is a world exhausted by war, desperate for peace – and extremely vulnerable because few have any appetite for further conflict’. This is the foundation upon which the author builds the compelling story at the heart of the book. It involves some extremely nasty goings-on, sadly based on fact.

I was particularly pleased to see Tom’s wife, Lydia, playing a prominent part in the story. She’s a woman trying to balance the responsibilities of motherhood with her ambition to become a doctor as well as battling to overcome the obstacles still in place for women wishing to pursue a career, in particular married women.

Wilde’s investigations involve him in breathless escapes across country in order to escape the agents of a foreign power as well as finding himself accused of murder. The adjective that immediately sprang to mind was ‘Buchanesque’. (Regular followers of my blog will know I’m a fan of the works of John Buchan.) So I was thrilled when, at one point in the book, the hapless Detective Inspector Shirley, rebukes Wilde, ‘This is a murder enquiry, not The Thirty-Nine Steps’.

The author keeps the action coming and the tension high until the very last page. If you’re a fan of historical thrillers that combine espionage with adventure then they don’t come better than this.

The war has finished and Professor Tom Wilde is back in the academic world but not for long as he is drawn back into the spy world as there is a threaten to the recently won victory all whilst he himself is a target for a would be assassin.

Rory Clements has created an excellent series and The English Fuhrer is another worthy addition. Definitely recommended.

1945 and that War is over, for Tom Wilde a return to Cambridge academia but regrets that his wartime unit the OSS has been disbanded. However Tom is called by his old boss at MI5 Lord Templeman and asked to keep an eye on a Cambridge fellow who has links to the British Fascist Movement. Meanwhile a deadly cargo has been landed on the Norfolk Coast and plans are afoot to cause chaos as Britain tries to recover.

I love Clements books and this is no exception. The plot is clever and twisty with lots of blind alleys and changing politics, it sheds light on the complexities of post-War politics and the murkier side of reconstruction. I also really liked the focus on the roles of women - from the wives with their varying duties, the ambitions of some and the political power of others - there was a real insight into the difficulties of the women who had been left behind but who gained some forms of independence without men. An impressive book on many levels

My thanks to Bonnier Books U.K. Zaffre for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The English Führer’ by Rory Clements.

This is the seventh in Clements series of historical espionage thrillers set in 1940s Europe featuring Cambridge history professor turned spy, Tom Wilde. As always, Clements provides background for readers new to the series, so that it can be read as a standalone.

Early October 1945. Off the east coast of England, a Japanese submarine surfaces close to a deserted beach. Its mysterious cargo is unloaded and then afterwards it is blown up by its crew and all disappear into the depths of the North Sea. Quite a dramatic opening!

In Cambridge former spy Professor Tom Wilde is settling back into teaching and family life. Then he receives a call from senior MI5 boss Lord Templeman, who advises that a nearby village has been locked down by the military as its residents have been blighted by a deadly illness. There are rumours of German involvement with links to Unit 731, a notorious Japanese biological warfare research laboratory. What might they be plotting on British soil?

In addition, Templeton advises Tom that a Gestapo kill list of 250 names has recently come to light, containing not only his own name but that of Tom and his wife, Lydia. One person on the list has already been murdered and another is missing. These crises bring Tom out of retirement in order to assist in tracking down those responsible and to ensure that his family as well as his country remains safe. Meanwhile, Lydia Wilde seeks to realise her dream of becoming a doctor despite the obstacles placed by society. No further details to avoid spoilers.

Rory Clements again demonstrates great skill in integrating historical events and figures into his narrative. While in ‘The English Führer’ the war is officially over it is clear that there are still those in British society who remain sympathetic to the fascist cause.

The pacing is a bit more measured here than in those books in the series when Tom was in a wartime setting. Yet conversations in drawing room soirées, country houses, pubs and the like bring their own dynamics as well as more subtle dangers.

I felt that Clements did well in portraying postwar Britain including the collective sense of loss and the need to rebuild a shattered economy. Such details of everyday life enrich the narrative beyond the drama of its main plot.

Overall, I enjoyed ‘The English Führer’ very much and am so pleased that Rory Clements has continued with this series as the postwar years and the beginnings of the Cold War is such a rich period of history as a setting for spy fiction.

Superb thriller, verry exciting - The Second World War is over and just as Tom Wilde, Professor of History is returning to his pre-war career at Cambridge University, the Intelligence world comes back to him for help.

It's not the 'peace' Tom imagined. Many British Fascist and Nazi sympathisers have been released from internment at the close of the war, and Oswald Mosley is still around (I had no idea what became of him after the 1930s).
An outbreak of a deadly disease is confined and quarantined by the secret services and authorities to a village in Suffolk - Tom learns of this when his wife tried to contact an old friend there, and is unable to.

There are some horrifying historical facts in this book (immediately Googled by myself, in disbelief - Japanese Unit 731 being the most memorable one). Biological warfare, threats, murders, plots and double dealings abound. Alongside this, we follow Tom's family story of Lydia, trying to train as a Doctor (covering up that she is a married woman), and their young son. Everyone's in danger, everyone's under suspicion. Unputdownable; loved it!

The latest in the Tom Wilde series does not disappoint with its premise that a small faction of British fascists are attempting to overthrow the British governments using germ warfare. The book is set in the immediate post war years and the writing style accurately reflects the time. Tom’s wife has gone to London to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor while he is once again drawn into the world of espionage. As always with books in this series characters from the history of the time are woven into the story to add realism.
A thoroughly enjoyable book an a great addition to the series

Another great spy thriller featuring Prof Tom Wilde. The war has ended but Britain is still at risk from fascists. Well written and interesting characters and plot.

The English Fuhrer by Rory Clements
I have read and thoroughly enjoyed the adventures of Professor Tom Wilde. He is a fascinating and intrepid character and now that the war is at an end he had expected to be allowed to return to his role of Cambridge Don. But life is never that simple and there are some very unusual goings on nearby to be investigated. Firstly a nearby village is shut off from the outside world by what appears to be a terrible illness. Could this be evil forces at work? Lydia Tom’s wife is desperate to train to be a doctor and as she pursues this her son is left in the care of a woman who appears to have secrets. Then there is the sighting of a strange submarine off the English coast. The war may be over but there are malign forces who still wish harm upon Tom and his wife.
The story author has conducted a great deal of research into his story and it is peopled with real characters interwoven with those who are fictionalised. As always with a Rory Clements book I raced through it and could not wait to find out what was going on. It is definitely a gripping and exciting read which I really enjoyed. I will be recommending it at my various book groups. Many thanks to the author, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read it in return for an honest review.

Another book in the Professor Tom Wilde series. This book does not disappoint. The attention to detail, the plot and the characters really get your attention. From beginning to end I really enjoyed it. Would thoroughly recommend this series to others.

This is yet another great read in the Tom Wilde series! The context of the book is well researched and the plot is intriguing, full of twists and turns. We get to spend more time with Lydia which added to my enjoyment of the novel. Lydia is very personable and we got interesting contextual social insights into her love for her family and how their very existence constrains her professional aspirations and ambitions. She is as competent, brave and intelligent as her husband but is hampered by societal restrictions.
As always, the characters are well drawn and the descriptions are vivid and visual. This series would translate well on screen. Wilde is intelligent, humorous, warm and honest and a really likeable individual. The story itself is well paced and draws the reader in quickly. Clements builds up suspense by making you care for his cast of characters whilst placing them in repeated danger!
I strongly recommend this book!

I have not previously read any of the other titles in the ‘Tom Wilde’ series but after reading this one, I will definitely be getting them to read!

A fast paced, well written spy story which kept me hooked throughout. I feel that I will read this one again after catching up with the previous books!

Thank you for keeping me enthralled throughout!

Based on historical facts of Japanese super submarines and the Japanese use of human Guinea pigs in occupied territories to develop biological weapons iswoven into an imagined plot. When a suspected such weapon causes a fatal epidemic to fall on the population of an English a village near the coast next to a US air base Prof. Tom Wilde is called upon to investigate. In a period just after the war who is the enemy, with in or without is a complex riddle that gives rise to a long and complex story where no one is to be trusted and everyone is in danger.

Professor Tom Wilde is plunged into another infernal plot shortly after the end of WW11 after an attack on a village close to his Cambridge college. After the village was isolated and a bacterial bomb seemingly the culprit all sorts of suspicions fall on various characters all portrayed in glorious gung ho fashion. Wilde’s wife’s ambitions to be a doctor is cleverly inserted into the plot and extreme neo Nazi cliques appear to be behind it all but there are twists to come! The Russian defector Borisov from the previous episode lurks in the background and as the body count rises so do the questions. Wonderful entertaining stuff.

The latest Tom Wilde novel is set back in England. Tom is now back lecturing but the outside world still impacts his life.
This is a fast paced thrilling read where Tom is on the hunt for a suspected fascist group threatening to unleash a bio weapon and create a pandemic in the upper echelons of the British establishment. As he follows trails around Cambridge and London whilst balancing the needs of his family he wonders who he can trust. With twists and turns and a maze of dead ends and misconceptions Tom is caught up in someone's diabolical plan but who is really behind it? Does some one really want to be the new Fuhrer?

A really good trolling read I couldn't put down.

Another excellent book in the Tom Wolfe series and unlike the last book, there is no having to disbelieve things to enjoy the book. Even though it is the next book in the series, you can very much read this book as a standalone. Great characters old and new and a very enjoyable storyline that has you hooked right from the off! Highly recommended.

The best of the Tom Wilde spy series so far.

A political-context spy thriller set in England during the run up to Hugh Dalton’s first post-war budget when the future of Great Britain was about to be redefined for generations to come, even if there were neither external threats nor internal plots. The Chinese see such moments of uncertainty as having the potential, for those willing to take action, to change the future when at most other times such actions will fail no matter how hard the protagonists strive. The Chinese appear in this story only as victims of Japanese atrocity, but I find it interesting that the author chose to set his novel at a time when Chinese philosophy might expect such a plot to be potentially decisive, whereas the Gunpowder Plot, for example, was probably destined to fail in its ultimate objective whether the explosives did their murderous work or not.

This is about biological warfare and “Camp 731” in Manchuria, where ruthless experiments on many innocent people were used to develop a number of deadly diseases as weapons. The author has done his research well enough to know that “Porton Down” was actually two separate establishments at the time: MRD Salisbury was the Biological laboratory and CDE Salisbury was the much older Chemical Research Establishment: they shared a canteen building and, post-war, a civilian director. But staff stuck to their own laboratories in their own buildings (in whose technical procedures they were experts) for very compelling safety reasons as well as any reason of national security.

Neither MRD or CDE ever exclusively concentrated on military work, let alone chemical or biological warfare work and in the story the main contribution which MRD experts make is to contain a disease outbreak, understand what the causative agent is and supervise the care of those afflicted by it. This is perfectly credible, when so little of what is written about Porton Down is.* And it is worth noting that while Japanese scientists at Camp 731 were committing countless atrocities to develop the most demonic biological weapons possible, the mundane sanitation and hygiene work done by MRD and CDE to protect Commonwealth and Allied soldiers from naturally-occurring tropical diseases was credited by Lord Louis Mountbatten with being the single most important factor in the Fourteenth Army’s success in liberating Burma from Japanese occupation.

This is also a story about the main protagonist’s experience and extensive knowledge of fascists and NAZI’s being exploited to mislead him, and there are very considerable plot twists (which might challenge our assumptions about the present day) towards the end of an exciting, gripping and readable story. Which also gets the period social background about right.

* The exception is Alistair Maclean’s “The Satan Bug”. Someone who worked at MRD at the time read a copy I gave her and said that he got everything right except that the high security fence was around CDE and he put it, for dramatic purposes, around MRD -and in one sentence he confuses “toxin” with “virus” which is a mistake you’d expect a classical languages teacher to make, because in that context they both mean “something that makes one ill.” The same former MRD researcher also said that almost none of the “investigative reporting” of the journalist Chapman Pincher about the place was accurate and that staff played a game, via a noticeboard in the canteen whereby, every Christmas, the employees who’d got Pincher to publish the most ridiculous story AND buy his informant a nice meal won a share of a kitty that had accumulated throughout the year. You pinned up the article you’d got him to publish with a summary of the meal he’d paid for and put a few shillings in the kitty towards the handsome prizes.

Another brilliant book by Rory Clements, I've read most of the previous "Tom Wilde" novels, and have enjoyed them all, so I was delighted to be invited to read this latest book. I was not disappointed.

It's 1945 and the war is over but not for Professor Tom Wilde. He was looking forward to getting back to his job as Cambridge lecturer and enjoying life with his wife and young son when a call from senior MI5 boss Lord Templeman brought him back into the world of conspiracies, spies, biological warfare, murder and subterfuge. It's a fast-paced action packed book that is scarily believable. The historical setting is fascinating and very well done and I loved all the details of life in 1945, And the added complications of Wilde's homelife as Lydia, his wife, gained a place at a medical school to train to be a doctor in London, brings a very personal touch to this spy thriller.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There are several plot threads, with numerous complications and it is tense and full of danger and suspense. I loved it.

I was surprised to see it’s the best part of a year since I read the last book by Rory Clements. I think it’s a mark of good writing and characterisation that I found it so easy to reacquaint myself with 1940s Cambridge and Tom Wilde. He’s intelligent but fallible; much more fun than an invincible hero who’s always a step ahead. I really like Clements’ portrait of Cambridgeshire; I could almost feel the fog coming in off the coast and the damp of the fens.
I’m pleased that Wilde’s story has carried on beyond the summer of 1945. I find this a fascinating period and one ripe for fiction. The war may have been over but not its fallout: there were still shortages affecting almost everyone; tensions didn’t just evaporate so people were suspicious of unfamiliar faces. It seems inevitable that there were people on the losing side whose beliefs did not change and that some of them started (or continued) planning their next steps once the fighting had ceased. Here, the players are in plain sight but nearly everyone has something to hide and there are plenty of red herrings. We also get a glimpse of the Cambridge-based Russian spies who would be uncovered in the years to follow.
There have already been some ‘pandemic novels’ and I’m sure there will be many more. Clements gives the merest nod to the pandemic here by having a biological weapon brought to England in the autumn of 1945. The actions taken to contain the threat are all too familiar to us now yet don’t feel anachronistic. I had nearly finished reading when I was sent a link to the audiobook; I might give it a try while I wait for another welcome return to Wilde and Cambridge.