The story begins just a few weeks after the events in The Last Line. It is June 1940, France has fallen, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) has been driven back to a small portion of the coast. A mixture of good luck and bloody-minded determination has seen the bulk of the forces evacuated from Dunkirk. A miracle of sorts, spun as a moral victory, but John Cook who is aiding the evacuated soldiers can see at what cost. He knows the phony war is over in deadly earnest, the real war may well be over soon and if it is, it will be the German’s that have won.

Through the eyes of John Cook the author manages to capture the feeling of the public at that time. The shock of the BEF being routed, the fear of imminent invasion, the suspicion of potential enemy aliens and the paranoia of the possibility of a Fifth Columnist in their midst. This is well expressed and convincingly conveyed. The sheer helplessness at not being able to strike back and the fear of the inevitable defeat, unless the RAF can turn back the German bombers softening up the South ready of invasion. When John Cook sees a parachutist jump from a low flying German plane, he races to the scene hoping to apprehend any German spy. He arrives too late, finding the empty parachute tangled in a tree, but he’s not the only one there. There is a member of the landed gentry, except he is no gentleman as Cook has come across him before, during the first war. He’s a man Cook can’t trust, and their paths inevitably will cross again…

John Cook, an action hero with much more complexity and baggage than most. A beautifully imagined, well-rounded character but also a trained killer, a man battling with his past trying to keep a grip on his sense of morality. In a war that will inflict horrors on humanity the latter is going to be in short supply, keeping a perspective and a sense of what is right and wrong will be essential for self-survival. Cook has been lucky to find a soulmate in Lady Margaret and they have quickly established themselves as a formidable duo. She is shrewd, gives Cook the insight into the establishment and ruling classes, also helping to smooth off some of his rougher edges. The chemistry between the two is fabulous, their relationship feels natural, unusual perhaps considering their class differences, but they are a meeting of equals in their strength of personality.

The plot is one of secrets and the steps needed to keep them so. The Allies whilst battling to stay in the war were working away furiously to develop an edge, Polish cryptanalysts were giving Bletchley Park a start on cracking the enigma, whilst engineers and scientists were working on new technologies. The latter proves significant and is plausibly woven within the storyline, taking enough from what was developed to be convincing. They way that Cook’s superiors ration the information he is given strengthens the notion that maintaining secrets and thinking ‘outside the box’ is what gave the Allies the edge. Not only this we get a sense of the steps brave people take to maintain these secrets at all costs, but they also knew it was important and that was sufficient to get their commitment.

This is a story all about the balance of power and sacrifice. Pitching ordinary people willing to fight for King and Country, willing to lay down their lives for their family and friends, as opposed to those care little for the future providing, they remain in a position of power, elitism at its worst. Some in the establishment and upper classes openly flirted with the Nazis and Moseley’s fascists, but for some it wasn’t for ideological reasons, but rather naked self-interest.

The storyline includes plenty of intrigue and action, such there are no flat or boring passages. It also manages to incorporate the thoughts and feelings of ordinary folk within the incidents. This is skilful writing that captures a mood of a country at a point of time. The pacing is pretty much ideal, building up to a frantic finale that is surprising and poses fraught dilemmas for the central characters, including an unexpected twist and a hook for book three.

I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for a fair review.

After previously dabbling into the authors world and style of storytelling I was looking forward to reading this one.

Paris has fallen to the Third Reich and Farmer John Cook is on the lookout for spies.

Tension is high and one night a parachute is seen in the sky.. Cook sets out to find out who or what was dropped but things are a little muddled in the dark and who or whatever it was remains a mystery.

Cook tries to get on with his day to day life while keeping an eye out.. and two things quickly become apparent… at times strange voices can be heard.. are they German? And if so where are they?

The second thing is.. could there be trouble closer to home..there’s a lot of drama but is anything connected? Cook is a man of principle and he won’t stand by when someone needs help.. but can he keep everyone safe?

There’s a complex web of events that link wonderfully but at the same time mean the reader is thrown off the scent right until the moment the author wants you to know more. It’s a engaging puzzle waiting to be solved.

Plot and characters both developed at an easy to read pace.. there’s lots of meat on the bone with this one, plenty to get to grips with but it’s clever and gripping in it’s nature. The plot and characters support each other in the development so nothing felt out of place or rushed.

The only word I can think of to sum up the story is EXCITING. From first page to last it’s fun and intriguing, an exciting bunch of characters and you never really know what will happen next. 5/5 stars!

Excellent twisty storyline.
Keeps you guessing right to the end.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review

In 1940s Britain the Second World War is progressing with The Third Reich taking over Paris, France. John Cook and Lady Margaret are gearing up for the tanks to come rolling across the channel any day, so they can carry out their top secret mission to fight the Nazis when they arrive. When a German parachutist is dropped from a plane one night during an air raid, John discovers the leftovers dropped with him - a machine in a crate and white silk hanging close by on a branch. But the mysterious parachutist is no where to be found.
Word soon starts spreading when people start reporting the German speaking voices coming from the fields, and when John and Margaret her it for themselves they have to do anything and everything it takes to protect their county from invasion. But who is this person, and what is the machine that was dropped with him?

I really enjoyed the first instalment of the John Cook series, and this was a lovely addition. Moving on from the first story, we see the characters develop along with their complex relationships. John has several of those, not only with Lady Margaret, but with members of his own family and those residing at the farm with them. John is still able to hold his own, despite the things he has thrown at him this time! The story was great, and kept me interested throughout. Great ending too, I hope there’s more to come from John cook, I can’t wait to see what he gets up to next!

A book that provides a flavour of life in the early stages of WW2. The characters were varied across the UK class system and the individual contrast during interactions was insightful.

I must say those days must have been so terrifying for the UK population. Now when you throw in the potential for secret agents and parachutes the mind boggles.

The plot was clever and I quite often thought wow that was a nice twist.

I cannot put my finger on why I didn't enjoy the book more but I reckon that is purely down to personal taste.

Set during the war in rural Sussex we meet John Cook for a second installment of his going ons.
The descriptions of the country side were lovely to read, especially sat at the stables with my pony between chores, which also happens to be located in the Sussex countryside.
It took me a while to get in to because it jumped around a fair amount. I also think it may have been because I hadn't read the first book in the series so I didn't have the existing bond with the characters that others would have had.
I found the book to be very well written and would certainly recommend to anyone who enjoys a wartime drama or someone looking for something a bit
different.

Interesting characters, especially the main "hero" John Cook, whose toughness and experience in World War One come in very useful in the battle against some unpleasant characters, including pro-Nazi Brits and German agents. Conjures up the atmosphere of the time and full of suspense.

Stephen Ronson and The Berlin Agent is a new author for me, but there is an earlier book, The Last Line, where John Cook the main character of The Berlin Agent is introduced. Having thoroughly enjoyed the more recent book, I will certainly look out for The Last Line. In The Berlin Agent, John Cook is, now in Uckfield, an East Sussex famer who had served in the Eleventh Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment from 1916 in the Great War, later known as World War I. The story in the book opens in June 1940, when everywhere, including Uckfield, is full of our soldiers who had been rescued from Dunkirk. John had tried to sign up again for WWII, but at age 40 he was told he would be better off taking on the responsibility of setting up an auxiliary unit of similar age locals in Uckfield and being prepared to lead a resistance group in the event of an expected German invasion. The book covers a fairly short period in 1940 WWII between Dunkirk in June, and the start of The Battle of Britain in July. During this time John is busy keeping a large farm going with a lot of help from Bill Taylor his farm manager and other volunteers at the busiest times. John is also busy with members of his auxiliary group, but he then discovers that there is a group of locals who would really like the UK to sign an armistice with Germany (as did France, having been quickly defeated) rather than let the war continue. The main part of the book evolves with John trying to find out who in the local group is communicating with Germany’s Berlin, but I am not going to reveal any of that activity as it would spoil the book, but obviously there is a Berlin Agent who is eventually discovered.
John’s adventures during the course of the book are really well written and there are several extremely violent escapades which certainly meant that I wanted to keep reading and find out what happens next. All in all, this was an excellent book which I really enjoyed and I am sure that you all will too. Many thanks go to Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Book 2 in the John Cook WWII series was another hit! I received a copy from Hodder & Stoughten via Netgalley. It came out in November last year.

Just like the first book, this sequel is a gripping World War II thriller that expertly blends espionage, suspense, and human resilience. Set in 1940 England, the story follows farmer John Cook and Lady Margaret as they prepare to resist the looming Nazi invasion. Both are secretly trained to defend their homeland, ready to vanish into the countryside and fight from the shadows if the enemy arrives.Their mission becomes urgent when a German parachutist lands during an air raid, leaving behind a mysterious crate with a complex device. Though the spy escapes, German voices soon echo in the darkness, and suspicions of an undercover agent spread through the village. With fear and paranoia rising, Cook and Margaret must unravel the mystery while navigating danger on all sides.

Themes of loyalty, courage, and sacrifice are intricately woven together, creating and capturing the tension of a nation on the brink of invasion. The dynamic partnership between Cook and Margaret adds depth, while the relentless suspense keeps you hooked to the pages. This, together with a historically accurate background, turns it into a great WWII thriller!

5/5 ⭐️

It is 1940 and Farmer John Cook sees a parachutist drop from a German bomber over the fields of Kent. He finds the parachute but attached to it is a complex piece of machinery, what it going on? He has already been advised to get ready for a German invasion, is this the start?

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Loved the character and how the story unfolded. Would highly recommend this book

When I received an advanced copy of this book, I hadn't realised it was the second in the series - so you can enjoy it as a stand alone book, but I am definitely going to read the first and any future releases in the series.

It took me a little while to get into this one but once I was about a third of the way in, I was hooked!

Enemies are hiding everywhere.
With the war ramping up, The British are waiting for the Germans to arrive on their shores,
John Cook is a farmer who was too old to join the war and does his part with farming. Well, he may also be doing a bit of his own war effort on his own.
Lady Margaret plays a big part in the story once again. Can she be trusted?
Is he willing to sacrifice his life for his country?
Will he be able to figure out what is going on before things get worse?
The ending was very interesting….I wonder where the author is going to take John Cook next?????
Overall, a great second book in the series. The author’s research into the happenings during this time was well done and informative.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Having read, and thoroughly enjoyed, The Last Line I was excited to receive an invite to read and review The Berlin Agent. (Apologies to the author and publisher for the delay.)
John Cook is a brilliant character. I think I said in my previous review that he is a bloke I would want on my side in any kind of crisis. I imagine he’s quite easy on the eye too!
During this book, Cook and Lady Margaret are tasked with fighting the Nazi’s as they land on British soil. Risking their own lives in the hope of protecting the country, and the people, they love. A risky mission, but one which Cook accepts without question for his own safety.
This book is full of action and suspense. It even has a bit of romance, which I love!
A brilliantly written historical fiction novel. An excellent series so far. I look forward to book three!

** Many thanks to the author and publisher for my review copy via NetGalley **

I did like the concept of the story but I take struggled to read this as it jumped all over the place. I don’t think all the parts worked together as it seemed like some had more I would have liked to know about like the children they were looking after or the doctor who helped. I kept getting lost in this book sadly.

The Berlin Agent is book 2 in the John Cook series by Stephen Ronson. Set in the Sussex countryside, war veteran and farmer John Cook and society heiress Lady Margaret have a directive to 'do whatever it takes' to impede the potential German invasion. Although the book is a thriller, I didn't find it gripped me nor did I find it especially fast-paced. The storyline felt a little far-fetched though cleverly written and did pick up pace towards the end. I hadn't read book 1 so maybe I wasn't as invested in John and Margaret as much as I might have been, and I felt a little misinformed about some of the characters which its possible are introduced in book 1. Definitely a series to read if you enjoy wartime fiction or thrillers set in England but try book 1 first!

With thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Exciting early WW11 story set in rural Sussex with farmer John Cook involved in the hunt for Nazi infiltrators. Full of murders ,dodgy aristocrats and our hero with his history of survival from the Great War has abilities few suspect. The description of rural life at the time works well with the storyline from reaping the harvest to dark deeds in the dead of night all leading to the promise of more to come.

A well written book set in 1940. An unlikely story about John Cook a farmer in Sussex stumbles on something in his field that doesn’t add up and he starts to wonder about what is going on in the area that no one sees . Are people around really who they appear to be or are they enemy in plain sight. A fast paced read filled with full of intrigue that keep the reader on their toes. I also had a bonus as I used to live in Uckfield where this story starts.

It is June 1940. Despite the intense bombing and artillery fire, 328,000 Allied troops have been successfully evacuated from the Dunkirk beaches and transported back to England.

John Cook, who was entrusted with the responsibility of forming a covert unit, the Auxiliary Unit,  comprised of former military personnel, farmers, and landowners, unexpectedly encounters a former teacher of his. Upon noticing concerning bruises on her wrist, he feels compelled to accompany her home, where he discovers that she and her husband are facing eviction from their home. True to his character, he cannot simply stand by and allow this injustice to occur. This turn of events leads him to reconnect with a former schoolmate named Kate. However, it becomes evident that Kate is not the actual landlord but rather an intermediary. The question arises: who is after the Leckies' land, and for what purpose? Could it be connected to the mysterious fenced-off structure that has been erected nearby?

Why he is hearing strange voices speaking German in the woods. Could it be related to the parachute he observed descending in the forest and the damaged radio he discovered?

Soon, Cook and Margaret find themselves attempting to infiltrate German sympathizers. Will he be able to uncover the identity of the parachuter and at what price?

Another captivating read, and after that ending, I can not wait for the next installment!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Gripping and realistic.
Not my usual genre but I loved this. The description of rural life during the war and characters were fascinating and the pacing was excellent.