This is an engrossing, and thought provoking, story of espionage during WWII.

John King is a graduate student who is completing two years of research in Heidelberg, Germany. As he and friends gather to commemorate his last days in Germany in 1933, he is saddened that one of his best friends has joined the SS - the Schutzstaffel, paramilitary, surveillance forces under Hitler. His friend, Joachim Brandt, rejects John for socializing with other friends who are Jewish. Joachim becomes angry that John does not show proper deference or respect to Joachim’s new uniform and life choice. From this point on the lives of these young men are on different paths.

John helps two half-Jewish friends, Rachel and David, to leave Germany to find careers in Britain while being helped by John’s parents. He later finds their parents in need of rescue and tries to arrange to get them out of Germany to safety.

A few years after returning to Britain, John is asked to return to Germany under the guise of ‘security research’ interests, while observing what he can of German activities. This work expands as John is asked to fake his own death so that he can become an intelligence operative infiltrating the German intelligence network in Britain.

The story describes the covert training that John is given and the planning for his accidental death. It then moves to his experiences as he steps into the role of a German Abwehr agent leading several sympathizer cell groups. The story pace picks up in the last quarter. John’s former German friend, Brandt, who has been undercover in America, is reassigned to Britain. His activities set him on a collision course with John's world. David, the other friend whom John helped move to England, has become a cop tasked with investigating the meager leads to a cell leader known as “Lazarus”. David is pulled in to help find German infiltrators and his path weaves towards Brandt and John’s tense confrontation.

The history is interesting with strong detail of physical settings, as well as social and political sentiments. The author does a good job describing the devastation and fears, first at battle scenes at Dunkirk, and again during the German bombing of London and surrounding communities. The author also portrays the impressive strength and resilience of the British people. The detail makes this story very engaging, if a bit slower in pacing. There were a couple of awkward point of view shifts and stronger editing might have helped to move the story through better action. I was wrapped in the intense climax when the book abruptly ended, leaving me with several questions.

This is a worthwhile read, especially for history buffs interested in life-like details of the earlier years of WWII. I also found the portrayed thought processes of the German and Russian sympathizers interesting as it made me more aware how citizens could betray their country with justifications of different political ideologies, including fascism, communism and socialism.

I received this title through NetGalley.

“Codename Lazarus” eBook was published in 2016 and was written by A. P. Martin (http://www.apmartin.co.uk). This is Mr. Martin’s first publication.

I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Situations. The story is set in Germany and England during the years 1933-1940. The primary character is history professor Dr. John King.

King has spent time in 1933 Germany before Hitler rose to power and left just as the Nazis were beginning to take control of the country. Later in 1939 his old Oxford professor called him in to a secret meeting. The professor had been working for British Intelligence and sought King as a new recruit for a secret mission. King agrees even though the though of faking his own death does not sit well. King returns to Germany to find out more about the ever more powerful Nazis before a well conceived hiking ‘accident’ in Switzerland renders ‘John King’ dead.

King, now using the name James Kemp, takes the place of an ousted German who has been leading a spy ring in the UK. King works the traitors, gathering information on each of them and their contacts. The Battle for Britain is at its height and all fear that Germany will soon invade. King finds himself the subject of a search by Scotland Yard’s Special Branch and by a real German spy sent into the UK to revive the spy network.

I enjoyed the 10.5 hours I spent reading this 365 page World War II Thriller. I liked the time scale that the novel covered. The plot was interesting, though not exactly unique. There was intrigue and a little action, though I think more action would have made this a better read. I also was not happy with the conclusion as it left many loose ends. Perhaps a sequel is planned. The cover art is OK, in line with the Swiss accident. I give this novel a 4.4 (rounded down to a 4) out of 5.

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