Book Review: Fortunes of War by Gordon Zuckerman

“…In short, we think these circumstances indicate that time has come for us to start making some… discreet adjustments in the German government.”

Gordon Zuckerman, Fortunes of War

Review:

I’ve read a few espionage novels and though it’s not my go-to genre, the descriptions always seem to draw me in. Fortunes of War stood out in particular in this instance as I’m always looking for a new perspective on the times surrounding World War II.

Focusing largely on economics and politics, the book follows six friends as they try to stop a Nazi financial scheme. It’s a complex mission with high stakes combining the financial devastation of the Great Depression and the early days of World War II.

The plot was interesting, but I would have enjoyed it a lot more with more polished writing. Nothing that can’t be improved upon, but the showing vs. telling left me feeling disconnected with the plot and characters. The addition of romance was more of a distraction than anything else. The plot does carry a lot of promise and it was not without some interesting moments. I’m curious how the subsequent books read, however, I wasn’t left with much drive to continue.

A huge thanks to the publisher for reading out and sending me a free copy of the book to read and review!

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• The timeline.
• It was a unique (for me anyway) plot.

What I didn’t like:

• An overall bland delivery.

Afterthoughts:

In general, I feel like I’m picky with espionage thrillers no matter how taken in I am by the summaries. I’m not sure how much my preference influenced my final conclusion. I didn’t dislike it, it just didn’t resonate deeply.

Where to buy the book: