A review by historic_chronicles
SS-GB by Len Deighton

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Picture the scene. Britain has lost the Second World War, Churchill has been executed and the King is imprisoned in the Tower of London. The country is occupied by the enemy forces and the atmosphere is tense.

Douglas Archer is a detective of the Scotland Yard working under the German forces investigating an intriguing murder that the Germans seem to be more interested in than normal when strange radiation-like burns appear on the victim's arm.

This novel was atmospheric and appeared to me like an evaluation of human nature in defeatist situations. The main character is often questioning his moral decisions throughout the story and this leaves the reader inevitably wondering how they would react in a similar situation.

This was an enjoyable slow burn thriller that leaves you guessing to the very end. I felt that some characters could have been developed a little further, but the way the author set the scenes was with complete precision.