Spies of the Balkans

Spies of the Balkans
By Alan Furst
Random House, 2010. 268 pgs. Fiction

Costa Zannis heads a special branch of the Greek police force. He handles “political” cases which seem to be growing more complicated as Europe begins its descent into World War II. At first, he is able to ignore the spies and their intrigue since Greece has yet to be drawn into the conflict. But, he soon finds himself a key player in smuggling Germans across the Balkans as they try to escape the Nazi regime.

Having recently read a number of nonfiction books describing espionage activities during World War II, I was surprised to be a little bored during this novel. There were definitely parts of the book I really enjoyed but the story as a whole seemed to lack that special something books need to keep you turning the pages. I would still recommend this as a good work of historical fiction presenting an uncommon perspective of World War II.

CZ