| Title | : | The Man from Section Five: A Brinley Knight Spy Thriller (The Man from MI5 Book 1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 569 |
| Publication | : | Published April 8, 2022 |
Petken delivers a compelling story. As the outbreak of war approaches, the spectre of fascism rears its head in England. A rollercoaster story of action and intrigue, I had trouble putting this one down.
... Eoin Dempsey, Bestselling author of White Rose, Black Forest, and the Longest Echo.
Brinley Knight has a photographic memory. Bored with his mundane job, he accepts an offer from MI5 to become a full-time spy in a shadowy world of espionage. As Britain stands at the edge of war, Brin learns to his cost that ‘defending the realm’ means duty before family.
London, 1937. A sniper kills an accountant in a quiet London neighbourhood. Weeks later, the police find two dead German agents in a disused warehouse across the river.
South of France, 1938. An English diplomat is found dead at the hotel hosting the Jewish Refugee Crisis Conference. MI5 believe the Abwehr is responsible for all four deaths.
Berlin, 1938. Ursula Engel, an ambitious German actress, is out of a job after the Gestapo detain her Jewish cast members and close the theatre. On a trip to France, she meets the charming Gregg Talbot, but is he what and who he claims to be?
Hitler’s fifth columnists in Britain emerge from the darkness, as Germany’s military might eyes new territories east of the Rhine. German aristocrats, politicians, wealthy businessmen, anti-Semites, and fascist groups operate in opulent dining rooms and in the back alleys of London’s East-End. Menacing predators, they hunt for information that could aid the Führer’s ambitions and stoke fires of division between the Jews, Communists, and British fascists.
Britain is already at war, as the government tries to hold the political parties and British public together before the streets of England burn with hatred and revenge.
...Petken delivers a high-octane spy thriller. Nobody in this story is who they seem to be. The reader will be stunned by one shocking revelation after another.
Marion Kummerow... author of the USA Today bestselling series, Margarete's Journey.
“Petken delivers a knockout spy thriller. Fast-paced and filled with suspense, this book has all the ingredients to keep readers enthralled from the first page to last. Epic in scope, it’s another winner.”
…Alexa Kang, USA. Today Bestselling author of the “Rose of Anzio series.”
“Jana Petken is a master of WWII fiction. Well-researched, her books never disappoint. The Man from Section Five is a powerful and captivating suspense that grabs you from the first page and does not let go until the very end. A true page-turner.”
… Kathryn Gauci #1 Bestselling author of The Secret of the Grand Hôtel du Lac.
The Man from Section Five: A Brinley Knight Spy Thriller (The Man from MI5 Book 1) Reviews
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An young man from the working class area of pre-WWII London has managed to get a decent job. Not wonderful, it has been somewhat of leg up. Europe and Britain are in a death spiral toward the start of the war. Spies are everywhere. When Brin and his mentor are attacked, and his friend killed after what should have been a routine audit, Brin's life undergoes a radical change. MI5 takes him in and life will never be the same.
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‘The Man from Section Five’ is the latest historical thriller from the pen of multiple award-winning author Jana Petken. Without bogging the reader down in factual details from the pre-WWII period when the tale occurs, Petken does a superb job of relating the events of the time as a solid background for her fictional characters as these intermingle with real people of the mid-to-late 1930s in Britain. The story is about how a disaffected accountant is recruited by Military Intelligence, Section Five and his progress through his first few years with the Security Service. That alone is a fascinating tale, yet the author also expands the events into pre-war Germany as we follow the theatre actress daughter of a Scottish woman married to a German, who unknowingly harbors a secret that could cost her dearly should her lover, a German Intelligence officer, become aware of it.
The book is not a quick read, yet boredom is banished by Petken’s mastery of fast pace, captivating characters, and the constant sense of impending doom she creates for her main characters. One factor that stands out for me in this tale is the profoundly atmospheric presentation of both pre-war Germany and Britain. The author’s skill in conveying the era and its incidents, present from the very first page, immerse the reader deeply into the affairs of the time without needing to be a history buff.
I really enjoyed this novel, and was pleased to see that it is the first book in a new series, so, hopefully, soon we will have more of Brinley Knight’s escapades. If well researched, impressively presented and highly entertaining historical fiction is what you seek, you cannot go wrong with this novel. Very highly recommended! -
A very entertaining spy novel
I enjoyed the book on the whole, will be waiting for the sequel. I found two errors which I would like to point out in the text. On page 473 Mosley talks to Brin, whom he was introduced to as Greg Talbot , and says "I've heard your story 100 times Brin.
The second error is on page 560. Paul and Brin are in a discussion where the book says that Sam lean in closer to Brian. Sam is not in the room at the time.
So I stop being editor and and say once again that the book held my interest from beginning to end and I will be anxiously awaiting the follow-on sequel. -
I wish there were half stars because I find this a perfect example of 4.5 stars. The story is fantastic and the characters are well fleshed out. The story is engrossing, the ONLY issue I have is I found the speed in which characters were introduced throughout the first half of the book left me going back and trying desperately to figure out who the hell was who. Petken does rectify this later with little call backs here and there to help the reader, but I had serious whiplash through the first half trying to keep track of all the characters.
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Suspenseful
I enjoyed this spy thriller set mostly in Great Britain in the years leading up to the second world war. Interesting how strong the fascist movement was in that country. Well written characters and some big plot surprises. It's a cliffhanger ending, but I look forward to reading the next book. -
A good, nerdy spy novel.
This one is very different from the usual spy works. Not as thrilling as one may want it to be. Very well researched, it reads more like an absorbing investigative reporter's work than a novel. Found it very realistic and authentic. Great for WW2 and history buffs. -
The Man from Section Five is a fascinating story about the growing threat of fascism and anti-Semitism in Britain in the two years leading up to the Second World War. Petken puts together a wonderfully entertaining and suspenseful thriller that's up there with the best.
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Well told story
A well told story, that does a good job, capturing the mood in spirit of pre-war, Berlin and London, as well as the influence and effect of the Nazi party in London. -
Outsranding
Enjoyed the flow of the story. Some of the characters lived during the prewar era.suspenseful and I could continue reading further
