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Napoleon's Spy

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NAPOLEON: EMPEROR OF FRANCE, MASTER OF EUROPE.

1812. On the eve of the invasion of Russia, half-French, half-English Matthieu Carrey finds himself in the ranks of Napoleon's five hundred thousand strong army. With Tsar Alexander seemingly ill-prepared, a French victory seems certain. The Grande Armée will obliterate everything in its path.

Carrey's purpose is less clear. Blackmailed into becoming a spy in the emperor's army, he hopes to follow his lover, a French actress who has gone to work in the Moscow theatre.

As supplies grow scarce and temperatures plummet, the Grande Armée begins to crumble. Caught up in the maelstrom of war, Carrey embarks on an epic journey, while the Russians circle him like hungry wolves.

Hundreds of miles lie between Carrey and safety.

To reach it seems utterly impossible.

©2023 Ben Kane (P)2023 Orion Publishing Group Limited Genre Fiction Historical Military Thriller & Suspense War & Military Fiction Russia War Espionage Mystery
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Monotonous reading and poor text reduced interest very quickly in this book- a very far cry from Sharpe!

Banal children’s book

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The heartbeat of this book is the 1812 invasion of Russia. There is little about spying but a lot about the experience of campaigning and then the horrors of retreat. This aspect of the book is excellent and well written. I would have liked rather more of this.

Why it took 10 chapters to unpack an elaborate backstory is puzzling. Why the spying aspect needed to be introduced when it was at best a fringe theme is mysterious. I was irritated by the frequent references to odds (yes I got it but it added nothing). The plot is weak the dialogue is often tedious and repetitive. The love story is pretty limp.

Some brilliant writing overshadowed by poor plot and narrative.

Disappointed

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