Today I have a review of The Fifth Column by Andrew Gross, available from Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press on September 10, 2019.
It feels like yesterday when I reviewed the Button Man. It was a great read!
My Thoughts:
Andrew Gross is the master of powerful historical thrillers. No one writes them the same way.
It’s 1939, and the world is gearing up for possible war. A Nazi rally in Madison Square Garden brings over twenty thousand Nazi supporters to the area. A group draped in Nazi flags comes into the bar where Charles Mossman is, a man who has recently lost his job and his marriage.
On edge, Charlie takes a swing at one of the supporters and the dominos begin to fall.
In 1941, the US is considering whether to join the war. Charlie’s wife and daughter are living in Yorkville, a German-speaking, sometimes Hitler-sympathizing, suburb of NYC. Charlie is recently out of prison and is trying desperately to put his life back together.
Their across the hall neighbors, Trudy and Willi Bauer, take an interest in Charlie’s daughter, and Charlie begins to suspect they may be spies or something worse. The fear is that they are part of the “fifth column.” Charlie and his family are drawn into something sinister.
So good. So tense. So gripping. Once again, Andrew Gross has delivered a solid thriller with an historical backdrop. I read this quickly because the writing and pacing were both on point. The story is character-driven with three-dimensional lives depicted and all their emotions, while also having a plot that quickens and keeps you entranced.
Overall, The Fifth Column was a quick, satisfying read. I’ve read many books set on other homefronts during WWII, but The Fifth Column brings the war to the US front doorstep with some historical events I was not previously aware of. Masterful and well-done, I can’t wait to see what Andrew Gross brings us next!
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
About the Book:
#1 New York Times bestselling author of The One Man Andrew Gross once again delivers a tense, stirring thriller of a family torn apart set against the backdrop of a nation plunged into war.
February, 1939. Europe teeters on the brink of war. In New York City, twenty-two thousand cheering Nazi supporters pack Madison Square Garden for a raucous, hate-filled rally. In a Hell’s Kitchen bar, Charles Mossman is reeling from the loss of his job and the demise of his marriage when a group draped in Nazi flags barges in. Drunk, Charlie takes a swing at one with tragic results and a torrent of unintended consequences follows.
Two years later. America is wrestling with whether to enter the growing war. Charles’s estranged wife and six-year-old daughter, Emma, now live in a quiet brownstone in the German-speaking New York City neighborhood of Yorkville, where support for Hitler is common. Charles, just out of prison, struggles to put his life back together, while across the hall from his family, a kindly Swiss couple, Trudi and Willi Bauer, have taken a liking to Emma. But Charles begins to suspect that they might not be who they say they are.
As the threat of war grows, and fears of a “fifth column”—German spies embedded into everyday life—are everywhere, Charles puts together that the seemingly amiable Bauers may be part of a sinister conspiracy. When Pearl Harbor is attacked and America can no longer sit on the sideline, that conspiracy turns into a deadly threat with Charles the only one who can see it and Emma, an innocent pawn.
Have you read The Fifth Column, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR
I haven’t read it yet, but it sounds very interesting. I loved Snow falling on cedars- the topic is just fascinating. Great review, Jennifer, and thanks for the tip.
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Thanks so much, Toni! I have not read Snow Falling on Cedars but I saw the movie way back when it came out. If you enjoyed that type of read, you’d surely enjoy this. This author is a master of this sub genre. I have loved all I have read from him. ♥️
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I have read and liked a few of his books and this sounds like another good story. Will definitely look into this one! Happy Friday!
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Thanks, Marialyce! I think you’ll be pleased with this. He’s so good at what he does!
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This sounds really good! Excellent review, Jennifer💜
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Thanks, Jonetta! It was a fab thriller!
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This sounds like an excellent thriller, Jen! I enjoy reading books around this time period too. Glad you enjoyed it! ❤ Happy Friday
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Thanks so much, favorite M! It was such a great thriller! This author does such an amazing job with this genre!
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This sounds really exciting! I need to add this author to my “must read” list😁
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Thanks, Tammy! I hope you get a chance to check him out. He’s really good at this genre!
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Wonderful review and picture, Jennifer. I added this historical thriller to my tbr list. Happy Reading to you, too. 🌹💕📚🥰😘
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Thanks, Virginia! It’s such a great one to add! I hope you love it too! ♥️
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Oh I love Andy!💜 His books always take my breath away! Awesome review Jen! I have this one and can’t wait to get to it!☕💙🍁
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Yay! I’m so happy you are a fan, too, Sus! He’s one-of-a-kind and these books, my goodness! I can’t wait to hear what you think! ♥️
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When I saw the title and cover, I had no clue what to expect… but that plot line has totally sucked me in! I’m fascinated that this is a WWII thriller dealing set in the US that is dealing with Naziism and spies!
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It was so fascinating, LP! So well-done! I loved every bit!
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Jennifer, I got on the wait list for The Fifth Column at the public library as soon as I saw it had been ordered.. I love Andrew Gross’s writing, so I can’t wait to read this book. I’m glad to see you give it such a good review.
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Great review! I haven’t heard of Andrew Gross but he sounds like my kind of author, although I am a tad tired of Nazi stories – Britain’s still obsessed by WW2. I must check out his other stuff…
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This is a great review – thank you for sharing, Jennifer:)
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Brilliant review, as always Jennifer. You always make me want to read the books you do! 🙂 I’m glad that you enjoyed this one so much.
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I love a good historical thriller and a WWII setting is always a bonus, so I definitely love the sound of this story! Fab review.
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Thanks, Yvo! It was a great story!
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Hmm, WWII historical fiction set in America isn’t something I’ve come across a lot! Interesting!
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It was definitely interesting, Angela!
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Wonderful review Jennifer. I love Andrew Gross’ books, especially his Historical Thrillers. I wasn’t sure what this one was about, but now that you have enlightened me, I am definitely going to read this one.
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