Again blending espionage-wrought suspense with a keen sense of history, Furst returns to occupied Paris for the first time since 1999's Red Gold. He throws us into the midst of the French Resistance as he moves from the dimmed City of Light to Rouen and Orleans in a tale that's equal parts intrigue, gutsiness, and romance.

It is 1941, and Paris is occupied by the Nazis. The Allied forces are engaged in nightly bombing raids over Germany and sometimes are required to land in France when their aircraft can't make it back over the English Channel. Enter Mathieu and his small Resistance cell; their job is to find the downed airmen and help them escape back to England. Each success brings the group closer to possible discovery by the Germans, and when Mathieu teams up with the British, the perilous new missions further endanger his network, especially when an unfamiliar threat arises that may destroy them all. VERDICT Furst (Mission to Paris) is recognized among the greatest contemporary spy novelists, and his newest does not disappoint. While lacking the tight, cohesive plotting of his strongest works, this title retains the trademarks that bring fans back: realistic characters, meticulous historical knowledge, and superb storytelling. [See Prepub Alert, 12/14/15.]—Laura Hiatt, Fort Collins, CO

A master of the historical spy novel, Furst scores again with his 14th suspense story (after Midnight in Europe). This excellent spy thriller is set in Paris, March to August 1941, with the French Resistance movement covertly opposing the German occupation of the City of Light, early in World War II. Mathieu runs a Resistance cell that helps downed British airmen escape to Spain, always operating under the threat of exposure, betrayal, and arrest. Mathieu and the men and women of his cell are watchful and careful with their trust, for the Vichy police and the German Gestapo are sneaky, efficient, and brutal. The cell is small and well-organized, aided by an ethnology professor, a shady nightclub owner, a regal society matron, a Jewish schoolteacher, a female aristocrat, and a teenage girl. Their clandestine operations are very successful, attracting the unwelcome attention of a mysterious British spy, "a citizen of the shadows," a French communist agent, a blackmailing underworld thug, and the most dangerous adversary of all, a German police inspector, Otto Broehm, sent specifically to Paris to destroy Mathieu's cell. The inspector is a thorough planner, creating a clever, careful scheme to penetrate Mathieu's cell. Mathieu must navigate or neutralize all these threats, resulting in a tense, well-crafted tale of courage, sacrifice, and wartime espionage. Agent: Amanda Urban, ICM. (June)