Spies of the Balkans

Spies of the Balkans, by Alan Furst
 
World War II has always been a treasure chest of intriguing scenarios for novelists. Alan Furst has carved out a much-admired niche for himself as a writer of World War II espionage fiction. His latest book, Spies of the Balkans, is a gripping tale set in the early days of the war, before the Germans invaded, in Salonika, Greece. Costa Zannis, a policeman on the force in Salonika, is faced with many puzzling situations related to the real possibility that war will soon come to his homeland. He becomes involved in a network that smuggles Jewish refugees from Germany to freedom in Turkey. Spies, possibly for the Allies or Axis, could be lurking all over Salonika and he tries to unmask the true intentions of these sinister characters. The weak-willed Italians attempt an invasion of Greece, but Zannis and his fellow Greeks defeat them. Then Zannis realizes the Germans will come and he must formulate plans as to how he will protect his family as well as fight the Germans. Spies of the Balkans is a great story and Furst creates an atmosphere of suspense and intrigue in Greece and has populated his book with wonderfully human characters who are facing the German onslaught. This book is highly recommended.
-Roy