September 1, 2023
In Union Station, a sequel to Downing's "Station" books (one of the publisher's best-selling series), British journalist and former spy John Russell, now in 1950s Los Angeles, suspects he's being followed--but is it because of something in his past or his current research on U.S. businesses that dealt with the Nazis? Prepub Alert.
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December 4, 2023
The sluggish eighth thriller in Downing’s Station series featuring journalist John Russell (after Wedding Station) sees the former spy and his wife, actor Effi Koenen, settling down in McCarthy-era Los Angeles after fleeing Europe with their adopted daughter, Rosa. When the family notices they’re being followed, Russell wonders if the surveillance is connected to the book he’s writing about American companies that worked with the Nazis during the war. Or, perhaps his archnemesis, Laverentiy Beria, has sent Soviet agents to finish him and his family off? Disquieted, Russell and Effi opt to return to Berlin for a film festival where Effi is being honored, only to stumble onto a potential answer to their stateside dilemma: old enemies have not taken kindly to Russell’s latest project, and he must revisit his past as a double agent for the Soviets and the Americans to ensure his family’s safety. Downing interweaves the main plot with the story of Gerhard Ströhm, a member of the East German Central Committee who watches in despair as the post-Stalin Soviet power struggle threatens to destroy his dream of German socialism. The novel’s early sections drag, with little incident or character development to speak of, and though the action picks up considerably in the second half, this installment never quite reaches the level of previous entries. It’s a disappointment.
December 15, 2023
Can a former double agent escape the dark shadow of "the Good War"? The prolific Downing's World War II spy thriller series continues with a complex portrait of 1953 America and Germany. British journalist and former double agent John Russell, now living in Los Angeles with his actress wife, Effi Koenen, and teenage daughter, Rosa, is doing research for a potentially controversial book about American corporate ties to Nazi Germany. Effi has landed a role on the hit sitcom Please, Dad, and Rosa plans to attend art school. Meanwhile, Russell's friend Gerhard Str�hm is in Moscow with other German delegates attending the funeral of Joseph Stalin. The political situation in Europe is arguably even dicier than usual, with the future of the Soviet Union in question and German allegiance unclear. Stateside, the aftermath of the war is on display in racial prejudice and the McCarthy witch hunts. Turmoil disturbs the happy Please, Dad family when cast member Laura Fullagar is investigated for a possible communist past. Closer to home, Russell comes to the slow and unsettling realization that he's being followed. The trip he and Effi take to Germany thickens the plot further. Downing's focus is broad, with passing references to the recently ended Korean War, the Rosenbergs, and the burgeoning L.A. smog problem--potent reminders that many events around the world are interrelated. While grounded in deep research, the story is told through the journeys of a handful of fully fleshed-out characters. A gripping depiction of America at a turning point.
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January 1, 2024
This latest in Downing's brilliant John Russell "Station" series, following Wedding Station. In World War II, John Russell was a double agent in Berlin, spying for the U.S. while deceiving Soviet Russia. Soviet hatchetman Beria captured him and would have killed him but for evidence John threatened to make public. Now it's 1953. John lives in Los Angeles; his wife Effi is on a popular sitcom, but these are the days of HUAC and McCarthyism. She doesn't know how much longer she can hold her tongue against them, but if she speaks, her acting career will be over. John's investigating U.S. firms that did business with the Nazis during the War. They notice they're being followed. Perhaps John has a new enemy, or Beria, with Stalin dead, is having second thoughts about leaving John alive. When Effi is invited to Berlin for a film festival, John is attacked. The complications pile up: an East German friend flees an oppressive regime; a relative of John's is arrested by the Stasi. Eventually, they head back to LA, where John confronts his stalker and Effi faces up to HUAC. VERDICT This twisty le Carr�-like spy novel will please fans of the genre.--David Keymer
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