Sunday, 5 October 2025

Review: The Berlin Agent by Stephen Ronson

The Berlin Agent is book #2 in Stephen Ronson's John Cook series. 

John is working his farm but has also been assigned as a special agent, simply told he will be contacted  when needed.

The Berlin Agent is set in John's hometown of Uckfield in Sussex. The townsfolk are preparing for, what they see as, an imminent German invasion.

Ronson's writing is visually descriptive and his almost poetic prose bring the story to life on the page.
The small country town is riddled with war propaganda, air raids, enemy infiltrations, Nazi sympathisers and covert operations.
The War Ag Dept is reviewing farm outputs and has complete control over every aspect of food production, taking over farms that don't comply.
John is a wonderful protagonist. He cares for the people of his village and feels he needs to help everyone. Protecting his small village whilst also working for his country against the Germans.

The Berlin Agent had more of a political lean than The Last Line which was more of a murder mystery with the war as a backdrop. Although there were a few mysteries at play which kept me engaged with the story.

The Berlin Agent is a work of fiction, however Stephen Ronson states that many aspects of the book are based on fact and I found the whole concept of the plot very believable.

The Berlin Agent is suspense filled, fast-paced and rich in political intrigue.
Highly recommended for any readers who enjoy books on WWII.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Publication date: 7th November 2024
Series: John Cook #2
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 345
Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley

My review of THE LAST LINE

#theberlinagent #stephenronson #netgalley #WWII #bookreview #johncookseries #historicalfiction 

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