A young British nurse experiences the devastating Spanish Civil War and the dark side of the espionage game in this gripping World War Two thriller from Graham Hurley.
1936. Anglo-Breton translator Annie Wrenne is working in Madrid when the Spanish Civil War breaks out. Annie becomes a nurse on the front line, but after falling in love with a patient, she ends up pregnant – and abandoned – by a man she thought she knew.
Annie passes the rest of the war in a haze, her only consolation her relationship with mysterious Republican fighter Carlos Ortega. Annie finds herself caught up in Ortega's world, a web of intrigue, which leads to her recruitment into MI5.
On her first mission, Annie must pose as Ortega's wife and head to Algeciras. Hitler's Operation Felix – his plan to control the Mediterranean and force Churchill to the negotiating table – has been set into motion, and the 'couple' must help prevent the Nazis from seizing Gibraltar.
But Ortega has secretly been working for the Nationalists, part of Madrid's Fifth Column. If it falls to Annie – and Ortega – to save the day for the Allied cause, can she trust a man who has changed sides yet again?
From award-winning author Graham Hurley, the latest thrilling instalment in the Spoils of War Collection, a non-chronological series of novels set during World War II and featuring some of the most momentous stories and figures of the era.
I'm delighted to be sharing my review of Dead Ground by Graham Hurley today. Many thanks to Head of Zeus and Poppy Delingpole from Ransom PR for inviting me and for sending me a copy of the novel.
Dead Ground is the ninth book in Graham Hurley's reliably excellent Spoils of War series. Although some characters may occasionally recur, each novel is a stand-alone and with the series being non-chronological, they can be read in any order. This time the action takes place in Spain but while the early part of the book portrays a country undergoing dramatic changes thanks to the Spanish Civil War, it's really its proximity to Gibraltar, a key Nazi target which is often the focus here.
The novel is separated into three parts; Book One opens in Germany in 1936 but the setting quickly moves to Spain. The war between Franco's Nationalists and the Republicans is ongoing but Franco has the upper hand and after some key victories, is the official Head of State. However, to finally seize Madrid and bring the war to an end, Franco will need help and Admiral Canaris, head of the Abwehr, the Reich's biggest intelligence organisation is in Spain to negotiate a deal which will benefit both countries. One of the highlights of this series is the inclusion of real-life figures and Canaris is somebody who has long interested me. Knowing his ultimate fate adds a fascinating angle to proceedings here and as the novel progresses, this complex man who loved Germany but hated Hitler plays an important role in proceedings.
Book One also introduces Annie Wrenne, a young nurse who fell in love with Spanish painters, and Goya in particular while studying for her modern languages degree. She has been in the country for a couple of years, working as a translator but is now working as a nurse. She arrives at the Villa Paz, south of Madrid in February 1937 and is immediately set to work as the surgeon operates on the victims of a city under bombardment. Annie is a practical, efficient woman who gamely accepts the grim tasks assigned to her, However, there's also a more romantic side to her and she quickly develops feelings for one of her patients. She is her own harshest critic when she discovers he isn't the man she believed him to be but in spite of her naivety, her compassion ensures readers become invested in her story. It's perhaps ironic, then, that her kindness to a terribly disfigured beggar should eventually lead her away from nursing and into a new, even more dangerous life.
Book Two sees her rescued from near certain death by the beggar – nicknamed El Diablo by the local kids but in truth, Carlos Ortega, a Republican fighter and a deadly sniper who works for the highest bidder. The relationship which develops between the two isn't romantic but it is intriguing, particularly after Ortega introduces her to Tam Moncrieff, who immediately recruits her to MI5. Readers are also reminded about both the diminishing standards of life in Spain and the strategic and symbolic importance of Gibraltar. The sense of time and place is superb throughout, from the descriptions of the Rock with its defensive advantages and drawbacks to the poignant desperation of a hungry young man who risks a vicious beating for a meagre haul.
The longest part of Dead Ground, Book Three, examines the complex, strangely connected world of spies on both sides. Their interconnected aims draw Canaris, his trusted officer, Zimmerman, Moncrieff, Annie and Ortega together. However, these are dangerous times and despite their plotting, they remain enemies, with Ortega's loyalties never obvious. Trust is a key theme explored throughout the novel and it's Annie who is perhaps tested the most. She experiences some terrifying encounters but in spite of this, retains her principles and her anger at times is especially impressive. Having already met her as a more experienced, confident woman in The Blood of Others, I enjoyed seeing her develop here.
I was engrossed throughout Dead Ground and highly recommend this gripping, intricately plotted historical thriller.
Dead Ground is published by Aries, an imprint of Head of Zeus. It can be purchased here or from bookshop.org, Hive, Waterstones, Kobo, Amazon or your favourite independent bookshop.
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About the Author
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Graham Hurley is a documentary maker and a novelist. For the last two decades he's written full-time, penning nearly fifty books. Two made the short list for the Theakston's Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year, while Finisterre – the first in the Spoils of War collection – was shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Award. Graham lives in East Devon with his lovely wife, Lin.
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