Today at Celtic Connexions, I’m reviewing Decoy by Christopher C. Tubbs, another new-to-me author.
Blurb
1941 Europe.
The Nazis have taken northern Europe, borders are sealed, until one heavily disguised trawler, a decoy ship, finds a way in.
Tommy Keelson was a smuggler long before MI6 recruited him for the war effort.
Now he commands The Sarah — a German-built trawler refitted with hidden guns and covert equipment. It’s a lethal decoy built to slip through occupied waters and fool the enemy.
From Saint-Nazaire to Honfleur, Tommy’s missions grow deadlier by the week. But his next mission will be his most dangerous yet.
He must rescue a captured MI6 agent who’s trapped deep in occupied France.
Tommy and three Free French commandos slip into Paris, strike the Gestapo’s headquarters and pull her out.
But their escape erupts into a firefight along the Seine — ending in an explosion that sends Tommy overboard, presumed dead.
Now wounded and trapped behind enemy lines, Tommy must fight his way to safety and back to England where Germans forces are closing in on all sides.
Book Links
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/246488183-decoy
Purchase Link: https://geni.us/decoy-review
My Review
I jumped at the chance to read Christopher’s novel, Decoy. First of all, it’s set in a time period that’s important to me. My father fought during WWII but never spoke about his time overseas. I found out long after he passed away that he was able to get leave to go from mainland Europe to his youngest brother’s wedding in Scotland.
Back to the book. Christopher’s style pulled me in immediately. He turned a tragic event into a story without going into too much detail. Yes, there was violence. Some might say it was gratuitous. But, that’s what happens in a war. Young men go off to fight. Some never return. And some of those who do are never the same again.
The swashbuckling story, Tommy operating a Decoy boat to protect the fleet and cause general mayhem to keep the Germans on their toes, was an interesting read.
Actual events were included, as were actual people. That’s what really brought it to life for me.
Even though this is the fourth book in Christopher’s series, it reads quite well as a standalone.
About the author
Christopher C Tubbs, is a SABA 2020 Fiction Book award short listed Author. A dog loving descendent of a long line of Dorset clay miners who has traced his family tree back to the 16th century in the Isle of Purbeck. He left school at 16 to take an apprenticeship in Avionics and has been a public speaker for most of his career and was one of the founders of a successful games company back in the 1990’s.
Now in his sixties he is writing the stories he had going around in his head for many years. Thanks to inspiration from great fiction and fantasy authors he was finally able to put digit to keyboard and start writing the Dorset Boy series. He makes no apologies that he write for himself. The stories emerge as he writes and is often surprised by the twists and turns that they take. His dogs sit by him as he writes and it would be unfair to leave them out so look out for them in The Dorset Boy series. Now living in the Netherlands Antilles on the island of Bonaire with his wife and furry kids.
You can follow Christopher at these links.
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| Website | https://www.thedorsetboy.com |