Andrew Gross is a bestselling author who is making thrillers set in the Second World War his trademark, and The Saboteur is another novel that is set in this territory. It is an action-packed, thrilling novel that will keep you gripped until the final pages. Based on some of the most daring real-life events of WWII, it is the story of Kurt Nordstrum and his mission, along with a team of highly skilled operatives, to sabotage a factory in the inhospitable mountains of Norway to prevent Germany from gaining the upper hand by developing an atomic bomb.
Kurt Nordstrum feels he has nothing to lose in taking on a mission that he has little hope of returning from it alive. His fiancée was murdered by the Germans, and he has been forced to find a new future without her in the Norwegian Army. The mission involves being parachuted into a remote mountain and a heavily guarded factory, and it could change the course of the war. But then he meets another woman, someone he sees a future with – but their mission puts her in danger. What will he choose? His country and his mission? Or his chance of love?
The first part of this book is one hundred percent thrilling action, but the second half of the novel offers an insight into the core of Kurt Nordstrum’s personality, showing a softer, more vulnerable side, before the action ramps up again. It’s a gripping read, especially learning that is based on real-life events. Andrew Gross knows how to structure a page-turning read. The Saboteur is a compelling novel, that will leave you breathless in places. This was a highly satisfying read, made even more fascinating for the author’s notes at the end. I look forward to more books by this exciting novelist, and I hope he continues to write novels set during this period of history as he does such an excellent job with this type of material.
REVIEWER: Karen McKenzie
TITLE: The Sabotuer
AUTHOR(S): Andrew Gross
PUBLISHER: Macmillan
RRP: $34.99