The Second Midnight by Andrew Taylor

The Second Midnight

Author: Andrew Taylor

Genre: Historical Fiction

Series: Blaines

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 1/28/2020

From the international bestselling author comes a World War Two tale of one boy’s fight for survival in Nazi Europe A secret mission… 1939. As Europe teeters on the brink of war, Alfred Kendall is tasked with carrying out a minor mission for the British Intelligence Service. Travelling to Prague, he takes his troubled young son, Hugh, as cover. A terrible choice… When Hitler invades Czechoslovakia, Alfred is given an ultimatum by the Czech Resistance.…

The Second Midnight by Andrew Taylor

It’s 1939, and Europe is on the brink of war. When Alfred Kendall takes his son, Hugh, on a Resistance missing to Prague, both of their lives will change forever.

A TRIP TO PRAGUE

With a failing glass business, Alfred Kendall is desperate to stay afloat. When an acquaintance asks his help with a secret mission, Alfred snatches the opportunity to earn a bit of money. The only hang-up is Hugh, his youngest son who was recently expelled from school.

But delivering the confidential message outweighs reason. A father showing his son the ropes of his business is a perfect cover. Because Czechoslovakia is a hub for glassware, authorities don’t think twice when Alfred and Hugh arrive in Prague.

SURVIVAL

Though they make contact with their Prague counterpart, the trip doesn’t go quite as planned. Considered a liability, Hugh is expected to wander the city on his own. However, when Hugh gets kidnapped and war with Germany is declared, the trajectory of everyone’s lives is altered.

The Czech Resistance negotiates the safe return of Alfred to England, but Hugh is left behind. With great courage and perseverance, Hugh eventually escapes his captors. Then taken in by Nazi colonel, Helmuth Scholl and his family. Daughter Magda is attractive and curious, while her younger brother, Heinz, is a rabid ideologue. Through a tenuous friendship with the Scholl kids, Hugh learns to navigate the social minefields of World War II.

THE VERDICT

I am really into this book! The Second Midnight by Andrew Taylor is filled with intrigue and politics, woven cleverly together with the human story of survival. Andrew Taylor deftly joins complex family dynamics with individual career and social aspirations. The quick pace and dramatic story will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. If you liked the drama of Bridge of Spies, you’ll like this work of historical fiction. I’m hoping they’ll make a movie of The Second Midnight because it will be riveting.

Let’s connect with books! We have all of our reviews on Goodreads! Another historical fiction novel I enjoyed recently is Trace of Deceit.

Purchase Links

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About Andrew Taylor

Andrew Taylor is the author of a number of crime novels, including the ground-breaking Roth Trilogy, which was adapted into the acclaimed TV drama Fallen Angel, and the historical crime novels The Ashes of London, The Silent Boy, The Scent of Death and The American Boy, a No.1 Sunday Times bestseller and a 2005 Richard & Judy Book Club Choice.

Andrew has won many awards, including the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger, an Edgar Scroll from the Mystery Writers of America, the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Award (the only author to win it three times) and the CWA’s prestigious Diamond Dagger, awarded for sustained excellence in crime writing. He also writes for the Spectator and The Times.

He lives with his wife Caroline in the Forest of Dean.