A Prince and a Spy: The gripping novel from the master of the wartime spy thriller (Tom Wilde Book 5)

Great interesting story steeped in history

I could not put this down ,but the Holocaust descriptions were rightly nauseating. It left a nasty taste in my mouth and I was unsure if I wanted to finish it. But then I realised the strong element of truth had to be faced. The main character Tom Wilde, gets away with too much though. A bucket of salt is needed to appreciate his involvement. It’s well researched and I had not known the full story about this royal, the duke of Kent.Not that we shall know the true facts until suppressed information is allowed out. I usually say these books are an entertaining read, but this one left me doubting my desire to read another by the author......but I probably will.

I’ve read all Rory Clements’s WW2 Tom Wilde novels since discovering Corpus some years ago, and have loved all of them. A Prince and a Spy is no exception. The pleasure of anticipation when opening the book has never resulted in disappointment; quite the reverse.The novel is well-researched as have been all the others, conveying a sense of the times while also being upbeat, not at all gloomy as might be the case. Professor Wilde can be relied upon to get himself in the thick of the action, in England and, this time, in Sweden. The regular characters have become familiar and the new ones equally interesting, Harriet Hartwell in particular. Real life historical figures have been painted convincingly into life.The novel weaves a clever story through and around real events in an ingenious way and leaves slight, tantalising doubts at the end which possibly promise more mayhem to come in future novels.I look forward to the next jaunt into Tom Wilde’s exciting world, and if Mr Clements were to decide to write other novels outside the series set in the same period, I’m sure they’d be equally riveting.

This was my first Rory Clement's novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it and found the narrative fast moving and exciting. The author takes one back to the early 1940's when war is waging and the outcome is still in the balance. His vivid depiction of where the book travels is peripatetic and beautifully described. The story line is multi-layered and intriguing. Apart from the obvious enemy in Nazi Germany, there are other dark forces at work, nearer home, which keeps the reader on their toes, right to the end. As with all spying genre, it leaves some important questions unanswered, which must reflect the wider murky world of intrigue and espionage. All in all, a worthy read.

I have really enjoyed all three of the Rory Clements books I have read so far, and this one was thrilling, with a very convoluted plot and interesting characters, both fictional and real.

Not only a thin plot, and under-developed characters, but also the need for a willing suspension of disbelief. The plot development seemed as though in places it was padded out with 'filler'. Would anybody who is about to discover someone with their throat cut really have time to comment about the sort of building that he was entering?. In places it reminded me of a W.E. Johns plotline where characters are put into almost impossible situations only to escape by a previously unrevealed means. There was an interesting story nestling in the book, but unlikely developments and implausible old boy networks made it difficult to finish. I was only surprised that it ended with a marriage.

After a few chapters I did wonder if the main scenario was pure fiction, but no, there is historic relevance to this book. Yes, the fiction extends way beyond the known facts but somehow remains anchored to reality by them. It's not about guts and glory, Tom's Wilde's character is idiosyncratic, whilst the supporting cast all have their foibles and hidden agendas, and that's a great recipe for a thriller. Rory Clements has the knack of turning largely forgotten events into fast paced page turners and didn't let me down with this one. Tom's consumption of whisky continues to concern me, but I guess things were different back then!

I thought I'd have a rest from my usual diet of Regency romances and go back to Rory Clements. It was the first book involving Prof. Tom Wilde which I read. In fact it was only after I finished the book that I realised this was part of a series. Indeed, all along what did not sit well with me was precisely the character of Tom Wilde. I found it difficult to decide whether he was very clever or in fact inept. Some of his actions - like giving his real name to all and sundry - made one believe he was totally inexperienced, then at other times, he was perceptive and well able to look after himself. A strange mix. There are a few loose ends, not least the fate of the female spy Harriet, but perhaps that leaves the door open to another tome to be published in due course. Not knowing exactly who worked for whom became confusing, particularly as they seemed to be able to discover where everybody was hiding at will. The beginning of the story, taking place in Scotland, was stronger than the rest.I am not sure that the device which involved changing the point of view going from the English spies to the Nazi offices in Germany or Treblinka works very well. Of course, we needed to know about this, but there might have been a better way to inform the reader.So all in all, I only moderately enjoyed this and do not feel interested enough to wait for the next volume with bated breath.

I couldn't finish this book. The central premise is absurd. Britain is infiltrated by a pro-Nazi secret society, the old boys' network of a fictitious public school, who are everywhere, police, civil serice etc. and want peace with Nazi Germany, and they are Really Bad People, who will torture elderly cleryment to death to get what they want, so you ain't safe anywhere, bub.Too many anachronisms, eg the hero, Catholic son of an American father and Irish catholic mother went to Harrow back in the 1920s. With that background he wouldn't have got in the back door, though, if the father had enough money, he might just have got into Ampleforth, where the Catholic English elite sent their sons. But the writer hasn't heard of Ampleforth. And the hero is openly living in sin with a woman (bad enought) and having a child with her (worse) which has no negative career consequences in the 1930s?? Really? Oh, and everyone has telephones, even remote cottages in the North of Scotland...But worst of all was the tone of outraged moral superiority with which he recounts the many crimes of the Nazis in some detail (I skipped a few pages here). Who really needs to read this awful stuff in a thriller that is meant to be light entertainment? And who doesn't already know about it, sixty years after the event?What baffles me is how this book got good press reviews. I can only assume the reviewers, who are busy people, didn't read beyond the first few chapters, which are quite entertaining and draw you in. After that it's all downhill. For myself, I will never read another book by this writer. Sheer drivel.

The best novel of the Tom Wilde’s saga by Rory Clements for me .The misterious death of the Prince of Wales is investigated by the American scholar Tom Wilde. Surprising events emerge behind the Scottish plane crash. A very well researched book. A wonderful Christmas gift and a fenomenal reading for the Christmas season and for any vacation time. If you love reading a thrilling book and delaying the turning off of the bedside table lamp this is the book to have!.I always wanted Rory Clements moving back to his masterful Tom Shakespeare saga but not any more after “ A Prince and a spy”. This book competes well with those of Bernie Gunther from Philip Kerr and with “Blackout”, the last one from Simon Scarrow also based on World War II and the III Reich times..I am anxious to read the next one from Rory Clements on the pipeline: “The man in the bunker”Dr Victor AsensiOviedo, Spain

If you enjoyed the previous titles in the series this will not disappoint. The weaving of the facts into the fiction adds a dimension I enjoy. Wilde survives scrapes few could manage but if you accept that as a given its a good read.

Pre purchased this kindle book and then forgot all about it. Nice surprise when it turned up. Enjoyed the book immensely. The story moved along very nicely, had to force myself to put it down and have a break/sleep. Have read the previous books in this series, this one is the best so far, hope there will be more adventures for Tom Wilde....recommended.

Rory Clemence tries to spin a story close to real events that could have been. He doesn’t quiet get there.