book reviewed live on bookshow by Brian Lowen 29th Nov 2013
This book gets a
bit of getting used to as every time you pick it up you have to remember that
the cover of the book is upside down and back to front!
The story is set
mainly on Tresco during the Second World War and tells the tale of the secret
trips made by adapted fishing boats from Tresco channel across to Brittany in
France to take out and bring back agents involved in the underground resistance
warfare against the Germans. Tresco was also a base for MTBs (Motor Torpedo
Boats) and MGBs (Motor Gun Boats) which operated from here against the German
EBoats.
The hero of the
story is Richard Tremayne, the commander of one of the boats who is struggling
to get over the loss of his wife who has been killed in one of the bombing
raids on Plymouth. He is helped by a pretty young wren and this provides the
love interest in the story.
There are good
descriptions of the actions that the boats are involved in as they cross the
channel with their secret agents but it all seemed a bit glossy to me and I
found it difficult to gel with the characters.
The boats steer
strange courses through the many rocks of Scilly when to me it would have
seemed to be a lot easier and far less dangerous to go straight out of the
Northern end of Tresco channel rather than weaving a way through the Northern
Rocks. It seems as if the author is determined to show off his knowledge of the
islands of Scilly.
Some parts of the
book are more like a travel brochure as Richard and his
girl friend explore the other islands on their days off. Maybe I am being too
harsh, because I live here, but I found this all rather unnecessary.
A good story
though if you like tales about the war.
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