If you are looking for a book that keeps you anxious from start to finish, this is it. Mission to Paris is an action filled novel that tells the story of Fredric Stahl, a movie star turned spy. The novel was released in June 2012, and is now available everywhere.

Between the author’s knowledge of history, Paris, and spy criteria in a way that creates a complex story line that keeps the reader guessing throughout. The voice he uses allows for a very honest and straightforward tone that creates a true image of what it is like to be living alongside the characters throughout their missions. Since there is so much going on throughout the plot, the constant and reliable voice throughout is a must, and done wonderfully.

Alan Furst is widely known for his spy novels, which have been translated into well over a dozen languages. His followers do not have to wait any longer for this highly anticipated addition to his Night Soldiers novels. Furst has been continuously writing novels since the 1970’s, and has found an amazing way to depict spy novels.

Mission to Paris takes you through Paris in the late 1930’s, in a unique view that shows how chaotic the time was in Europe. The narration allows you to see multiple characters and their positions at all times, yet keeps the reader guessing until the end. The time period was a very hectic and overbearing time when Hitler and the Nazis were trying to take control. The story shows the history of Paris at this time, as well as the additional story Furst has placed in it of Stahl’s life as a spy and the influential and dangerous characters that he gets involved with.

The irony of the novel is the component of the film Fredric Stahl is staring in. The movie he is acting in is about the aftermath of war, while Paris is getting ready for war. All that can be said is the movie turns out to be a bit different than what Stahl signed for.

This is not a book to skim over in any way; you will want to take the time to read it thoroughly. As you are reading, you will not want to miss the great details that create a very intense spy plot. There is so much going on, and each line demands its own importance.

Furst’s book allows the reader to engage in romance, suspense, confusion, false identities, and adventure. Yet, Paris is ultimately what keeps all these aspects together as its own main character throughout. Even the subtle use of the French language throughout the novel allows the reader to feel as if they are truly there taking on the challenge. In addition to Furst’s great life exposure seeping through the novel, Furst knows how to use the historical context in a way that allows the reader to grasp the true intensity of the novel.

Image Courtesy of   Tulsa City-County Library

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About the author

Marci Swank
I am from a small town in Iowa, and now live in a slightly larger Iowan city where I am finishing my B.A. in English with minors in Professional Writing and Interactive Digital Studies, with an emphasis in Digital Writing & Business. I love to travel, read, write, and talk; the ways I absorb as much creativity and knowledge as I possibly can.