Originally published in 1988, Andrew Taylor's The Second Midnight has officially landed once more!



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. They will arrange for him to return to England, but only if he leaves his son Hugh behind as collateral.

A young boy stranded in Nazi terrain…
Hugh is soon taken under the wing of a Nazi colonel – Helmuth Scholl. But even though Scholl treats Hugh well, his son, Heinz, is suspicious of this foreigner. And as the war across the continent intensifies, they are set on a path that will ultimately lead towards destruction…
 

As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher or author in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.

Reissued, with a brand new look, The Second Midnight serves as the beginning to Andrew Taylor's Blaines series. If you love historically based works, this novel is definitely worth checking out if you haven't already. This is a novel richly woven with history, the dangers of war and survival. In short?

The Second Midnight is timeless and beautifully crafted. Readers will easily lose themselves in the pages of Andrew Taylor's prose. And with good reason.

And, in truth, The Second Midnight wasn't wholly what I'd been expecting. As always, this is a good thing. Part of me had expected the novel to primarily center around merely the historical aspects--a novel cloaked only in espionage and war. Yet, it was so much more than that. At its core, the story does tend to center around a variation of these things, but it's not all it is.

Under the surface, there is much to be found. The layers to the story is, ultimately, what made the book so enjoyable for me. War is, of course, amongst the forefront--but The Second Midnight also depends on the dysfunction of families, romance and more. Like all good stories, and, of course, life, The Second Midnight weaves itself through timelines and genres and archetypes.

Unsurprisingly, The Second Midnight is an intense read that spans over a vast timeline. The ground it covers is far and wide, blending together various genres and taking readers on an unforgettable ride. Taylor's writing sparks the intensity further.