The Double Agents

April 30, 2007
Actors David Niven and Peter Ustinov, along with James Bond creator Ian Fleming, all of whom actually served Britain in WWII, help the heroes of Griffin’s Men at War series deceive the Germans in this solid sixth installment (after 2006’s The Saboteurs) from the bestselling author and his son, Butterworth. In 1943, the OSS’s William J. “Wild Bill” Donovan spearheads a disinformation effort to trick the Nazis into believing that the western Allies won’t invade the European continent through Sicily. One of Donovan’s most accomplished operatives, USAAF Maj. Richard Canidy, devises a clever scheme (albeit one familiar to readers of Ewen Montagu’s The Man Who Never Was) to plant phony plans on a corpse, along with love letters drafted by the requisite attractive female spy. Some fans may find the prominent role of the real-life celebrities a distraction, but all will enjoy the suspenseful ride.

June 1, 2007
In a disappointing follow-up to "The Saboteurs", the father-and-son duet of Griffith and Butterworth return to the early days of World War II in the Mediterranean theater. Canidy and his OSS colleagues have returned, and they have but one simple taskto convince the Germans that the next Allied attack from North Africa will not fall on Sicily. They manage this task while tidying up lingering plot threads from "The Saboteurs", i.e., the German threat to use chemical and biological warfare against the Americans. There are lies, deceptions, and treacheries galore as the OSS crew struggles to succeed. However, the plot drags, the characters are shallow, and there are so many characters that it's confusing. Worse, nothing exciting seems to happen. Also, the use of "celebrities" (e.g., David Niven, Ian Fleming, and Peter Ustinov) is distracting and cutesy. Griffin's many fans may like it, but others will wonder why. Recommended for larger collections. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 2/1/07.]Robert Conroy, Warren, MI

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2007
The Men at War series continues with this typically exciting adventure. The plucky, resourceful agents of the Office of Strategic Services face what could be their toughest assignment: to convince Adolf Hitler that the Allied invasion of Europe will not take place at Normandy. This is the second novel Griffin has cowritten with his son, but it retains all of the veteran authors trademarks: well-researched plot; realistic characters, real and fictional; and snappy dialogue. How Griffin manages to turn out so many novels without resorting to by-the-numbers plotting and cutout characters is a mystery, but as long as he keeps delivering the goods, his legions of fans will be content.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)