The English Führer
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- Create Date：2023-01-18 00:51:38
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Rory Clements
- ISBN：1804181072
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Summary
Autumn 1945 - Off the east coast of England， a Japanese sub surfaces， unloads its mysterious cargo， then blows itself to pieces。
Former spy Professor Tom Wilde is enjoying peacetime in Cambridge， settling back into teaching and family life。 Until a call from senior MI5 boss Lord Templeman brings him out of retirement。
A nearby village has been locked down by the military， its residents blighted by a deadly illness。 No one is allowed in or out。
There are rumours the Nazi machine is still operational， with links to Unit 731， a notorious Japanese biological warfare research laboratory。 But how could they possibly be plotting on British soil - and why？
What's more， Wilde and Templeman's names are discovered on a Gestapo kill list。 And after a series of assassinations an unthinkable question emerges: could an Englishman be behind the plot？
Former spy Professor Tom Wilde is enjoying peacetime in Cambridge， settling back into teaching and family life。 Until a call from senior MI5 boss Lord Templeman brings him out of retirement。
A nearby village has been locked down by the military， its residents blighted by a deadly illness。 No one is allowed in or out。
There are rumours the Nazi machine is still operational， with links to Unit 731， a notorious Japanese biological warfare research laboratory。 But how could they possibly be plotting on British soil - and why？
What's more， Wilde and Templeman's names are discovered on a Gestapo kill list。 And after a series of assassinations an unthinkable question emerges: could an Englishman be behind the plot？
Reviews
Bob
，
My thanks to Bonnier Audio for an unabridged audio recording of The English Führer。 More ripping yarns from Rory Clements。 This is the seventh in the Tom Wilde series - all thoroughly good reads。 Clements takes real historical events and builds excellent stories around them。 This one takes us beyond the end of the war as Tom Wilde， Cambridge history professor and the secret services battle with enemies who provide as great a threat as Hitler did。 Not great literature， and some of the characters My thanks to Bonnier Audio for an unabridged audio recording of The English Führer。 More ripping yarns from Rory Clements。 This is the seventh in the Tom Wilde series - all thoroughly good reads。 Clements takes real historical events and builds excellent stories around them。 This one takes us beyond the end of the war as Tom Wilde， Cambridge history professor and the secret services battle with enemies who provide as great a threat as Hitler did。 Not great literature， and some of the characters rather two dimensional but Clements does capture the atmosphere of immediate post war Britain - rationing， bomb sites， remaining coastal defences and desperately low living standards。。One point of accuracy in the historical notes: Nancy Astor was not ‘the first female MP’。 She was the first to take her seat -in 1919。 The first elected was Constance Markiewicz the previous year， though as elected for Sinn Fein she did not take her seat。 。。。more
Caroline 'relaxing with Buddy and Simba'
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My goodness， this was my first audio book by this author and I wasn't sure what to expect。 At the beginning I wasn't sure but kept going and then it did get really interesting。 Yes it is part of a series but it didn't really matter that I hadn't read/listened to the previous ones。 However I am now invested in the characters and cant wait to see what happens next。 I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own。 My goodness， this was my first audio book by this author and I wasn't sure what to expect。 At the beginning I wasn't sure but kept going and then it did get really interesting。 Yes it is part of a series but it didn't really matter that I hadn't read/listened to the previous ones。 However I am now invested in the characters and cant wait to see what happens next。 I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own。 。。。more
therealandrewrobbreads
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Thank you to @bonnierbooks_uk @zaffrebooks and @netgalley for this ARC。This is the first #roryclements book I’ve read and it definitely won’t be the last。 The English Führer is a gripping piece of historical fiction which continues the work of protagonist Professor Tom Wilde - it can be read as a standalone novel within the series of books。 Highly recommended。
Kenna
，
I didn’t realise that The English Fuhrer is the seventh instalment of Rory Clements’s Tom Wilde series of books。 I hadn’t read the previous books but I don’t think it’s a barrier as this book stands alone。 I thoroughly enjoyed this spy thriller which sees former spy， Professor Tom Wilde， drawn back into the world of espionage immediately after the end of World War II。 I enjoyed the references to the state of England post-war with rationing and food shortages， cities still being in a state of rub I didn’t realise that The English Fuhrer is the seventh instalment of Rory Clements’s Tom Wilde series of books。 I hadn’t read the previous books but I don’t think it’s a barrier as this book stands alone。 I thoroughly enjoyed this spy thriller which sees former spy， Professor Tom Wilde， drawn back into the world of espionage immediately after the end of World War II。 I enjoyed the references to the state of England post-war with rationing and food shortages， cities still being in a state of rubble， changes to society brought in with the new Labour government。 Dark forces are at play resuscitating fascism in England。 Wilde discovers that he and his wife are on a Gestapo ‘kill list’ and are in imminent danger。 Adding to the drama， a village close to Wilde’s home appears to be struck with a mysterious virus and is locked down by the military。 It’s a rollercoaster ride involving Fascists， Germans， Russians， Japanese， Prisoners of War and spies。 This audiobook is brilliantly narrated by Adam Sims。 A couple of times I found myself double-checking to see just how many actors were narrating this book。 Sims has such an amazing range and really brought the book to life with all diverse range of accents covering Russian， American and UK regional and class accents and also interchanging between male and female characters。 Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Bonnier UK Audio， Zaffre for making this audio-ARC available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review。 I will definitely go on and read/listen to other books/audiobooks written by Rory Clements having listened to this book。 。。。more
Jo-anne Atkinson
，
1945 and that War is over， for Tom Wilde a return to Cambridge academia but regrets that his wartime unit the OSS has been disbanded。 However Tom is called by his old boss at MI5 Lord Templeman and asked to keep an eye on a Cambridge fellow who has links to the British Fascist Movement。 Meanwhile a deadly cargo has been landed on the Norfolk Coast and plans are afoot to cause chaos as Britain tries to recover。I love Clements books and this is no exception。 The plot is clever and twisty with lots 1945 and that War is over， for Tom Wilde a return to Cambridge academia but regrets that his wartime unit the OSS has been disbanded。 However Tom is called by his old boss at MI5 Lord Templeman and asked to keep an eye on a Cambridge fellow who has links to the British Fascist Movement。 Meanwhile a deadly cargo has been landed on the Norfolk Coast and plans are afoot to cause chaos as Britain tries to recover。I love Clements books and this is no exception。 The plot is clever and twisty with lots of blind alleys and changing politics， it sheds light on the complexities of post-War politics and the murkier side of reconstruction。 I also really liked the focus on the roles of women - from the wives with their varying duties， the ambitions of some and the political power of others - there was a real insight into the difficulties of the women who had been left behind but who gained some forms of independence without men。 An impressive book on many levels 。。。more
Ed
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A really enjoyable book ， a great plot and a good cast of characters 。 Like all the books in the series there is elements of fact in the story and some of the people 。 To me they remind me of John Buchan Richard Hannay ， just a shame it’s another year for a new one 。
Vivienne
，
My thanks to Bonnier Books U。K。 Zaffre for an eARC and to Bonnier U。K。 Audio for a review copy of the unabridged audiobook edition， both via NetGalley， of ‘The English Führer’ by Rory Clements。 The audiobook is narrated by Adam Sims。 This is the seventh in Clements series of historical espionage thrillers set in 1940s Europe featuring Cambridge history professor turned spy， Tom Wilde。 As always， Clements provides background for readers new to the series， so that it can be read as a standalone。 E My thanks to Bonnier Books U。K。 Zaffre for an eARC and to Bonnier U。K。 Audio for a review copy of the unabridged audiobook edition， both via NetGalley， of ‘The English Führer’ by Rory Clements。 The audiobook is narrated by Adam Sims。 This is the seventh in Clements series of historical espionage thrillers set in 1940s Europe featuring Cambridge history professor turned spy， Tom Wilde。 As always， Clements provides background for readers new to the series， so that it can be read as a standalone。 Early October 1945。 Off the east coast of England， a Japanese submarine surfaces close to a deserted beach。 Its mysterious cargo is unloaded and then afterwards it is blown up by its crew and all disappear into the depths of the North Sea。 Quite a dramatic opening！In Cambridge former spy Professor Tom Wilde is settling back into teaching and family life。 Then he receives a call from senior MI5 boss Lord Templeman， who advises that a nearby village has been locked down by the military as its residents have been blighted by a deadly illness。 There are rumours of German involvement with links to Unit 731， a notorious Japanese biological warfare research laboratory。 What might they be plotting on British soil？ In addition， Templeton advises Tom that a Gestapo kill list of 250 names has recently come to light， containing not only his own name but that of Tom and his wife， Lydia。 One person on the list has already been murdered and another is missing。 These crises bring Tom out of retirement in order to assist in tracking down those responsible and to ensure that his family as well as his country remains safe。 Meanwhile， Lydia Wilde seeks to realise her dream of becoming a doctor despite the obstacles placed by society。 No further details to avoid spoilers。Rory Clements again demonstrates great skill in integrating historical events and figures into his narrative。 While in ‘The English Führer’ the war is officially over it is clear that there are still those in British society who remain sympathetic to the fascist cause。 The pacing is a bit more measured here than in those books in the series when Tom was in a wartime setting。 Yet conversations in drawing room soirées， country houses， pubs and the like bring their own dynamics as well as more subtle dangers。I felt that Clements did well in portraying postwar Britain including the collective sense of loss and the need to rebuild a shattered economy。 Such details of everyday life enrich the narrative beyond the drama of its main plot。 With respect to the audiobook edition， actor Adam Sims has been the narrator for all of the books to date in the Tom Wilde series as well as many other titles across a variety of genres。 He has a pleasant husky voice that held my attention throughout and brought life to the novel’s various characters。Overall， I enjoyed ‘The English Führer’ very much and am so pleased that Rory Clements has continued with this series as the postwar years and the beginnings of the Cold War is such a rich period of history as a setting for spy fiction。 。。。more
Gill
，
Superb thriller， verry exciting - The Second World War is over and just as Tom Wilde， Professor of History is returning to his pre-war career at Cambridge University， the Intelligence world comes back to him for help。 It's not the 'peace' Tom imagined。 Many British Fascist and Nazi sympathisers have been released from internment at the close of the war， and Oswald Mosley is still around （I had no idea what became of him after the 1930s）。An outbreak of a deadly disease is confined and quarantined Superb thriller， verry exciting - The Second World War is over and just as Tom Wilde， Professor of History is returning to his pre-war career at Cambridge University， the Intelligence world comes back to him for help。 It's not the 'peace' Tom imagined。 Many British Fascist and Nazi sympathisers have been released from internment at the close of the war， and Oswald Mosley is still around （I had no idea what became of him after the 1930s）。An outbreak of a deadly disease is confined and quarantined by the secret services and authorities to a village in Suffolk - Tom learns of this when his wife tried to contact an old friend there， and is unable to。 There are some horrifying historical facts in this book （immediately Googled by myself， in disbelief - Japanese Unit 731 being the most memorable one）。 Biological warfare， threats， murders， plots and double dealings abound。 Alongside this， we follow Tom's family story of Lydia， trying to train as a Doctor （covering up that she is a married woman）， and their young son。 Everyone's in danger， everyone's under suspicion。 Unputdownable; loved it！ 。。。more
Beata
，
Set well into the realities just when WW2 was over， the book probes an interesting question concerning the power behind the Nazi followers or symapthizers at the beginning of the post-war period in Britain。The audiobook kept my attention mainly due to the portrayal of life in Britian in 1945， however， some fragments or character motivation I found either too naive or implausible。 This is an easy listen， with truly good interpretation by Mr Sim but I expected a much better executed idea behind th Set well into the realities just when WW2 was over， the book probes an interesting question concerning the power behind the Nazi followers or symapthizers at the beginning of the post-war period in Britain。The audiobook kept my attention mainly due to the portrayal of life in Britian in 1945， however， some fragments or character motivation I found either too naive or implausible。 This is an easy listen， with truly good interpretation by Mr Sim but I expected a much better executed idea behind this book。 Overall， a book that was fun to listen to but I am afraid it will not stay with me long。*Many thanks to Rory Clements， Bonnier UK Audio， and NetGalley for a free audiobook in exchange for my honest review。* 。。。more
Peter Fleming
，
Tom has barely resumed with academic life before he is drawn into more intrigue。 There is an outbreak of plague in a coastal village which effects one of his wife Lydia’s friends。 When Tom tries to make contact， the area is in lockdown and he is arrested。 Lord Templeton manages to intervene and enlists his help in investigating what is going on。 He also imparts some disturbing news。 The Nazi’s ‘black book’ of people to be arrested if there was a successful invasion of the British Isles was well Tom has barely resumed with academic life before he is drawn into more intrigue。 There is an outbreak of plague in a coastal village which effects one of his wife Lydia’s friends。 When Tom tries to make contact， the area is in lockdown and he is arrested。 Lord Templeton manages to intervene and enlists his help in investigating what is going on。 He also imparts some disturbing news。 The Nazi’s ‘black book’ of people to be arrested if there was a successful invasion of the British Isles was well known but there has been discovered an addendum list of people to be killed which Tom and Lydia are on。 This would not be significant except that some on the list have already been murdered using phenol。 Tom’s wife Lydia is getting bored of a life of domesticity in the shadows and wants to make her mark in society， she dreams of being a doctor， a profession she would be well suited to。 Few women were then accepted into the profession and there are two obstacles， she is married and a mother。 Tom’s wartime deceptions appear to be rubbing off on her as she applies for a position in her maiden name。 She’s accepted and their domestic life is thrown upside down as she must start immediately。 Luckily， she has found a young widow with a daughter to act as housekeeper and look after Tom and her son。 This comes as a big surprise to her long-term cleaner and is the cause of some friction。 Is the housekeeper all she all she appears to be， or does she harbour secrets of her own？The plot is a little outlandish but based on enough historical fact to remain plausible and is one that should please fans of conspiracy theories and what if scenarios。 The ‘black book’ certainly existed， Unit 731 was real， and I suspect that we will never get the full truth on what happened to all the German and Japanese experimenters at the end of the war。 Certainly， chemical， and biological weapons remain a chilling threat to this day。Home grown fascism is central to the plot and seems to be quite vogue in current wartime thrillers。 It is a subject that has been somewhat played down in the past and well deserves to be exposed the bleaching effect of sunlight。 Perhaps it’s the result of the last few years with Brexit and immigration controls that are providing the inspiration for a reassessment within literature？The storytelling style remains that of the old school thriller， pacey with full on action， plenty of jeopardy and quite a few murders but never gratuitous or graphic。 As someone who loved the books of Alistair Maclean and his ilk in my youth it’s great to see the tradition continued。 The reader’s attention is grabbed at the start and from then on it is thoroughly absorbing。 The pacing may well be quick and the action relentless at times but there is also great characters and snapshots of life to fill out the storyline。 So we see that the war has ended but rationing is still a major headache for ordinary people， consuming their day unless they can afford the black market。 Tom even has to beg for petrol in order to carry his pursuit down to London。Tom Wilde remains an unlikely hero， but the series works because he is kept believable， he’s boxed a bit but doesn’t win fist fights against ludicrous odds， he’s intelligent and analytical but even he can be taken in and confused as he is here。 No superhero but typical of many who were thrust into extreme circumstances by war， somehow finding the fortitude to survive and display extraordinary bravery in the face of death。The other main characters are well portrayed。 Wife Lydia is much more to the fore in this one as her determination sees her getting a place at medical school and her exploits along with roommate Miranda add a nice diversion and another thread to face imminent danger。 The narration is perfect for the style of novel and Mr Sims demonstrates a broad range of voices and accents。The English Führer is another wonderful action packed addition to the Tom Wilde series of intelligent wartime espionage thrillers。 The war may be over but I think there’ll be a few more scrapes to come， I certainly hope so。Audio review copy from NetGalley， thanks to them the publisher and author 。。。more
Cathy
，
From the moment I read Corpus back in 2017， I knew I was going to love the Tom Wilde series and to my mind it just keeps getting better and better。The conclusion of the previous book， The Man in the Bunker， saw Wilde involved in the defection of a Soviet intelligence officer and he harbours lingering doubts about the whole affair。 Something just doesn’t seem quite right about it。 He even begins to doubt those he has previously trusted。The plot is way too involved to describe without giving spoil From the moment I read Corpus back in 2017， I knew I was going to love the Tom Wilde series and to my mind it just keeps getting better and better。The conclusion of the previous book， The Man in the Bunker， saw Wilde involved in the defection of a Soviet intelligence officer and he harbours lingering doubts about the whole affair。 Something just doesn’t seem quite right about it。 He even begins to doubt those he has previously trusted。The plot is way too involved to describe without giving spoilers but it includes biological warfare， far right extremism and the impact of the changes in the world order following the end of the Second World War。 Your enemy’s enemy may not always remain your friend。 We get a picture of a Britain struggling to reconstruct itself， not just physically – ‘The rubble was still there， the bombed houses had not been rebuilt and water mains went unfixed’ – but politically and psychologically。 ‘The rage on all sides of those whose loved ones were killed by bombs， bullet， fire， water and gas didn’t just vanish like smoke because peace treaties were signed。’As Rory Clements observes in his afterword to the book， ‘It is a world exhausted by war， desperate for peace – and extremely vulnerable because few have any appetite for further conflict’。 This is the foundation upon which the author builds the compelling story at the heart of the book。 It involves some extremely nasty goings-on， sadly based on fact。I was particularly pleased to see Tom’s wife， Lydia， playing a prominent part in the story。 She’s a woman trying to balance the responsibilities of motherhood with her ambition to become a doctor as well as battling to overcome the obstacles still in place for women wishing to pursue a career， in particular married women。Wilde’s investigations involve him in breathless escapes across country in order to escape the agents of a foreign power as well as finding himself accused of murder。 The adjective that immediately sprang to mind was ‘Buchanesque’。 （Regular followers of my blog will know I’m a fan of the works of John Buchan。） So I was thrilled when， at one point in the book， the hapless Detective Inspector Shirley， rebukes Wilde， ‘This is a murder enquiry， not The Thirty-Nine Steps’。The author keeps the action coming and the tension high until the very last page。 If you’re a fan of historical thrillers that combine espionage with adventure then they don’t come better than this。 。。。more
Teresa Cornelius
，
The English Fuhrer by Rory ClementsI have read and thoroughly enjoyed the adventures of Professor Tom Wilde。 He is a fascinating and intrepid character and now that the war is at an end he had expected to be allowed to return to his role of Cambridge Don。 But life is never that simple and there are some very unusual goings on nearby to be investigated。 Firstly a nearby village is shut off from the outside world by what appears to be a terrible illness。 Could this be evil forces at work？ Lydia To The English Fuhrer by Rory ClementsI have read and thoroughly enjoyed the adventures of Professor Tom Wilde。 He is a fascinating and intrepid character and now that the war is at an end he had expected to be allowed to return to his role of Cambridge Don。 But life is never that simple and there are some very unusual goings on nearby to be investigated。 Firstly a nearby village is shut off from the outside world by what appears to be a terrible illness。 Could this be evil forces at work？ Lydia Tom’s wife is desperate to train to be a doctor and as she pursues this her son is left in the care of a woman who appears to have secrets。 Then there is the sighting of a strange submarine off the English coast。 The war may be over but there are malign forces who still wish harm upon Tom and his wife。 The story author has conducted a great deal of research into his story and it is peopled with real characters interwoven with those who are fictionalised。 As always with a Rory Clements book I raced through it and could not wait to find out what was going on。 It is definitely a gripping and exciting read which I really enjoyed。 I will be recommending it at my various book groups。 Many thanks to the author， the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read it in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Tracy
，
Another excellent book in the Tom Wolfe series and unlike the last book， there is no having to disbelieve things to enjoy the book。 Even though it is the next book in the series， you can very much read this book as a standalone。 Great characters old and new and a very enjoyable storyline that has you hooked right from the off！ Highly recommended。
Anne O'Connell
，
I was surprised to see it’s the best part of a year since I read the last book by Rory Clements。 I think it’s a mark of good writing and characterisation that I found it so easy to reacquaint myself with 1940s Cambridge and Tom Wilde。 He’s intelligent but fallible; much more fun than an invincible hero who’s always a step ahead。 I really like Clements’ portrait of Cambridgeshire; I could almost feel the fog coming in off the coast and the damp of the fens。I’m pleased that Wilde’s story has carri I was surprised to see it’s the best part of a year since I read the last book by Rory Clements。 I think it’s a mark of good writing and characterisation that I found it so easy to reacquaint myself with 1940s Cambridge and Tom Wilde。 He’s intelligent but fallible; much more fun than an invincible hero who’s always a step ahead。 I really like Clements’ portrait of Cambridgeshire; I could almost feel the fog coming in off the coast and the damp of the fens。I’m pleased that Wilde’s story has carried on beyond the summer of 1945。 I find this a fascinating period and one ripe for fiction。 The war may have been over but not its fallout: there were still shortages affecting almost everyone; tensions didn’t just evaporate so people were suspicious of unfamiliar faces。 It seems inevitable that there were people on the losing side whose beliefs did not change and that some of them started （or continued） planning their next steps once the fighting had ceased。 Here， the players are in plain sight but nearly everyone has something to hide and there are plenty of red herrings。 We also get a glimpse of the Cambridge-based Russian spies who would be uncovered in the years to follow。There have already been some ‘pandemic novels’ and I’m sure there will be many more。 Clements gives the merest nod to the pandemic here by having a biological weapon brought to England in the autumn of 1945。 The actions taken to contain the threat are all too familiar to us now yet don’t feel anachronistic。 I had nearly finished reading when I was sent a link to the audiobook; I might give it a try while I wait for another welcome return to Wilde and Cambridge。I received a free proof copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Jewels
，
As usual in my reviews， I will not simply rehash the publisher's blurb。。。instead I recommend that you read this for yourself！I've read most of the previous "Tom Wilde" novels， and have enjoyed them all， so I was delighted to be invited to read this latest book。 I was not disappointed。。。It was good to revisit characters we've met before and find out more about them， and there was an excellent cast of new characters to add to the mix - including some excellent "baddies"。 The plot was well thought As usual in my reviews， I will not simply rehash the publisher's blurb。。。instead I recommend that you read this for yourself！I've read most of the previous "Tom Wilde" novels， and have enjoyed them all， so I was delighted to be invited to read this latest book。 I was not disappointed。。。It was good to revisit characters we've met before and find out more about them， and there was an excellent cast of new characters to add to the mix - including some excellent "baddies"。 The plot was well thought out， with several threads on the go， a red herring or two to keep up the intrigue and suspense。Really enjoyed reading this， and look forward to more in this series。My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC。 All opinions my own。 。。。more
Julie Friar
，
Tom Wilde returned to University life at the end of WWII。 His peace was to be disrupted in a terrible way and his life together with his wife’s are in danger。Fast paced novel considering who may wish to harm us post war。 Dangerous men and dangerous pathogens are at large。Read and hope peace can return。
Sharyn
，
Another five star read in Rory Clements's Tom Wilde series。 The war is over and everything is calming down and sorting itself out。 Or is it？ This is a great story with a totally believable plot and featuring some real life characters who were totally despicable。 Wilde by name and what a wild ride we get taken on。 Loved it and highly recommended。 With thanks to the publishers， the author and NetGalley for an early copy to read and review。 Another five star read in Rory Clements's Tom Wilde series。 The war is over and everything is calming down and sorting itself out。 Or is it？ This is a great story with a totally believable plot and featuring some real life characters who were totally despicable。 Wilde by name and what a wild ride we get taken on。 Loved it and highly recommended。 With thanks to the publishers， the author and NetGalley for an early copy to read and review。 。。。more
Greville Waterman
，
Yet another well written and researched and cleverly plotted Tom Wilde spy thriller。 This time featuring Chemical warfare， murder and subterfuge。 With the war ended one would have thought this would be the end of a thrilling series but hopefully there will be more to come from Tom and Lydia even though some leading’ characters came to a sticky end in this excellent book。
Annette
，
I have avidly followed the adventures of Professor Tom Wilde， Cambridge Don and spy extraordinaire but now that World War 2 is over he has settled back into life as a Cambridge lecturer。 His wife Lydia has decided to retrain as a Doctor in London and employs a housekeeper to take care of Tom and young Johnny in Cambridge whilst she is in London studying。 It becomes apparent that the housekeeper definitely has something to hide but the reader does not know what- has Lydia invited a viper into the I have avidly followed the adventures of Professor Tom Wilde， Cambridge Don and spy extraordinaire but now that World War 2 is over he has settled back into life as a Cambridge lecturer。 His wife Lydia has decided to retrain as a Doctor in London and employs a housekeeper to take care of Tom and young Johnny in Cambridge whilst she is in London studying。 It becomes apparent that the housekeeper definitely has something to hide but the reader does not know what- has Lydia invited a viper into their home？There is also a strange illness in a local village and a friend of Lydia is struck down。 Tom starts to look into this and finds that some very peculiar things are happening。 Trouble seems to follow Tom around and he is then asked by an old colleague in intelligence to investigate， an acquaintance called Catesby who seems to be involved in a fascist plot and definitely has something to hide。 Tom attends a shooting weekend at his mansion and discovers that Catesby is up to his neck in something unsavoury and mixing with some very nasty people。 Can the disease and Catesby’s actions be connected？When Tom subsequently finds out that both his and Lydia’s names are in a black book， earmarked for assassination by the Nazis when they regain power and that some others listed are already dead， he has to speed up his enquiries。Meanwhile his new housekeeper seems to have secrets of her own and is behaving in a suspicious way。I really enjoyed the fast paced plot in this book which is set in the year immediately after the end of hostilities。 Everyone is hoping to live peacefully but there are still threats in the form of right wing elements including Oswald Moseley and his followers。 I felt sorry for Tom having to cope alone whilst Lydia is away and I wondered if she would come to regret her decision to live apart from her husband and child， rather a selfish decision in my view。The story has been well researched and is full of many characters， some who actually existed and some who have been invented。 These are so well interwoven into the plot that it is difficult to work out who is actually a real historical figure！As always with all this author’s books， I raced through it， most of the time sitting on the edge of my seat。 Definitely an enjoyable and exciting read which I thoroughly enjoyed。 Recommended！Thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books Uk for my arc。 。。。more
Nicki
，
Loved it！ Full review to follow！
Martin Paul
，
Another wild adventure with academic Tom Wilde。It's Autumn 1945， the war is over and former spy， Professor Tom Wilde， has finally been permitted to return to teaching in Cambridge and enjoy family life。 Well， that is， until his wife is unable to visit a sick friend in a neighbouring village。 Wilde cannot resist the mystery and ventures out on his trusty motorcycle to investigate。 When he learns that the village has been locked down by the military amidst rumours of a virus outbreak， he knows som Another wild adventure with academic Tom Wilde。It's Autumn 1945， the war is over and former spy， Professor Tom Wilde， has finally been permitted to return to teaching in Cambridge and enjoy family life。 Well， that is， until his wife is unable to visit a sick friend in a neighbouring village。 Wilde cannot resist the mystery and ventures out on his trusty motorcycle to investigate。 When he learns that the village has been locked down by the military amidst rumours of a virus outbreak， he knows something is up in Blighty。With that we launch into another fast-moving thriller involving Japanese submarines， Nazi agents and the notorious Japanese biological warfare research laboratory。 Unit 731。 Of course， Tom is soon back in the saddle， working with MI5 boss Lord Templeman， and his colleagues in MI6， the defunct SOE and others。There's lots going on elsewhere too， with Tom's wife finally being accepted into medical school， albeit in London， causing some marital disharmony。 Tom and she are also revealed to be on a Nazi Black Book kill list， one being completed by diehard Nazi agents。 There's also some nice commentary on President Truman's decision to shut down US intelligence services following the end of WW2。 Add in a mysterious housekeeper and an over-zealous college undergraduate and we've got all the ingredients of a first-class thriller。More than ever， Clements is channelling his inner Ken Follet / Jack Higgins here， to superb effect。 The story moves along at a brisk pace， unfolding nicely， with enough action and thrills to satisfy fans of the genre。 Personally， I found the previous book， "The Man in the Bunker" slightly plodding， but this is a return to form。 Clements has scored again， and this latest book will appeal to long-time fans as well as those of Luke McCallin and David Downing。 I was glad to receive a NetGalley review e-book but will be rushing out to grab a proper copy when it's published。 Thoroughly recommended。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The English Führer
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The English Führer&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The English Führer&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0