The Partisan: The explosive debut thriller for fans of Robert Harris and Charles Cumming

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I thought the way the multiple threads and timelines were handled and drawn together was impressively handled by a first time author. Although it does require a little patience and concentration to follow all the threads until they come together, it is well worth the effort. The main characters are fascinating and well depicted, particularly Vassily, Greta and the hideous Karpov. I would have liked to have got to know Michael and Julia a little better as well as their parents to have a better feel for everyone’s motives and driving forces, but there is so much in the novel already that it would have been difficult to fit in much more character development. Overall, it is an exciting historical thriller which will delight fans of Russian history and Cold War spycraft, particularly while Russia is once again flexing it’s expansionist muscles with its war in Ukraine. This book was a completely unexpected find at the bookstore window shelf in Durham. The last copy in that store. Dr. Zhivago meets James Bond in [this] ambitious debut. . . . Fans of intricate Cold War–era spy thrillers will be enthralled.”— Publishers Weekly , Starred Review

Two young prodigies from either side of the Iron Curtain, Yulia and Michael, meet at a chess tournament in London. They don't know it, but they are about to compete in the deadliest game ever played. Even a grandmaster can only think so many moves ahead. A machine sees all the way through to the end. All the different possibilities.’Worrall slaagt er voortreffelijk in om de drie plots te verweven tot een ingenieus spionageverhaal. Hij springt tussen verschillende tijdzones en personages. Door stukje bij beetje prijs te geven van het verleden van elk personage begrijp je dat oorlog zo verschillend kan impacteren. True, there were some good female characters who played pivotal roles without taking over everything as sometimes happens when people misinterpret what a 'strong' female character is, but a lot of the rest wasn't fantastic. Greta, the Partisan of the title, is a merciless killer who learnt her trade in the forests of Lithuania during the Second World War. She is on a mission to avenge the atrocities carried out during and after the war, hunting down Nazi and Soviet war criminals, and a British traitor. Her search is deeply personal in nature and it is her need for revenge that is at the heart of the narrative. De flaptekst ( die ik normaal nooit lees) deed me uitkijken naar een spannend verhaal. Het liefdesverhaal van Yulia en Michael, twee tieners elk aan een andere zijde van het IJzeren Gordijn, die elkaar leren kennen via een schaaktornooi in Londen. Vasili, de grootste spion van de Sovjet-Unie blijkt één van hun trouwe bondgenoten, maar dat blijkt Greta een verzetstrijdster, die jaagt op heel wat gevaarlijke mannen, ook te zijn. Je wordt met deze historische spionagethriller meegesleept van Cambridge tot Moskou. Van het oostfront in de Tweede Wereldoorlog tot de Koude Oorlog. Wordt dit het dodelijkste potje schaken ooit?

The style of writing is strange in parts For example, “her eyes were a dramatic shade of green, with a hint of the Central Asian steppes in them”. And there’s more: “Michael leaned in so close to the girl that he could hear her eyelashes when she blinked”. Sure, spies may have supernatural powers but … I have hesitated to speak specifically of plot points because the novel conveys these much better than I ever could. I will simply conclude by saying that this is an extremely well written novel and is a must read. I recommend this book to those well acquainted with the spy/thriller/historical fiction genres and also for those who are looking to read a genuinely good book that might be out of their usual reading lists! Ook trekt de schrijver een lijntje tussen de internationale verhoudingen in de 20ste eeuw en de schaaktoernooien die toen plaatsvonden. Immers, het strijdtoneel van de Koude Oorlog speelde zich niet alleen af op nucleair en spionagegebied maar ook in de wereld van de schaaktoernooien. De schaakpartijen tussen Amerikaan Bobby Fisher en de Rus Boris Spasski zijn legendarisch.I got this book right when Waterstones had it for sale, a bit earlier than elsewhere. It had sounded quite promising with strong female characters, espionage, chess and international politics set during the WWII and Cold War eras. Two young prodigies from either side of the Iron Curtain, Yulia and Michael, meet at a chess tournament in London. They don't know it, but they are about to compete in the deadliest game ever played. Shadowing them is Greta, a ruthless resistance fighter who grew up the hard way in the forests of Lithuania, but who is now hunting down some of the most dangerous men in the world. Men who are also on the radar Of Vassily, perhaps the Soviet Unions greatest spymaster, A man of cunning and influence. Immersive, intriguing, and intelligent - incredibly impressive, up there with the best in the genre' Lee Child