Trouble on the Thames by Victor Bridges

Trouble on the Thames by Victor Bridges ISBN-13: 9781464204937 Paperback: 234 pages Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press Released: Oct. 6, 2015

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Owen Bradwell is a courageous naval officer who returns to England in the 1930s. He believes that his career is over because he has become colour-blind but with Nazi Germany an increasing menace, the authorities cannot do without Bradwell, and he is assigned a special mission.

A former acquaintance of Bradwell’s has been trapped into betraying his country’s secrets by a Nazi agent. Bradwell is sent to spy on the spy, and travels down the Thames on a surveillance trip under cover of a fishing weekend. Things soon take an unexpected turn, and Bradwell finds himself in the company of a dead man, and a pretty young interior decorator called Sally.


My Review:
Trouble on the Thames is a spy thriller set in the 1930's in England, and it was written in 1945. The story was well-written and has elements that give it an enduring appeal, so I was surprised it hadn't been reprinted more often.

While Owen is our main viewpoint character, we also follow several bad-guy characters. Each character had their own plans and motives, and this created twists just when you think things might be wrapping up. The characters were engaging and came across as real people, and the setting was vividly described. This brought the story to life in my imagination. Though the romance happened quickly, I could see why they liked each other and their personalities were a good fit.

There was a fair amount of bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'd recommend this fun book to fans of spy versus spy stories.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.