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Summer 1940 - Great Britain is in grave peril.
With the 'phoney war' turning into a very real war on the ground
and in the air, Hitler's troops storm across an unprepared
Europe towards the English Channel. Invasion looms. But the
British have a weapon in their arsenal that may be a game
changer and bring victory against all odds: the mighty Spitfire.
So severe is the threat posed by this remarkable fighter plane
that Germany sends two operatives - one a reluctant Englishman,
the other a loyal Nazi - on an audacious mission to infiltrate
and destroy. Their target: the factories where the Spitfires are made.
Will they achieve their goal or can MI5, with the
aid of double agents and a brilliant female pilot, turn the tide
of espionage to their advantage?
With a literal adroitness reminiscent of an aviator in battle,
author John Hughes weaves a tale of intrigue, love and betrayal
in a fast-paced thriller of a debut novel which wends its way
from the Fatherland via the beaches of Dunkirk to
the skies over Southern England.
"I bought this book with some trepidation as I am an avid reader and if a book is not well written I tend to discard it and move on to another. However, this is a cracking good read. I remember WW2 and can absolutely see how much detail and research went into this book. The plot is gripping from the first chapter and I found myself unable to put it down, and having done so, looked forward to bed time when I could settle down with a cup of tea to continue. I finished it in record time. An outstanding debut novel from a very talented author. This novel would make an outstanding, thrilling film." [P.R.]
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"What a fabulous inaugural book! It would make a great film. A real page turner as the plot ducks and dives through to the very end. The characters and personalities are well drawn - people you can identify with, love and loathe. It captures the mood of the war - the emotional wrangling it caused as well as the political intrigue. Its place in time was well researched and the places described vivid. I was captivated and hope there is a sequel." [V.G.]
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"There are two intertwining stories within Spitfire Spies by John Hughes. One could naively be labeled male, the other female. The first concerns the men who are sent to England to spy for Germany. Not all are German - one is in fact English. The other story is about a pari of women pilots who ferry planes for Britain's Air Transport Auxiliary. Each storyline coils about the other, not quite touching until the novel's final and dramatic end. Having Germans as main protagonists, even heroes, is a central element in Ken Follett's spy novel The Eye of the Needle and in Jack Higgins' The Eagle Has Landed. Readers who enjoyed those books will very likely enjoy Spitfire Spies. It has a lot to offer. Regardless of whether you are fans of World War II novels, you will find the book enjoyable." [Second by Second magazine]