SS-GB

Published in 1978, Len Deighton's "what-if" thriller supposes that Germany won WWII. The book's main satisfaction, however, is not so much the intriguing premise of Nazis in 1941 England, but Deighton's manner of balancing this idea with, first, the murder investigation undertaken by Scotland Yard Superintendent Douglas Archer and, then, Archer's own ongoing thoughts about working in a Nazi-supervised Yard. The novel successfully blends these elements of history, mystery and character. The greatest achievement of James Faulkner's excellent work as reader is the hard-edged, dramatic voice he uses for the narrator. This presence becomes the vocal linchpin for the array of characters, German and English, male and female, that Faulkner expertly personalizes. G.H. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 00]