The hero also faces some relationship woes and convincingly detailed design and supply problems as he and the RAF continue one of these books’ most engaging elements: technical innovation. Forsyth, as always, captures the thrill of flight and the terror of battle with a nuts-and-bolts accuracy that, crucially, doesn’t slow down the suspenseful storytelling during scenes of action. Material here about building the Lancasters and testing an American B-17 will fascinate aviation buffs, while accounts of the toll of combat, Chadwick’s occasional dalliances, and the characters’ view of the war and various nations’ strategies persuasively suggest the texture of life in the grip of history.

Adventure elements are most prominent in the final third, which finds Chadwick trapped on the ground in occupied France, desperate to connect with the resistance—and then to find a way out. These scenes are exciting but more familiar—and a touch more incredible—than much of what comes before. The novel’s climax, though, involving Pathfinder Mosquitos and Germany’s terrifying V-1 flying bomb, offers exciting action, technical knowhow, and a buoyant sense of heroism, the strengths of this series.

Takeaway: Exciting WWII aviation action, with a firm sense of tech and history.

Comparable Titles: Melvyn Fickling’s Bluebirds, John Rhodes’s Breaking Point series.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-