Customer Reviews

Above Suspicion

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was MacInnes's first thriller (and first published novel as far as I know). It was written during WW2, but it is about a spy adventure the summer prior to the invasion of Poland. A husband and wife team get recruited to check out a spy chain that has become suspect. At first things seem to be going well, but then they get identified by the Nazis and must flee for their lives.

Along the way they meet an American journalist and a British student, each of whom has their own reasons for wanting to strike a blow against the Nazis.

Many of the elements used in the story are typical of MacInnes's later, more polished, work. However, the story is more of an action-thriller than the romantic character-based thriller novels that MacInnes eventually became so good at writing.

Published in 1941 and set in 1939, Above Suspicion, through its two main characters--a British husband and wife who are recruited to undertake an intelligence gathering mission in Germany--presents a nice mix of action, intrigue, atmosphere, and political discussion. The husband and wife are joined by a fellow countryman and an American as they try to carry out their mission while evading Nazi pursuers. The sense of foreboding as the characters move through Nazi-controlled areas is palpable.

Most of the political commentary is spoken by the wife, who has an understandably bleak view of Nazi Germany and an unfortunate view of its people (invariably gruff, tasteless, and poor tippers) while regarding the British as unfailingly friendly, charming, and civilized. She also presents a rather sympathetic view of Britain's evolving response to Hitler's aggression. In retrospect, the political views come across as simplistic and the characterizations as stereotyped, but politics never gets in the way of the story, which builds suspense in the manner of a Hitchcock movie. It is, in fact, rather nice to read a novel from that era in which the key female figure has political opinions of her own, refuses to back down to opinions offered by men, and plays a vital role in the action (she comments, in fact, on the ability of women to exercise their minds while retaining their charm).

Ultimately, Above Suspicion is a perfectly paced thriller that (again, like a Hitchcock movie) places likable, ordinary people in a dangerous situation and follows them as they use their wits and resourcefulness to prevail against their enemy.

This is one of the most outstanding espionage novels ever written. Small wonder it was a best seller in 1942. Helen MacInnes was unrivaled in her ability to put fictional characters and a exciting plot into current world events and political tensions, all woven into actual geographical backgrounds. Richard and Frances Myles are so life-like that you feel like you are there with them throughout their harrowing experiences in pre-war Europe. All of her novels were written in this fashion, but this is one of her best. I first read it in high school, and recently I pulled it out and read it again. And it was as exciting and entertaining as it was all those years ago. A great way to spend a quiet evening.

I read this a few days ago with great enjoyment. An Oxford don and his wife are recruited to do some spying while on their summer holidays in 1939. They are "above suspicion" because they have gone to that area of the Alps for years. Unfortunately, having a wide social circle can sometimes be a liability as they discover. The novel was exciting without being sensational. The plot is plausible with some delightful ironies. The husband and wife, a cultured, intelligent couple, complement each other very well. I think the book is semi-autobiographical since the author was married to someone in British intelligence. There is some violence, but it's not gratuitous, but deadly serious. I look forward to reading many more novels by Helen MacInnes. If you liked this story you may also enjoy N or M by Agatha Christie featuring Tommy and Tuppence doing cloak and dagger.

Helen MacInnes wrote this in 1939--absolutely amazing. True, her husband worked for MI5, but that she could so accurately describe the brutality of the Nazi Regime--if she knew back then, and she even wrote a book about it, even though it was a "fictional" novel, how could most of the world turn their backs and ignore what was going on? A very good novel for her first--compelling read, something that I can read more than once.

this is an easy reading book..slow beginning, but very indept..almost like you were there , then the action starts and it is fast going after that.The book is bound in a nice cover..would make a nice gift; enjoyable n clean reading ..gives you an insight of what happened before hilter took over, the fear, the distrust of everyone..

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is a Helen MacInnes fan. It's a good suspenseful story with well defined characters. The people in the book seem real. It's also got some good history, and has some historical interest because of happening just before WWII.

I had this book YEARS ago and somehow lost it. I am so glad to have it back. Yes, it is dated but so well written.