Customer Reviews

Swiss Courier, The: A Novel

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Length:: 1:52 Mins

Working as a Swiss transcriptionist for the Americans during WWII, Gabi Mueller's life changes overnight when she's recruited as a spy for the precursor of the CIA.

Asked to safely courier a German physicist working on the budding Nazi atomic bomb project to the Swiss border, Gabi feels the weight of the war on her shoulders. But who can she trust?

This fabulous story will whisk you away to another time, a time of bravery and conflict, where treachery wore a uniform and the future rested on the shoulders of men and women just like us.

Don't miss it!

Okay, so the extra-feminine cover meant I couldn't take this book out in public--a man has to draw his lines somewhere, right?--but I knew it wouldn't stop me from enjoying another Tricia Goyer novel. Goyer, in my opinion, is the successor to Bodie Thoene and her World War II sagas, delivering believable characters, against well researched backdrops, amidst fast pacing. In "The Swiss Courier," she teams up Mike Yorkey, and the pairing is seamless, leaving me unable to determine who did which portions of the research and writing.

Gabi Mueller is a Swiss woman involved as a new agent with the OSS, an American secret service during the war. She finds her safe-cracking skills called into play, and this means crossing into Nazi Germany--although not for the reasons she first expects. As she lives out her life of derring-do, she finds her heart wavering between handsome Dieter and dependable Eric. Even as she carries out her role, Bill Palmer, an American pilot, is being prepared for a mission of his own. Together, Gabi, Dieter, Eric, and Bill will find their lives at risk as they are drawn into plots and counterplots regarding a brilliant scientist with Jewish connections and the secrets of a Wunderwaffe--a wonder weapon, which could be devastating if left to Hitler and his cohorts.

The research is superlative, as one comes to expect from Goyer. The Publishers Weekly reviewer obviously underestimates the intelligence of Goyer's readers and those who love history. The number of plot locations is no trouble at all, only adding credibility to the action, which is credible and fast-paced, yet tame enough not to raise too many eyebrows in the Christian marketplace. The piloting sections were very well done, reminding me of scenes from another favorite Goyer novel, "Dawn of a Thousand Nights." To top it all, the themes of trust and faith are woven nicely into the plot, leaving a few surprises for the final pages.

I had an opportunity to get my hands on this book before it's publishing date. It is a novel that will remind you of Helen McInnes' writings of the same era of World War II,holding your interest from beginning to a great surprising end. Terrific historical detail that makes you feel as though you are there, great technical detail without making one feel they are being talked down to, and a wonderful feeling when you finish this book that despite the atrocities that occured in this era, man's better nature will rise to the top.

I finished The Swiss Courier last night. It was a compelling read with a lot of twists and turns. In many ways the story resembled a pure Goyer novel but this book had a slightly different voice. I enjoyed it, though I think I prefer Goyer's voice when she writes solo. The writing in this novel flowed smoothly, though, so that was well done.

There were so many situations that seemed impossible to escape from, so the tension kept building. I also learned stuff about physics that I didn't know like the whole issue of nuclear fission and the experiments that went with trying to split the atom. I learned about how the Swiss Government felt about the war and how they managed to stay neutral for the most part. I also never realized that some Swiss citizens entered Germany to work every day. I was educated a bit about old WWII planes and other details--I found that all very fascinating. Those were tough times, no doubt. And the double cross situations were rampant. Who could you trust when everyone was trying to stay on the Nazi's good side so they would avoid being sent to the camps?

The romantic element was nice, though not as strong as I like, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. I didn't know who she would choose until late in the book, so that was pretty cool. I always enjoy the surprise element in a story and the discovery of new things as you read along. If there is a sequel to this book, I'm definitely getting it. I'd recommend this story to people who love WWII era fiction and who want to learn something not commonly covered in the WWII novels currently on the shelves.

Found this an implausable novel. American pilot flies a German Tri-Moter, A complex aircraft, with no expierience in that type of aircraft into occupied germany. A 25 year old women is selected to go with him because she speaks German. A couple of other disjointed sub-plots. More German traders in one area than there were in all of Germany. A German scientist defects after being kidnapped my the underground. Too trite for my taste.

This story takes place in Europe, 1944. The Gestapo is mercilessly rounding up suspected enemies of the Third Reich. Bruno Kassler, the fast-rising head of the Gestapo Regional Headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany, discovers a secret about one of the scientists working to create the atomic bomb. Physicist Joseph Engel was born a Jew and adopted by Christian parents at birth. Kassler is convinced that Engel is a spy and that his discovery will earn Kassler a great promotion.

Gabi Mueller is a young Swiss woman working for the forerunner to the CIA. She has a great talent for breaking into safes that impress her employers. She is asked to take on a special mission to escort Joseph Engel out of Germany before the Gestapo can catch him. The Americans believe that Engel is the key to Germany's development of this super weapon. If they can get Engel out of Germany, his wisdom will be of great use to the United States and the Allied forces.

There is something fascinating and heroic about the stories from this historical period. Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey have added to that list. Each character hooked me into their world and agenda. I couldn't wait to see how all the threads would weave together. The Swiss Courier is a unique look at the front lines of World War II and what everyday people sacrificed to stand up against the evil surrounding them. Everyday farmers, shopkeepers, and soldiers alike risked their lives to do what was right. This was an unexpected and thrilling adventure. I highly recommend this book for readers ages 16 and up.

I love reading about history and a well written historical fiction novel is better any day than a dry history book! You get more out of it too!!! I have enjoyed true stories from this time period about the underground movement in those parts of the world and when you read this fictional account of underground workers during World War 2, you can see the effort made to stay accurate and factual as well as keep you riveted to the book. This book is filled with the type of excitement that if it was a movie, it would have you on the edge of your seat the whole time! It is also filled with surprises throughout, which of course, I cannot give away, but they surprised me and I don't always get surprised with all the books I read! The book begins with a dramatic attempt on Hitler's life, people dressed as nazi's and you start to wonder who is really a Nazi and who is not!! Nothing is as it appears to be! If you enjoy historical fiction, this is a book you will not want to miss.

The Swiss Courier is a suspense novel set in Switzerland during WWII centering on, as the title and cover photo imply, a young Swiss/American woman who works for the OSS as a translator. Besides Gabi, the novel also involves several other characters whose storylines are gradually woven together: Dieter Baumann, Gabi's boss at the OSS office; Joseph Engel, a German scientist working on developing the atomic bomb whose true Jewish ethnicity is discovered and makes him a target for the Gestapo; Bill Palmer, an American pilot whose plane went down over Switzerland and who is now being detained there for the duration of the war; Bruno Kassler, the local Gestapo chief who is determined to capture Engel and thereby further his own career; and the mysterious "Jean-Pierre", an espionage agent working for the Swiss resistance.

The authors have a pretty good storyline, although there are several weaknesses in the plot and even more weaknesses in the execution. As for the plot weaknesses, they occur most often in the latter half of the novel, as the action unfolds in a manner which is just way too contrived; this is a tendency I've noticed in the other books I've read by Tricia Goyer. First of all Gabi, who is merely one of several translators working in the local OSS office, and who happens to have a knack for safecracking, somehow comes to the attention of Allen Dulles, the head of the European OSS. He makes a personal visit to her home to await her return from one of her little "missions." Sure. In their ensuing conversation she remarks of a former comrade-turned-traitor that if she sees him again, she will "kick him where it counts." To which the great Dulles (for whom Dulles Airport near Washington, DC is named, by the way) chuckles and replies "Now that's my girl." Um, right. Why didn't she just call him "Al" instead of "Mr. Dulles," that would have been about as believable. Then he entrusts her to lead a highly-risky, top-secret rescue mission. Ok.

At the end of the novel, Dulles' attention to Gabi is somewhat "explained" when the identity of various operatives is revealed. I'm being very careful here so as to not give anything away, so I will just say that instead of being satisfied at how all of the pieces fit neatly together, I was rolling my eyes even more at how impossibly contrived it all was. Then there was Gabi's sudden change of heart towards her suitor. She goes from considering him a dependable but dull farmer whose company she only endures because he treats her well, to being totally in love with him. Just like that, without any inner turmoil or struggle, without even a thought, actually. Quite often, having all the ends tie up nicely and neatly and with everyone living happily ever after (except for the "bad guys," of course) weakens a book rather than strengthens it, and The Swiss Courier is a perfect example of that.

As for the weak writing, this is most evident in the dialog between characters. The authors use it to explain any number of things to the reader -- the history of a particular building or location, the meaning of a German word, a character's backstory, etc. etc. etc. The result is that the characters are constantly explaining things to each other that they should have already known, just for the sake of the reader. This causes their speech to sound like lectures rather than conversations, and leaves the dialog feeling clunky, forced and completely unnatural. There are other, better ways to fill the reader in on whatever backstory they need to know, and the authors should have employed some other method rather than dumping it all into their dialog.

By about 2/3 of the way through I was ready for the book to end so I could move on to the next one; I sped-read the last 100 pages or so just to get through it. If I read any books in the future by these authors they will be library only.

As a side note -- in the early part of the book it describes Joseph Engel and Hannes Jager as roommates who shared a one-bedroom apartment. Surely the authors weren't implying a homosexual relationship?! I emailed a question about this to Ms. Goyer via her website but haven't received a response.

I did finish the book but was disappointed in the writing and the simplicity of the plot development. It was not hard to figure out how the story would end from the early pages of the book. I was glad there was a list and description of the characters at the beginning of the book because at times it seemed hard to figure out who was who. I appreciated the use of scripture when it was appropriate and the emphasis on God's working in out lives. I gave the book to my 13 year old granddaughter and although some of the words might be beyond her, I think she will enjoy the book a great deal.

Overall this book was wonderful (i actually did it as a book report). it had its slow moments when you just barely stop yourself from throwing it across the room. But most books do. after about the tenth chapter you get into the story and you cant put it down. Since they researched everything, they tried to put every little fact in everywhere they could, which slowed it down...a lot. Not to give anything away, but in the epilogue, they mention los alamos national labratory. i live in los alamos, nm and know for a fact that during the manhattan project (even for a while after the war) ALL mail leaving the top secret government labratory was post marked from a p.o. box in SANTA FE, NM. NOT the TOP SECRET PLACE!! The scientists' families had no clue where their children were, only that they were in the middle of no where struggling to help the nation defeat the nazi germany. it was correct that LOTS of the scientists were Jewish refugees, many of which (including Oppenhiemer) went to the University of Hiedelburg.