BOOK REVIEW #THE LAST AGENT IN PARIS #SHARON MAAS #WORLD WAR 2 #HISTORICAL FICTION #BOOK ON TOUR #BOOKOUTURE PUBLISHERS

 MY THOUGHTS AND BOOK REVIEW

The Last Agent in Paris by Sharon Maas is a story taking place in the setting of two countries England and France torn by a war raged by the Nazi Germans. The majority of the novel takes place in Paris, which is under Nazi occupation from 1940 to 1944.This is an emotional World War II historical novel inspired by the true story of Noor Inayat Khan, the first female radio operator sent by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) into Nazi-occupied France. Set in 1940, the novel follows Noor, a young woman whose life is upended as Nazi forces invade France. here, Noor is recruited by the SOE due to her proficiency in French, which makes her an ideal candidate for covert work in Nazi-occupied France. After her family is forced to flee Paris, Noor vows to return and fight for the country she loves - France.

Training as a wireless operator in England, Noor becomes an ideal candidate for a perilous undercover mission in Paris. Assigned to a secretive spy network led by the enigmatic Prosper, she takes on the dangerous task of transmitting crucial intelligence to London. As Noor navigates the treacherous streets of Paris, dodging Nazi patrols and risking capture with every broadcast, the stakes become higher. Her fellow agents are being picked off one by one, and Noor begins to suspect there is a traitor in their midst. In England, Noor undergoes rigorous training in radio communication, cryptography, and other espionage techniques, preparing her for the dangerous work of transmitting messages from behind enemy lines.

As the last remaining agent in her network, Noor must find a way to keep the mission alive, even as the walls close in around her. The novel is a testament to Noor's courage, resilience, and determination in the face of overwhelming danger, offering a powerful exploration of sacrifice and loyalty during one of the darkest chapters of history. Fans of historical fiction, particularly those interested in stories of women spies and wartime resistance, will find The Last Agent in Paris utterly unforgettable. 

One of the novel’s most powerful aspects is the slow-building tension that Maas creates. As Noor becomes the last agent standing in her network, the suspense intensifies with each passing chapter. Who is the traitor? Can Noor keep the operation alive? Maas brilliantly captures the psychological weight of these questions, making it impossible to put the book down.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture Publishers for an advance copy for my honest review

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sharon Maas was born to politically active parents in Georgetown, Guyana, in 1951. She was educated in England, Guyana, and, later, Germany. After leaving school, she worked as a reporter with the Guyana Graphic in Georgetown and later wrote feature articles for the Sunday Chronicle as a staff journalist. Sharon has always had a great sense of adventure and curiosity about the world we live in, and Guyana could not hold her for long. In 1971 she set off on a year-long backpacking trip around South America, followed by an overland trek to South India, where she spent two years in an ashram. She lived in Germany for forty-three years and now lives in Ireland. She is the author of The Violin Maker’s Daughter, The Soldier’s Girl, Her Darkest Hour and many other novels.

https://www.sharonmaas.com/

https://www.instagram.com/sharonmaaswriter/

https://twitter.com/sharon_maas

Book Description

As the bombs rained down on Paris, my family fled before the Nazis could take us. I never thought I’d see my beloved home again. But I’ve come back to fight for the people I love. And now, I’m the last agent standing. The freedom of the world rests on my shoulders.

Paris, 1940. As Nazi soldiers march down the Champs Elysees, Noor’s heart is shattered. Her family is forced to flee their home to the safety of England, and as Noor watches the French coast disappear in the distance, she vows to do everything she can to stop Germany from devouring her beloved country.

Training as a wireless operative in England, Noor’s perfect French makes her the ideal candidate for undercover work in her beloved Paris, and she is soon assigned to an illustrious spy network led by a mysterious man named Prosper.

Day after day, Noor walks the treacherous streets of Paris looking for safe places to broadcast messages to London. But Nazi officers lurk around every corner, and Noor’s heart thunders in her chest as she evades detection, tightly clutching the briefcase containing her radio equipment. She knows it would take just one stop and search for her life to be over.

With each passing day her mission becomes more lethal as, one by one, her fellow agents are captured. Someone is betraying them, but who? And when Noor becomes the last agent in the network, can she keep the links with England alive, to help win the war?

An utterly gripping and emotional World War 2 novel inspired by the incredible true story of Noor Inayat Khan, the first female radio operator sent by SOE into Nazi-occupied France. Fans of Suzanne Goldring, Ellie Midwood and Siobhan Curran will be swept away.

438 Pages

Publishing Date - November 6, 2024