I am the most enormous fan of this author’s Tudor mysteries which doesn’t mean to say I didn’t thoroughly enjoy this, I was just a little surprised it was written by the same man. It is not a page-turner but a demanding read. It takes time to digest all the history and alertness to untangle the fictional plot. Beautifully crafted, covering the period 1931-1940 in Spain (the civil war and the beginning of Franco’s regime) it follows the fortunes of three young men and then leaps to 1947 and the involved tale’s conclusion. The history and atmosphere are first rate.

Comparison: Sebastian Faulks, Giles Foden, Matthew Kneale.

Synopsis

1940: The Spanish Civil War is over, and Madrid lies ruined, its people starving, while the Germans continue their relentless march through Europe. Britain now stands alone while General Franco considers whether to abandon neutrality and enter the war.

Into this uncertain world comes Harry Brett: a traumatised veteran of Dunkirk turned reluctant spy for the British Secret Service. Sent to gain the confidence of old schoolfriend Sandy Forsyth, now a shady Madrid businessman, Harry finds himself involved in a dangerous game – and surrounded by memories. Meanwhile Sandy’s girlfriend, ex-Red Cross nurse Barbara Clare, is engaged on a secret mission of her own – to find her former lover Bernie Piper, a passionate Communist in the International Brigades, who vanished on the bloody battlefields of the Jarama.

In a vivid and haunting depiction of wartime Spain, Winter in Madrid is an intimate and compelling tale which offers a remarkable sense of history unfolding, and the profound impact of impossible choices.

Reviews

‘Sansom adroitly draws the disparate strands of his ambitious saga together. His non-pareil evocations of time and place anchor his characters with satisfying precision’ - Independent

About the Author

C. J. Sansom was educated at Birmingham University, where he took a BA and then a Ph.D. in history. After working in a variety of jobs, he retrained as a solicitor and practised in Sussex, until becoming a full-time writer. He lives in Sussex. More books by this author Author 'Like for Like' recommendation