The Poseidon Network
Reviews
Book Review
Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite
The Poseidon Network is a work of fiction in the historical, emotional drama, and espionage sub-genres, and was penned by author Kathryn Gauci. Set during the Second World War, this engrossing and atmospheric drama tells the tale of Special Operations Executive Larry Hadley who arrives in occupied Greece in 1943. As the Second World War engulfs Europe, Larry must work with the titular Poseidon Network to bring the conflict to an end, but the deeper he gets into this new world, the more complex and entangling it becomes. What results is a dangerous thriller novel with plenty of twists, traitors, and treason in the mix.
Author Kathryn Gauci has crafted a lavish and detailed novel that leaves no stone unturned as it delivers a fully immersive historical espionage experience. The settings are less typical for a Second World War novel, showcasing the Mediterranean and its surroundings with gorgeous descriptions and a classic feel that evokes images of 40s cinema and glamour. There is also a gritty realism in the spine of the tale, which increases with the tension as the stakes get higher for the agents involved. Larry is an exceedingly well developed central protagonist, one who grows and shifts with the story into a man you really want to root for and investigate alongside. The final essential element to the tale is the plot, and this is the true highlight which delivers in spades, with some very unexpected and exciting conclusions. Overall, I would highly recommend The Poseidon Network to fans of wartime mysteries and spy thrillers that tick every box for maximum engagement.
5***** David Huntley
Review of; POSEIDON NETWORK by Kathryn Gauci
Larry Hadley, a newspaper correspondent leading a double life of an agent for Britains Special Operations Executive known as SOE, had been tasked to assist with helping the Greek resistance movement code-named Poseidon, to increase its efforts in undermining the German and Italian occupation of Greece.
Hadley begins his Greek operation in Cairo Egypt where he had been instrumental during 1941/42 in helping Britain defeat the Italians in various …more
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It is always refreshing to read something about World War II that is not set in the more usual region of France or Germany. And even more refreshing when the story has a good plot, believable characters and is very well written.
Ms Gauci has a talent for describing her locations so well that you are transported there; like a fly on the wall you are immediately a part of what is happening at a Cairo cocktail party or holding your breath, back against a wall in a hidden spot in a souk, or trudging up a mountain path in Greece wary, scared, of what is around the corner…
Narrated first person by special agent Larry Hadley, from the opening paragraph I felt I was immersed in a breath-taking Humphrey Bogart/Lauren Bacall thriller movie. Ms Gauci’s talent for writing the description of events and landscape is as superb as the tension she builds. The characters spring to life, the atmosphere is as real as the hot Greek sun.
Nor is this novel glamorised. The real Greek Resistance was populated by passionate people who believed in fighting for their freedom, regardless of the consequences if caught by the German or Italian occupiers. Danger, treason, death, was there at every step, and Ms Gauci portrays this very well. Her characters are ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Some of them survive, others do not.
For the reader, we are there, alongside Larry and the Resistance, aware of the danger, aware that somewhere there is a traitor about to betray us – and we turn each page with an eager, held breath wondering what is to happen next…
An excellent novel which will keep you reading into the early hours… and beyond.
Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds
© Helen Hollick
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2020
GREECE WWII – this novel is alive with all the Passion, Adventure, Bravery, Intrigue, Mystery and History of the Greek Resistance. Also Betrayal…and Love in disguise? Having read and loved all of Gauci’s books to date, I was looking forward to this one – and indeed it surpassed my expectations. You will feel the emotions along with the brilliantly-portrayed characters and their ultimate goal to end the Nazi Occupation and ultimately, restore Greece and the world to Peace. Like watching a great film again (and The Poseidon Network needs to be one!), you’ll want to read it more than once!
5***** Excellent novel about the Greek Resistance
Reviewed in the United States on 28 March 2020
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. From its description of the workings of the World War 2 Greek resistance and their British helpers to the way of life and death of Greeks under the heel of the Nazi’s. Add in the characters that make you want to find out who they really are and you have a recipe for a good story. Oh yes, and the descriptions of the Greek food too. This is a page turner. The tension is just right.
Mar 17, 2020 Sandra McKenna rated it it was amazing
A very compelling read.
For lovers of World War II, spies, espionage, Resistance, double agents suspense, and much much more, this book is a must-read.
Beginning in Cairo during 1942, the story is told from the perspective of SOE agent Larry, who is sent to occupied Greece to infiltrate the undercover Poseidon network.
Travel from Egypt to Greece and Turkey in this brilliantly written and researched story by top historical fiction writer, Kathryn Gauci.
This is a real page turner and I cannot …more
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
“The Poseidon Network” is an atmospheric, tension-charged historical fiction/thriller populated with unforgettable characters. Told from Larry Hadley’s (a correspondent and an SOE agent) point of view, it transports you right back in time to occupied Greece, Turkey, and Cairo, where the stakes are as high as they can be and where virtually no one can be trusted, and particularly, a beautiful stranger.
What I enjoyed the most about this novel, apart from the riveting plot, was the setting. Kathryn Gauci is a master when it comes to vivid descriptions, which she manages to write in such a way that you feel like you’re watching a movie and not reading a book. The workings of the Greek Resistance and Poseidon Network, in particular, were incredibly interesting to follow; I also appreciated how the author didn’t turn their activities into some glamorized version of the Resistance but instead showed the plight of ordinary people who had to fight, lose their loved ones, risk their own freedom and life on a daily basis, and that’s a wonderful tribute to all real Greek resistance fighters, in my opinion.
Meticulously researched and compelling, this novel will satisfy all fans of the historical fiction genre. Highly recommended!
Format: Kindle Edition
As always Kathryn Gauci doesn’t disappoint . Poseidon Network was truly a page turner from the very start. Finished the book at 1:15 this morning as I couldn’t go to sleep until I discovered Alexis’s fate. Gripping tale of WWII espionage and the brave andartes who worked so diligently to free Greece from the horrors of Hitler and German occupation. The book is fiction but based on historical events. So many people don’t realize how the Greeks suffered and the number of Jews they helped escape under the clutches of the SS. Bravo for another great Greek Read.
Format: Kindle Edition
A cocktail of a book as worthy as those of the legendary Shepheard’s Hotel, The Poseidon Network is an intoxicating mixture of intrigue, danger, and passion with a side of bitters. It’s a decadent, gripping page-turner that lingers on your tongue long after you finish it.
Set amidst the cosmopolitan circles of Cairo and Athens and the harsh landscape of the mountains of Greece during the Second World War, The Poseidon Network follows journalist and agent Larry Hadley as he is sent on a mission to find the “White Rose”, the leader of the titled The Poseidon Network, a resistance group committed to sabotaging their German and Italian occupiers.
Larry soon finds himself in a series of mysteries as he unravels what happened to the White Rose and exactly what side his alluring wife/widow Alexis Petrakis is on.
What I loved about Guaci’s writing is that she weaved in such detail that made me felt I was right there amidst the action, and kept me reading all night. A perfect read for a cold winter’s night. Highly recommended.
Mar 02, 2020 Margaret Yelton rated it really liked it · review of another edition
The Poseidon Network mainly focuses around the resistance groups in Greece. I found the book a little hard for me to get into, but once I did I found it to be a very interesting read. The author has the ability with her descriptions to bring the storyline to life. In my opinion this book could fall into several catorgeries historical fiction, with a thriller edge to the book. I would certainly recommend this book to others. I received a copy of the book from the author as a gift, and this is my …more
Format: Kindle Edition
To put it mildly, WWII was a harsh time for everyone around the globe. Life was particularly difficult for those living in areas occupied by enemy forces. In such areas there were always pockets of resistance and secret networks connecting those groups fighting to free their homelands.
This book focuses mainly on the story of some of those working among the resistance groups in Greece. The lives of the people there were particularly difficult, especially when the undercover forces began to suspect that there was a traitor in their midst reporting back to the Germans. Can they discover if there truly is someone in the resistance who is working against them, who the traitor is, and how their reports are being delivered to the enemy before all of the resistance’s efforts are undone? And all this must be accomplished without giving away their suspicions and while still managing to accomplish their own mission.
I enjoyed the story told by Ms. Gauci. The historical aspects were clearly very well researched and the plot was well thought out. Seeing how the resistance operated while undercover was truly interesting and I enjoyed seeing the historical notes as well as the directions on how to make a few of the drinks mentioned inside the story at the end of the book. It is always fascinating to see a bit of the reality behind the historical fiction in any book.
5*****
Format: Kindle Edition
The cover says it all, the Acropolis at Athens, a bewitching woman, an undercover British agent and menacing WW2 German soldiers. This book is so deep. The way this author handles words is close to brilliant especially as the tale draws to a conclusion. Even violence which I find so difficult to read is as realistic as the way Gauci sets the scene in Cairo, the desert, war-torn Athens and the Greek mountains. Add to this that the book is written in the first person, from a male point of view and you will find yourself engrossed in the work of a remarkable author.
It took a while for me to get to this book, but it was certainly worth the wait! This would be the first book I have read about WWII Greece and I have found this story both distressing and educational. This is the second book I have read by this Author, the first being Conspiracy of Lies, which is also an amazing story. My next book by Kathryn Gauci will be The Embroiderer. I would recommend both Conspiracy of Lies and The Poseidon Network, both works of fiction but based on true facts. Thank …more
The Poseidon Network by Kathryn Gauci has received a a Chill with a Book Readers’ Premier Award.
www.chillwithabook.comThe Poseidon Network, a really enjoyable read, well written and a good fast moving plot.Pauline Barclay – Founder of Chill Awards
