Book Review: The Shadow Network by Deborah Swift

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review*

The Shadow Network By Deborah Swift is a ww2 historical fiction that follows Lilli Bergen, a German Jewish refugee that fled Berlin at the start of the war and is treated like an enemy alien when the war escalates. She is determined to help the war effort despite prejudices of her German heritage and when the Political Warfare Executive approaches her to become a singer for a fake radio station designed to feed false information and unsettle morale in Germany, Lilli jumps at the chance. This seemingly simple job becomes de-railed when her Irish ex-boyfriend Bren Murphy turns up as an actor for the station. His fake persona and name screams danger, but Lilli is determined to find out his ulterior motives.

Swift crafts compelling and well – rounded characters set to a backdrop of danger and secrecy that keeps readers wanting more. The Shadow Network is the second in the ww2 Secret Agents series and does not disappoint with her ability to blend the richness of historical context with a gripping plot. Swift presents the tragic character of Neil who became caught up in pro-fascist sabotage in Britain in The Silk Code and creates a heroic and redeeming arc in this novel as he proves his allegiance to Britain and the fight against Nazi Germany. Neil’s traumatic experience is imbued in his persona and his hesitancy of becoming embroiled in anymore trouble, yet he throws himself into this new role of the radio station and even a building sabotaged by a bomb.The idea of having a radio station that broadcasts fake news to the Nazis and their allies is an intriguing and presents a different side to the war effort. Swift sensitively explores the difficult position that many Germans felt when fleeing the Nazi regime and becoming refugees in countries like Britain. Lilli is not alone with fellow Germans working at the radio station, who frequently comment on the atrocities of the war and how powerless they feel in the situation. Despite the horrors of war and Lilli’s feelings of being ostracised, her work at the radio station creates a sense of belonging and a community that see through her German heritage and appreciate her as a person. This emphasises the power of wartime propaganda that created a heightened sense of fear that blinkered any rational thought.

Swift writes a compelling and dramatic twist of the a love triangle that adds a layer of depth to the idea that in times of war and crisis many people change and are not always who they used to be before. This idea is emphasised through the love triangle of Neil, Lilli and her ex-boyfriend and IRA / Nazi sympathiser. When Bren turns up at the stations without knowing Lilli’s role, he is eager to manipulate his ex-flame, but is surprised that she is not as malleable as she once was before the war. Lilli plays along in order to discover Bren’s – or Jonny as he calls himself – plan and motivations. Unsurprisingly, he hasn’t changed and war has only made his ideas and prejudices stronger.

Overall, this is a captivating sequel that explores a side of British ww2 history that played a vital part in the war effort and is coupled with exciting and emotive characters. Swift’s writing is compelling, exciting and packed full historical context that immerses the reader in espionage, danger and hope. This novel is a gripping tale of a love entangled with a saboteur lurking in plain sight.

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