LitPick Review
Amid the chaos and destruction of World War II, Desperate Conspiracy is a historical fiction about individual resilience, courage, and bravery. After a daring rescue mission that leaves Dr. Roger Lawson scarred and crippled, his commitment to his country, England, and determination to continue his military service as a doctor remains unshaken. Offered a prestigious role at the RAF hospital in the Bahamas as a medical doctor, he is also recruited by the British to SIS (the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service or M16) to uncover a daring German conspiracy to kidnap the Duke of Windsor, who serves as the Governor of the Bahamas. Roger soon discovers that this seemingly idyllic British colony hides a dark secret among a web of Nazi intrigue. Separately, Helen Masters is a nurse training in Plymouth, England during the Blitz when a bomb kills both her parents while she is working the night shift at her hospital. Despite the tragic loss of her loving parents and the relentless German bombing, she remains determined to keep busy with her nursing work. But when a shocking accusation labels her a German spy, Helen's world is turned upside down, forcing her to flee at a friend’s invitation to the Bahamas. Here in the Bahamas, Roger and Helen meet and together they help avert a desperate German conspiracy to kidnap the Duke, which if it had succeeded, would have changed the outcome of World War II.
Opinion:
Desperate Conspiracy by Alaister Davie is a very insightful and well-researched historical novel. Packed with facts and commentary about the war as well as the people and politics of the time, the backdrop of the story is beautifully developed. The fictional story is expertly woven into this background so much so that that it becomes difficult at times to separate fact from fiction. I also enjoyed the main characters, Roger Lawson and Helen Masters. Each were very layered with relatable emotions and thoughts which kept me cheering for them through their ordeals as they worked to help thwart the sinister kidnapping plot. Unfortunately, today many readers inside and outside the U.S. have not been well-educated about World Wars I and II, so I suspect that they will miss the importance of the nuanced role of the Duke of Windsor and his German sympathies, along with why his kidnapping by the Germans could have altered our lives today. This is unfortunate but seems to be a sign of our times. Mr. Davie has done a beautiful job trying to remind us of our often-tragic world history such as the relentless German bombing of England and the Allies retaliatory bombing of places in Germany, such as in Dresden where 130,000 civilians lost their lives due to bombing and our efforts to get the Germans to surrender. Therefore, hopefully Desperate Conspiracy will not only serve as an interesting romance story but will encourage people to read more about these world wars, their horrors, and the bravery of those who fought to end them. War is awful and Mr. Davie is to be applauded for weaving a story about hope and humanity into a very dark time in our world history.
