Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Apr 2017
352 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Information
A gripping novel of historical espionage, about an eleventh-hour attempt by members of the German elite to unseat Adolf Hitler, and its endlessly complex consequences.
In late 1937, the young lieutenant Oskar Langweil is recruited to this cause while attending a party at the lavish home of a baroness. A high-ranking officer in Germany's counterintelligence agency brings Oskar into the fold because of their mutual involvement in a patriotic youth league, and soon dispatches him to Washington, D.C., on a perilous mission.
Despite his best efforts, Oskar is compromised, and must immediately find a way to sneak back into Germany unnoticed. A childhood friend introduces him to Lena, a Socialist and fellow expat, and they hatch a plan to have Oskar pose as her husband as they cross the Atlantic on a cruise ship filled with Nazis and fellow travelers.
But bad luck follows them at every turn, and they find themselves messily entangled with the son of a U.S. Senator, a White Russian princess, a disgraced journalist, an aging brigadier, and a gay SS officer as the novel races toward an explosive conclusion.
"Starred Review. To the shelves groaning with countless Adolf-addled efforts, this is an understated, entertaining addition." - Kirkus
"Starred Review. Grant (Another Green World) has crafted an absorbing tale of espionage wrapped in enough cloak-und-dagger episodes to make anyone's Kopf spin. Intrigue and menace mixed here with delicious dollops of humor make a great read for those interested in that bygone era. Absolutely wunderbar!" - Library Journal
"Pursuits, shoot-outs, surprising plot twists, and an exciting showdown at an alpine mountain lodge complete this remarkably tense and well-crafted thriller." - Publishers Weekly
"Yes, this very odd yet oddly appealing novel is set in Alan Furst's time zone, but it's something entirely different. Think more of the cast from Cabaret on a desperate road trip, falling in and out of love with one another as bullets zing through the trees." - Booklist
This information about Cave Dwellers was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: William Widmer
Richard Grant is an award-winning author, journalist, and television host. He currently writes for Smithsonian magazine, the New York Times, Al Jazeera America, the Telegraph (UK), and several other publications. He grew up in London, England, and now lives in Jackson, Mississippi. His previous books include Dispatches from Pluto (a New York Times bestseller and winner of the Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize), Crazy River, God's Middle Finger, and American Nomads.
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