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Book summary and reviews of The Saboteur by Andrew Gross

The Saboteur by Andrew Gross

The Saboteur

by Andrew Gross

  • Critics' Consensus:
  • Published:
  • Aug 2017
    416 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

February, 1943. Both the Allies and the Nazis are closing in on attempts to construct the decisive weapon of the war.

Kurt Nordstrum, an engineer in Oslo, puts his life aside to take up arms against the Germans as part of the Norwegian resistance. After the loss of his fiancée, his outfit whittled to shreds, he commandeers a coastal steamer and escapes to England to transmit secret evidence of the Nazis's progress towards an atomic bomb at an isolated factory in Norway. There, he joins a team of dedicated Norwegians in training in the Scottish Highlands for a mission to disrupt the Nazis' plans before they advance any further.

Parachuted onto the most unforgiving terrain in Europe, braving the fiercest of mountain storms, Nordstrum and his team attempt the most daring raid of the war, targeting the heavily-guarded factory built on a shelf of rock thought to be impregnable, a mission even they know they likely will not survive. Months later, Nordstrum is called upon again to do the impossible, opposed by both elite Nazi soldiers and a long-standing enemy who is now a local collaborator--one man against overwhelming odds, with the fate of the war in the balance, but the choice to act means putting the one person he has a chance to love in peril.

Based on the stirring true story, The Saboteur is Andrew Gross's follow-up to the riveting historical thriller, The One Man. A richly-woven story probing the limits of heroism, sacrifice and determination, The Saboteur portrays a hero who must weigh duty against his heart in order to singlehandedly end the one threat that could alter the course of the war.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Starred Review. A terrific story filled with tension and surprises right to the end. That's two World War II winners in a row for Gross." - Kirkus

"Starred Review. Highly recommended for thriller fans as well as lovers of historical fiction based on true events." - Library Journal

"In an author's note, Gross reveals that his lead, Kurt Nordstrom, is based on a real participant in the raids on the Norsk Hydro factory and Mael ferry, but Nordstrom comes across as a caricature of the hardy and capable hero. Nordstrom's primary foe, Capt. Dieter Lund of the Hird, is similarly a stock villain. Still, history buffs may appreciate the skill with which Gross combines fact and fiction." - Publishers Weekly

This information about The Saboteur was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Andrew Gross Author Biography

Andrew Gross is an American author of thriller novels. He is best known for his collaborations with suspense writer James Patterson. The two have co-authored bestselling novels like Judge & Jury, Lifeguard, and The Jester.

Some of his independent work includes The Blue Zone (2007), The Dark Tide (2008), Eyes Wide Open (2011), 15 Seconds (2012), No Way Back (2013) and Everything To Lose (2014). Gross's books feature close family bonds, relationships characterized by loss or betrayal and large degree of emotional resonance which generally lead to wider crimes and cover-ups.

Gross lives in Westchester County, New York, with his wife, Lynn. They have three children.

Link to Andrew Gross's Website

Name Pronunciation
Andrew Gross: last name rhymes with hose

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