A Beacon in the Night (Secret Churchill Files)

Caitrin Colline, our protagonist, is described on the back of the book as a “female James Bond, only wittier”. I’m not familiar enough with the Bond movies to properly compare with, but I am familiar enough to say that A Beacon in the Night is definitely Bondesque. It has exactly what you would expect: daring deeds, espionage, and of course witticisms galore. There’s even a fast-paced flirtation between Caitrin and a handsome American in the first several chapters.

That similarity to Bond was as much a draw as a downfall, however. In the first few chapters, there is more witticism than plot or character, so that by the time the plot begins in earnest, the readers have little reason to care about either. Caitrin especially could be engaging, and grows so over the course of the book, but at first, she really is just a female James Bond, a pretty face and a quick wit who is, in the end, largely at the mercy of a greater story.

A Beacon in the Night// is a fun read, and people who enjoyed the previous book will enjoy it too. I enjoyed the ride, but still found the characters flat and uninteresting.