BOOK REVIEW: The Fifth Column by Andrew Gross @The_AndrewGross @MinotaurBooks #TheFifthColumn #minotaurbooks

In Andrew Gross’s latest historical thriller, complicated sociopolitical dynamics from the late 1930s surround a conspiracy uncovered involving U.S. government officials. The Fifth Column is particularly fascinating because it is set in a time period that I don’t often see explored in fiction, particularly in the thriller genre. Intricately plotted and so entertaining!

February, 1939.

Columbia graduate student Charles Mossman is drinking at a bar in Manhattan, mourning the loss of his twin brother. His brother was killed in Spain not long before and Charles recently lost his job. Now, drowning his woes in a bar in Hell’s Kitchen seems to be the only reprieve. He is Jewish and living in New York in 1939, after all, a time when it was hard to be Jewish given the support for Nazi sentiments among many.

When a group of Nazi sympathizers who attended a large pro-Hitler rally in Madison Square Garden earlier that evening get into a brawl at the bar, Charlie takes a swing that changes his life. His drunken punch ends up accidentally killing an innocent teenager, and Charlie is arrested for manslaughter.

Two years later, Charlie has finished serving his sentence for manslaughter. America is on the cusp of entering the war. Returning home to his estranged wife and now six-year-old daughter Emma, Charlie realizes how much he has missed. They live in a brownstone in a German-speaking part of New York City. Support for Hitler isn’t uncommon in this neighborhood.. And his daughter has taken to spending quite a bit of time with the Bauers, a Swiss couple who live nearby.

The Bauers have taken a liking to Emma. At first all seems well, but soon after arriving home, Emma reveals that she has heard the Bauers—an allegedly ant-Nazi couple—praise some of the practices the Nazis support. As Charlie becomes more suspicious about who they truly are and where the Bauers’ loyalties lie, he starts to investigate deeper. And soon he realizes a horrifying truth—the Bauers are part of a conspiracy that goes all the way to the heart of the U.S. government.

A “fifth column” comes to light, German spies embedded in every day life in America. As tensions in the war escalate and Pearl Harbor is attached, the conspiracy turns deadly and Charlie must uncover it to save his daughter.

One thing I enjoyed about the way Andrew Gross wrote this novel, was that it was set during WWII and was heavily influenced by the events unfolding in the world, and yet it also had very little to do with any specifics of being at war itself. It really was about the tone at the time, the conflicts and political undercurrents that were effecting Americans and especially Jewish-Americans. Brilliant and unique!

I mentioned up front that this is a time period we don’t often see as a context for thrillers. Andrew Gross took a bold risk setting a conspiracy plot during such a dark and painful point in history, but it was handled with tact and an impressive weaving of fact and fiction.

Charlie struggled a lot with who to trust and who to confide in during this book. He was such a damaged character but so root-able. I really wanted him to be ok. I loved his daughter Emma and how much he loved her. Flawed characters are so much more interesting in my opinion, I don’t want to read about someone who is perfect and just suffering misfortune at the hands of others. I want to read about someone who is imperfect but also tries to be better. Charlie was such a great character!

A wonderfully-written historical thriller that I highly recommend!

Thank you Minotaur for my copy. Opinions are my own.