Review - The Seventh of December by Garrick Jones

Australian Tommy is a world-class violinist and speaks several European languages fluently, but to support his ailing mother, Tommy and his fraternal twin brother Michael join the army. Both become involved in army intelligence, and by the time of the Battle of Britain, Tommy is a senior officer in the Special Operations Executive (SOE). At a rare evening out at a friend’s salon, Tommy is introduced to Henry, an American soldier attached to the U.S. Embassy as a military attaché. Although the Americans haven’t entered the war yet, most people know it’s only a matter of time, so Henry is there to learn as much as possible about Britain’s work with the resistance in France. The two men become very close and discover they both want the kind of relationship men like them rarely got in that age.

“The Seventh of December: The Czarina’s Necklace” is an action-packed spy thriller set against the early days of WWII. Most of the story takes place in occupied France as Tommy and his team undertake multiple missions. The story takes several abrupt turns, careening from one crisis to another, but it’s probably a realistic portrayal of how things can change quickly during war. Tommy also has to juggle the demands of a few different masters, including the royal family.

The story is told entirely from Tommy’s point of view. His talents are almost too good to be true, but as the author points out in their foreword, the character is based on a real-life person from the same era who was, if anything, even more talented. But Tommy is neither a nerd nor a killing machine. He’s a complex character who has deep qualms about the things he has to do to protect king and country.

Tommy’s love interest is Henry, a tall American that Tommy ironically dubs Shorty. Aside from being in the military, they have other things in common as well. Like Tommy, Henry’s family was from Germany, and he speaks the language well. Henry also sings and plays the piano. It’s easy to see why they become fast friends, but there’s obviously something more that makes them become lovers faster than either of them expects.

There’s a large supporting cast of characters. Some of them, such as Tommy’s assistant Gladys, are very well drawn and will no doubt be playing major roles in the other books of the series.

“The Seventh of December: The Czarina's Necklace” is available from Smashwords or see BookBub for other online sites where you can get your copy.