The Unquiet Genius
A Classic WWII Spy Thriller
The Unquiet Genius is a high-stakes spy thriller about the fight to do the right thing, no matter the cost.
A team of Allied agents seeks to extract a troubled scientist from Nazi hands in Glenn Dyer’s historical thriller The Unquiet Genius.
In 1938, a brilliant Italian physicist took his own life. Four years later, as war rages across Europe, a rumor surfaces and spreads with dangerous rapidity: the physicist is alive and in hiding. With both sides desperate to recruit the secretive genius for their respective nuclear programs, Conor, an American agent working in England, is sent to keep him out of Axis hands and, if possible, convince him to work for the Allies. But the more Conor learns about his mission, the more he wonders if success is really the best possible outcome.
The book draws inspiration from the real-life disappearance of Ettore Majorana and uses this to spin a straightforward but tense tale. Allied, Axis, and even neutral forces work toward their own ends, motivated by glory, greed, patriotism, or all three. Adding to the drama is Conor’s relationship with a British agent, Emily, which hits a joyous high and a devastating low in quick succession right before they are both ordered to find Majorana. Though they are too professional to allow their feelings to interfere with their mission, Conor cannot help worrying about their future during rare quiet moments.
This is a true international adventure, taking its heroes to a variety of diverse locations across Europe: from the venerable but chaotic 10 Downing Street to a sprawling Italian monastery, and to a grungy prison where the odds of survival depend on the authorities’ mood that day. In each place, the characters utilize different sets of skills to survive and get closer to their objectives. Every person they meet has their own agenda and their own rule book, so Conor can never be sure when someone will appear without warning, or whether a friendly appearance is genuine. This uncertainty, along with the inclusion of real-life figures who were active during World War II, makes the story even more exciting.
As the net draws tighter around Majorana, the chapters grow shorter, leading to anxious staccato movement as the danger builds. Unexpected alliances and last-minute betrayals force Conor to make dangerous decisions. A happy ending for everyone was never in the cards, but with a little luck, Conor and his team can achieve the next best thing—in both their personal and professional lives. By story’s end, new drama looms on the horizon.
Part of a series, The Unquiet Genius is a high-stakes spy thriller about the fight to do the right thing, no matter the cost.
Reviewed by
Eileen Gonzalez
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
