Aug 13, 20193 min read

DRAGONFLY, by LEILA MEACHAM*Review, Lone Star Book Blog Tour

DRAGONFLY

LEILA MEACHAM

Genre: Historical / WWII / Espionage

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Date of Publication: July 9, 2019

Number of Pages: 576

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From the New York Times bestselling author of Roses comes a gripping new novel about five young spies embedded among the highest Nazi ranks in occupied Paris

At the height of World War II, a handful of idealistic young Americans receive a mysterious letter from the government, asking them if they are willing to fight for their country. The men and women from very different backgrounds-a Texan athlete with German roots, an upper-crust son of a French mother and a wealthy businessman, a dirt-poor Midwestern fly fisherman, an orphaned fashion designer, and a ravishingly beautiful female fencer-all answer the call of duty, but each for a secret reason of her or his own. They bond immediately, in a group code-named Dragonfly.

Thus begins a dramatic cat-and-mouse game, as the group seeks to stay under the radar until a fatal misstep leads to the capture and the firing-squad execution of one of their team. But...is everything as it seems, or is this one more elaborate act of spycraft?

PRAISE FOR DRAGONFLY:

“Meacham’s impeccable pacing and razor-wire tension evoke the daily drama of life under a Reich whose French reign might have lasted little more than four years but felt like the thousand years that it threatened to endure.” ―Bookpage

"Meacham's nail-biting tale will please fans looking for an intricate story of spycraft and deception." ―Publishers Weekly

"Meacham ratchets the suspense ever tighter, while providing fascinating backstory on the intrepid five [American spies] as well as delivering a detail-rich portrait of Paris during the Occupation." ―Booklist

"Complex, epic, and rich in historical detail-an uplifting story of finding friendship behind enemy lines." ― Kirkus

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon ◆ Barnes & Noble

◆ Indiebound ◆ Walmart ◆

Once I received the audio for DRAGONFLY and started listening, I forgot everything I was doing. All I knew was the DRAGONFLY world. I was hooked until the end. After I finished, I had a serious book hangover.

I love big epic books. Especially when they involve life and death stories about both men and women in dire situations. Leila Meacham specializes in such epics, but let me be clear: this is the best book Leila Meacham has ever written. And the DRAGONFLY audio is five star.

DRAGONFLY is what happens when a spymaster recruits two women and three men, with a diversity of talent and a mastery of language, to be dropped into occupied Paris on a top secret mission. Naturally, it is also about the occupiers. And it is about the one member who doesn't return.

Who is it? That's the burning question, even as I was lost in the deftly built world. Surely not this one? Nor this one?

I'm thankful that Hachette Audio invested in multiple narrators for this book. They each added so much to the story with their true reads of each character, as they went through the difficulties and horrors of being Americans in a country occupied by a country whose leaders were cold hearted killers. They also brought life to the Germans involved and I enjoyed hearing their sides as well.

CAVEAT: Yes, there are a good many names, even nicknames, and backstories to learn. Also, being spies, the characters have spy names. It's worth it to work a little hard to get them straight in your mind (and also pretty good for you). If you whisper-sync the Kindle version (which also saves you money on the audio), you can keep those names straight.

Kudos to Ms. Meacham, the publisher, the narrators, and the audio direction / publishing team.

Thank you for a copy of this audio in exchange for an honest review.

Leila Meacham is a writer and former teacher who lives in San Antonio, Texas. She is the author of the bestselling novels Roses, Tumbleweeds, Somerset, and Titans.

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