"Winter in Madrid" by C.J. Sansom

Winter in Madrid
I found this book by accident. I was not sure what to expect but decided to give it a try. I found a compelling story set in 1939-40 Madrid after the Spanish Civil War. England is blockading Spain and using the sale of essentials to Spain to keep them from joining the axis in the war. It is part suspense, spy and romance. The story is focused around three central characters with very different views of the world and with those views come very different ideologies. The central character is Harry Brett who is injured at Dunkirk and had lived a life of privilege before the war.

He is recruited by the British secret service to spy on a former class mate in Spain. The English want to find out if the story of a possible gold find is true and if so how large is the find. The English believe Harry's former classmate may be the key to finding out this information. The story reveals an inner struggle he faces as he deals with the guilt of spying on a former friend but more so the struggle of how he views the world and human nature. The friend he is asked to spy on is Sandy Forsyth the son of a bishop. Sandy has nothing to do with his family and is only concerned with making a profit. He became and is involved with a Red Cross nurse named Barbara Claire who after the supposed death of her lover Bernie falls into despair. Sandy helps Barbara recover and the live together and every one thinks they are married but they are not.

Barbara then learns that Bernie is not dead but instead is a prisoner in a secret camp for enemies of the state. As she goes about setting up an escape for Bernie she becomes distant from Sandy and when she learns of Sandy's dark side she is driven further away.

Harry mistakenly identifies a man he should not know that leads to the mans eventual death and Harry downfall as a spy. He meets a local senorita when her brother is injured while spying on him. It is this friendship that leads to his re-evaluation of the world. In a twist of fate Harry and Sophie get Barbara to let them help with Bernie's escape from the prison. The day of the escape comes and just when they are about to get away the trap is revealed and Sophie is killed in the trap is sprung. Harry, Barbara and Bernie manage to escape and return to the embassy where yet more deceptions are revealed.

The three are quickly spirited back to England and we see Barbara and Harry seven years later. Barbara is continuing her efforts to help refugees but Harry is broken and refuses to fight any more.

This is a compelling look at the world through different eyes and shows human nature as it is, flawed yet beautiful. The setting also reveals the great difficulties faced by the Spanish after the civil war and is a very dark and bleak picture. The story grabs you and is interesting.