Island Reich is the first book that I have read from author Jack Grimwood and I must say I like his style of writing. The book is huge and has 189 chapters, though given that most of them are super short (my favourite kind), and quite often were just a page or two you can see why there are so many.

The book blends fact and fiction to bring to life the story of WWII Germany’s invasion of the Channel Islands, specifically Alderney, as they believed this would help them cross on to the British mainland, and events including the Duke of Windsor, former King Edward VIII who abdicated in 1936, and his wife Wallis Simpson as they move throughout Europe, eventually settling in Portugal and are both hurt, angry, and resentful of the British government and royalty at the way they feel they have been treated.

The story begins in 1940 where we meet ex-soldier Bill O’Hagan as he is tasked, after some persuasion and offered the choice of help his country or be hanged, to go to Alderney to pretend to be one of the residents and farmer from Africa, Sir William Renhou who happens to have sided with the Germans. He is to make an impression on them and get his foot in the door so that he can crack open a safe and remove the contents. He didn’t expect to find the real William’s wife, Daisy, to be at the family home, along with a Jewish child who is pretending to be her niece and their housekeeper.

The British government is also keeping a close eye on Edward and Wallis as they feel they are being swayed by the enemy and may cause a huge risk to the country should they decide to side with the Germans.

Island Reich is truly fascinating and because it entwined facts with fiction I learned copious amounts of information about this period in history and the abdication of King Edward VIII including the issues that presented themselves afterward.

I was completely engrossed in the story and loved the letters, etc that were scattered throughout from various persons, including Winston Churchill and foreign ministers. It took me quite a while to get through the book for two reasons, its huge size and that to fully understand the plot you need to comprehend every aspect that is going on which makes for slower reading.

The book is totally enthralling, it has such depth to the scenes, and this is one historical fiction novel that I won’t forget in a hurry.