The Thin Wall

Solid historical fiction bringing light too a little known part of history.

This book starts with a forward by Chip Beck, about the many U.S. POWs that have been held captive long after a conflict ended or transferred outside of the conflict zone. In this case, it's a marine captured in Vietnam and transferred to Prague. The historical note states evidence leaked after the fall of the Soviet Union that troops were moved from Vietnam via Prague for experimentation. Congress investigated but not much of a conclusion. Boris Yeltsin confirmed this occurred when he was president of Russia in the 1990s.

The story about the POW, a JOB colonel, a U.S. spy left behind in Prague after WWII, and his decision to try and help was compelling. The information about the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and the KGB colonel at the center was fast paced, the conflict building to a tense and realistic final showdown. I enjoyed this part of the story a great deal. The small town setting and the town's struggle with the Colonel and oppression was a great (but hard) read. I felt their anger and fear and frustration.

There's a love story subplot that honestly seems unnecessary. That's the only reason for the 3 star rating. It wasn't a bad storyline. Just a bit of a distraction.

I won this book.as a Goodreads giveaway. And I received it just as I was leaving for a trip to the Czech Republic! Perfect timing.