The Alice Network

A decent novel with some compelling characters and an interesting historical backdrop. The prose workmanlike.. adequate but plodding at times. The first half of the book is considerably stronger than the second. The writing, dialogue and character development suffer from impatience as the plot comes to a conclusion. Eve's wartime story and character is much more compelling and believable than Charlie's. In fact, the book would have been much better if it focussed solely on Eve. The romantic storyline was somewhat flat and glib. I also felt that the story deserved a more sophisticated conclusion. The subject matter has so much depth, and it just felt a little inadequate to end it in such a Hollywood/ TV series way.