Book description
Set in the desperate days at the outset of the Second World War,
Our Only Shield brings back Rory Ferrall, the resourceful
Canadian spy from Michael J. Goodspeed's debut novel, Three to a Loaf.
Hastily recalled from a successful career in the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police, Rory arrives in Britain only to find a war that is
being prosecuted with political indecision and wishful thinking. The
skills he displayed as a spy in the Great War are once again sorely
needed by a small group of far-sighted but frustrated military
planners.
Our Only Shield is a fascinating journey that takes us from
an early wartime Britain still reeling from a string of catastrophic
defeats into the once-peaceful Netherlands.
In 1940, Holland was a prosperous country where an industrious and
innocent population simply yearned for peace and the chance to lead
tranquil lives. Believing they could escape the havoc and violence of
a world gone berserk, they awoke to find themselves governed by a new,
terrifyingly brutal regime. Inserted into this shocked and traumatized
community, Rory Ferrall soon finds himself caught up with two
unforgettable characters: Annika Hammerstein, a gifted musician who
refuses to watch passively as atrocities are inflicted on her family
and her country, and Reinhold Neumann, a dangerously anxious but
clever and ambitious Nazi policeman whose aspirations are unrestrained
by conscience.
Our Only Shield is a meticulously researched story of how
ordinary people marshal their talents to fight against ruthlessly
efficient evil. Rich in historical detail, peopled with enduring
characters, this powerful narrative gains steadily in momentum and
tension and moves to a gripping conclusion. It's an enthralling and
satisfying story as well as a meditation on the timeless nature of
organized violence.
"There's action, a little romance and a telling of the story
from the point of view of each of the three main characters. Things
don't come to a neat and tidy ending either, which makes
Our Only Shield
original and also more interesting." MICHAEL GOODSPEED has
degrees in literature, business administration and strategic studies.
Currently an infantry officer in the Canadian Forces, he has lived and
worked in many parts of the world. He and his wife reside in eastern
Ontario.
