Under Occupation by Alan Furst
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Under Occupation is the latest story by Alan Furst. I’ve read all of the books in his Night Soldiers collection, and this one is just not as good as the others. In places it really seems more like an outline, that will be filled in later.

The story follows journalist/author Paul Ricard in Occupied Paris in 1942. Through a chance encounter with a man being pursued by the Gestapo, Ricard becomes drawn into the activities of the Resistance. And that’s about all I can say without spoilers.

The main problem with the book is that it does not seem like a finished work. Ricard’s activities with the Resistance seem like unconnected episodes. Minor characters appear then disappear only to reappear as needed. Random chance seems to play an unusually large role in some of the activities.

I really can’t recommend this book. If you’re a fan of the series like me, then of course you will read it. If you are new to the series, I strongly recommend reading a few of the early novels before reading this one.