⭐⭐⭐⭐
I’ve wanted to read The Odessa File for years and finally got around to it. I’m glad I did.
In this gripping Cold War thriller, Frederick Forsyth follows journalist Peter Miller as he uncovers evidence of ODESSA, a clandestine network protecting former SS officers. What starts as a personal investigation soon becomes a dangerous descent into a web of power, loyalty, and buried atrocities.
The novel is full of facts interwoven into the story, giving it a documentary feel without losing narrative drive. Forsyth’s background as a foreign correspondent shows in the meticulous detail and procedural authenticity. The moral weight of postwar Germany hangs over every chapter, adding depth to the suspense. At times the exposition slows the pace, but it also strengthens the realism and raises the stakes.
This book reminded me why Forsyth became such a force in the thriller world. Now it’s time to read The Day of the Jackal, which earned him an Edgar Allan Poe Award and launched a career that saw more than 70 million books sold worldwide and over a dozen adaptations to film.
Not flawless, but sharp, intelligent, and unsettling in all the right ways.