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    Ratlines
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    Ratlines
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    Ratlines
    Audiobook11 hours

    Ratlines

    Written by Stuart Neville

    Narrated by Stephen Armstrong

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Right at the end of the war, some Nazis saw it coming. They knew that even if they escaped, hundreds of others wouldn't. They needed to set up routes, channels, ways out for their friends. Ratlines. Ireland 1963. As Ireland prepares for President John F. Kennedy’s visit, a German national is murdered in a seaside guesthouse, the third foreigner in a week, and a note is found addressed to Skorzeny, Hitler’s favourite commando. As Lieutenant Albert Ryan digs deeper he discovers a network of former Nazis, presided over by Skorzeny. Who are the killers seeking revenge for the horrors of the Second World War?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherW. F. Howes Audio
    Release dateMar 1, 2013
    ISBN9781471226625
    Unavailable
    Ratlines

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    Reviews for Ratlines

    4/5

    66 ratings16 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Ratlines is a historical-fiction novel based in the early 1960s preceding a visit to Ireland by US President Kennedy. There's one 'real' character, an ex-Nazi big-shooter (Otto Skorzeny) who's spending his post-war years in Ireland, and a bunch of fictional characters and situations. The plot is pretty tricky: someone is assassinating ex-Nazis living in Ireland, Skorzeny receives a threat from whomever is doing the killing, and the Irish police are interested in both stopping the killings and keeping them quiet so as not to interfere with JFK's visit. An inspector is selected to investigate and is quickly mired in political and romantic intrigue that both hinders and helps his progress. The plot is solid but the characters are a little too one-dimensional. For example, Skorzeny is portrayed as the epitome of evil and the ultimate puppet master, but very little else is expressed about him that could help readers understand his motivations. The writing is very straightforward, not quite up to the standards of the Belfast novels in Neville's catalog, but perfectly acceptable for this type of book. The conclusion was a bit 'out there', but things were wrapped up nicely at the end. I can certainly recommend Ratlines, particularly if you have an interest in historical novels and where ex-Nazi officers ended up after the war (and how they got there).
    • 4/5
      Interesting novel built around the real presence of Nazi Otto Skozeny in Ireland during the 1960s and his links with Charles Haughey.
    • 4/5
      Ireland 1963: JFK is coming to visit and a rash of murders whose victims are WWII Nazis is causing the intelligence department concern.Is it the Mossad? Patriotism, betrayal, honor and evil are themes explored within the search for the assasins-fast moving, historically interesting and authentic.
    • 4/5
      As the author points out, in his author note at the beginning, there are a number of facts in this book, Charles Haughey was the minister for Justice at the time, and Otto Skorzeny was in Ireland and met him at one stage. Nazis and Axis collaborators sought, and obtained refuge in Ireland after the Second World War (the late Cathal O'Shannon made a documentary on this topic, Ireland's Nazis). The rest of this story is fiction.The story starts with death and then has Albert Ryan of the Army investigation unit being strongarmed by Haughey into investigating the murders quietly. His investigation berings him down some dark alleys and into some secrets and lies some of which people are willing to kill to keep.It's an interesting read, the characters are well-drawn and from what I've read Haughey was quite like he's depicted. Gruesome in places, but interesting.
    • 3/5
      I won a copy from a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.The book was good, interesting and compelling. The reason I do not give it more stars is because it was a little slow to get started and also the graphic violence and torture that I do not enjoy reading about.
    • 4/5
      In 1963 John F. Kennedy is planning a trip to Ireland to the home of his ancestors.Ireland is thrilled but just before his trip, three men are murdered. The last man was a German and on his corpse was a note to Otto Skorenzy, "We are coming for you."Lt. Albert Ryan of the Directorate Intelligence is ordered to investigate. Officials don't want the world to know that the men were Nazis and that they were granted asylum by Ireland after WWII.The action is intense and the author's writing style makes the reader seem like they are in the middle of the action.Ryan is like an Everyman of the story. He's a good man, just trying to do his job. Skorenzy, true to his reputation as Hitler's favorite commando, is ruthless and easy to dislike. There are also other sinister characters ready to kill at a moment's notice.I found the story original and interesting.
    • 4/5
      Fast paced with 75 short chapters. Very violent. Tells a story that is exciting and as they say in the movies based on true events. Not much is true really except that some nazi fugitives were offered asylum in the Irish Republic and that Mossad hunted nazis. Enjoyable piece of recent history fiction
    • 5/5
      terrific book
    • 4/5
      If you are in the mood for some good ceilidh noir, full of spies, ex-Nazis, corrupt politicians and IRA gun thugs, look no further.Stuart Neville has been on my radar ever since he came out with Ghosts of Belfast but, for some unknown reason, I got it into my head that it wasn’t going to be as good as I wanted it to be. As a result, I have deprived myself of several years of good reading.Ratlines, like the mooring ropes rats use to evacuate a burning ship, is a word used to describe the means by which Nazis fled Germany after World War II. Set in 1963, the book is so named because several such Nazi expatriates living in Ireland are meeting untimely (or possible post-timely) ends and another, former SS Colonel Otto Skorzeny (an actual person) is receiving warnings that the killers are coming for him. Lieutenant Albert Ryan, Irish G2, has been tasked by Minister of Justice (and future three-time Taoiseach prime minister of Ireland) Charles Haughey with working with Skorzeny to find and stop the killers. Despite misgivings about protecting someone he once fought against, Ryan is pressured to get results lest the violence interferes with the impending first visit to Ireland by a foreign head of state, America’s President Kennedy. The resulting story contains many intriguing elements, not the least of which is Ryan’s struggle to figure out who, if anybody are the good guys when both sides have shown that they are not above resorting to intimidation and torture to get their way. Neville is skilled at creating well developed characters, whether they be original or adaptations of existing figures such as Skorzeny or Haughey.The review copy of this book was obtained from the publisher via the Amazon Vine Program.
    • 4/5
      It is often a hard sell when an author weaves real people into a fiction story that took place in the past. In this case however it worked. The book also filled in some historical ignorance I had regarding Ireland, its position during WWII, and how they allowed a number of Nazi's to settle there after the war.
    • 3/5
      This was a chance acquisition, on the basis that the blurb on the back of the book gave an offbeat appeal. The story is set in Dublin in 1963 with the Irish government preparing for the imminent visit of President Kennedy, and features an intriguing mix of real and fictional characters. Albert Ryan is a lieutenant in the Irish Army, attached to its intelligence service. He is summoned to the office of the Minister of Justice, Charles Haughey, who advises him about a series of killings that have happened recently around the Republic. In each case the victim turns out to have been either a Nazi war criminal or a collaborator from one of the countries occupied by Germany during the War. Haughey is concerned that the murders constitute a threat to Otto Skorzeny, a former Colonel in the German Army who is now resident almost openly in Ireland, and commands considerable wealth and commensurate social standing. Neville builds up the tension powerfully, and the plot fizzes along in an entertaining way, though it never quite aspire to any degree of plausibility. The depiction of Charles Haughey is interesting and unforgiving, and expunges any inclination that anyone might have had to see him as a figure of unassailable rectitude. Albert Ryan, the chief protagonist, is, however, a rather two dimensional figure, and not one that I expect to have the depth to sustain another fictional outing.All in all, and enjoyable adventure story, but not much more.
    • 4/5
      It is 1961 or so in Ireland. President Kennedy is due for a visit soon, and someone is killing former Nazi's and their collaborators. Ireland was neutral during WW2 and became something of a haven for fleeing Nazis after the was. The main target of the assassins is Otto Skorzeny, who is a wealthy landowner and who has help organize an underground railroad of sorts for the former Nazi's. A member of the Irish Intelligence service is tasked with the job to find the assassins and protect Skorzeny, but the assignment leaves a bad taste in his mouth.I enjoyed the book. It was a quick read, and mostly well written. Some of the violence it is was a little over-graphic for my taste though. This book fits in well with the WW2 crime fiction and intrigue books that I enjoy, such as Alan Furst.
    • 4/5
      Once again, I went to an area of writing — mysteries and crime writing — that I avoid. Once again, I was left finishing a book and wondering why I read to the end. I jumped in because of heaps of praise from professional reviewers, bloggers, and friends. Oh, and the fact that it had Nazis, love to read about those evil Nazis. I finished it, but I wasn't turning those page quickly, and I wasn't searching for answers and conclusions. The style is very sparse and the writing and plotline didn't take me much of anywhere. - signed someone UNMOVED and ONE WHO DID NOT GET IT ... me bad?
    • 4/5
      First, to say what it isn’t about. Ratlines. To be honest, it would have been more interesting if it actually had been an investigation into these escape routes for ex-Nazis, their workings and that of the Israelis in trying to expose them. If it had been, it may well have been more exciting, more tense and more of a thriller, than what we got from after the half way mark, which boils down to an ordinary extortion and robbery set in Ireland just after the Second World War.

      Our main man, Albert Ryan, is a decent man, an ex-soldier. Unfortunately for him and many of his fellow country men's opinion of him, he was fighting for the ‘wrong' side. The English side. This presents one of the novel's (several) interesting points. That the Irish may well have been more anti-British in WWII than they were anti-Germany. A theme echoed and perhaps more fully realised in the situation of the Breton nationalist characters' situation. Where they were so anti-France, that they used the opportunity of the Nazi invasion, to ally themselves with the Nazis against the rest of France. Though they try to excuse themselves from being tarred by the holocaust brush. It is pointed out several times that they can't pick and choose. He works for the Irish government's intelligence services and is set to investigating the murders of several foreign nationals which may or may not be linked to the presence of a successful German businessman/ex-Nazi, living quite openly and participating quite prominently in Dublin's social life in the early 1960's. As his investigations progress, links to Skorzeny become more compelling and more dangerous. He also gets on the wrong side of an Israeli Mossad officer, who contrary to expectations, doesn't want Skorzeny dead and also claims not to know who has been killing Skorzeny's associates.

      I did feel a bit short-changed, when it became clear it was basically about a gold robbery and kind of money-laundering operation. But that may just be me. The style reminded me a little of Len Deighton in SSGB. Which is a good thing. Yeah, the Nazi link, but more the period feel. Neville doesn't go so much in for the descriptions as Deighton does, but there's a real sense of time and place about the writing. The plotting is good and tight, the characters believable and interesting.

      As I say, it does raise some very interesting ideas and themes concerning the aftermath of WWII in Europe, in Ireland. Apart from the possibility of Mossad operating unchecked, under Europe's radar in tracking ex-Nazi war criminals, there is the Irish position during and after the war. And the Irish attitudes to those of their countrymen who fought for one old enemy, the English, against a new enemy, the Nazis. There was one conversation, where I got the idea that a thought prevalent in Ireland at the time of the Second World War and when the book was set, would be that the Nazis were an enemy on paper, but the Irish could clearly see they wouldn’t be one that would last too long, so it really wasn’t worth hating them in the way they should the English. The Nazis would soon be gone, but the English had been and would be (unfortunately, in Irish eyes) an enemy for a long time yet. I thought the book suggested an Irish view towards war-time Germany, was ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend'. But it also posed the question of what was the Irish view of those Irish people who had fought for Britain, when they returned to Ireland? And what of Charles Haughey? I'm guessing he's dead, because he doesn't come out of this book very well at all. These really interesting themes are raised, but not for me, developed and taken where they should be. They seemed to be swept aside at the expense of what started out as looking like an intriguing exploration of the Nazi escape routes from justice in Europe, but then became a more traditional-feeling bullion robbery heist.

      It got bogged down around the half to two thirds mark in some eventually much too drawn-out, unnecessarily unpleasantly detailed torturing and people basically just moving things on by just questioning other people. I think as a whole, it does all hang together. Just. I could have done with, as I say, with more of an espionage angle, less of a Great Boat Robbery angle.

      I think over all I'll allow it hang by its fingertips to a 4. But with reservations. It did grip me - I read it in two days (though I never know if that's good or bad to get so little time out of a £16.99 spend), it is well put together and plotted and it does all make sense with believable characters, believable situations and plenty to keep you thinking about under way.
    • 5/5
      If you like intrigue, double-crosses, secret agents, and a protagonist that is rock solid to his core beliefs, this is a very satisfying read.Lieutenant Albert Ryan left Ireland to fight with the British against the Nazi’s in WWII. Upon his release he soon discovered he had no civilian qualifications and was recruited by military intelligence.It’s 1963 and as his country anticipates the arrival of American President John F. Kennedy, Ryan finds himself tracking down a killer of German nationalists and being ordered to ally with a Colonel Otto Skorzeny, ‘Hitler’s favorite commando’. Caught in a maelstrom of lies and deceit, Ryan finds there is only one person he can rely on, himself, but will that prove to be enough?Stuart Neville introduces a sometimes naïve, but not innocent individual in his latest stand-alone novel. Set against a backdrop of espionage and distrust, misplaced loyalties, he drops the reader into a world of political chess and greed, then deftly leads us through a minefield and turns the lights out.Having read Ghosts of Belfast recently, I was expecting this book to shoot out of the starting blocks, and instead found the pacing much slower than I had anticipated in the beginning. There is a lot of history involved in Ratlines and Stuart’s meticulous research shines through by not losing the reader, rather enlightening those of us who aren’t as familiar with the political landscape of the time. Upon reading about celebrations thrown after Kennedy’s assassination, it struck home just how well of a job he’d done when it played perfectly well with Skorzeny’s character.Another solid read that I will be highly recommending.
    • 4/5
      Call me naive, and I will have to plead guilty on this one.I recently learned something about post-WWII history as regards Ireland that I still have not come to grips with. Ireland, a country I have long admired, opened its borders to dozens (hundreds?) of Hitler's Nazis and SS officers after the war, allowing them to enter the country, live under assumed names, and carve out whole new, often very prosperous, lives for themselves. And these were not just a bunch of low-level grunts, some of these guys were guilty of the worst kind of atrocity and war crime imaginable - and they often entered the country with enough stolen money to do quite well in their new home country.Rather surprisingly, I did not learn this from some history book or a newspaper or magazine article. I learned of it, instead, from a brand new crime thriller written by Irish author Stuart Neville. Ratlines, set in 1963 just before President John F. Kennedy's famous visit to Ireland, features Lieutenant Albert Ryan, an Irish intelligence officer given the unenviable task of solving a series of murders that has claimed the lives of three ex-Nazis hiding out in Ireland. Someone, or some group, is identifying these war criminals and eliminating them one by one.Ryan's superiors, fearing that any bad publicity will force the U.S. government to cancel Kennedy's visit, demand quick results, with no leaks to the media. Ryan’s problem is that the government minister in charge of the investigation seems himself to be in bed with one of the worst of the Nazis living in Ireland, a brutal psychopath to whom Ryan is forced to report any progress he makes in finding the killers. Ratlines is well paced and filled with interesting characters, including a beautiful redhead Ryan becomes infatuated with at precisely the wrong time in his life. And the question is which side she is on. Now Ryan, because he can trust almost no one, is forced to take the fight directly to the bad guys with no backup - something that makes his long-term survival very unlikely. Stuart Neville writes a good thriller, and Ratlines will not disappoint fans of the genre. Incorporating a little known facet of Irish history, a very unflattering one, at that, into his main plot line was a brilliant move, a little bonus to the curious reader that makes Ratlines a book to recommend to likeminded friends.And that's what I'm doing. Rated at: 4.0