Alex Gerlis Books

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Alex Gerlis is an English author that writes spy thrillers. Born in 1955 in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, Gerlis attended Hull University (Degree in Law and Politics) before joining the BBC as a researcher and journalist.

In the two decades that followed, Gerlis filled numerous positions at the BBC. He edited ‘Breakfast News,’ made documentaries for ‘The Money Programme,’ worked as the duty editor for BBC TV News on the day of the Omagh bomb, and more.

He even joined the BBC team that covered the 911 attacks. His work took the author to the US, China, and the Middle East. He was covering the 50th anniversary of D-Day when the thought of writing a novel about those events came to him.

At the time, he had no idea that ‘The Best of Our Spies’ would become his first novel. He knew that he wanted to write a book about D-Day, but he had neither plot nor characters. Years later, Gerlis was vacationing in France when the first line of the 18th chapter of ‘The Best of Our Spies.’

Back then, Gerlis thought it was the perfect line for his first chapter. The sentence created a foundation from which Owen Quinn, the author’s hero, emerged. Later on, Gerlis shifted the line to chapter 18, where it belonged.

Today, people know the author for writing spy thrillers based on fact. But when he wrote his first novel, Gerlis had no intention of making historical conflicts such as WW2 and The Cold War his primary focus.

In fact, after ‘The Best of Our Spies’ came out, the author tried to write something new, a novel with different themes. He was determined to stray from WW2-based espionage fiction.

But he couldn’t do it. WW2 was such a fascinating period. He couldn’t explain why he was so excited to write stories set in the past instead of the present. He just knew that he was happiest when writing about the Second World War.

Part of the appeal was the scope. WW2 was a global event, yet it created opportunities for the author to explore intimate stories about simple people. Fortunately, his days as a journalist instilled a love for research in Gerlis.

His novels start with extensive research. Once he settles on a significant historical event, he looks for an interesting plot. For instance, in ‘The Swiss Spy,’ the author placed the focus on Stalin’s unwillingness to accept the possibility that Hitler could attack the Soviet Union.

With a plot in tow, the author will create his characters, initially developing them in his mind before putting their biographies on paper so that he can refer to them later on.

The locations are the final component. Gerlis does what he can to give his settings a sense of authenticity. He doesn’t know the ending when he sits down to write.

The author has a vague idea. Rather than forming a concrete picture of the finale, he allows his characters to shape the climax.

Best Alex Gerlis Books

Gerlis was inspired by writers like ‘Ian McEwan,’ ‘Graham Greene,’ and ‘John le Carre.’The author’s best books include:

The Best Of Our Spies: Nathalie Mercier went missing a month after the Allied landings in Normandy. The fight to liberate Europe had begun. The British agent had joined forces with the French Resistance to achieve her objective when she vanished.

Owen Quinn, her husband, was back in London when he learned the truth about Nathalie’s mission. When the Royal Navy Intelligence officer started his journey to France, he had no idea that the war would drastically change things.

The Swiss Spy: Germany was planning to invade the Soviet Union. Unfortunately, Stalin had refused to heed the warnings of the West. Henry Hunter looked like any other hapless civilian. But the man had a secret, one he was tired of carrying.

British intelligence made things worse. They caught him at Croydon Airport and coerced the spy into working for them. Before long, he was leaving Switzerland for Nazi Germany to partake in a perilous mission.

His new masters kept demanding results. They knew nothing of the ghosts he was carrying, of the dark episode that was haunting him, slowly shaping his decisions.

When Does The Next Alex Gerlis book come out?

Alex Gerlis doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Agent in the Shadows and was released on February, 9th 2023. It is the newest book in the The Wolf Pack Spies Series.

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