Title: Moscow Gold: A Novel of Twentieth-Century Spain
Author: Douglas L. Field
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 978-1663203366
Pages: 690
Genre: Romantic Action & Adventure / Historical Fiction
Reviewed by: Anthony Avina
Pacific Book Review
The heart of this world is often found in the mysteries that make up life. Mystery, whether people realize it or not, has become a part of our daily lives. From simple mysteries of who sent us flowers or who left the milk on the counter, to more complex mysteries such as the disappearance of a local woman or the identity of the group behind an imminent threat, mysteries tend to show up without warning, and our natural instinct is to go in search of the answers to those mysteries. It is often when we are in the height of a mystery that we find ourselves doing our best work. As Willem Dafoe once said, “I think on some level, you do your best things when you’re a little off- balance, a little scared. You’ve got to work from mystery, from wonder, from not knowing.”
In author Douglas L. Field’s Moscow Gold: A Novel of Twentieth-Century Spain, the author explores the mystery on a much grander scale. Set in the height of the Cold War, this historical fiction and action romance thriller sees readers following journalist David Fordham. Living near Madrid, the seasoned journalist is tasked by his editor to look into a cold case dating back to the Spanish civil war. Although hesitant to involve himself in something which will attract notoriety and danger, he, along with a young Spanish woman named Ariel and a veteran of the civil war named Ignacio, will find themselves forced to look into the mystery. As powerful organizations throughout the European continent move to stop this secret from being unveiled, the trio must navigate the continent to search for answers while developing their espionage skills, all while Ignacio and David build a friendship and David and Ariel find themselves drawn closer and closer together.
The author did an incredible job of crafting a thought-provoking, detailed, and mesmerizing mystery to get lost in. The amount of history and culture the author was able to weave into the narrative, along with the perfect balance of heated romance and action and espionage genre mashups, made this story come together so beautifully. The rich character growth the author gave us layered this mystery so well, allowing for a healthy fusion of powerful character dynamics and relationships with fascinating history that just jumped off of the page.
This is the perfect balance of historical fiction, mystery and suspense, action and adventure, and romance – all rolled up into one epic adventure. The imagery and atmosphere the author was able to infuse into the narrative allowed for a truly dynamic reading experience, bringing these European cities to life, as well as the era of the Cold War and the tension that it brought.
Exhilarating, atmospheric, and thought-provoking, author Douglas L. Field’s Moscow Gold: A Novel of Twentieth-Century Spain is a must-read historical fiction meets action & adventure romance novel. The sheer volume of detail and chemistry the author poured into these characters and their setting made this into an almost cinematic reading experience, and the dynamic narrative and history kept me, as a reader, hanging on the edge of my seat, unable to put this brilliant book down. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
