Diary of a Dead Man on Leave

Josef. Prolific novelist David Downing sets his stand alone novel titled, Diary of a Dead Man on Leave, in the town of Hamm, Germany in 1938. The book is structured as a diary that was found long after the war ended. The novel’s narrator arrived in Hamm as a Russian spy calling himself Josef Hoffmann. He was sent to Germany to reactivate a communist cell. Josef knew that he should write nothing down, but he proceeds anyway. As he settles into Hamm, he grows close to a widow who rents him a room and he guides her son, Walter, in a fatherly way. Walter is the one who found the diary and his eyes are opened, as are ours, by this account from a fascinating character and overall good guy. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase Diary of a Dead Man on Leave from amazon.com.