The Partisan
This is Worrall’s first published novel. Primarily set in 1961, it moves from the 1940s through to the early 2000s in a fluid, effortless manner. Michael is a chess prodigy who, through luck, finds himself in an international chess tournament in London. Here he meets Yulia, a Russian maestro of the chess board. They have an instant attraction, and this forms the catalyst for what follows. However, this is a thriller and not a romance. Firstly, there is Vassily, a Russian spymaster. Then there is Greta, a young woman who learned to kill Nazis during World War Two and whose aim is to find and kill those who escaped Germany at the end of the war. Throw in a vicious member of the Russian hierarchy with a very murky past, and Michael’s father, who just happens to be someone high in the British secret service, and you have a high-octane thriller with the Cold War hotting up.
With a strong, believable multi-layered plot and characters, the story gallops along to a very satisfactory ending. This is a thoroughly enjoyable read, which absolutely merits the title of thriller. More please!
