Alan Furst

In 1941, Eric DeHaan, the captain of the Noordendam, a Dutch tramp freighter, is recruited by the Dutch Naval Intelligence Section for dangerous secret missions that take the ship and its crew behind enemy lines in Europe and North Africa.

A Novel

Dark Voyage

Sarah Sammis

Dark Voyage was my introduction to Alan Furst's WWII spy novels. The book follows the ad hock crew of the Noordendam, sailing for the Royal Navy under a stolen Spanish flag. While the crew sails from port to port, we are given hints at the battles through letters, radio transmissions and their brief ports of call.

Furst's writing style is reminiscent of Grahame Green, especially when writing for Carol Reed. I was most reminded of Our Man in Havana and The Third Man.

The middle section, "Ports of Call" is written in a diary format. Each entry is headed with the coordinates of the ship and her itinerary. It is the most information heavy of the entire book, focusing more on the machinations of the various warring nations and less on the characters aboard the the Noordendam. History buffs will enjoy the chapter but I found my attention wandering at times.

Save for the one dry chapter, I enjoyed Dark Voyage enough to jump into another Alan Furst novel, Kingdom of Shadows.

Excellent. Full on Furst. Robustness, confusion, and delicate. Lots of knowledge, and believable characters, and the pivotal bullet hole in the mirrored wall of the Brasserie Heininger in Paris. Always a pleasure. 

Dark Voyage A Novel

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