Enigmatic British heroine Marian Sutro is an ex-Special Operations agent who bravely served her country and the Allied forces during World War II. Her exploits were outlined in Simon Mawer's previous novel, TRAPEZE, and now the Man Booker Prize-nominated author continues her story in TIGHTROPE.

Though there are moments that flash back to events that took place during WWII, the bulk of the story is set in the years following the war. As equipped as Marian may have been to battle Axis enemies on the front, she seems lost in conflict between two new rivals: the growing Russian juggernaut at the precipice of the Cold War, and the enemy that exists within her own mind.

"Simon Mawer has skillfully created a work of historical fiction that reads like a thriller, all within the framework of fine literature. TIGHTROPE is another outstanding effort that cements Mawer's hold on WWII-era fiction."

In flashbacks, we see Berlin under siege by Allied forces near the waning days of WWII in 1945. It is here where a bedraggled female seemingly emerges from the rubble. It turns out to be Marian; the only problem is that Special Ops handlers lost track of her two years earlier while she was on mission in Paris.

What transpired in the lost years of 1943-1945 continues to haunt Marian and plays continuous games with her mind and process of recollection. She was indeed a prisoner of war who was subjected to both physical and psychological torture at the hands of the Germans. She was thrown into a concentration camp at Ravensbrück and was only one of a handful of special operatives to survive the war. But at what cost?

In 1945, Marian is back with her parents and later her brother, Ned, in an effort to return to normalcy. As her family attempts to pry into what she endured as a POW, Marian refuses to discuss it, claiming she does not want to be a witness to what happened and would prefer to move on. To add insult to injury, her own superiors graciously recognize her efforts but indicate that they cannot award her any medals since females are not recognized as combatants.

Marian attempts to pick up the pieces, but her own memories and an increasing feeling of guilt will not allow her any peace. The guilt primarily comes from the fact that intelligence she provided during the war may have helped lead to the atomic bombing of Japan by the U.S. When Ned is discussing the newly formed Cold War against the Soviet Union and suggests that a few atom bombs would shake them up, Marian flies into a fit of rage.

Marian marries and tries to move on. Her guilt, though, keeps a strong hold on her as she not only feels remorse over the role she played in the Allied victory but also pines for her lover, who was lost during the war. We get to revisit this in flashback as well, and the depiction is quite poignant.

Simon Mawer has skillfully created a work of historical fiction that reads like a thriller, all within the framework of fine literature. TIGHTROPE is another outstanding effort that cements Mawer's hold on WWII-era fiction.