It is March 1942, and an elite group of Norwegian resistance fighters along with the SOE -- the Special Operation Executive, a very hush-hush division of the British Secret Services -- is to combine their efforts to stop the Nazis from winning the race to the atom bomb. Norway is the premier producer of heavy water, and the plant at Vemork has the capacity to manufacture the quantity the Nazis need to make the bomb, and Hitler would win the war.

Outside of Norway, little is known about this important act of sabotage and the Norwegian resistance, whose contribution to the WWII effort remains largely unsung. While I was aware of the particular events related in THE SABOTEUR, I did not know the particulars, and even though this book is a fictionalized account of this daring mission, Andrew Gross sticks mostly to the facts and THE SABOTEUR can be viewed as a painless way to learn about a turning point in modern history. Mr. Gross does an outstanding job of weaving what must have been an inordinate amount of research into a cohesive and nail-biting story, where danger lurks at every corner be it in the form of the Gestapo, the local collaborators, or the harsh Norwegian landscape and weather where the heavy water plant is located. The author based the fictional Kurt Nordstrum on Kurt Haukelid's account of the actual story, among other sources.

The nearly impossible mission is extensively detailed, and far from being boring, every detail is enlightening and enthralling as the men, who numbered fewer than a dozen, risk their lives to thwart the enemy's plan. Ms. Gross writing is unadorned, as befitting the narrative, but still very eloquent as every nerve-racking moment is brought to life. I found interesting that, although THE SABOTEUR is a work of fiction, Mr. Gross chose to preserve the real names of most of the featured players, thereby honoring the heroes' memories. There was one character I suspected was fictional from the start, and I felt this was a bit self-indulgent from the part of the author as this detracted from a real hero's accomplishment; on the other hand, two fictional characters that appear towards the end were a lovely addition as I felt it added a touch of whimsy to a trivial news item. I commend Andrew Gross for crafting an exciting thriller while taking nary a historical liberty, and I can hardly wait to see what the immensely talented Andrew Gross has in store for us in the future.