title: The Best of Our Spies
author:  Alex Gerlis 
description: Alex Gerlis was born in Lincolnshire and was a BBC journalist for more than 25 years. He left in 2011 and is now a full-time author. His books are factually based and carefully researched espionage novels set in Europe during the Second World War. 'The Best of Our Spies' was published in December 2012, followed by 'The Swiss Spy' in June 2015.Between them the two novels have sold almost 90,000 copies and have amassed more than 1,150 Amazon reviews. His third novel, set in Vienna in the period 1944-45, will be published by Studio 28 in April 2017.Alex Gerlis lives in west London and is married with two daughters.
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  The Best of Our Spies
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  Alex Gerlis
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Published by CB
  
  
  Creative Books
  
  
  
  
  
    
    
  
  
  
  
  
  Copyright ©Alex
  
  
  Gerlis 2012
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Alex Gerlis**
  
  
  
  
  
  Born in Lincolnshire, **Alex Gerlis** was a BBC journalist
  
  
  for more than twenty five years. He left in 2011 to concentrate on writing and
  
  
  freelance journalism. _‘The Best of Our Spies’_ is his first novel and
  
  
  he is represented by the Curtis Brown literary agency. He is a Visiting
  
  
  Professor of Journalism at the University of Bedfordshire. Alex Gerlis lives
  
  
  in west London with his wife and two daughters. _‘The Best of Our Spies’_ is
  
  
  published as part of an initiative between Curtis Brown Creative and Amazon.
  
  
    
  
  
  [www.alexgerlis.com](http://www.alexgerlis.com)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # CHAPTER ONE
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Northern France  
  
  
  May 1940
  
  
  
  
  
  The first
  
  
  time they saw German troops was around eight hours after they had left Amiens.
  
  
  
  