A great read and good that it is set in Cambridge, not Germany for a change. The second book I have read in this series, and not the last!

Rory Clements certainly knows how to pack a novel with action and information. In Nucleus (I love a one word book title) he gives us a classic ‘Ripping Yarn’ with lots of action set among the academia of Cambridge. He also gives a detailed background into life in the UK in 1939 when war was seen as inevitable. Nucleus has many storylines which all weave together but Clements tells them in a clear and easy manner enabling the reader to be fully aware of what is happening. Tom Wilde makes a great all-action hero. I loved the mental image of him racing his motorcycle along the country lanes; no helmet or leathers and his shirtsleeves rolled up. He is supported by some wonderful characters, ranging from the glamorous Clarissa to a tough ex-jockey. My favourite was the hard working mother and tart-with-a-heart persona of Fanny. For authenticity the author also includes some real characters including Bertha Bracey and Frank Foley. One measure of a good historical novel is how much I learn from its story and how much it encourages me to research further. Yes, I already knew quite a lot about the Kindertransport but following Nucleus I found myself looking up the 1939 IRA S-Plan bombing campaign, the beautiful Rudge 1938 Special and biographies of Foley and Bracey. The story and intrigue builds throughout, culminating in an all action finish with a few surprises. No reader will be able to resist cheering on Tom and his fellow good-guys as they break the spy ring and ensure that our scientific secrets are kept safe. My paperback copy had a sticker marked “for fans of Robert Harris”. I can understand why but I look forward to a time when Rory Clements can market his books “for fans of Rory Clements”. I have awarded Nucleus a nearly perfect four and a half stars.

Few authors describe their plot locations sufficiently nor capture the essence of the place or time. Rory Clements does just this in spades. You can smell the old Rudge motorcycle and feel the wind rushing threw your as the Hornet Moth biplane crosses the Channel. I felt completely at home in this novel, the time and area though new to me, and nearly 20 years before I was born but through grandparents, life and other reading matter I recognised the scene as if I was there. There is just the right amount of interest in the characters, the suspense building and the final confrontation, fantastic and thoroughly satisfying. I am now very much looking forward the third edition and possible finale with Tom Wilde and his 'get stuck in' attitude. If not for the Tom Wilde's of this world we'd be sunk. Keep doing what you are doing Rory as you stand out far above the rest in this area of interest. I do also love Robert Harris but you may have the edge on him in creating the tension and ambiance about your plot and hero's.

The plot is simple. It is 1939 and war seems inevitable. The Germans decide to destroy Britain’s atomic capability by destroying the Cavendish laboratory in Cambridge. I enjoyed this Tom Wilde novel more than Corpus, the first in the series. There was a satisfyingly complex narrative and a good number of twists, turns and unexpected surprises. There was less gratuitous violence also, but enough to keep the narrative exciting, yet plausible. Tom Wilde and Lydia Morris are very personable and sympathetic heroes who find themselves drawn into murky events rather more than they planned or intended. There were some loose ends in the story and it will be interesting to see how they might develop in future adventures.