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Reviewed by Inga Buccella for Readers' Favorite
Fantaisie by Michael Kenneth Smith is a post-war historical novel set primarily in Paris, France. The main characters are the pilot Jan Orlinski and his love interest, Sophie Gordon. A Parisian apartment is the home base for Jan, Sophie, and their young daughter Maria. Years prior, in a tavern where the lovers had first met, Sophie was mesmerized when Jan played Fantaisie by Chopin on a piano. After finishing his commitment to the war effort, Jan, a former Polish RAF pilot, is asked to pick up mysterious cargo from Africa and deliver it back to Paris. He only considers the risky offer from a shady character because the lucrative job may be short-lived. But when inspecting his freighter plane for flight, he finds bullet holes through its fuselage. Suddenly, he realizes it may be himself who is short-lived! Simultaneously, Sophie is recruited by M16 to become a British intelligence agent. Her reason for considering such a dangerous offer is revealed later. Both characters take incredible risks while keeping secrets from each other.
Author Michael Kenneth Smith takes us on a post-World War 2 adventure far from The City of Light in his concise but epic novel Fantaisie. Smith’s ability to empathize with and develop the varied characters is impressive and shows in this flawless historical story. I found his intricate weaving of Jan’s and Sophie’s parallel crises interesting and complex. However, what kept me immersed was the rapid-fire suspense! Whether it be a tumultuous flight through a rainstorm or an ominous meeting over martinis in a French restaurant, Smith is a master at building tension. Clandestine meetings, domestic and international injustices, secret agents, and suspicious 'frenemies' of the worst type are all part of this real world to which you will want to escape.
