All Comments on 'One Shoe Gumshoe'

I enjoyed this very much. It's a long story so I won't be supplying chapter and verse to these comments but I got a bit confused over Gold's rank in the middle of all that when I'm pretty sure you suddenly referenced him as a 'flying officer' instead of flight lieutenant. If he was that good a pilot and leader bomber command would have dug their heels in, certainly offering him his half stripe. It does get explained but sending him straight to Biggin would have raised a big red flag, even in Berlin. In real life he would be dead in a week: bomber command does not a fighter pilot make - he should have been sent to 12 group to join a training squadron and PR to the contrary would have been sweet to an enemy intelligence officer's ear.

Later near the drowning scene you reference enlisted men required to be in uniform: as an officer uniforms were preferred but not mandatory. Finally, the us enacted a neutrality act by which Gold's service in the UK would have been illegal. I'm not sure how that would have played out in your story . A number of Americans did defy the act and served in the UK armed services illegally until the us declared war and the neutrality act repealed. (See Yankee RN, AH Cherry). Gold was too visible to get away with it without some artifice to publicly get around it.

My father served in the Buffs, Tank Reginent and the 21st Independent Company of the Parachute Regiment and met several Americans who signed up to fight the Nazis (as well as other neutrals, Irishmen from the Free State joined in their thousands). Some of the Americans were ex-German Jews, who were drafted into the Paras because they would be useful if sent behind enemy lines. Admittedly these recruits would not be high profile. For fictional drama purposes, Gold had to be of public interest otherwise Mary would also be an unknown, I felt for this romance that we saw the real person behind the public persona.

That was my fault. The story posted prematurely, and not with the rest of the event stories. My apologies. Great story, Mr. Fiction. Randi.

Remarkable story. Thoroughly enjoyable and easy to read.

Thanks so much. I was really drawn into the story and setting.

A magnificent Tour de force *****5 Stars

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Deliciously convulated. Beautifully crafted story spanning WW 1 as well WW 2, with a very historical feel and reference.

Please do keep writing and may be take on an apprentice to pass on the art.

Sincerely

It took me several days of interupted reading to finish but I have to say that it left me well pleased and looking forward to more stories in the future. Thanks.

Great story well written. Your research was excellent it really gave a realistic impression of ordinary life in wartime Britain.

Loved the name Wilson Keppel. It would have been too much to work in a Betty or sand dance allusion though!

5 stars

Loved it!

Hated to see it end. Reminds me of Nevil Shute at his best.

Neville Shute happens to be my favourite author and, of course, at this time he was at the height of his powers. The scene with Brad flying around the airfield to use up fuel before crash landing is similar to a scene in one of his books (forget which) and he had his hero so exhausted by steering and maintaining height on a crippled crate was reflected in the pilot unable to use his arms for a couple of days. Brilliant writing.

This story's ending takes place a mere twelve weeks or so before Japan attacks Pearl Harbor and the USA enters the war. There must be a lot of excitement still ahead of the happy couple...?

But of course our hero and heroine had no inkling of that event, turning the war into a truly global world war, due to happen in December 1941, nor did they know the war will last until 1945. Still, perhaps we could look in on them a year or two down the line?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and was sad to reach the end. I hope that our hero and heroine continue their adventures as the United States enters the war.

A well deserved five stars from me.

Just a wonderful story of love, intrigue, and danger in Britain before us Americans enter the war. Your writing, and story telling are superb. Five Stars just ain't enough!

I for one would love more of Edgar and Marys' story after Dec 7th 1941. Semper Fi!

Detective Cummings mentioned mentioned the CIA, which would not come into the scene until when? 1949?

Absolutely loved the story and your telling of it.

Excellent story, I hope your writings are bringing you more than accolades for us your lucky readers.

...but there are too many problems with this story.

1) Man-cave is a term first made popular in 1992.

2) Quite a few typos.

3) It saddens me to see that a good writer such as yourself can’t handle double pronouns. “The problem was Mary and I’s...” I’s ??? Correct English would have you say “The problem was Mary’s” and “The problem was my” when used alone. So put together the correct statement would be “The problem was Mary’s and my...”

4) With people we should use “who” and not “that.” “He is the man who gave me...” and not “He is the man that gave me...”

5) Way too many characters and it was too easy to get confused about who was who and who did what.

6) I just don’t see why she was attracted to him. There wasn’t a definite spark. That whole aspect of the story was just missing.

I know that your scores are very high for this story and you are to be congratulated. But unfortunately, it still needs a lot of work.

Well crafted and interesting writing.

Bravo, what a beautiful and captivating read. You have written most profoundly...!

This is a great story.

I enjoyed it.

It also is thought provoking.

Yes as others have pointed out there are various faults but hey we got more than we paid for.

A little thing here.

When they stuffed the dodgy copper into the boot of the car.

Most cars of the period had vertical boot lids.

Also in today's world we are being subdued by socialists again.

The Nazi's were a socialist party.

Socialism is bringing about the end of the free world.

Leveraged by a strain of the flu.

Truth is more incredible than fiction.

Cheers

Stellar story. Second read and I'll be reading again one of these days.

LMJ