In Secret - Good Old Reads

Robert W. Chambers’ In Secret has the basis of a gripping World War I adventure. But the execution doesn’t live up to its potential.

High Point: Chambers makes a strong point about the brutality of war.

Low Point: The novel reads as a short story with enough superfluous padding to stretch to novel-length.

Author: Robert W. Chambers

Publication Date: 1919

Genre: Fiction – War

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The Plot Thickens—Then Wanders

Robert W. Chambers’ In Secret has the basis of a gripping World War I adventure. But the execution doesn’t live up to its potential.

Published in 1919 shortly after the war’s end, the novel follows a young couple serving as agents for the American intelligence service. Their mission centers on uncovering a secret agreement between Germany and Switzerland that could have a devastating impact on the Allies. The discovery leads them on one adventure after another as they attempt to determine and expose Germany’s “Great Secret.”

That’s a great premise for a spy thriller, but Chambers can’t quite pull it off. A prolific writer in the early 20^th century, he was known more for his short stories. And this book reads as a short story with enough superfluous padding to stretch it to novel-length.

The most compelling aspect of In Secret may be its disturbing conclusion. With his finish, Chambers made a strong point about the brutality of war. What’s worse, the ending was almost prophetic of events to come with the next world war 20 years later.

In Secret is worth a read. Just be patient through the redundant stretches, and get to the finale.