Publishers Weekly
08/10/2020
In this solid series launch set in 1979 from military historian Stejskal (Special Forces Berlin: Clandestine Cold War Operations of the U.S. Army’s Elite, 1956–1990), the CIA offers U.S. Army Master Sgt. Kim Becker, a member of the Special Forces Berlin unit, a job the agency feels it can’t accomplish on its own—the rescue of an East German asset, code-named GBOZ, who has just sent an emergency message saying he’s been compromised. GBOZ, a general in the Stasi’s foreign intelligence directorate, is one of the CIA’s “only high-level penetrations of the Warsaw Pact.” Several major spying operations would be harmed if the general was arrested and broke under interrogation. Becker and his team put together a daring plan to smuggle the general out of East Germany. Stejskal, who served 35 years with the U.S. Army Special Forces and the CIA, convincingly describes the mission’s progress, and does a good job building suspense even if the outcome is never in doubt. Fans of realistic espionage fiction will look forward to the sequel. (Oct.)
LTG Charlie Cleveland
Set in Berlin during the Cold War in the complicated period after America’s long war in Vietnam, James Stejskal’s A Question of Time is a heart pumping tale of a Special Forces mission behind the Iron Curtain and a delightful introduction to Master Sergeant Kim Becker and his “Support Detachment Berlin” Special Forces “A” Team. In an artful blending of the history of a real secret unit, one that combined the tradecraft of spies with the daring that can only come from a well-led Special Forces team, Jim reminds us of times eerily similar to our own.
Historical Novel Society
"…the author is certainly qualified to write about the military, espionage and counter-terrorism [...] This familiarity with weaponry, spy procedures and dynamics are evident in the writing. This man knows his Glocks and/or sabotage devices, and this adds a convincing layer to the story."
Soldier Magazine
"...a good read – action packed and evoking the atmosphere of the times
Michael Frost Beckner
A Question of Time is tremendously good. Pitch perfect. Expert tradecraft—down to the most minute detail—matched by a captivating page-turner of a plot. The characters don't just come to life, they are alive. Stunning."
Darrell M. Blocker
"This story and its characters took me back to the OSS roots of both the CIA and Special Forces, the Decade of the Spy (1980s), and the end of Cold War that was the beginning of my CIA career.
Paul Vidich
James Stejskal, who served in Army Special Forces and the CIA, writes vivid and compelling stories set during the Cold War and in the years that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union. Gripping suspense, appealing characters, and an insider’s familiarity with clandestine operations make his realistic novels first rate spy fiction.
Army Rumour Service
"This rescue mission story is slick, neat and without fancy gadgets like flame thrower pens or flying cars, so much so that it becomes believable. […] 4/5, I loved it."
CrimeFictionLover.com
"Stejskal convincingly establishes the riskiness of the mission and its various ingenious stages, as well as the suspect-everyone mindset necessary for people living under such a difficult regime...the action is described with just enough detail to make it believable and not so much that the story bogs down. The writing is clear and compelling and doesn’t get in the way of the telling."
Barry Broman
"The tale Mr. Stejskal, a veteran of the US Army Special Forces, has woven is a taut, fast-moving, totally-plausible story of inter-agency cooperation at its finest. This is an excellent work of fiction. It is a story about a secret US Army Special Forces unit in Berlin that served throughout the Cold War, a unit that would have probably been wiped out if the Cold War had turned hot. The book is well-crafted, pays attention to detail, and gives long overdue credit to the men and women who were the tip of spear behind enemy lines in East Germany. Put this on your 'must read' list."
John Stryker Meyer
"Fiction that reads like fact. Boots on the ground, real-life drama, rich with details only an insider could write… an outstanding book.
LoveReading
"A thrilling, riveting, and whip-smart novel that feels as though you are being served a slice of Cold War military history. A Question of Time is a fabulous start to a series that promises to deliver in spades and it comes with a whopping thumbs up..."
Historical Miniatures Gaming Society
"Enjoyed it."
Doug Stanton
"A Question of Time takes us where few authors, soldiers, or citizens of any country have gone, deep behind enemy lines at the hottest moments of the Cold War. We are dropped into the world of an intelligence operation that even today is unknown to most of us. James Stejskal worked— and survived— in this world and returned with this story masterfully told. This is espionage at its page-turning best, rich with history, operational intrigue, and drama. Can’t wait for the next one.
Financial Times
"Stejskal brings a lively new twist to a familiar area… an intriguing debut… the tradecraft and operational planning are well-drawn, and Stejskal takes us into the heart of the American spy set-up in Berlin… The plot feels authentic and Berlin is vividly detailed, right down to the Stasi’s secret door in the Wall."
Love Reading
"A thrilling, riveting, and whip-smart novel that feels as though you are being served a slice of Cold War military history. A Question of Time is a fabulous start to a series that promises to deliver in spades and it comes with a whopping thumbs up..."
