"Shadow in the Glass" Published in CT Number 285

Now everyone reading this review will be a Dr Who fan, that goes without saying really. But what elements of Who do you like? Is it just the programmes, or is it the books, or the audios? For me, it takes something very special in a book for me to buy it, be it the Daleks (see Legacy of the Daleks), or another good review in this august magazine (see Grave Matter). So what made me buy The Shadow in the Glass? Why, the promise of one of the all-time great confrontations: the 6th Doctor and the Brigadier versus Adolf Hitler. It had to come, I mean, Dr Who is littered with examples of Nazism, be it the Daleks Nazi-esque routes, the Nazis in Silver Nemesis and several other mentions (like The Curse of Fenric), but it was a book that brought the confrontation to us- and what a good book it is too!

The basic plot is that in WW2 the British shot down a UFO and it crashed near Turelhampton, which was sealed off. It is now 2001, and Turelhampton is still sealed off, the alien craft is still there, dormant. But not dormant for much more. When strange things start to occur, discovered by a reporter called Claire, the Brigadier calls in the Doctor, in this case the 6th and with no companion. These three team up and soon much of England is, as usual, under threat from the alien menace.

However, Claire discovers that Hitler is still alive and possesses several alien artefacts, one granting immortality. It is then up to the Doctor to find out how Hitler came to be in possession of this, and by doing that he goes back to WW2 to meet with the Fuhrer himself, taking the Brigadier with him. If the Doctor can stop the Nazis from finding the artefact, perhaps history can be changed- or can it?

But did Hitler really survive? Why is there a hunt on for the alien artefacts and how can the Doctor prevent all of England from being destroyed by a force greater than an atomic explosion? It is a race against time, to Moscow, Antarctica, Berlin and through time itself to find the answers. The characterisations are excellent throughout this book, particularly when the Brigadier meets Hitler for the first time! Claire provides a modern-day journalist, keeping the book and the genre fresh.

Be prepared for plot twists, surprise revelations and great writing when you read this book. You have to keep awake as there are several scenes not explained until later on, but it is a nice feeling when you do discover them! I rate The Shadow in the Glass at a massive 97%, and it deserves every percent of that. For Justin Richards and Stephen Cole,"This was their finest hour."

By Peter Witney