An excellent NY noir/eve of WWII thriller

Hour of the Cat, by Peter Quinn. This is a model of its kind: great characterization and settings, well-constructed and complex but also very clear plot, ominous world-historical backdrop. I often have a gripe with novels of this type--in general, I would prefer a stripped-down, leaner noir novel without so much of the real-major-players-in-history counterpoint--but in this case it's so well done (Admiral Canaris is particularly well-drawn) that I had no objections. Very, very good.