Can a lone American captain rescue justice in war-torn Germany?
It’s May 1945, the war’s just over, and Harry Kaspar, an American captain in Germany, is about to take a new posting in the US occupation—running a Bavarian town named Heimgau. When Harry loses the command to Major Membre, he’ll do almost anything to win the job back.
When Harry discovers a horrific scene—three German men tortured and murdered—he reckons that solving the crime could teach the conquered townspeople about American justice, as well as help him reclaim that better posting. The only problem is that Harry’s quest for the real killer will lead him straight back to his commander, Membre, and eventually to his mentor, a can-do rebel US colonel named Spanner. Spanner is a gangster run rampant, plundering the war-torn land for all its grim worth.
Harry’s lover, Katarina, a gutsy German actress, helps him realize he must …
Can a lone American captain rescue justice in war-torn Germany?
It’s May 1945, the war’s just over, and Harry Kaspar, an American captain in Germany, is about to take a new posting in the US occupation—running a Bavarian town named Heimgau. When Harry loses the command to Major Membre, he’ll do almost anything to win the job back.
When Harry discovers a horrific scene—three German men tortured and murdered—he reckons that solving the crime could teach the conquered townspeople about American justice, as well as help him reclaim that better posting. The only problem is that Harry’s quest for the real killer will lead him straight back to his commander, Membre, and eventually to his mentor, a can-do rebel US colonel named Spanner. Spanner is a gangster run rampant, plundering the war-torn land for all its grim worth.
Harry’s lover, Katarina, a gutsy German actress, helps him realize he must fight back. Recognizing that absolute power corrupted and then destroyed Major Membre and Colonel Spanner, Harry takes it upon himself to overcome any obstacle that gets in his way and set a new American example by which a terrorized town and a mix of battered peoples can rise up from the ashes of a brutal, demoralizing war.
Ends somewhat earlier than I expected and I was a little dubious about the plot by then. However the ending occurs around 90% of the book and that is because the final pages are the background to the novel. I stopped being dubious. I also reflected upon the nature of 'when a war is over' and how we then are able to create order out of chaos - and the chaos that is engendered. Recommend this.
An inexperienced American soldier with the US Military Government is assigned to administer a village in Bavaria just after the end of World War II. Upon arriving, he finds orders changed, a distrustful populace, and a shocking secret in the waning days of SS rule.
(Disclosure: I was a beta reader for this novel, and as such, received my copy for free. The author is also on my Goodreads Friends list as we share similar interests in fiction.)
Much has been written about World War II: the lead-up, the conflict, the concentration camps. One thing I'd never heard much about before was the immediate aftermath. This novel offers up some interesting insight into the US Military Government and its role in returning Germany back to order, as well as the opportunists who abounded at the time.
The protagonist is a naive, untested soldier whose training is in administration, not combat. …
An inexperienced American soldier with the US Military Government is assigned to administer a village in Bavaria just after the end of World War II. Upon arriving, he finds orders changed, a distrustful populace, and a shocking secret in the waning days of SS rule.
(Disclosure: I was a beta reader for this novel, and as such, received my copy for free. The author is also on my Goodreads Friends list as we share similar interests in fiction.)
Much has been written about World War II: the lead-up, the conflict, the concentration camps. One thing I'd never heard much about before was the immediate aftermath. This novel offers up some interesting insight into the US Military Government and its role in returning Germany back to order, as well as the opportunists who abounded at the time.
The protagonist is a naive, untested soldier whose training is in administration, not combat. Full of ideals and a desire to show the Germans the "American" way of leading, he gets more than he anticipated. It's nice to see the change he goes through as his conscience and beliefs are tested along the way, not only by his colleagues, but also by those he is supposed to be governing. I'd say character--coupled with the excellent atmosphere and information--is the greatest strength of the novel, and well worth the read.
The plot revolves around Jewish art and other valuables looted and plundered by the Nazis under the Melmer account. It makes mention of the Monuments Men (MFAA), but it's not directly involved with their operation (I haven't seen the George Clooney movie, nor read the book by Robert M. Edsel). For me, stolen art is an aspect of World War II that is less important than the genocide, the tyranny, the fighting, and the destruction. This, as well as some rough edges with the dialog, were probably my only main drawbacks with the story.
I'd recommend this novel to fans of Alan Furst's novels about spies in World War II and to fans of Martin Cruz Smith's mysteries. For people considering this novel, I'd say this is definitely not one to judge by the unfortunate choice of cover. Also, the first three chapters are not a good representation of the writing style of the whole novel; they are too rushed and thin, whereas the rest of the novel is quite well-written and with a comfortable narrative style. If you want to sample the author's writing style, you'll have to start at about chapter four or so. To me, this is a good, ol' fashioned adventure story, perhaps even akin to a 1960s movie about World War II. I don't think anyone would be disappointed with it, especially after reading the Afterward and realizing how much research the author did and how closely it resembles actual historical accounts.
