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.