The war is far from over
From the publisher:
OUT NOW: the second volume in the bestselling, exhilarating WWII treasure-hunt thriller series for fans of Dan Brown
November 1941. Germany is about to win the war. Only one thing still separates the Nazis from a certain victory: they must find the three remaining all-powerful swastikas and reunite them with a fourth that is safely hidden away in Himmler’s mountain stronghold.
Churchill has no choice but to mobilize his best man, double agent Tristan Marcas, and employ the most risky techniques to beat them to it. It all comes to a showdown at a ball in Venice…
This is volume 2 of a planned 3 book series dealing with the possibility that Adolf Hitler, along with some of his high echelon officers, were firm believers in certain symbols that had the power to influence major events. They were purported to plan both military and political actions based on what they perceived were the influences of symbols. The novels concern four Swastikas that are sought by both the Nazis and the British with the belief that the balance of the war being fought by them would be affected by the possession of these symbols. The first book ends with each side having one of the Swastikas and both after the other two.
The authors are writing the novels so that they all have to be read in order and it is certainly the case that a fair amount of what is occurring in book two has a grounding in the first book. If the reader has read the first book the events and sequencing will be logical. If not, the story and its treatment by the authors make it very worthwhile to try and do so.
The novel opens in late 1941 with the probability that Germany will win the war. Hitler feels he must find the remaining Swastikas and unite them with the one currently being held in a vault in Himmler’s mountain stronghold. Winston Churchill knows that he must prevent this and mobilizes his best man: Tristan Marcas to organize a counter search keeping the remaining Swastikas out of the hands of the Nazis. The point-counterpoint of both sides is a completely mesmerizing study of constant action with Tristan’s group in constant danger of being caught and executed.
Ian Fleming, later author of the James Bond series of novels, is depicted as taking part in the story as head of the British group seeking contact with and aiding Marcas’ search. A neat touch by the authors is to suggest that Fleming was influenced by this action to create his character as well as coming up with the designation 007 for Bond.
The authors set up a background scenario revolving around Hitler, his boyhood, his service in the trenches of World War One, and methods of seeking and obtaining power over a Germany fed up with being blamed for starting WWI, and in the midst of a crippling depression. Undoubtedly based on solid research, it is an interesting sideline to the book and perhaps to arrive at an understanding of why a minority of Germany’s population were able to take over the country and allow itself to be steered into a world war.
11/2020 Paul Lane
GOOD & EVIL by Giacometti & Ravenne. Hodder (February 23, 2021). ISBN: 978-1529359428. 384 pages.
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