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Daniel Mason presents a truly monumental book about a great love affair amidst the horrors of war. It is set during the period of World War I and along the eastern front in which Austria was fighting Russia.

There are two main protagonists involved in the story. The first is a young man named Lucius who was a medical student in Vienna when war broke out. His father had been an Austrian officer in previous conflicts and glorified the tradition of war urging Lucius to enter the military.

Lucius, on the other hand, offered his credentials as a medical student in order to work at a field hospital attending to war wounded. He is accepted, but much to his chagrin ends up at a commandeered church situated in a remote valley in the Carpathian mountains. It is there that he meets sister Margarete who is the only other qualified medical person since the other doctors stationed there have deserted. Lucius has never operated on anyone but finds that he can allow himself to be guided by Margarete who has assisted in almost all situations. She helps him in many ways allowing him to function as he should without either an actual medical degree nor real experience. It is no surprise that the two develop feelings for each other.. The romance is slowed by the fact that Margarete has taken vows. While slowed at first their love grows and soon becomes all consuming.

Mason is a medical doctor and explains quite clearly the state of medicine existing at military hospitals near the front lines during that period He also very aptly describes Lucius’ growth into his work. Lucius logically finds ways to treat grievous wounds normally not seen outside of battle casualties. He is introduced to the little known problem of what is called combat fatigue and how it can destroy men without the appearance of any physical wound. Lucius tries many medicines and treatments in working with these mentally wounded individuals and this alone is quite an experience for any reader.

As the love grows between our two central characters they get into the habit of leaving the hospital for short periods in order to be together. During one long walk they split up and Lucius arrives back at the hospital first. When Margarete does not return in a normal period Lucius sets out again in order to find her. Walking for quite a while he suddenly finds himself in the midst of a battle and has to run and hide in order not to be killed. The turning tide of war develops into other assignments with no return to his hospital and Margarete.

The absolute strength of this novel is the powerful depiction of Lucius and Margarete. They live and breathe, face real conflicts and are beset with the doubts that must be present in periods of constant stress. The resolution of their story is one that would be a reality in view of their experiences during a war and the battles fought in that war. The novel will stay with readers for a long time after finishing it. The only way to describe it is to indicate that I was very moved and finished with the feeling that I had taken part in a great work through reading Mason’s book.

9/18 Paul Lane

THE WINTER SOLDIER by Daniel Mason. Little, Brown and Company (September 11, 2018).  ISBN 978-0316477604. 336p.

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Philip Rochester is a bully, a despot and the epitome of a man that terrorizes a woman once she makes the mistake of marrying him. Not a very savory character and a lot different from the norm of leading characters in a novel. But Jakeman has succeeded in bringing him to life in a book featuring him vis-à-vis three women that have formed important parts of his life; his ex wife, his present wife currently being divorced by Philip and his girlfriend whom he is working towards making his third wife.

We are exposed to the feelings of his current wife who has endured being ridiculed, made to feel inadequate and wondering what she has done wrong as Philip has increased his overbearing treatment of her.

The story begins at Philip’s funeral with succeeding chapters listed as so many days or years prior to the funeral. Imogene, the current wife has had a child, a boy with Philip, and is desperate once she finds out what he is to keep her son away from him. His work as a policeman allows him contacts that Imogene fears will help him gain custody of Alistair, their son, with official lies backed up by the power of the police.

The ex-wife and his girl friend come into play in the story as it develops. Each has become enamored of Philip and only begins seeing what he is as the three women face his conniving to gain control of his son as well as the house that he and Imogene live in.

The book is Jakeman’s first and certainly allow an emerging literary talent to create a following that will enjoy this one and look forward to future novels from this author.

9/18 Paul Lane

THE EXES’ REVENGE by Jo Jakeman. Berkley (September 11, 2018).  ISBN 978-0440000341. 352p.

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A novel that tells the story of marriage infidelity from the husband’s side. It begins rapidly with Joe Lynch, the husband of his beloved Melissa (Mel) driving home from work via a route he has taken countless times after picking up his son. By chance he spots Mel meeting another man and entering a hotel with him.

Melissa has been his love interest starting when they were in their mid teens in high school. He eventually married her and considers himself the luckiest of men. And after eleven happy years and the arrival of a beautiful child he still looks upon himself as very fortunate. Joe makes the decision to confront the man Melissa met and does so. They quickly disintegrate into a physical match with Joe knocking the other man down. The man is actually an acquaintance of theirs with his own wife friendly with Mel.

Worried that he has hurt Ben, the other man, Joe turns back and decides to help him when his son experiences an asthma attack and must be attended to quickly. When he later returns to the hotel Ben is gone. In confronting Melissa about the meeting she finally admits that she has been having an affair for the past few months with Ben but swears up and down that it is now over and never to be repeated.

The problem is that Ben makes no appearance and the police enter the scene to make sure that Ben has not suffered foul play. A very well handled plot ensues with Joe trying to determine if he can bring himself to again be with Mel at the same time that the police appear to be more and more centered on Ben being killed. The fact that Joe caught him with Melissa is credible evidence that he did something to Ben.

The unfolding story is told in a very sure manner and the reader is caught up with what is seeming to transpire with Joe. Is he going to somehow come out of the predicament together with his beloved wife, or is he going to finally be arrested for murder? The mitigating factor in preventing an early arrest is that there is no body to be found. An all night read – certainly and also one that is guaranteed to assure that the next novel by this author will find it’s way into the reader’s hands as soon as published.

9/18 Paul Lane

LIES by T.M. Logan. St. Martin’s Press (September 11, 2018).  ISBN 978-1250182265. 432p.

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The author brings us a carefully contrived story about the CIA. It is not a normal novel utilizing distinctively good and bad characters but framed in a context that shows real life shades of gray.

Anna is the only child of the marriage of Lulu and Noel and early on was subjected to the disappearance of her mother who deserted her husband as well as Anna. Noel was a dynamic individual working as a banker who mysteriously dies in a skiing accident in Switzerland on the day before Anna was to be married. Later, on her honeymoon she meets, apparently by chance, a stranger who had somehow worked with Noel in the past and had information about him. Later Anna receives a mysterious package that contains recordings and videos that show Noel in the midst of a brutal interrogation. Everything that Anna thought she knew about her father’s life and death is now called into question.

Carpenter’s style of moving back and forth between people in her narrative lend an almost stream of consciousness aspect to the novel which draws the reader into the apparent inner workings of the CIA, its good and bad, and the fact that there are different motivations involved. A China operation goes wrong and blame for it winds through the layers of management and personnel.

The book draws in the reader who easily follows the shifts in events and people. While Carpenter, in an afterward, tells us that she received no information from the CIA, the style of the book and the way it unfolds would seem to belie this. Basically it is because the novel tells the story as it would possibly occur in real life where not everything is black and white. A very fascinating read done in a style that is unique creating a novel that is a draw to most of its readers.

9/18 Paul Lane

RED WHITE BLUE by Lea Carpenter. Knopf; First Edition edition (August 21, 2018).  ISBN 978-1524732141. 320p.

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