The story, in part inspired by an actual conspiracy, has the tempo of an Indiana Jones movie mixed with the sensibilities of a history book.” — USA Today
“By alternating between the past and the present, Bourne has crafted a dark and intensely gripping thriller that vividly captures the emotional maelstrom and physical destruction of World War II Europe. His latest will stay with readers long after they have closed the book.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“Bourne brings some lesser-known history into focus here, integrating brutal descriptions of Nazi terror into his modern-day thriller. . . . His prose is sharp and clear, especially when he’s dealing with history.” — Booklist
Bourne brings some lesser-known history into focus here, integrating brutal descriptions of Nazi terror into his modern-day thriller. . . . His prose is sharp and clear, especially when he’s dealing with history.
The story, in part inspired by an actual conspiracy, has the tempo of an Indiana Jones movie mixed with the sensibilities of a history book.
The story, in part inspired by an actual conspiracy, has the tempo of an Indiana Jones movie mixed with the sensibilities of a history book.
Bourne brings some lesser-known history into focus here, integrating brutal descriptions of Nazi terror into his modern-day thriller. . . . His prose is sharp and clear, especially when he’s dealing with history.
British author Bourne (the pseudonym of Jonathan Freedland) wisely eschews another foray into Da Vinci Code territory, like The Righteous Men or The Last Testament, in this solid suspense novel focused on the recent past. Former U.N. lawyer Tom Byrne gets an early morning phone call from his old boss, Henning Munchau, who wants Tom back for one more job. A guard at the U.N. building has just shot a suspected terrorist who was thought to be a suicide bomber, except it turns out that this supposed terrorist is Gerald Merton, a 77-year-old Lithuanian Holocaust survivor who as a child fought the Nazis as part of the Jewish underground. When Byrne investigates, he finds that Merton is not as innocent as he appears, and that his visit to the U.N. concerns a great secret that spans the years from the end of WWII to the present. Happily, Bourne has tightened up his writing and toned down the feverish pace and purple prose of his earlier work. (Dec.)
Warned of a possible terrorist targeting the United Nations building in New York City, a security guard shoots a possible suspect only to discover that he was a senior citizen, Gerald Merton, visiting from London. Working swiftly to avert a media scandal, the UN legal counsel brings in a former employee from their department, Tom Byrne, to shadow the NYPD's lead investigator, Jay Sherrill. Tom is sent to London to smooth things over with Merton's bereaved daughter, Rebecca. Then Jay discovers that Gerald may not have been as innocent as originally thought. As Tom and Rebecca quickly discover her father's past involvement with a covert group of Holocaust survivors, they become targets for those who would do anything to protect their secrets. VERDICT By alternating between the past and the present, Bourne (The Righteous Men), aka British journalist Jonathan Freedland, has crafted a dark and intensely gripping thriller that vividly captures the emotional maelstrom and physical destruction of World War II Europe. His latest will stay with readers long after they have closed the book.—Joy Gunn, Henderson Libs., NV
An old Jewish man is killed at the U.N. building, and a young professional unexpectedly finds himself the investigator. He falls for the old man's daughter, who—and why didn't we guess this?—has a powerful secret. It's understandable why Sam Bourne’s work has been compared to Dan (THE DA VINCI CODE) Brown’s. But Bourne has the advantage—with original characters, stronger dialogue, and a plot that has gravitas—much of it dealing with repression in the Kovno Ghetto during WWII (in what is now Lithuania). Narrator Adam Sims does a swell job delivering the goods and is especially strong with accents. Check out his subtle Lithuanian accent, used for the diary readings. R.W.S. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
The shooting of an old man at the U.N. sends a lawyer to London, where he uncovers yet another dark tale from the Holocaust, in British journalist Bourne's thriller, which is based on actual events.
As heads of government arrive in New York to speak to the General Assembly during U.N. Week, the world organization's security staff has good reason to be on high alert for terrorists. And a U.N. guard also has good reason to shoot and kill a suspicious man who appears to be carrying an explosive. The victim, Gerald Merton, seems a harmless, unarmed 77-year-old man. But at once, and to no great surprise, clues and questions emerge suggesting he actually may have been an assassin. During an autopsy, lawyer Tom Byrne, called in on the case by the U.N., notes how muscular the man was, especially for his age. Also curious is the fact that Merton, a Jew, was un-circumcised. Moreover, Merton's phone shows he made a call to a Russian arms dealer and, later, New York police uncover a gun beneath the floorboards of his apartment. To find out what Merton was up to, Byrne flies to London to question the victim's daughter, Rebecca. Spurning Byrne, she lashes out at the U.N. for killing a Holocaust survivor. Passion, of course, has its way: "[Byrne] could smell her, the scent flooding him with lust." Soon they share an "urgent" kiss and then endeavor to learn the nature of Merton's mission. From Merton's journals, Byrne learns that during World War II, Merton was spirited into the Jewish underground, eventually leading a mission that would continue long after the conflict. Byrne also discovers several passports that suggest Merton traveled under several aliases and news clippings that may explain his intentions. When Rebecca's flat is ransacked, it appears someone else is on to Merton's case.
Byrne's journey and its genuinely surprising discoveries provide an engaging core to a tale hampered by repetitions, unnecessary subplots and preachy dialogue.
