Matt McAvoy Book Review

There is an air of old-school espionage about this, reminiscent of the international crime and spy thrillers which enthralled and excited, on the page and on the screen; in the sixties and seventies; it certainly has that feel about it.  Where it differs, though, I would say, is twofold.  Firstly, of course, technology has come a long way since those days, making our protagonists’ quest that much more contemporary; secondly, as today’s writing has a tendency to do, it goes way beyond its own little world, onto a high-stakes global scene; imagine The Boys From Brazil given the Clancy treatment.  The premise is a pretty decent one, about an already wealthy family discovering that their recently departed benefactor may have been a WW2 German war criminal, and along the way uncovering a nefarious plot for a fourth Reich, involving a series of terror atrocities on U.S. soil. 

However, I have to be honest and say the arc it took in relation to its primary protagonists left me a little non-plussed.  When not globe-trotting and dining (for many large parts, the book feels like a beer- and gastro-tasting masterclass), the parts where they are not solving the mystery of the treasure and Hitler’s biggest, ultimate secret are quite fleeting for the book’s first two thirds; I personally felt there was a great deal more room to really peel back the layers and go deep into the danger side of the story, but the real threat to our protagonists is rather token in its delivery.  The book’s final third, by contrast, goes off completely on a different skew, given the full action treatment, as government agencies, presidential orders and terrorists become the focus; it feels strangely detached from the first part of the book, and honestly gives a disorienting, disjointed feel to the narrative.

That said, Dennis Barger is pretty good and knows his topic.  I would like to see more emotive expression from the characters, and some of the dialogue feels unnatural, as if frequently used as a tool to drive the story forward or describe an element; for example, a character may describe another in introductory terms, as if writing rather than speaking the words.  I can understand an author’s tendency to do this, and it gives the writing a rather traditional, formal English feel, but if I’m honest it isn’t really my cup of tea.  There were some very interesting moments and the revelation is a good one – I don’t know how likely or credible the reveal is, not being an expert in the subject of the fall of the Reich, but the book will definitely deliver for some.  I would be interested to know much more about the author’s knowledge of the subject, though wonder if perhaps non-fiction might present a more satisfying thesis from him; his use of endnotes throughout the book suggests there may be an appetite on his part to go down that path.  As for those endnotes, clearly unconventional in fiction, I am in two minds: sure, they were a touch distracting, and can tend to draw your attention away from the narrative flow, but on the other hand they were also a very useful addition.  I have to be honest, I didn’t read them all, but rather just scanned them, for by then their relevance to the related moment was gone; I would tend to think that, if something is important enough to include in the book, then why not write it into the story?

Worth a read, if you like the classic tone of Ludlum and Forsyth – and if you have a discerning palate.