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Giselle and Felipe want to live in a safe world where they can raise their precocious daughter Elena. Elena is four years old and has been one of the few bright spots in Felipe's life, as he has recently sunk into depression. Giselle knows Felipe's melancholy stems from the failure to capture their bête noire. A chance encounter with Karen, a nanny of one of her daughter's friends, proves serendipitous, as she learns that Karen is the niece of the allegedly deceased Eva Braun, Hitler's wife. While Giselle ingratiates herself with Karen and her family, Felipe and a former Mossad operative track down investigatory leads that may uncover the whereabouts of Hitler. The danger represented by a still-living Führer means Giselle and Felipe must conduct their operations as stealthily as possible.
The pursuit of war criminals has never seemed as palpably intense as shown in this exciting work of historical fiction. The hunt for Nazis after the end of World War II has been portrayed in literature (The Odessa File), movies (The Boys from Brazil), and television (Hunters), but intriguingly, this narrative devotes much of its focus to Giselle and the quandary she faces as she befriends Karen and infiltrates her life. The horrors that Giselle has seen in this world (i.e., the Holocaust) have impacted her, yet she still believes in the goodness of people in her belief that Karen is separated from her family's horrific actions. The story benefits from a well-paced plot filled with moments of action and suspense, memorable characters, and a terrific denouement. This novel is sure to generate a buzz among mystery lovers.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review