Destination: Berlin [Paperback]

S. Cardin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 16, 2001

Stuck in a routine job in Cold War Germany guarding nuclear weapons, U.S. Army Corporal Sharon Cates thinks she is going to Berlin to attend an orientation tour. Unknown to her, the briefcase she carries contains top-secret information that the Stasi and KGB are willing to kill for.

Russian Junior Sergeant Dimitri Nagory is an assistant to a high-ranking Soviet officer in his country’s embassy in England. Dimitri isn’t expecting a great adventure as he boards the duty train for a routine trip to headquarters in Berlin, and he certainly isn’t expecting to meet any Americans.

The Stasi derails the train in the middle of East Germany, expecting to take the information from Sharon’s dead body. But when the sudden explosion hurls Sharon and Dimitri from the train and into each other, he too becomes a target. With Sharon nursing badly bruised ribs and branded by her country as a traitorous thief for stealing top-secret documents, Dimitri goes against everything he’s ever been taught to ensure her safe return to the West.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

New Hampshire native S. G. Cardin spent more than seven years stationed overseas in Europe as a member of the Army’s Military Police Corps. She graduated magna cum laude with a BA in political science from California Baptist University in 1995. Cardin currently lives in California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Writer's Showcase Press (March 16, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595164196
• ISBN-13: 978-0595164196
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,878,356 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stephanie Burkhart was born in Manchester, New Hampshire. She received a B.S. in Political Science from California Baptist University in 1995. She served in U.S. Army from 1986-1997 as an MP, and visited the Berlin Wall in 1988, right before it fell. Her interests include exploring European history and watching Dancing with the Stars. Stephanie lives in California and works for LAPD's Communications Division. She writes under a pen name, SG Cardin. She belongs to RWA (Romance Writers of America) EPIC (Electronic Published Internet Content), and is a Moderator on Writing.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a little of everything, February 8, 2008

By 

book.of.the.moment "reviewer" (Maine, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Destination: Berlin (Paperback)

After reading the back of this book, I was feeling a little iffy as I started it. Sometimes military stories catch my attention, and other times I get overwhelmed by the lingo and the violence and quickly lose interest. "Destination: Berlin," kept my rapt attention from the first page through to the last though. As I finished the story I realized with a smile that I actually quite enjoyed it.

Sharon Cates is a model American soldier stationed in Germany. On her way to attend a routine orientation tour in Berlin, she meets a Russian soldier named Dimitri. The two share a meal and agree to put aside their military and political differences and "be friends for the day."

Shortly thereafter, an explosion derails the train, mildly injuring Cates. After overhearing a conversation by the train bombers, Dimitri quickly realizes that Cates is carrying more than just her identification papers in her briefcase. Somewhere in that case, unbeknownst to her, are nuclear launch codes that people are willing to kill to get their hands on.

Injured and completely confused, Cates finds herself with few options other than following the enemy soldier to safety. From here we follow Cates and Dimitri as they attempt to get to a safe and neutral part of the country; all the while hoping to guard the codes and prove Cates had no knowledge of the codes being in her briefcase at all.

There's a little bit of everything mixed into this story. There's history, adventure, suspense, romance and of course so military jargon. The author does a good job though, of simplifying the military lingo, so that it never becomes a burden to understand. The story flows well, and moves along quickly. If you're looking for a good story to keep you occupied for a night or two, I'd highly recommend this one.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A tautly written saga of mistrust, determination, and survival., February 6, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Destination: Berlin (Paperback)

Honorable mention winner of the 75th annual Writer's Digest Competition S. G. Cardin presents Destination Berlin, a suspenseful novel set in Cold War Germany. When Corporal Sharon Cates finds her train to Berlin derailed in the middle of communist East Germany, she discovers a top-secret document in her briefcase, that both the KGB and Stasi are willing to kill for. A race to Berlin ensues, and Sharon receives help from the unlikeliest of sources, Russian soldier Jr. Sgt. Dimitri Nagory. Inspired by the author's own experiences taking a trip to Berlin, serving the Army's Military Police Corps, and studying history, Destination Berlin is a tautly written saga of mistrust, determination, and survival.

5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't put it down!, April 30, 2011

By 

S. Schneider "StephanieGS" (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Destination: Berlin (Paperback)

In Destination: Berlin, Ms. S. Cardin takes the reader, as well as her characters, on a creative yet realistic journey through Cold War Germany. With its action-packed and compelling storyline, this book is near-impossible to put down! The characters quickly become real to the reader; the tension created between them adding a great deal to the excitement and strong impact of the plot.
Ms. Cardin's knowledge and experience of the military and 1988 Germany are quite clear throughout this book. She combines plain language with military and German terms with ease; the reader can easily understand what is being said at all times.
This novel is sure to keep any reader guessing; the combination of mystery and action with a dash of romance guarantees enjoyment for any reader. Destination: Berlin easily draws the reader in and holds their attention far beyond the end, leaving the reader entranced by the characters' lives and futures.
Overall, this novel offers a delightful story and amazing plot! It is a true display of talent that will have you hooked from beginning to end. Ms. Cardin's talent for bringing readers into her story is just astounding and Destination: Berlin will prove it to even the most skeptical reader!