Adopted just after World War II in Nuremberg under mysterious circumstances, Brian Lockwood receives a Nazi ceremonial dagger in the mail, an event that prompts him to embark on a perilous quest in search of his origins. 35,000 first printing. $30,000 ad/promo.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
When middle-aged journalist Brian Lockwood receives an anonymous threatening note and a ceremonial Nazi dagger in the mail, he realizes that his past is coming back to haunt him in Coppel's ( A Land of Mirrors ) engaging thriller that offers interesting insights on life in post-communist East Germany. Adopted under mysterious circumstances by an American officer ("the Colonel") at the end of WW II, Lockwood has long known that the Colonel's brother resented him--but could his uncle really have been sender of the ominous package? Lockwood takes advantage of an assignment for Der Zeit to return to eastern Germany in search of answers. He is aided by former members of the Stasi (the East German secret police), the Colonel's old friends and especially by the sexy young Anna Rykova, a woman of questionable motives who may be the granddaughter of Lockwood's childhood nurse, a member of the Stasi or a self-serving East German prostitute. After visiting the home of an elderly impoverished aristocratic couple, Lockwood learns two stunning secrets--about the dagger and also about his real father. Coppel spins a convincing intrigue, but the narrative is often sidetracked by his protagonist's lengthy philosophizing and reminiscences. Even so, this is a superior thriller by a master of the craft.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Brian Lockwood always believed he was a German orphan adopted by an American soldier after World War II. Now middle-aged, Brian is plagued by nightmares that relate to his childhood. Prior to a trip to Europe, he receives a Nazi dagger in the mail. As Brian investigates his past, his sister Claire helps him come to terms with the father he wishes he knew. His trail leads him to a unified Germany, where he finds a link between his past and Stossen, a Nazi war criminal who stole art treasures and stashed them in a Swiss bank. Hungering for vengeance against Brian's father, Stossen lures Brian to a deadly showdown. Coppel ( A Land of Mirrors , Harcourt, 1988; Show Me a Hero , Harcourt, 1987) paints a fascinating picture of a post-Cold War Germany and the tension that still exists there. He spins a convoluted espionage yarn that could have used more suspense. Only for public libraries where there is a large demand for espionage stories.
- Grant A. Fredericksen, Illinois Prairie Dist. P.L., Metamora
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Grant A. Fredericksen, Illinois Prairie Dist. P.L., Metamora
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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