Greg Iles is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Penn Cage series. His novels have been made into films, translated into more than twenty languages, and published in more than thirty-five countries worldwide.
The author of the best-selling Spandau Phoenix (LJ 4/15/93) takes us into Nazi Germany with an American doctor and a Jewish soldier intent on destroying a weapon that could wipe out the D-Day invasion forces.
Henceforth, any recommended reading list of thrillers about commando raids behind enemy lines will have to include this second novel by Iles (Spandau Phoenix), who has come up with an action-packed yet thoughtful yarn about a mission to stop the Nazi development of two new poison gases, Sarin and Somin, in a small concentration camp. Mark McConnell, a pacifist American doctor and poison-gas researcher, and Jonas Stern, a Zionist assassin, are chosen by the British to attack the camp. They are instructed to kill all its occupants (including the inmates) by unleashing Britain's own meager supply of Sarin, and to return with information about the manufacture of the gases. The story of McConnell and Stern's training and raid alternates with that of several people interned in the camp, among them Stern's father. The two strands come together in a swift and moving story about mercy, sacrifice and the horrors of war. The mission's purpose is problematic: Would Britain's use of Sarin to kill everyone at the camp really have convinced Himmler to discontinue further research and to persuade Hitler never to use poison gas for fear of Allied retaliation? But Iles builds suspense around the mission itself, not its aftermath, and winds up with an unusually resonant, gripping thriller that's a strong bet for bestsellerdom. Literary Guild alternate; audio rights to Penguin HighBridge; author tour. (Jan.)
"A thriller that really thrills...on fire with suspense!"--Stephen King
"Totally absorbing...A well-written, fast-paced, 'what-if' novel...that will be treasured and admired by and for generations."--Nelson DeMille "Like a Swiss watch wired to a bundle of dynamite; impeccable craftsmanship tick-tocking inexorably to an explosive climax. A wonderful mingling of technology, suspense, and character, and a fine exploration of the true nature of patriotism."--Diana Gabaldon "This book will keep your heart thumping."--St. Louis Post Dispatch "Henceforth, any recommended reading list of thrillers will have to include this...Action-packed yet thoughtful, unusually resonant and gripping, swift and moving."--Publishers Weekly "A wonderful thriller...Absolutely remarkable...One of the most exciting action stories ever written."--Mystery News "Stunning...From the very first page, Greg Iles takes his readers on an emotional roller-coaster ride, juxtaposing tension-filled action scenes, horrifying depictions of savage cruelty, and heart-stopping descriptions of sacrifice and bravery. A remarkable story from a remarkable writer."--Booklist
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