by Allen Malnak
Two Harbors Press, $16.95, 325 pages
Imagine finding out that you, alone, are responsible for preventing a second-coming of Nazism and all the destruction that accompanies the political regime?
This is exactly what happens to the unfortunate Dr. Bruce Starkman after his beloved Uncle Max dies of a sudden “heart attack.” Given that Uncle Max was a practicing Orthodox Jew, his sudden death and cremation (which is strictly forbidden in the religion) tips Bruce off to the fact that something very sinister is going on. After some investigation, he discovers a hidden message from his uncle (who was, in fact, murdered) instructing Bruce to find and destroy Hitler’s Silver Box – the contents of which contain plans for a resurgence of Nazi power. In his quest to save the world, he allies himself with a beautiful Israeli woman, discovers two more murders, and is viciously hunted down by Neo-Nazi’s. The ending will shock and excite you!
Allen Malnak has written an incredibly readable text. His researching is well done, and his ability to carry a reader through a story based around relatively improbable plot lines is superb. His weaving of Bruce’s identity crisis, two love affairs, and eventual understanding of his roots is admirable. Parts of Uncle Max’s account (via a diary) of his time in the concentration camps are almost physically painful to read – but even this speaks to skill of Malnak in his writing. I would recommend this to all.
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