I couldn’t resist grabbing the newest James Patterson novel, written with David Ellis (who happens to be an Illinois appellate judge). “The Munich Affair” is a fictional story based on Hitler’s rumored affair with and murder of his niece, Geli Raubal in 1931. Most of the story takes place in pre-WWII Germany but follows Hitler all the way until his death in 1945. The authors created a great story to show exactly how Hitler’s regime operated and how he was able to become such a powerful dictator.
The main characters in this novel were Thomas Bauer, a dedicated and honorable police investigator; Fritz Gerlich, a journalist determined to publicize Hitler’s evil deeds; and Eleanor Robbins, a current day history professor searching for documents about WWII. Bauer is sent to investigate the death of a young woman in Munich and is convinced that she was murdered, not a victim of suicide like all of Hitler’s associates claim. He continues to search for clues and meets Gerlich. Together they try to find the truth and to persuade others to stand up for that truth. As they and their families find themselves in danger, the pair continue to fight for their country and finally end up plotting to kill Hitler. Many events in the novel actually happened, as there were many attempts on Hitler’s life. Eleanor Robbins’ timeline is the current day, as she travels to Germany to find proof of Hitler’s evil deeds.
I read this novel in 2 days – short chapters and an interesting plotline. I knew quite a bit about Hitler’s evils, but this novel really depicts his depravity and viciousness. If you like historical thrillers and WWII reads, this book will definitely be of interest!
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