Lost Kin: A Novel

Description

Reunited brothers confront a secret Allied betrayal in postwar Munich. Occupied Munich, 1946: Irina, a Cossack refugee, confesses to murdering a GI, but American captain Harry Kaspar doesn't buy it. As Harry scours the devastated city for the truth, it leads him to his long-lost German brother, Max, who returned to Hitler's Germany before the war. Max has a questionable past, and he needs Harry for the cause that could redeem him: rescuing Irina's stranded clan of Cossacks who have been disowned by the Allies and are now being hunted by Soviet death squads-the cold-blooded upshot of a callous postwar policy. As a harsh winter brews, the Soviets close in and the Cold War looms, Harry and Max desperately plan for a risky last-ditch rescue on a remote stretch of the German-Czech border. A mysterious visitor from Max's darkest days shadows them. Everyone is suspect, including Harry's lover, Sabine, and Munich detective Hartmut Dietz-both of whom have pledged to help. But before the Kaspar brothers can save the innocent victims of peace, grave secrets and the deep contempt sown during the war threaten to damn them all. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction-novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Steve Anderson was a Fulbright fellow in Munich, Germany. His research on the early US occupation in 1945 inspired him to write several novels centered on WWII and its aftermath. Anderson has an MA in history and has worked in advertising, public relations, and journalism. He lives with his wife, Rene, in Portland, Oregon.

"There's enough action and mystery to keep the pages turning traitors done in by a shashka, a Ukrainian sword; a dramatic face-off in Czechoslovakia's snowy Sumava Mountains all spun out in a masterful story of redemption found within the brutalities of postwar realpolitik. Classic noir shadowed by the hulks and rubble of the once-proud city of Munich, a character itself in this haunting tale." Kirkus Reviews "A fascinating era, one of history's deep, dark pockets, observed with camera-like precision captivating characters and dialogue worthy of Mad Men." John Lawton, author of the Troy novels "Bravo! This is a hard-hitting tale of international intrigue, forced repatriation, and the bittersweet meaning of kinship when all values even the most elementary ones appear to have been swallowed up by war." Ben Pastor, author of Tin Sky, the latest novel in the Martin Bora series "Steve Anderson deftly creates a world on the razor's edge of survival, where yesterday's allies are tomorrow's cruel enemy, with the innocent caught in between. A great read!" James R. Benn, author of The White Ghost, a Billy Boyle WWII mystery "This pulsing mystery-thriller set in postwar Germany captures time in a capsule." J. Sydney Jones, author of the acclaimed Viennese Mystery series and the WWII thriller, Ruin Value "An excellent atmospheric portrayal of post-war Germany and the complexities of growing international maneuvering during that period, all wrapped in an intriguing mystery. Kudos!" Ron Lealos, author of Pashtun and Don't Mean Nuthin' "There's enough action and mystery to keep the pages turning traitors done in by a shashka, a Ukrainian sword; a dramatic face-off in Czechoslovakia's snowy Sumava Mountains all spun out in a masterful story of redemption found within the brutalities of postwar realpolitik. Classic noir shadowed by the hulks and rubble of the once-proud city of Munich, a character itself in this haunting tale." Kirkus Reviews "A fascinating era, one of history's deep, dark pockets, observed with camera-like precision captivating characters and dialogue worthy of Mad Men." John Lawton, author of the Troy novels "Bravo! This is a hard-hitting tale of international intrigue, forced repatriation, and the bittersweet meaning of kinship when all values even the most elementary ones appear to have been swallowed up by war." Ben Pastor, author of Tin Sky, the latest novel in the Martin Bora series "Steve Anderson deftly creates a world on the razor's edge of survival, where yesterday's allies are tomorrow's cruel enemy, with the innocent caught in between. A great read!" James R. Benn, author of The White Ghost, a Billy Boyle WWII mystery "This pulsing mystery-thriller set in postwar Germany captures time in a capsule." J. Sydney Jones, author of the acclaimed Viennese Mystery series and the WWII thriller, Ruin Value "An excellent atmospheric portrayal of post-war Germany and the complexities of growing international maneuvering during that period, all wrapped in an intriguing mystery. Kudos!" Ron Lealos, author of Pashtun and Don't Mean Nuthin'