die Stunde X

by Shaun Stafford

It is 1994, London, in the German State of Great Britain.

Jerome Varley witnesses his father arrested by the Geheime Staatspolizei, otherwise known as the Gestapo. Powerless to do anything to save his father's life, he becomes sucked into the world of freedom fighters, battling against the brutal Nazi regime.

Meanwhile, the Russo-American Pact are working with the freedom fighters. They have received word that the Führer is due to visit the German State of Great Britain. The freedom fighters decide to despatch their best assassin to kill him.

But none of them are aware that they have become unwitting pawns in a secret Nazi plot to seize power. As zero hour – die stunde X – approaches, the future of the German Reich, of the entire world, hangs in the balance.

331 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Shaun Stafford lives in Peterborough. A former civil servant, prison officer and counsellor, and a psychology graduate, in his writing he likes to explore topics which some people find distasteful.

He writes under three pen names.

Shaun Stafford's Bibliography

As Shaun M Stafford
The Journal
For the Love of the Devil
Putrid Underbelly
Journals
Peeling the Onion
Besotted
Maggie’s Children
Muslamic Ray Gun
Loose Screws
The God of the Dead

England's Pleasant Pastures

The Greater German Reich series:
die Stunde X
nach Schema F
Jetzt schlägt's aber 13
Lebensraum: der Schein trugt

As Shaun Martin
Genesis

Reviews

[Chris Passingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an appalling novel. By that I mean it is disturbing, distressing and upsetting but very thought-provoking. It's main premise is that the Nazis won WW2, overrunning all of Europe (including their allies, Italy and Spain) and ruled with an iron fist, using the Gestapo and the SS to keep order making great use of torture, execution and concentration camps.
The passages describing in graphic detail torture, execution and violence are all central to the story, but I couldn't really get my head around the need to do this after invading the UK 50 years previously.
This is a very bleak story, with 90 percent of the protagonists dying violent/gory deaths and there is no happy ending only the thought that everything is going to get a whole lot worse.

[Ifor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

A very enjoyable book. A good story, with good characters that flows well.
If you like alternate history you'll enjoy this one

[Nakul · Rating 3 out of 5]

The novel is set in an alternate timeline where the Nazis won the second world war and occupy most of the UK. It's the first in a series now running to 4. Set many decades after the war in 1994 the story starts with introducing us to a young Englishman, Jerome Varley, whose father is taken away by the Nazis.

The father is killed and Jerome joins the resistance. Nothing exceptional there and easy to think you're going to be reading an adventure story of good vs evil. However, the story arc expands to cover the political shenanigans and intrigue in the Reich.

So why didn't I like it more? The first interrogation / torture scene with fairly graphic detail was uncomfortable reading but, arguably, necessary to highlight the brutality and inhumanity of the regime. The following ones gilded the lily.

For someone who's seen and enjoyed many WWII movies the story was stale with no new insights other than depictions of life for 2nd class citizens which frankly anyone with some imagination could manage themselves.

I got bored partway and finished the book out of hope and curiosity. The writing is okay, with decent pace but apart from one main character all others seemed to be simplistically drawn as either good or bad.

I'll read the next in the series to see if it improves but I'm not expecting great things.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

The alternative history novel is very enjoyable. It gives an eye-opening view of how a government can control by fear and suspicion as well how an unpopular leader can find himself ousted if they don't tow the line.

What I like about it best was it had a great pace to it and was a solid age turning adventure.

[Simon Prior · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story in the tradition of SS-GB. No punches are pulled describing the brutality of Nazi occupation