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Kaspar Brothers #3
Lost Kin
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.
"There's enough action and mystery to keep the pages turning . . . all spun out in a masterful story of redemption . . . Classic noir shadowed by the hulks and rubble of the once-proud city of Munich, a character itself in this haunting tale . . . Anderson deserves a standing ovation." — Kirkus Reviews
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.
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.
"There's enough action and mystery to keep the pages turning . . . all spun out in a masterful story of redemption . . . Classic noir shadowed by the hulks and rubble of the once-proud city of Munich, a character itself in this haunting tale . . . Anderson deserves a standing ovation." — Kirkus Reviews
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.
259 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 29, 2016
58 people are currently reading
1314 people want to read
About the author
Steve Anderson
15 books267 followersSteve Anderson writes the Kaspar Brothers historical thrillers and other novels. His latest novels are Show Game and Lines of Deception. Anderson was a Fulbright Fellow and has translated bestselling German fiction. He lives in Portland, Oregon.
More about Steve Anderson:
Years ago, Steve Anderson planned to become a history professor. He even landed a Fulbright Fellowship in Munich. Then he discovered fiction writing — he could make stuff up, he realized, using actual events and characters to serve the story. Now he writes novels that often introduce a little-known aspect of history, mixing in overlooked crimes, true accounts, and gutsy underdogs.
Steve has also written narrative nonfiction, short stories, and screenplays. His day jobs have included busy waiter, Associated Press rookie, language instructor, and copywriter. As a freelancer, he translates bestselling German fiction and edits novels.
He lives in his hometown of Portland, Oregon with his wife René. He’s loved and played soccer since he was a kid and still follows Portland Timbers FC.
More about Steve Anderson:
Years ago, Steve Anderson planned to become a history professor. He even landed a Fulbright Fellowship in Munich. Then he discovered fiction writing — he could make stuff up, he realized, using actual events and characters to serve the story. Now he writes novels that often introduce a little-known aspect of history, mixing in overlooked crimes, true accounts, and gutsy underdogs.
Steve has also written narrative nonfiction, short stories, and screenplays. His day jobs have included busy waiter, Associated Press rookie, language instructor, and copywriter. As a freelancer, he translates bestselling German fiction and edits novels.
He lives in his hometown of Portland, Oregon with his wife René. He’s loved and played soccer since he was a kid and still follows Portland Timbers FC.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
January 21, 2016
Well researched immediate post-war thriller
This is the first Steve Anderson novel I’ve read and he certainly knows his stuff shown by his attention to period detail and knowledge of post-war politics.
This post WW2 thriller is set in the immediate aftermath of the war close to the Soviet Zone which many thousands are trying to avoid repatriation to.
It’s always tricky to review a book where you haven’t read the earlier books in the series, but you quickly warm to the characters. I did find the imagery strong with shades of Harry Lime and the “Third Man” through black marketeering, shady characters and a ruined city.
If I had to pick fault I did find the book dragged slightly in the middle, but overall it’s an entertaining read and would make me look at the previous books in the series.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This is the first Steve Anderson novel I’ve read and he certainly knows his stuff shown by his attention to period detail and knowledge of post-war politics.
This post WW2 thriller is set in the immediate aftermath of the war close to the Soviet Zone which many thousands are trying to avoid repatriation to.
It’s always tricky to review a book where you haven’t read the earlier books in the series, but you quickly warm to the characters. I did find the imagery strong with shades of Harry Lime and the “Third Man” through black marketeering, shady characters and a ruined city.
If I had to pick fault I did find the book dragged slightly in the middle, but overall it’s an entertaining read and would make me look at the previous books in the series.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
March 23, 2016
Received this book from Netgalley. It's a really, really good book. I would recommend it.
June 28, 2021
After the events in Liberated, Harry Kaspar has been relocated to Munich. As he enters the final weeks of service as an administrator for the military government, his life is good. He resides in a nice house with cushy amenities, has a former WAC girlfriend, and the locals appreciate his efforts to restore some semblance of pre-war normalcy. And then a cop shows up on his doorstep one night informing him that there's been an incident and his brother may be involved. Having not seen nor heard from his brother for several years, Harry's interest is piqued, though for a German-American, he knows this could be a scam, or worse. What follows is an investigation into a murder, black market sales of the spoils of war, and old scores that demand to be settled in blood.
There are elements of noir in this story. Harry's girlfriend has a bit of femme fatale to her which both excites and worries him. Meetings with informants take place in dark alleys and secluded rooms, forcing Harry to always be alert for the double cross. The atmosphere of downtrodden Munich is leaden with cold autumnal rain and early snow. And the American military government is seen through a lens of world weary cynicism.
As with Liberated, Anderson has done the research. The deal that FDR and Churchhill made with Stalin in Yalta would soon turn out to be a Faustian bargain. I don't want to spoil it, but Anderson explores an aspect of that here as a way for the two brothers' paths to cross again.
Lost Kin is a strong finish to the Kaspar Brothers trilogy. The noir elements spice up the intriguing plot, and Anderson's characters are well-developed. I got caught up in their predicament as Anderson entwined their fates with historical events. I'd recommend the series as a whole for WW2 historical fiction fans looking for something different from that time period.
There are elements of noir in this story. Harry's girlfriend has a bit of femme fatale to her which both excites and worries him. Meetings with informants take place in dark alleys and secluded rooms, forcing Harry to always be alert for the double cross. The atmosphere of downtrodden Munich is leaden with cold autumnal rain and early snow. And the American military government is seen through a lens of world weary cynicism.
She knew so many majors, colonels, and generals, all rearguard types who'd never seen combat but rode desks like gladiator chariots except their shields were their puffed-up chests done up with medals of every color, the swords their sharp tongues and stern memos, the feints and thrust their back-room whispers and leaks applied with extreme prejudice. Opponents cowered, colleagues awed, and mistresses swooned.
As with Liberated, Anderson has done the research. The deal that FDR and Churchhill made with Stalin in Yalta would soon turn out to be a Faustian bargain. I don't want to spoil it, but Anderson explores an aspect of that here as a way for the two brothers' paths to cross again.
Lost Kin is a strong finish to the Kaspar Brothers trilogy. The noir elements spice up the intriguing plot, and Anderson's characters are well-developed. I got caught up in their predicament as Anderson entwined their fates with historical events. I'd recommend the series as a whole for WW2 historical fiction fans looking for something different from that time period.
March 8, 2016
Although this book is part of a series, I read it as a stand alone book. I enjoyed it enough so that I will seek out the other books in this series and read them too.
I enjoy fiction from the World War 2 era and I was impressed a how well researched this novel was. It was set in Berlin immediately after WW2 and the author did a very good job of portraying the postwar chaos. The main characters were brothers of German descent who fought on opposite sides during the war which caused both of them a great deal of heartache. I am glad that the author did not present them as one being good and one being evil. They each had their faults and their strengths and were very believable. All of the characters were very well developed and drew you into the story. Many of the characters were in survival mode and the author made you understand this and how it motivated them.
The author handled the difficult subject of the displaced persons and the forced repatriation of some of those displaced persons to to the Soviet zone very well. The harshness of the devastation and desperation that it caused were described very well without becoming melodramatic. The politics of this situation were presented in a factual manner.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested the World War 2 era. It is a good mix of history and fiction so anyone who likes history would like it.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
I enjoy fiction from the World War 2 era and I was impressed a how well researched this novel was. It was set in Berlin immediately after WW2 and the author did a very good job of portraying the postwar chaos. The main characters were brothers of German descent who fought on opposite sides during the war which caused both of them a great deal of heartache. I am glad that the author did not present them as one being good and one being evil. They each had their faults and their strengths and were very believable. All of the characters were very well developed and drew you into the story. Many of the characters were in survival mode and the author made you understand this and how it motivated them.
The author handled the difficult subject of the displaced persons and the forced repatriation of some of those displaced persons to to the Soviet zone very well. The harshness of the devastation and desperation that it caused were described very well without becoming melodramatic. The politics of this situation were presented in a factual manner.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested the World War 2 era. It is a good mix of history and fiction so anyone who likes history would like it.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
July 20, 2018
Interesting historical read
Very interesting to reflect on the situations from WWII and reflect on the Syrian crises. Our country is currently not inclined to assist in any other country’s recovery. All of these issues today seem very similar to what I’ve just finished reading in this novel.
Very interesting to reflect on the situations from WWII and reflect on the Syrian crises. Our country is currently not inclined to assist in any other country’s recovery. All of these issues today seem very similar to what I’ve just finished reading in this novel.
November 6, 2020
Love this third novel even more than the last one. Great twist to the story. Again something I had never read about or heard of... the repatriation of the Cossacks. This has led me to do more reading (nonfiction) about that time period after WWII in Germany.
December 13, 2019
A very well written adventure story set in post ww2 Germany.
June 6, 2017
A surprisingly fantastic read. Get your copy.
October 23, 2017
Fascinating story based on the aftermath of World War II in Germany. Much insight into the chaos and the fact that everyone has a past they would just as soon keep hidden, not always for the better. One of the best books I've read this year!
June 13, 2022
I liked this one the best of all three— clearer morality and Max’s redemption
February 7, 2017
C'è una cosa dei romanzi storici che io, da appassionata di storia, trovo meravigliosa, ed è la possibilità di venire a conoscenza e approfondire episodi del nostro passato, recente o più lontano e lo stesso, in maniera appassionante e divertente. Questo ovviamente purché l'autore faccia bene i suoi compiti e sappia scrivere. Direi che questo è il caso di Lost Kin, che tratta uno dei momenti più bui del post seconda guerra mondiale, ovvero il rimpatrio forzato dei prigionieri di guerra, o comunque di tutti coloro con una lontana origine sovietica, sulla base degli accordi internazionali, a opera degli eserciti inglese e americano. La maggior parte di queste persone non avevano alcun desiderio di tornare in Unione Sovietica, e fu anche presto chiaro che, se andava, bene, li si mandava incontro a una morte immediata. Intessuta con la vicenda storica c'è la storia di due fratelli Kasper, di origine tedesca ma separati per tutta la durata della guerra da un oceano, d'acqua e di scelte, che si ritrovano per la comune pietà nei confronti delle vittime del rimpatrio. Ottimo libro dicevo, che ha anche l'indubbio pregio di poter essere letto come uno stand alone nonostante sia il terzo di una serie, cosa che infatti ho scoperto solo al termine della lettura, e che non mi ha creato alcun problema.
Ringrazio Skyhorse Publishing, Yucca Publishing e Netgalley per avermi fornito una copia gratuita in cambio di una recensione onesta.
There is something about historical novels that I, as a fan of history, find wonderful, and it's the chance to get to know and deepen episodes of our past, recent or further away is the same, in an exciting and entertaining way. This is of course provided if the author does his homework and knows how to write. I would say that this is the case of Lost Kin, which tells of one of the darkest moments of the post World War II, the forced repatriation of prisoners of war, or at least of all the people with a distant Soviet origin, on the basis of international agreements, by British and American armies. Most of these people had no desire to return to the Soviet Union, and soon it was also clear that, if all was well, they were sent out to meet an immediate death. Woven with the history there is the story of the two Kasper's brothers, of German origin but separated for the duration of the war by an ocean, of water and of choices, that meet up again for the shared mercy to the victims of the repatriation. Excellent book I sayd, which also has the undoubted advantage of can be read as a stand alone despite being the third in a series, which in fact I only found out at the end of the reading, and I had no problem with that.
Thanks Skyhorse Publishing, Yucca Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy in Exchange for an honest review.
Ringrazio Skyhorse Publishing, Yucca Publishing e Netgalley per avermi fornito una copia gratuita in cambio di una recensione onesta.
There is something about historical novels that I, as a fan of history, find wonderful, and it's the chance to get to know and deepen episodes of our past, recent or further away is the same, in an exciting and entertaining way. This is of course provided if the author does his homework and knows how to write. I would say that this is the case of Lost Kin, which tells of one of the darkest moments of the post World War II, the forced repatriation of prisoners of war, or at least of all the people with a distant Soviet origin, on the basis of international agreements, by British and American armies. Most of these people had no desire to return to the Soviet Union, and soon it was also clear that, if all was well, they were sent out to meet an immediate death. Woven with the history there is the story of the two Kasper's brothers, of German origin but separated for the duration of the war by an ocean, of water and of choices, that meet up again for the shared mercy to the victims of the repatriation. Excellent book I sayd, which also has the undoubted advantage of can be read as a stand alone despite being the third in a series, which in fact I only found out at the end of the reading, and I had no problem with that.
Thanks Skyhorse Publishing, Yucca Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy in Exchange for an honest review.
April 26, 2016
Note: I was given an advance review copy by the author.
This is the third in the Kaspar Brothers series. The other books focused on each of the brothers, and in this one they're brought together. Although it's part of a series, it should stand alone. The pertinent points from previous books are re-capped, but briefly enough not to bother anyone that has read the earlier books. Anyone that has read the earlier books may recognise details that aren't apparent otherwise, but they aren't essential to the plot.
This book is set in 1946, about a year or so after Liberated: A Novel of Germany, 1945. Life in Germany is still difficult, but things have settled down somewhat. The Americans and British are beginning to think that the Soviets may be enemies rather than allies. Germans do what they have to in order to survive, while displaced persons try to find new homes. Characters are believable and complex.
As in The Losing Role, Max's scenes are often described using theatrical references. I rather liked this, as it helps to reinforce that Max was an actor before the war, and to show the differences between him and his brother Harry.
The book is based on historical events, and the afterword has some detail on these. Not too much, but enough to satisfy a reader with a newly-awakened interest. There's a book recommendation for anyone that wants more detail: Nikolai Tolstoy’s Victims Of Yalta.
This is the third in the Kaspar Brothers series. The other books focused on each of the brothers, and in this one they're brought together. Although it's part of a series, it should stand alone. The pertinent points from previous books are re-capped, but briefly enough not to bother anyone that has read the earlier books. Anyone that has read the earlier books may recognise details that aren't apparent otherwise, but they aren't essential to the plot.
This book is set in 1946, about a year or so after Liberated: A Novel of Germany, 1945. Life in Germany is still difficult, but things have settled down somewhat. The Americans and British are beginning to think that the Soviets may be enemies rather than allies. Germans do what they have to in order to survive, while displaced persons try to find new homes. Characters are believable and complex.
As in The Losing Role, Max's scenes are often described using theatrical references. I rather liked this, as it helps to reinforce that Max was an actor before the war, and to show the differences between him and his brother Harry.
The book is based on historical events, and the afterword has some detail on these. Not too much, but enough to satisfy a reader with a newly-awakened interest. There's a book recommendation for anyone that wants more detail: Nikolai Tolstoy’s Victims Of Yalta.
April 23, 2016
Book 3 in the Kaspar Brothers series
“Lost Kin” is a haunting tale of international intrigue set in postwar Munich, 1946. The story is a stand-alone continuation of “Liberated” featuring American captain Harry Kaspar. In this latest the long-estranged brothers Max and Harry reunites to confront a secret Allied betrayal as the cold war heats up.
Amid the post-war chaos Harry remained uncorrupted until everything changes when a Munich cop knocks on his door and says “there has been an incident and your brother may be involved”……Harry is dragged into a murder investigation and thus opens an atmospheric and suspenseful story of forced repatriation.
This book has its slow moments but in whole there is enough action and mystery to keep turning the pages till the final dramatic face-off in the snowing Sumava Mountains of Czechoslovakia. The author has deftly created a canvas where innocent people get caught between allies and enemies and has exceptionally captured a world on the razor’s edge of survival. You soon warm to the characters and desperately want them to succeed. Although the subject is treated sensitively it still allowed the brutality to shine through. This historical fiction is well-written not to be too dramatic but yet provides all the necessary tension to keep us on the edge of our seat. The author certainly knows this period and post-war politics and knows how to deliver it. “Lost Kin” will move you.
This is my first experience reading Mr. Anderson but it will not be my last.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. “This is the way I see it”.
“Lost Kin” is a haunting tale of international intrigue set in postwar Munich, 1946. The story is a stand-alone continuation of “Liberated” featuring American captain Harry Kaspar. In this latest the long-estranged brothers Max and Harry reunites to confront a secret Allied betrayal as the cold war heats up.
Amid the post-war chaos Harry remained uncorrupted until everything changes when a Munich cop knocks on his door and says “there has been an incident and your brother may be involved”……Harry is dragged into a murder investigation and thus opens an atmospheric and suspenseful story of forced repatriation.
This book has its slow moments but in whole there is enough action and mystery to keep turning the pages till the final dramatic face-off in the snowing Sumava Mountains of Czechoslovakia. The author has deftly created a canvas where innocent people get caught between allies and enemies and has exceptionally captured a world on the razor’s edge of survival. You soon warm to the characters and desperately want them to succeed. Although the subject is treated sensitively it still allowed the brutality to shine through. This historical fiction is well-written not to be too dramatic but yet provides all the necessary tension to keep us on the edge of our seat. The author certainly knows this period and post-war politics and knows how to deliver it. “Lost Kin” will move you.
This is my first experience reading Mr. Anderson but it will not be my last.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. “This is the way I see it”.
May 6, 2016
I received a copy of Lost Kin: A Novel by Steve Anderson from Yucca Publishing on being selected as a winner of a Goodreads giveaway. This review is totally voluntary and my own opinions.I honestly enjoyed reading Lost Kin: A Novel by Steve Anderson. This is the first book I have read by him but I will definitely look into reading The Losing Role and Liberated now. I had little to almost no knowledge of the Yalta Conference and of the roles the Americans and British played in it. I can't imagine how our soldiers and those of the British could turn over innocent women, children and old men to Stalin and the Russian soldiers to be slaughtered or to be returned to Russia for an unthinkable future. Although the two main characters, Harry and Max, brothers who have been estranged for many years, are fictionalized, it is reassuring to know that there were some who came to the aid of these poor Cossack refugees. I can almost see a sequel to this novel.
February 25, 2016
This is an enjoyable historical thriller. Even though this is book 3 in the series, you could read it as a stand alone book and still enjoy it. I haven’t read a lot from post WW 2, and what happened after the war, so I found this very interesting. Steve Anderson has done a great job of incorporating an interesting and captivating story with history of that era. It’s interesting that there were a lot of displaced people after the WW2 and that same thing is happening around the world today. Captain Harry Kasper is a great character, along with his girlfriend Sibine. I will definitely read more from this Author.
August 8, 2016
A well-researched novel set in 1946 occupied Germany, a time when the transition from the USA's primary enemy being Nazi fascism to the cold war with the Soviet Union was already under way. I give the author a lot of credit for creating characters who are not archetypes representing good and evil, but rather just human beings in a chaotic environment in which it is nearly impossible to know who you can trust and who will sell you out to anyone that makes a better offer. Good people die and slimeballs survive to continue their wicked ways in the harsh reality of post-war Europe.
June 23, 2016
This is a fragment of WWII that few acknowledge and or consider. A war is finished everything should be fine, people pick up, do the best they can and start all over again --- except that’s NOT what happens! The ugly aspects of piecing things back together is straight lined throughout this book some very heart sickening, disgusting and hard to believe. An account that will keep you thinking all of your life and a lot you’ll never forget!
March 28, 2016
A tense well written historical thriller.This is part of a series I have not read the other books but had no problem reading this as a stand alone.I enjoyed this page turner& will read the series from the beginning,
April 10, 2016
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Historical fiction at its best! As both winter and the Soviet army close in on post-World War II Berlin, two brothers must rescue an innocent clan of Cossacks, and survive the looming Cold War. Recommended reading.
Historical fiction at its best! As both winter and the Soviet army close in on post-World War II Berlin, two brothers must rescue an innocent clan of Cossacks, and survive the looming Cold War. Recommended reading.
May 6, 2016
Not a bad book for my first war book. I liked the characterizations of Harry and Max and Irina was also well rounded. I like how it wasn't about the war of WWII but what happens to these people afterword that makes it a interesting read. This is book 3 but can also be read as a stand alone.
March 29, 2016
This is the first book I have read about post W.W.2 . I found it interesting and it gave a good insight of events I knew nothing about. Thank you for the ARC.
January 31, 2022
The plight of the Cossacks in Russia and post-WWII Soviet Union isn’t common knowledge in the west, but the Cossacks’ story is nevertheless a human tragedy of epic proportions. The Cossacks were brutally repressed by Stalin’s regime and a fair number of them chose to throw in their lot with the invading Nazis. This sin in Stalin’s eyes was of course not forgotten and post-war, the Cossacks were rooted out by the invading Soviets and sometimes handed over to Stalin’s army by the Allies just for Stalin to make them disappear. An unknown number of Cossacks were lost in the end, though by some estimates as many as 50,000 Cossacks were repatriated to the Soviet army by the British army alone. In Anderson’s novel, American Captain Harry Kasper stumbles onto Cossack refugees in post-war Munich when a tip comes in that leads to a murder with shadowy connections to Harry’s brother Max, who abandoned the Kasper family for a theatre career in Germany before WWII. Max emerges at a time when Harry is somewhat an outsider in the American military bureaucracy governing the western portion of Germany and struggling to find a way to do some good in the hopelessly-corrupt first stages of Germany’s rebuilding. Max and Harry begin to rebuild their relationship as layer upon layer of their characters are revealed, propelling the story forward. Scenes are portrayed with a pessimistic, melancholy mood that seems fitting of the time and place and puts off a foreboding vibe that sacrifices must be made to save lives. Love and loyalty, deception and betrayal, and the evil and the just permeate this satisfying tale of an under-appreciated saga of a people truly stuck between a rock and a hard place. Lost Kin is the third in a series, and each of Harry’s and Max’s war-time exploits are covered in the first two books, although Lost Kin can be read as a stand-alone.
Was this review helpful? I am an avid world war based fiction reader and author. You can read more of my takes at https://brodiecurtis.com/curtis-takes/
Was this review helpful? I am an avid world war based fiction reader and author. You can read more of my takes at https://brodiecurtis.com/curtis-takes/
August 21, 2020
I appreciated this novel in its attempt to go beyond the simple "good vs. evil" war narrative. I didn't understand why it took place as late as late fall 1946. Historically, the massacre of Cossacks at Lienz took place in May/June 1945. It was also difficult to understand that in late 1946 there were still trains full of war refugees being shipped westward. I also couldn't fully grasp why the Cossacks had their children, wives, and even elderly with them. The novel is well constructed, it begins slowly and it nicely picks up speed as we continue. The language is appropriately archaic, and one can learn a lot of words that were in frequent use in 1946.
June 13, 2020
I didn't feel like I knew the characters. I didn't care about them like I do with 4 and5 star books. I did learn something new- the repatriation of Ukrainians to Russia. And how that was horrible because most Ukrainians were white Russians and Stalin either put them in gulags or killed them. I now know why my step grandfather escaped in to Austria.
April 28, 2016
This is a well-written book, but I had a hard time plowing through it. I didn’t like any of these characters. I expected to be riveted by the story since it took place in Occupied Europe in 1946, an era not addressed in most World War II fiction. The first one-third of the story was a quick read.
The German-born American officer Harry Kaspar is not a man of honor in my mind and his brother Max, who returned to Germany after the start of the war, is certainly no paragon of virtue. They get into a couple of tight spots together, from which they almost miraculously escape. The reader knows these two are not going to come to harm, so it takes the tension out of these tight spots.
The author wanted to make a moral point in this book, about Russians and other Soviet nationalities being forcefully repatriated after the end of the war. He uses the fictitious Ukrainian Cossacks, who fought with the Germans against the Soviets during the war as the focus for the reader’s sympathy. I didn’t feel any empathy or sympathy for them. They fought with the Germans – what did they think the Allieds would do? Reward them with homes in suburbia? The ploy of using their children as a reason for “saving” them from the Russians did not work – children are always affected by the actions and choices of their parents for good or naught.
It is easy for people born long after the war to feel outraged about the repatriation, but after all those repatriated were legally Soviet subjects and the rest of the Allied powers really had no authority to withhold them from the Soviets. There were millions of completely innocent displaced people who had to be accounted for, cared for, and resettled somewhere in the world. It was an enormous task. The entire world had just been through a brutal war that started in the late 1930s. Many atrocities occurred during that war but forced repatriation of Soviets pales compared to what 10s of millions of people suffered in my opinion.
The fact that Max Kaspar, in love with a young Cossack woman, was so deceitful in dealing with his brother, as was Irina, the young Cossack, did nothing to warm me to their cause. If the characters had been more likable and behaved more honestly with each other, maybe this story would have been more enjoyable.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The German-born American officer Harry Kaspar is not a man of honor in my mind and his brother Max, who returned to Germany after the start of the war, is certainly no paragon of virtue. They get into a couple of tight spots together, from which they almost miraculously escape. The reader knows these two are not going to come to harm, so it takes the tension out of these tight spots.
The author wanted to make a moral point in this book, about Russians and other Soviet nationalities being forcefully repatriated after the end of the war. He uses the fictitious Ukrainian Cossacks, who fought with the Germans against the Soviets during the war as the focus for the reader’s sympathy. I didn’t feel any empathy or sympathy for them. They fought with the Germans – what did they think the Allieds would do? Reward them with homes in suburbia? The ploy of using their children as a reason for “saving” them from the Russians did not work – children are always affected by the actions and choices of their parents for good or naught.
It is easy for people born long after the war to feel outraged about the repatriation, but after all those repatriated were legally Soviet subjects and the rest of the Allied powers really had no authority to withhold them from the Soviets. There were millions of completely innocent displaced people who had to be accounted for, cared for, and resettled somewhere in the world. It was an enormous task. The entire world had just been through a brutal war that started in the late 1930s. Many atrocities occurred during that war but forced repatriation of Soviets pales compared to what 10s of millions of people suffered in my opinion.
The fact that Max Kaspar, in love with a young Cossack woman, was so deceitful in dealing with his brother, as was Irina, the young Cossack, did nothing to warm me to their cause. If the characters had been more likable and behaved more honestly with each other, maybe this story would have been more enjoyable.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 13, 2016
Intriguing historical fiction set in post WWII Munich that reveals some of the darker secrets of post war policy.
Harry Kaspar serves as a Captain in the military government set up in Munich after the United States has occupied Germany. One night he answers a knock on his door to find a German police detective saying that a murder has been committed and a young girl is asking for him by name. Upon finding a man in old US fatigues with a sabre in his chest, he learns the girl knows his estranged brother, which he hasn’t seen in years. In an effort to find out more about what the girl knows, he heads down a trail that reveals some ghost from his past as well as his brother Max. Harry learns that Ukrainian Cossacks are being shipped back to the Soviet Union against their will and are then slaughtered by Stalin’s agents. Outraged, Harry pledges to help, but who can he trust to help him see them to safety?
I’m a huge fan of WWII history, fiction or non, but I have to admit that I haven’t read much on the post occupation part. That is why this novel was so intriguing. However, I always felt like there was something more to the story that I was reading and discovered that there are two other novels out there, one dedicated to each brother. Even so, it didn’t really take much away from the overall story.
The real story focuses on the sad fact that the United States and British government agreed to send back certain factions of people to the Soviet Union whether they wanted to go or not. The Soviet Union then executed them for fighting alongside Germany during the war against Russia. I cannot begin to imagine what the soldiers who were just “following orders” must have gone through in this process. Anderson does a great job bringing this to light with a suspenseful story. If you like WWII historical fiction, then reading about the Kaspar brothers will keep you happy!
There is some strong language throughout the book as well as some scenes of innuendo. I would recommend this book for mature audiences.
Harry Kaspar serves as a Captain in the military government set up in Munich after the United States has occupied Germany. One night he answers a knock on his door to find a German police detective saying that a murder has been committed and a young girl is asking for him by name. Upon finding a man in old US fatigues with a sabre in his chest, he learns the girl knows his estranged brother, which he hasn’t seen in years. In an effort to find out more about what the girl knows, he heads down a trail that reveals some ghost from his past as well as his brother Max. Harry learns that Ukrainian Cossacks are being shipped back to the Soviet Union against their will and are then slaughtered by Stalin’s agents. Outraged, Harry pledges to help, but who can he trust to help him see them to safety?
I’m a huge fan of WWII history, fiction or non, but I have to admit that I haven’t read much on the post occupation part. That is why this novel was so intriguing. However, I always felt like there was something more to the story that I was reading and discovered that there are two other novels out there, one dedicated to each brother. Even so, it didn’t really take much away from the overall story.
The real story focuses on the sad fact that the United States and British government agreed to send back certain factions of people to the Soviet Union whether they wanted to go or not. The Soviet Union then executed them for fighting alongside Germany during the war against Russia. I cannot begin to imagine what the soldiers who were just “following orders” must have gone through in this process. Anderson does a great job bringing this to light with a suspenseful story. If you like WWII historical fiction, then reading about the Kaspar brothers will keep you happy!
There is some strong language throughout the book as well as some scenes of innuendo. I would recommend this book for mature audiences.
August 20, 2016
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I requested this book on NetGalley because it appealed to the part of me that has been completely invested in WWII fiction. I have grown to love that time period and pretty much any book that deals with it.
It turns out that this book is actually part of a series, which I can happily say I didn't know. I love when books are part of a series but don't necessarily rely on the previous books to make sense. I can recognize that my reading experience might have been enhanced by reading the other books in the series, but I don't feel like I missed out on anything or fell behind in any part of the current story. It is primarily with Harry and Max's relationship that the extra reading would have been helpful.
There were parts of this story that moved a little slowly for me. In times when there was slower action, the story took on more dialogue, and I got a little lost in the terminology and the technicalities of the time period. I'm by no means an expert, so that did make some of the reading challenging for me.
I also wouldn't have called Harry and Sabine lovers. Reading that in the blurb seems to indicate a passionate affair of some sort, but to me it felt more like a quickly developed, one-time thing. I didn't buy into the relationship much at all, which was a bit of a letdown for me since I love the romance part of most books.
By the end of the book, I couldn't tell if things ended happily or not. The main goal for both Harry and Max was to rescue the Cossacks, but in the end that was tricky to do and only some of the people could be saved. While I guess that means there was some happy here, it definitely isn't a book that leaves the reader feeling as if everything is complete.
Overall, I found this book a bit difficult to read. It seems fairly historically accurate, with just enough fiction thrown in, but that makes it a bit dry at times. If this time period appeals to you, it's definitely worth picking up one of Anderson's novels.
I requested this book on NetGalley because it appealed to the part of me that has been completely invested in WWII fiction. I have grown to love that time period and pretty much any book that deals with it.
It turns out that this book is actually part of a series, which I can happily say I didn't know. I love when books are part of a series but don't necessarily rely on the previous books to make sense. I can recognize that my reading experience might have been enhanced by reading the other books in the series, but I don't feel like I missed out on anything or fell behind in any part of the current story. It is primarily with Harry and Max's relationship that the extra reading would have been helpful.
There were parts of this story that moved a little slowly for me. In times when there was slower action, the story took on more dialogue, and I got a little lost in the terminology and the technicalities of the time period. I'm by no means an expert, so that did make some of the reading challenging for me.
I also wouldn't have called Harry and Sabine lovers. Reading that in the blurb seems to indicate a passionate affair of some sort, but to me it felt more like a quickly developed, one-time thing. I didn't buy into the relationship much at all, which was a bit of a letdown for me since I love the romance part of most books.
By the end of the book, I couldn't tell if things ended happily or not. The main goal for both Harry and Max was to rescue the Cossacks, but in the end that was tricky to do and only some of the people could be saved. While I guess that means there was some happy here, it definitely isn't a book that leaves the reader feeling as if everything is complete.
Overall, I found this book a bit difficult to read. It seems fairly historically accurate, with just enough fiction thrown in, but that makes it a bit dry at times. If this time period appeals to you, it's definitely worth picking up one of Anderson's novels.
May 23, 2016
In Post-WWII Munich, the Americans and German police have control of the city. Anyone associated with Nazis or SS officers are being jailed. Those that have different nationality are being repatriated back to their country, whether they want to or not. Harry Kasper is an American officer who hasn't heard from his brother, Max, who was a German officer. Irina, a Cossack refugee asks specifically for Harry stating that she knows his brother and leads him directly to a dead German officer, dressed as an American. Harry finds himself involved with a bunch of Cossacks being hunted by the Russians, but not friendly with the Allies. If the Russians find them, they will be killed. If the Allies find them, they'll be sent back to Russia because of the repatriation agreements. Harry looks for his brother and a way to save these people.
I've read quite a few fiction books that focus around WWII. I've never read about post-WWII and the repatriation efforts. I had no idea this happened and I'm glad to have been educated on it. Anderson obviously did his research on this and the description of the politics behind it I'm sure will make anyone frustrated. There wasn't too much description of those caught in the middle since the story focused more on the characters trying to help these folks out. But the descriptions that were given made me believe it would be terrifying.
The book was a slow go. In my opinion, the main point of this book is for Harry to work with his brother to help save the Cossacks. Yet we aren't even introduced to that problem until half way through the book. The first half of the book felt like it was about almost nothing. It introduced a few characters, but didn't do a good job of keeping my attention.
I've read quite a few fiction books that focus around WWII. I've never read about post-WWII and the repatriation efforts. I had no idea this happened and I'm glad to have been educated on it. Anderson obviously did his research on this and the description of the politics behind it I'm sure will make anyone frustrated. There wasn't too much description of those caught in the middle since the story focused more on the characters trying to help these folks out. But the descriptions that were given made me believe it would be terrifying.
The book was a slow go. In my opinion, the main point of this book is for Harry to work with his brother to help save the Cossacks. Yet we aren't even introduced to that problem until half way through the book. The first half of the book felt like it was about almost nothing. It introduced a few characters, but didn't do a good job of keeping my attention.
April 13, 2016
Skyhorse Publishing and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Lost Kin, in exchange for an honest review.
Harry Kaspar is asked by Detective Dietz, of the Criminal Police, to go with him on a sensitive matter regarding his brother Max. As he had not seen Max since 1939, when he returned to their native Germany, Harry is reluctant but also full of questions. A dead man, a young woman who claims to be the killer, and the question as to why she has mentioned his brother's name spark Harry's interest. This all unwittingly sets into motion a dangerous plan, one that has the potential to destroy them all.
When I read the synopsis of Lost Kin, I was instantly excited to begin the book. This book has the potential to be a great thriller/suspense historical fiction novel, but the author lost me early in the beginning of the book. Lost Kin was so slow and hard to get into, which left my mind wandering away from the book quite frequently. I am usually a fan of WWII historical fiction, so I was pretty surprised to not have a positive reaction. This was just not the book for me, but readers who enjoy WWII historical fiction might find this novel powerful and moving.
Harry Kaspar is asked by Detective Dietz, of the Criminal Police, to go with him on a sensitive matter regarding his brother Max. As he had not seen Max since 1939, when he returned to their native Germany, Harry is reluctant but also full of questions. A dead man, a young woman who claims to be the killer, and the question as to why she has mentioned his brother's name spark Harry's interest. This all unwittingly sets into motion a dangerous plan, one that has the potential to destroy them all.
When I read the synopsis of Lost Kin, I was instantly excited to begin the book. This book has the potential to be a great thriller/suspense historical fiction novel, but the author lost me early in the beginning of the book. Lost Kin was so slow and hard to get into, which left my mind wandering away from the book quite frequently. I am usually a fan of WWII historical fiction, so I was pretty surprised to not have a positive reaction. This was just not the book for me, but readers who enjoy WWII historical fiction might find this novel powerful and moving.
April 1, 2016
I was given a kindle review copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is set in Germany just after the Second World War. The story is about 2 German brothers who had both been immigrants in the USA. Each brother fought on opposing,but the sides during the war, but then they meet again in Munich in 1946.I found the book quite slow and I did think that it was a bit boring ,it was obviously not really to my taste.
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