The Sterling Forest

by John Fenzel

Daniel 'Danno' Tory is America's newest Congressman, and 'Most Eligible Bachelor.' But when a beloved uncle passes away, Danno discovers a secret that challenges everything he thought he knew about his family's past...a secret that threatens his congressional seat even before he can be sworn into office. In a personal quest to learn the truth, Danno embarks on an adventure that takes him from his hometown of Chicago to medieval castles of Switzerland, through Russia's ancient monasteries, to a vast, hidden Baltic treasure that the Kremlin has long been seeking. Danno's journey quickly becomes a deadly race against time. As assassination teams relentlessly pursue him, Danno uncovers a plot that could suddenly shift the balance of power in Europe to an unthinkable war that only he can stop, toward a single personal revelation that is impossible for him to conceive. Riveting, mysterious, and cogent, THE STERLING FOREST is a fascinating novel with a story that has been torn from today s headlines...while transcending the known boundaries of faith, family and friendship.

346 pages, Hardcover

First published August 20, 2016

About the author

John Fenzel is an Army Special Forces officer who has served on our nations battlefields throughout Europe and the Middle East. He has served as a military assistant on the personal staff of the Secretary of Defense, as a Special Assistant to the Vice President, as a Strategic Planner for the Army Chief of Staff, and as a White House Fellow during the Clinton and Bush administrations. He is the only active duty American military officer to testify at The Hague in support of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). John is a graduate of Tulane University, the Naval War College and the National War College. Born in Iowa and raised outside Chicago, John lives with his wife and three children in Annapolis, Maryland. The Lazarus Covenant (BREATHE, 2009), was his first novel. The Sterling Forest, an international thriller, is his second novel, to be released August, 2016.

Reviews

[Bill2782 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting story but shallowly written, poorly edited, and lacking substance. Can't understand high reader ratings in Amazon Kindle reviews.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty cool book that dove deep into the partisan resistance in the Baltic States during WW II and the following Soviet occupation. The story follows a newly elected congressman from Illinois who happens to be the child of one of the Lithuanian partisan heroes. Bouncing back and forth between modern days and the post WW2 era, this story is fast paced in the style of Jason Bourne meets Jack Ryan. Very entertaining and fun to read.

[Nancy Silk · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Extraordinary Story Of The Struggle For Independence And Freedom”

This story is awesome, thought provoking, fast-paced, and captivating. It reveals memories as passed down from Daniel Tory's now deceased Uncle Jonas and his father, Lucas. Upon Jonas' death, Daniel finds several items, one of which is an old black and white photo of his mother Tanya, Jonas, and Lucas taken during World War II. They were Lithuanian and were active in defending their country from Germany and Russia. Then, why are they dressed in Soviet military uniforms in the photo? Daniel had been raised in the US by his mother and was very close to Uncle Jonas. He's had a great collegiate education, had been mayor of a Chicago suburb, voted as Bachelor of The Year by Cosmopolitan Magazine, and just now elected to the U.S. Congress. During his discovery of Uncle Jonas' possessions of which Daniel is the sole beneficiary, he is shocked as to the wealth he is inheriting as Jonas only existed on his U.S. Military pension. Where has all this wealth come from? As Daniel locates a bank safe deposit box in his name, bank employee Robin Nielsen opens the box for him. There are several documents inside as well as a journal written by his father in his native language which Daniel cannot interpret. In talking to Robin, she reveals her background is also Lithuanian, and offers to assist him in translating the lengthy document. Daniel decides to take a little detour to Lithuania before being sworn into Congress... he's determined to put together all the pieces of his puzzling family history. His attraction toward Robin is strong and confident, thus he requests she join him as his newly appointed chief of staff. This story has a very engaging storyline, finely drawn characters, and is an all-out thriller. I could not put it down and came to realize that the Baltic States of Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia are still now facing actual threats of losing their independence and freedom. Author John Fenzel has served as Senior Special Forces Officer. After the Cold War, he led the first U.S. Deployments to the Baltic states. His story is a must read for every American.