Heart of Gold

by Warren Adler

A new thriller from the critically acclaimed novelist Warren Adler, well known for his iconic novel turned box office hit, 'The War of the Roses,' and many more notable titles including 'Random Hearts,' 'Target Churchill' and 'Mother Nile'…

Milton Gold is a fringe operating “hustling lawyer,” barely making it in the cutthroat chaos of 1970s New York City. His world is suddenly turned inside out when he meets the mysterious and beautiful Karla Smith, a Polish-American woman, who approaches him with an assignment that will test his skills beyond anything he has ever experienced. Karla hires him to find what he thinks will lead to his biggest payout yet: her inheritance of one-hundred million dollars in gold coins hidden by her banker father from the Nazis during World War II.

Despite his skepticism he joins Karla in a fantastic, dangerous and adventurous trek through communist dominated Europe to Auschwitz where the treasure has been hidden in an unsuspecting place. Milton and Karla discover things along the way that profoundly change their relationship and ultimately test their moral view of the world and society. Balanced with humor and tragedy, 'Heart of Gold' explores the brutality of life behind the iron curtain and the boundaries of morality during the darkest days of the Cold War.

Genres: Romance, Holocaust, History

280 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2017

About the author

Warren Adler was an American author, playwright and poet. His novel The War of the Roses was turned into a dark comedy starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito.
Adler was an essayist, short-story writer, poet and playwright, whose works have been translated into 25 languages.

Reviews

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC for Kindle in order to enable my honest review.

Heart of Gold, by Warren Adler is a wonderful thrill ride of a book, filled with history, danger and even a bit of romance thrown in. It's been a page-turner for me the past few days, and a very enjoyable one, as I sank deeper into the story and got to know Milton Gold, a slick lawyer who is far from top rung and scrambling to juggle things in 1970's New York. A former client recommends him to out-of-towner Karla Smith, a beautiful young Polish-American woman needing assistance in claiming her inheritance hidden in Poland. She debates strongly if he is the man to take on her case, which could be hugely profitable for everyone involved, if successful. Her father, a non-Jewish Pole had survived Auschwitz then kept to himself out in Montana with just her and her late mother until his recent death. That was when he shocked her with the news of the inheritance, right up to his last breath in the hospital, when she still had more questions.

Milton and Karla barely finished discussing things and agreed to talk again later, when they are both thrown into danger and intrigue. Just a short time later, the case takes off on its own, and they are both on the run for their lives. They carry on trying to gain access to her large inheritance somewhere in Poland where it was hidden long ago in the form of gold coins. Lots of travel and foreign agents trying to convince them to make a deal with them on the coins. Then wondering who they are working for, or with and if they can be trusted. Really good stuff, lots of double dealing.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warren Adler’s Heart of Gold is a top-notch crime/espionage/thriller that has a slumlord trickster of a New York lawyer matching wits with thugs and spies and others for ten suitcases of gold hidden away in Communist-controlled Poland in 1980 for forty years. Milton Gold reluctantly agrees to meet with Montana-bred Karla Smith in a New York deli, finding her tale of hidden gold almost too much to believe until he finally becomes convinced something’s up when a group of thugs start trailing her. Even then, he has no idea how he can help get the cold out from behind the Iron Curtain. But, Milton’s schemes and skimming are co,I got to a head and he has little left besides chasing Karla’s impossible pipe dream of finding her father’s hidden cache, estimated in value at $100 million, enough to have more than one spy agency and a band of revolutionaries sniffing around.

What separates this novel from every other one with a horde of treasure seekers matching wits and swords for a secret cache is that Adler has made this more than just another wild adventure. It has at once a story of a treasure hunt and also a story of how much we are prisoners of our pasts, of our legacies, of our heritages. It is furthermore a story about how much we bear the collective guilt or victimhood of our forbears.

Milton and Karla are as different as can be, even to the fact that he is a Jewish deli-going lawyer from New York descended from a Jewish family who had dwelled in the Pale of Settlement at the edge of Poland and Russia and she a Polish girl raised to hate Jews by her Polish-born father who secreted away a fortune while surviving World War Two. Milton doesn’t forgive the scars of the betrayal of his people by their Polish neighbors and centuries of hate before that. But it is their past in a world swept up by Nazi evil after Poland fell to the blitzkreig that haunts them both. Forty years later two people who hadn’t even been born bear the scars and enmity of that time. Moreover, despite the explosive attraction between them, Milton can never fully trust femme fatale Karla, always asking if she is for real or if she is just using him to get at the fabulous loot.

Thus, Adler at once offers us a treasure seeking adventure, a star-crossed romance, and a story of international intrigue. Well done!

[Toni Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Adler has written a story that has kept me guessing, wanting more and flipping pages to see what this suspenseful and intriguing drama will lead to. He hasn’t disappointed me, as in the past this latest has provided all the unpredictability I enjoy. This is a genuine page turner with all the essential ingredients to make it a captivating thriller and a best-selling book.

Seems that search for Nazi gold is the topic of choice these days. “Heart of Gold” is the third book I have read lately on the subject of treasures taken from victims during WW11. Here we have Milton Gold a hustling lawyer hired by Karla to find her inheritance of one-hundred millions dollars in gold coins hidden by her father from the Nazi during the war.

When the hunt started, the thrills began and I couldn’t help but to keep holding my breath as Milton and Karla brushed close encounters and attacks from those who wanted to get their hands on the pot…..negotiating with foreign government was another challenge and getting the loot out wasn’t a piece a cake either….but a thrilling ride for the reader.

This is a dramatic and suspenseful action packed journey filled with climatic scenes and populated with a diverse cast of characters.

“Heart of Gold” is a provocative psychological story released at a time when threats and acts of hatred are made around the world, especially towards the Jewish community.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author

[Renee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the synopsis and got the ARC. Boy was I disappointed! This author calls the main character a Jew more times than I care to remember. The first few chapters were all about his stereotypical life. Very disappointed

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has everything... It has action, mystery, historical references, intrigue, heartbreak, and love. It covers a story that spans generations and takes its characters to very dark places. The story envelopes you, carrying you away into the brutal world of WWII concentration camps and behind the iron curtain during the Cold War. The characters are well developed, even if they aren't all likable. But isn't that part of writing a good story? All of the characters are flawed humans, and some humans just aren't very good. There are reminders of that throughout this book. It deals with so many difficult emotions - greed, jealousy, hatred, and even pure evil. The narration is solid. The narrator has distinct voices and handles difficult pronunciations and foreign words very well. I highly recommend this book to anyone.

My review is not a synopsis of the book, but rather my opinion of it. I received a free copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this honest review.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although it's a bit of a stretch to believe some of these events would actually happen this way, there's nothing of the supernatural or paranormal in this story. It's fundamentally realistic and quite suspenseful. The characters are well drawn, although none are particularly likable. Steve Ogden does an admirable job voicing these characters, giving them distinctive voices and appropriate accents. The story is well written and complete, but I didn't like the ending. It simply didn't make sense.

NOTE: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Deb Beachburgmom · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me this story was ok I gave it 3 stars which for me is a book I think is just ok. Nothing new or exciting really gripped me in this book....I struggled to get through the first half.....and I was not sure I loved the way the different races were portrayed. I enjoyed the second half of the book more ....it was a bit faster paced and the storyline finally seemed to move forward to adventure, mystery and suspense. I wanted to love this book like I did war of roses but just did not get there.....that being said I would still recommend that it be read by friends .

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley, all opinions are my own .

[Autumn Danner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a work of fiction but is heavy with history. Adler takes you on a treasure hunt to the haunts of Auschwitz. There is so much racism, sorrow, anger, and duplicity between the characters. Milton is a pretty unsavory character at the start, but his commitment to seeing his job for Karla through wins you over. There are so many characters that move this journey along, and it is a vivid mind-trip. I found my heart hurting a lot toward the end of the book because that time in history was such a brutal one. But the story is true to history, and takes the racism head-on. The story is incredible! It will stick with you long after you put the book down.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heart of Gold is the search for buried treasure from the Holocaust. Karla is the daughter of an Auschwitz survivor. Before he dies he tells her of a treasure in gold coins hidden in Poland. She hires lawyer Milton Gold to help her retrieve the gold.
This book has an interesting story. However, it uses every negative stereotype of a group of people. Some people may consider this offensive. I believe the story could have been written with out all the negative stereotypes.

Thank you to #netgalley and @WarrenAdler for a copy of this book.

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had difficulty in warming up to the story as in the beginning the author uses a lot of prejudiced and crude language when lying out the basis for his characters, but I persisted and the story evolves linking history/real life events to fiction and romance. Heart of Gold is not one of my preferred books by Mr. Adler but is certainly worth reading and entertaining!
I thank the author's estate for the free copy of this book.

[Denice Langley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heart of Gold is the story of a man on a slow slide into choosing which side of the law his law practice will land on. He joins a young woman in a search for an inheritance that was well hidden during WWII. The back story itself will take you through many historical events and keep you on edge from page 1 to the end. No spoilers here, you'll have to read it yourself. Plan on a marathon read.

[Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy reading books by Warren Adler, as he is not only an incredible word smith, but he also writes stores that are entertaining.

[Neville Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

1980's treasure hunt good cast of characters with a plot that moves along nicely. Another good read from Warren Adler.
I received this book from the publishers via Netgalley for a review.

[Glenda Bixler · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Amazing Provocative Novel...

http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadershea...

[Deb Beachburgmom · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me this story was ok I gave it 3 stars which for me is a book I think is just ok. Nothing new or exciting really gripped me in this book....I struggled to get through the first half.....and I was not sure I loved the way the different races were portrayed. I enjoyed the second half of the book more ....it was a bit faster paced and the storyline finally seemed to move forward to adventure, mystery and suspense. I wanted to love this book like I did war of roses but just did not get there.....that being said I would still recommend that it be read by friends .

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley, all opinions are my own .

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is dramatic, suspenseful, full of action and intrigue, with unexpected twists. The journey takes you on a wild ride with traumatic images. Karla is severely damaged inside, without feelings or conscience. Milton is a pathetic man who cares about nothing. They seem like a very unlikely couple, but it works. Until they can't trust each other, or anybody else. This is definitely a unique storyline.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This is my honest opinion of it.

[SOS · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/4 stars

I enjoyed Heart of Gold by Warren Adler, but I almost gave up on it in the first few chapters because Milton Gold was such an unappealing character. Later in the book, he describes himself as follows:

All this anxiety had shocked my mind back onto its accustomed track, spinning out schemes, scams, and survival scenarios, the object of which was to keep the whole apparatus operating.

That’s who Milton Gold is. He’s a schemer, a scammer, and a survivor.

For much of the book, Karla was not any more likable than Milton. Happily, I stuck with it and enjoyed the process of watching both of these characters becoming true human beings, mensches.

Karla Smith contacts Gold, a shyster lawyer, because her father had made a deathbed confession, informing her of a fortune in collectible coins that he had hidden during WWII. He instructs her to find a “Jewish lawyer” to help her locate and recover what he had stashed away. As the two set off on a eventful search for the coins, one hundred million dollars' worth, it was a pleasure to watch as they metamorphosed into people who truly did have hearts of gold.

The big takeaway from this book is that unethical (or immoral) means do not create ethical ends, and that we must implant in future generations the collective guilt of the Holocaust.

. . . it was necessary to keep this memory alive, to pass the baton of this despicable relay from person to person, from generation to generation, to spread the virus of guilt, and thereby create the anti-bodies of defense against the disease ever striking again.

This is another exceptional story from Warren Adler.

I received a copy of this book as a gift from the author. His generosity had no influence on my opinion of the book. All views expressed in my review are my own.

[Irene Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free advance review e-copy of this book and have chosen of my own free will to post a review. This is very a very well written piece of historical fiction in the form of a thriller with a focus on what may have happened to some of the gold, diamonds, and other treasures that were taken from the Holocaust victims in the Concentration camps during WW II. The author makes the reader aware of the fact that many Jews may have done some unconscionable things in order to stay alive and buy their way to freedom. These same Jews may have been riddled with guilt and shame because of what they had done in order to survive while so many others had died. As always whenever there is a fortune involved there are always others willing to do whatever is necessary to get their hands on the treasure. A young woman has inherited some of the ill-gained treasure and hires a hustler Jewish lawyer to aid her in obtaining the treasure. This is a page-turner that is full of action and suspense. Of special interest to me were the author’s obvious play on words. They are searching for hidden ‘gold’ coins; the lawyer’s last name is ‘Gold’; and the name of the book is ‘Heart of Gold.’ Draw your own conclusions. This is a keeper and well worth the read. I look forward to reading more from Warren Adler in the future.

[Dannielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting and suspenseful

As always, Warren Adler does not disappoint when it comes to weaving an intricate, involved, and intriguing tale. The characters and settings are richly described to paint a clear mental image while reading. His words flow smoothly across the page so that you keep the pages turning as you absorb this story of greed, betrayal, and secrets throughout the last century.

[Kevin Cowdall · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Heart of Gold, acclaimed author Warren Adler serves up a classic Cold-War-era thriller, with a large slice of Noir and a generous pinch of Hitchcock. Milton Gold, a struggling New York Jewish lawyer operating on the fringes of property scams and financial double-dealing, thinks he has hit the big-payout when he is hired by Karla ‘Smith’, a mysterious Polish-American femme fatale, to secure her one-hundred million dollar inheritance; hidden by her father during WWII in, now Communist, Eastern Europe.

All the essential thriller ingredients are here: corrupt government officials, scheming agents of various foreign powers, Nazi war criminals, seedy hotels, car chases, trains hurtling through the night, shady deals and double-crosses - and a hidden treasure-trove of looted gold coins.

This is a taut, well-paced page-turner with a strong storyline and convincing central characters, and a profound moral and ethical dilemma it does not shy away from questioning or attempting to resolve.

I thoroughly enjoyed Heart of Gold and highly recommend it.