Send The Word: Into The Valley Of Death

by James Hockenberry

1918: The Allies and Germany square off for the final Armageddon. Gil Martin and Paul & his wife Shannon Tunney Keller, the “saviors of New York” from Over Here, struggle to secure victory. But at what cost? On the Western Front, Martin & Keller do not know who is more the German army or supposed friends. During the American advance, a cunning assassin emerges to threaten General Pershing. In the final days of the war, Martin & Keller battle through the formidable German defenses in the Meuse-Argonne. Taking it will be ghastly. For Martin, pledged to keep his brave friend Keller alive, the story becomes a personal struggle of sacrifice, loss of faith, and despair. In New York, Shannon wonders if she is a wife or widow. She uncovers a conspiracy to help Germany win the war but gets trapped between scheming rivals, opportunistic adventurers, and righteous patriots. Through it all, each will face betrayal, bewildering obstacles, and certain death

412 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 28, 2021

About the author

James Hockenberry grew up in Bronxville, NY and had a career in finance before he delved into his dream of writing historical fiction. In his first book of the Martin-Keller Intrigue Series, Over Here, James delves into his German-American heritage. His grandfather was as a prosperous NYC businessman in 1915 which propelled him into meticulous research about that time in America, and the first World War. Revealing the intrigue, suspense and turmoil in his exploration led Jim to write a powerful, historically based thrill-ride of a novel, depicting the intense influential personal and international conspiracy and devious drama that existed at that time in America’s history.

Reviews

[Brian Perkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throughly enjoyed this book. So much historical fiction is about the Second World War, but I find the Great War very interesting for a book because of the confluence of the flu pandemic, the use of airplanes in the military, and the battles themselves.

The book does a nice job of weaving fictional characters into real life battles, historically documented meetings, and accurately described locations both in the US and Europe.

The main fictional characters have some depth, and the supporting characters are extremely interesting. Of course we also get to read about people we know from history before they’d had streets and airports and buildings named after them.

In the end, the book had me looking up events, maps, people, and organizations, which is one of my favorite aspects of a good historical fiction novel. Definitely recommend for an entertaining and educational read.

[Kate Ferris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-crafted and thoroughly researched novel of World War I. Mr. Hockenberry has seamlessly blended the real politics and horrors of the 'War to End All Wars' with the ordeals of his characters Capt. Gil Martin and Lt. Paul Keller. From fighting in France to uncovering a German plot in New York City, Send the Word is a fast-paced, informative, and worthwhile read!