Paul Remmich sweated while he slept. His subconscious mind spun traitorous thoughts to control his actions and satisfy his handler’s quest for secrets. He’s powerless to refuse.
The US Army acquires a new top-secret energy source. News of this discovery leaked into the wrong hands, Iraq’s Tariq'Allah. They offer Captain Eric Miller a bribe to participate in espionage for a kickback. The military intelligence officer refuses. This clandestine encounter leaves one of the foreign emissaries dead.
The lethal outcome forces Miller to flee Stockholm and take refuge at a US Army station in Germany to work with his West Point friend, Captain Paul Remmich. But the pursuit is renewed, and the Iraqi agents devise a new strategy to achieve their goal that ups the ante. Then Remmich makes a crucial mistake that plays into the Iraqi agents’ hands. Remmich now functions from a controlled personality while his true self lies dormant. His colleagues are oblivious to his duplicity except for Miller, who senses something is off.
"The taller, older man motioned toward the pile of money with his left hand, and his partner’s eyes followed. As the two looked down at the bundles of cash, Miller stepped to the side and quickly pulled the 9mm out of his coat’s inner breast pocket. The short thug with the silencer looked up and turned as Miller fired two rounds in quick succession."
All that stands between the agents and their prize is intrigue, twists, and high-octane confrontation. If you like deception and determination, you’ll love this tight, fast-paced adventure.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Karl grew up in the Catonsville area with four siblings.
While in the US Army and living in Germany, Karl gained hands-on experience in military intelligence during the Cold War. He worked in the administration of a security intelligence department, assisting soldiers completing security clearances and fingerprinting before submitting to the FBI for verification.
The military work also entailed seminar training to familiarize MI soldiers about Soviet/Russian espionage. Because the MI work also included driving the CO to intelligence meetings in Stuttgart, he was able to attend some meetings related to espionage matters as a bystander. While stationed overseas, Karl's travels throughout Europe helped develop his understanding of foreign cultural differences.
After serving, Karl worked full-time and part-time in commercial construction for financial support during college. He spent .seven years working in this area; attaining journeyman status. He graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, majoring in Political Science (International Affairs, Comparative Government), and minored in English Literature. After college, Karl worked as a construction manager for construction and engineering firms.
Karl has spent the last several decades maintaining his awareness of Middle East politics and social movements. Before retiring, Karl began to fulfill a long-held desire to write novels. Now fully retired, he has written four, one family saga and three espionage novels. He is in progress of writing the fourth spy novel. Karl is a member of the Eastern Shore Writers Association, the Rehoboth Beach Writers Guild, and the Maryland Writers Association. He attends the Creatures, Crime and Creativity conference annually as well as many others.
This is my first read by Karl Braungart and I am excited to dive in the next of the the series, Counter Identity. Lost Identity is with Paul and Eric, US Army military officers through a fast paced story with an added love interest. Paul drinks from the wrong beer at the pub which starts this internal struggle as he has been brain washed to share intelligence that he has no control over. I loved the how the author incorporates the dentist and Paul's tooth. Not to give away too much, you'll have to read for yourself. Lost Identity will have you turning the page to the end just to say, "Ah I need to start the next book." If you enjoy military novels, and or espionage this is great book for you. Karl's military knowledge is shown in this book making it very intriguing.
Lost Identity is my first Braungart book and the first in a series. I'm glad I stumbled across it. It's off to an excellent start for a series, and the plot, writing, and pace kept me going. The story/plot was terrific and exciting, though the characters could have more depth. The story starts with action, and the action continues throughout most of the book; though it picks up and lulls at points with pace, it's balanced pretty well. I enjoyed the introduction and snippet of the characters at the beginning/front of the book. It made me feel ready to dive in and meet them. Remmich is a compelling character and compliments the story well, even though Miller, so far, is my favorite character. I like how the end left it open for another book without leaving gaping plot holes. Overall, this is a good book on espionage, thrills, and danger, and all loose ends are tied up nicely, and I have faith that Miller's (and Remmich's, of course) adventures will continue to grab my attention in the next book.
Lost Identity by Karl Braungart is the first in his Remmich/Miller series that will keep lovers of the espionage genre engaged. Captain Eric Miller turns down a deadly deal resulting in his immediate change of location. Someone in higher powers was not happy with this and swore revenge. Moving to Germany, Miller now works with his friend Captain Paul Remmich. Remmich's resignation allows Miller to move into his job, but he would rather work with his friend. Miller begins to notice Remmich's strange behavior after disappearing for several hours one day. Little does either man understand the depths their enemies will take for information, power, and revenge. I highly recommend this book as a military thriller.
The story of Lost Identity follows military officers Paul Stanley Remmich and Eric Miller from the US Army through a clandestine operation. As the US Army acquire a top-secret energy source, news of this discovery is leaked into the wrong hands in Iraq. What follows is an intense drama full of military espionage, double dealing, lies and high octane confrontation!
Lost Identity by Karl Braungart is the first in the series and I enjoyed this so much I immediately went on and read the other two. This was a fast paced, action packed adventure that had me hooked from the first few pages. It’s not so often I find a book this immediately engaging and I found it difficult to put this down, losing sleep over a couple of nights before I finished it. Lost Identity is full of action, drama and betrayal. All of the elements for me that make this a must read military thriller.
Lost Identity (The Remmich/Miller Series Book 1) by Karl Braungart is the first book in this series and has an exciting start. The espionage genre is one that is always exciting and fun to dive into. A list of characters and settings makes reading the book and keeping track of everything much easier. The book is full of action, even from the initial pages, and doesn't stop until the end. The characters of Miller and Remmich are well-rendered and carry the story well. There are plenty of plot twists, a fast pace, and endless challenges each main character must face and sometimes question. Overall, an enticing and solid first entry into a promising series.
What a brilliant way to start off a new series. I loved the premise - a top-secret energy source that could change the world is leaked into the wrong hands. I loved Miller and Remmich as characters. They have flaws, depth, motivations, and determination. The action scenes are great, and really make you feel like you’re right in the midst of it. The plot itself moves along fairly swiftly, with foes that have no problems playing dirty coming after our heroes. This kept me on the edge of my seat, and it was hard to take breaks while reading. This is a spy/military thriller, and is right up the alley of anyone who enjoys internation espionage in their books.
Lost Identity by Karl Braungart is the first book in a series of three. This was the first time I read a book by this author, and it certainly will not be the last. I continued on to read the next two books in the series because I was so intrigued by the premise and enjoyed the action packed, fast paced, espionage thriller and needed more! I really enjoyed the main two characters, Eric Miller and Paul Stanley Remmich. I thought their characters were well developed along with some of the other characters in the book. Miller and Remmich certainly are not perfect but that’s what makes them even more relatable and enjoyable to read about. There were a lot of characters in this book and I found the list of characters at the beginning of the book to be a great reference guide throughout!
Miller was offered a bribe to participate in an espionage situation by individuals from Iraq, but this was not something he wanted to do, nor was he willing to do. The problem is two “officers” that came to him with the offer and information, but one ended up dead. In order to protect himself, Miller had to go on the run and take refuge at a US Army station in Germany. This is when he starts working with Remmich, who is also a friend of his. But is it really Remmich? Perhaps the individuals from Iraq are not done with trying to work with Miller after all. But to avoid any spoilers I will stop now and recommend you read the book. It is written well and again is action packed. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing til the end.
This is the start of a series featuring Paul Remmich and Eric Miller, 2 US Army intelligence officers. When Miller is approached to be a spy, he refuses. However, his friend Remmich is unknowingly drugged and hypnotized into spying for the Iraqis. Miller thinks something is strange with his friend, but he can't figure out what it is. Paul is a good target because he works in encryption and has access to classified information. The book is interesting and scary at the same time. Could this actually happen, where a US intelligence officer is drugged and hypnotized into working for the enemy. More to come in book 2!
A 2021 spy novel, Lost Identity is about an attempt to steal some new US technology, with spies from the US, Russia, and Iraq predominantly featured but taking place in Europe.
I guess most of my comments will be negative. - There's a repetitive style of dialogue between the characters that makes them all read to me like the same person. - The security protocols for top secret information being followed by US personnel in the book are definitely not accurate, but that might just be a narrative liberty the author took. - Most of the plot takes place in cafeterias, bars, and conference rooms where someone is eating or drinking. I think three of every four pages of the whole dang book mention a meal or snack. Seriously, I noticed the pattern very early and then for the next 200 pages kept chuckling to myself, "what? food again?" and I just couldn't stop myself from looking for a food mention on every page. It was kind of fun in a way.
Verdict: I think Braungart might have good bones for a story here, but it is a little choppy and has troubled pacing. Also, the last page is a "to be continued... buy the next book!" That's just rude as heck.
Two Iraqi agents are attempting to use hypnotism in order to recruit moles within the US military intelligence, and steal new energy technology. There are also Russian agents spying on the Iraqi agents in the hopes of stealing the same information. Finally, another man is following one of the potential targets in the US military in order to get revenge on US captain Miller for injuring him when this man tried recruiting Miller to spy.
The main plot of this book has a lot of promise, however I found it difficult to really get into this book as it read like a list of things that happened and things that people said. A number of words or phrases (for example "his buddy") are overused to the point of being distracting. I wasn't really sure why the plot line with the "thug" following Miller in order to get his revenge was included - it comes up very intermittently and then is quickly resolved at the end, but doesn't seem to influence any of the other storylines. This book is the first in a series, and the fate of the hypnotized mole and Iraqi and Russian agents are left unresolved at the end of this book. With more editing this could be a good read.
I was searching for thrillers on Goodreads lists and came across ‘Lost Identity’ on one list. Perhaps because of the very high average rating. I will briefly explain the plot. Captain Eric Miller and Captain Paul Remmich are US Army officers serving overseas in Europe, and Iraqi spies are trying to get their hands on a top-secret energy technology, which I didn’t quite understand. It would make Iraq energy-independent from oil. The Iraqi spies begin a mission to turn Miller into their mole for access to the top-secret documents, but things go wrong. A tense military thriller ensues involving the two officers and spies in hot pursuit. Saying more would spoil the story.
The thriller aspect of this story did not particularly overtake me. I felt a bit underwhelmed reading the novel, and it didn’t feel easy to get into early on. The first 50 pages didn’t excite me, and I kept wondering whether to keep going. After the mole game began, Lost Identity held my interest the rest of the way.
The writing felt tight and concise, which I appreciated. Braungart seems like a new writer, but I think he is pretty decent. This might be his first published novel, which is pretty good. The pacing sometimes felt a bit off and distracted me from the plot. The settings for the scenes didn’t interest me much. It seems half of the scenes take place in a bar or restaurant, and it becomes predictable. The characters also feel predictable in their interactions. Finally, the storytelling was missing the “oomph” that I have read in other thrillers from writers like Michael Connelly, John Grisham, Nelson DeMille, and Michael Crichton, to name a few.
Overall, I think Braungart has plenty of potential as a writer, and his plot is decent here. As he gains more experience, I think his storytelling will continue to get better and better. I’m on the fence about reading the rest of this series. I think I will read the second novel at some point, hoping it’s an improvement from his first.
Lost Identity by Karl Braungart In this thriller spy book we learn so many techniques as to how a spy lives daily, the things they do and why. Love the travel to not only Amsterdam but Germany and so many other locations. Romance, travel, spies, double crossing, fast pace action, a bit of something for everyone to enjoy. Fascinating learning of how they control him with an implant.... I can see this happening in today’s world, SO realistic. Author totally describes the scenes and the events that take place, this would be just perfect for a movie. You can picture the scenes in your head.
3.8 stars. It is slow and mostly describing what’s going on in day to day basis of Paul Remmich and Eric Miller’s life. But of course this book is just a background work for the next one. The only thing that I don’t like is the vintage feel. I don’t know why but the whole book gives a vintage vibe; the dialogue and even the subplots….they are just…I don't know how to say it nut the way they talk, the way they act, I just felt like they are mot my contemporary but more like gentleman in the 50’s. Anyway, it’s an interesting story.
This is a first for me. I don't usually read military-based books, but I was curious about this one. I don't believe I have read a book that portrays Iraq.
The book itself was quite enjoyable. It is fast-paced, has a lot of action, and even a few surprising elements. Now, since it was a military, spy-based book, I am not used to this genre. I think I would like to venture more into this genre because of this book though.
Just re-watched the movie last night, and I thought about the book. While Han Solo did pull off quite a few of Clancy's movies with great flair back in the early 90s, Clear and Present Danger notwithstanding, the book is still better. Mostly because it portrays Clark and Chavez in a more profound,
Surely, this book is a joke. Seems to have been written by a 10 year old. Also, many of the positive reviews seem to me like they were written by the same person.
‘Vital information about a scientific discovery’ – Initiating a thrilling espionage series
Delaware author Karl Braungart brings his extensive experience in military intelligence gained during the Cold War as well as his familiarity with Middle East politics and social movements to the reading public with his Remmich/Miller Series (aka the Spy Determination Series). The triptych explores Russian, Iraqi, and Iranian spy tactics immersed in amazingly realistic stories. LOST IDENTITY is the initial volume of the series.
Preparing for an extended series, Braungart lists the characters and places before novel’s opening, sharing that titular characters Paul Stanley Remmich (American citizen who grew up in England) and Eric Miller are West Point graduates stationed at 32nd Security Intelligence in Germany. The novel opens with a tense atmosphere: ’The two men placed their semiautomatic pistols under the car seat and got out. They entered the living quarters for the United Nations Military Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, with confidence. Because false ID cards hung from lanyards around their necks, a security guard passed them through without question…The intruders were dressed as civilians, and both had olive skin…Because they also modeled a clean-cut military appearance, other soldiers would assume they were army officers from the Middle East…’ It is clear that the author understands his military espionage genre!
The initial episode is well distilled: ‘The US Army acquires a new top-secret energy source. News of this discovery leaked into the wrong hands, Iraq’s Tariq'Allah. They offer Captain Eric Miller a bribe to participate in espionage for a kickback. The military intelligence officer refuses. This clandestine encounter leaves one of the foreign emissaries dead. The lethal outcome forces Miller to flee Stockholm and take refuge at a US Army station in Germany to work with his West Point friend, Captain Paul Remmich. But the pursuit is renewed, and the Iraqi agents devise a new strategy to achieve their goal that ups the ante. Then Remmich makes a crucial mistake that plays into the Iraqi agents’ hands. Remmich now functions from a controlled personality while his true self lies dormant. His colleagues are oblivious to his duplicity except for Miller, who senses something is off.’ For those who appreciate and enjoy tense drama that seeps out of spy thrillers, this book is a must read. Very well written and compelling. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book
The first book in the trilogy, Lost Identity by Karl Braungart, is so good that I read the other two right away. This book's main plot shows a lot of promise. To infiltrate US military intelligence and steal cutting-edge energy technologies, two Iraqi spies are attempting to employ hypnosis. In an effort to obtain the same intelligence, Russian agents are also eavesdropping on the Iraqi agents. In order to exact revenge on US captain Miller for hurting him when this individual tried to persuade Miller to spy, another man is now stalking one of the potential targets in the US military. Neither man is aware of the lengths to which their adversaries will go in order to obtain knowledge, influence, or retribution.
The agents are only separated from their reward by high-stakes conflict, twists, and intrigue. You'll adore this tense, action-packed adventure if you enjoy deceit and tenacity.
Lost Identity by Karl Braungart is the first book in the Remmich/Miller Series. It is a fictional piece of work with a fast pace that explores themes such as crime, spies, mind control, and a few others. It is an easy-to-read book that mainly focuses on action, an aspect that did not bother me; on the contrary, it kept me turning the page until I reached the end. Although I found the idea of hypnotizing or mind-controlling someone a little farfetched in this book, especially if it is an action book, it felt kind of funny to me, and it was hard to take the book seriously from that point on.
The novel focuses on Eric Miller and Paul Remmich, two officers in the U.S. Army who embark on a dangerous journey against Iraqi spies who want to get their hands on the army's latest discovery, a new type of energy force. Will they be able to fight against the enemy, or will the enemy find a way to get its hands on the technology?