Codename Mermaid

by Michael James Emberger

FBI agent Ben Blanchard is angry at God for allowing his wife to die. He’s tasked with investigating a Nazi sabotage operation with a new partner, Vicky, a known German spy who looks strikingly like his late wife…and they’ll be posing as a married couple.

They arrive in the isolated town of Sugar Falls, Ontario, where they find a mysterious lumber mill, a distressed German soprano, and murderous disputes over maple tapping. With outside support cut off, Ben is forced to rely on a shaken faith and a woman he can’t trust in an attempt to stop the Nazis from spreading their poisonous plan.

Rife with grief, deception, swords, songs, and scars, Codename Mermaid is a historical thriller inspired by Beethoven’s 9th, the Ode to Joy.

371 pages, Hardcover

Published October 4, 2021

About the author

Michael James Emberger is an author of thrillers and suspense residing in Wilton, NH. He enjoys weaving narratives of conspiracy and misguided intentions around divisive topics. Where there is debate, there is always room for a villain with goals far out of alignment from either side. Michael is a graduate of Messiah College, where he studied Engineering and met his wife racing solar cars cross-country. When he’s not working on home renovations or writing, he enjoys visiting the ocean and exploring the majesty of God’s creation on the summits of New Hampshire’s mountains.

Reviews

[Kimmie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a real affinity for all things WWII, and I was seriously intrigued by this title Codename: Mermaid!
Michael James Emberger managed to completely captivate me within the first few chapters. His detailed descriptions, deeply layered characters, and spot on historical details made this book come to life for me. It was quite different (in a clever way) than most of the other WWII stories I have read. I loved how Michael James Emberger twisted things up and kept me guessing. I also enjoyed how he developed the relationships between the characters, it felt very realistic, and the thought processes of the characters were questions everyone would be asking were they thrown into these situations.
Michael James Emberger also did an excellent job incorporating faith into the lives of his characters.
Truly a fantastic book. I am definitely going to go read more of Michael James Emberger’s book. 5 Stars.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.

[Elaine Sequeira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Codename: Mermaid
Michael James Emberger

A curiously named title triggers a flood of questions, wondering and intrigue, which is saying a lot for an author who can grip you with the two word title of his book, Codenamed Mermaid. Yes, Mermaid!

FBI agent Ben Blanchard is a reluctant spy in a pre-World War II thriller that moves out of the convention grove. Ben is no bullet-deflecting Bond! No Aston Martins, gadgets and gizmo either. With a beautiful partner he’s certain he shouldn’t trust, a faith riddled with doubts and a Scrooge approved spending allowance, he heads into the field to sabotage a Nazi mass destruction plot.

What follows is a thriller that serves it to you the way you like it; Shaken? Perhaps. Stirred? Quite thoroughly! A page-turner of mystery, betrayal, danger and double-dealing. Narrated by two key characters from their opposing views, the strands meld together, unhurried initially. It does take time to adjust to the authors form of storytelling, but it gathers momentum till a coiled plot waits to spring out and surprise. An unexpected finale, lined by a silver thread of heaven’s helping hand is the cherry on the icing. And finally, an aha moment when you see sea creatures and certain characters as they truly are.

I’m not sure if the author writes music but he can write the "sound" of music. Go back to Chapter 2 after you’re done, and luxuriate in this silent space, when the written word frees the page-bound musicians, tenors and sopranos of the Toronto Symphony as they burst into the unfettered Joy of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. You’re no longer reading. You’re listening to a high fidelity experience.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5/5.0

This audiobook is creative and inspired by Beethoven’s Ninth symphony, Ode to Joy. Insights about this music are woven throughout.

Read full review in the 2022 April issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Tee-Hee Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Codename Mermaid is a triumph of the human spirit, perseverance, love, and symbolic intrigue.

Filled with scriptures, symbolism, and ocean-depth level characters, it’s easy to see how I was drawn in and compelled to continually turn the page for “just one more chapter”. These are all qualities that pave the way to my bookish heart.

This book had me staying up late into the night and waking early in the morning to find out what would happen next.

If you love WW2 history, thrillers, and a mystery, this book is for you. I couldn’t pin down whose side who was on, who were the true heroes and true villains, and what the outcome would be.

It’s nice and fun to be able to predict the ending, but what really leaves a lasting impression and has you reaching for a re-read is a book that covers its trails so cleanly, you have no clue what will happen next. But you’re there for it, waiting on the edge of your seat.

After reading Codename Mermaid, Believed, and Silent Altitudes, and giving none of them less than a five star rating, I’m realizing that Michael Emberger is easily becoming one of my newly found favorite authors.

My Overall Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

[Ann Elizabeth Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent writing! One of my favorite 2020 reads for sure. The suspense and momentum kept me absolutely engaged. Looking forward to more from this author!

[Booknerdreads Grace Haddad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christian historical lit set in the time of World War II, a story of war and defeat, love and loss, is wrapped up with a tale of enemies and unexpected trustees. This story had me on the edge of my seat- who do I trust? Who will persevere? How will the mission be completed?
This is my second book by this author and it is safe to say I will be reading more of his work! As I mentioned in my Believed review, I appreciate that this author brings to light the love of God and the beauty of Christianity in a balanced manner that fits the story well! This book specifically was filled with so much action and so many entwined plots that I found it so hard to put down. Whenever I picked it up I burned through huge chunks of the book until the very last leg of the book that had me in the same place for hours! The ending is one that isn’t at all an easy guess and that ties up in a satisfying way that concludes the story perfectly.I recommend this to any historical fiction lovers, semi fantasy lovers, and Christian lit lovers!

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does not contain the typical "James Bond" stereotype for a spy story. It was a refreshing take on the genre with a lot of undercover work. When the guns do finally make an appearance, every bullet counts.

You follow several characters who are questioning their faith in God, which is believable in this line of work. It was enlightening watching the characters return to their belief in Christianity as the plot moves forward. On the surface, this is a spy novel. However, if you dig deeper, you will find a lot of religious symbolism in every corner. By the end, I was completely attached to the characters, and had one of the most emotional responses I've ever experienced from a book. This was beautiful written, and I would highly recommend it.

[Morgan (youarethelibrarian) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would definitely reread this. I loved the unfolding of Kirsten’s story even though it was painful, but ultimately hopeful and inspirational. I’d like to grow to have the faith and trust in God that she has. It didn’t make things easier for her necessarily, but she knew He was there and watching over her.
Vicky kept me guessing through the whole book, and I really loved Alf. I had a feeling about him that turned out to be correct.
I partly listened to this on audio, and read the rest through kindle. The narrator was a woman who sounded perfect doing Kirsten’s chapters, but for Ben’s she used a lower register and tried to tamp down the accent, and sometimes I had trouble understanding.
Ben had a lot of healing to do, and while he seemed to take a backseat for certain parts of the story, he needed to observe and process what was happening in order to grow.

I highly recommend this!

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an adventurous, intriguing, suspense-filled, romantic, spy story, "page-turner." The characters are constantly changing their persona and the listener cannot be sure of who anyone really is, or what is going on, until the very end. The bit of romance is just the finishing touch to a wonderful, realistic tale of pre WWII.

The narration is wonderful. You can always tell which character you are listening to, which enhances the audio experience.

I requested this audio book from the author and am voluntarily leaving this honest review

[Bobby Hoyt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel had me glued to the pages and fully invested in the characters as they were catapulted through a dangerous adventure filled with Nazi spies and double-crosses that kept me guessing the entire journey! The characters development was so well done that you can’t help but gasp at every obstacle and revelation they endure. A historical fiction thriller that meets and exceeds expectations!

[Priscila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What a ride! I don't know what I was expecting when I started this story, but it definitely wasn't to be glued to the story, wanting to know where all of it was going. I loved Ben, Vicky, and Kirsten's story, (even though it took a while for the first two to meet the latter). I was definitely intrigued by Ben's mission and having to work with someone who looked like his late wife, all while it's clear that he's still in mourning. Also, let's keep in mind that while he may have been an FBI agent, he's not so spry when on the field. Vicky's motives aren't exactly clear, she's German and we never get her POV, so it definitely added to the mystery of it all. Kirsten's POV was fascinating since she's standing on her own for pretty much the whole book. Or so it'd seem. This doesn't mean she's alone. Physically, she's surrounded by Nazi soldiers and officers and works with them. Spiritually, her Heavenly Father has always been with her. How the whole of it weaves together so seamlessly is a testament to the author's talent and years of work on it, and I definitely enjoyed every minute of it.

I'm really glad I got to listen to the audiobook version of this story since the narrator did a wonderful job of bringing everyone to life. I loved being able to differentiate Ben, Vicky, and Kirsten's voices, but especially so, I loved hearing the German phrases that are interspersed in the story, as well the accents. Truly, her performance was great and she nailed every single nuance, be it fear, sorrow, joy, relief, happiness, and everything in between. What did become a bit tiring was Ben's "hmm's", but I'm choosing to overlook it since, besides that, the experience listening to it was pretty much perfect (especially since it included singing that teared me up).

Overall, I'm really glad I took a chance on this Christian Historical thriller (see Content below for those who are on the fence like I was), since the story, pacing, mystery, performance, and even hint of romance (that played out as I hoped for) definitely paid off. Completely recommended. ~ 5 stars

Content:
Violence: it's a thriller set in the WWII era, and one of the MCs works with Nazis, so yes, it's definitely there. There's a"trial" where someone is killed by a sword, a massacre scene where soldiers turn their guns on anyone that's not part of their group, as well as a couple of instances (past and present ones) where gas bombs go off. There's mention of gunshot and sword wounds.

[Krista Ehlers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Newly-widowed FBI agent, Ben Blanchard, attempts to foil a Nazi plot, set in Canada just before the United States entered WW II. Ben is pulled out of retirement to pose as husband and wife with a Canadian agent, Vicky. The story is told alternately from Ben's perspective and the perspective of Kirsten, a German soprano who is drawn into the Nazi war effort to pose as the wife of Nazi Karl Smith.

The plot is intriguing, and I appreciated how the author keeps the readers guessing about the female characters, Vicky and Kirsten: are they double agents? If so, whose side are they really on?

The author also portrayed the faith of the characters with honesty and realism - they were confused about God's purposes, they prayed, they made mistakes, and they kept going in faith. An enjoyable story!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Codename: Mermaid” by Michael James Emberger is a historical thriller that takes place just before World War II. I enjoyed and got quite caught up in the story. It was one of those ‘can’t put it down’ books for me. 😊
Codename: Mermaid has four main and a couple of background characters. Ben is retired FBI, a desk jockey, he agrees to return to work in the field to try to figure out how people are being murdered from a gas explosion. Vicky, a German spy (yes, you read that right) is to be Ben’s partner. She is a lovely gal who, sadly, looks a lot like his recently deceased wife. Ben knows he can’t trust her (or can he?), but she is the only help he has. As they explore the small town in Ontario that they have been sent to, things just aren’t adding up. Why is no one allowed entrance to the lumber mill? Why is the entrance guarded by men with large guns? And why did a man die? Was it a freak accident?
Locked away in the lumber mill is a group of German military men and one woman. They have come to do a secret job for their country, to plant gas-filled bombs in the wood they sell around the United States. Their plan is working great and they are almost finished when Ben and Vicky start snooping around. Kirsten (our one woman) is being held prisoner inside the mill. She was forced to leave her home and her career as an amazing vocalist, to go with Karl, who is higher ranking than she is, pretending to be his wife. Her relationship with Karl is dangerous. Karl is a violent, volatile man (and a self-centered jerk). He controls her every move. But while he sleeps, she has a few hours of freedom. She often uses that time to bathe, outdoors, in the below-zero weather. She also spends her free time worshiping God, which she does with her whole heart and soul, and she trusts Him to help her survive these terrible years.
Emberger has done a great job linking these folks together, showing us each of their personalities, and how they feel about life and war. I don’t know much about classical music, but the beauty of “Ode to Joy” is sung and talked about a few times throughout the story. This book is clean, although Karl TRIES to get Kirsten into his bed often. There is a bit of violence, but nothing too graphic. I love the espionage, the twists, the not knowing whom to trust. I would recommend Codename: Mermaid for older teens and beyond. This one kept me guessing until the very end! I am thinking I might need to see what else Emberger has written, as I like his clear, concise writing.
I did receive this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

[Cathy R Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben left his job following the death of his wife, but now an urgent problem has led to him being called back as the only one who can do the job. He is tasked with investigating a potential German plot to install cylinders of deadly gas in electricity poles and somehow release the gas by some unknown means. But his boss has informed him that the woman he is to work with, who pretends to be his wife, is known to be a German spy, which leaves him not knowing who to trust. Will he unravel the problem in time to save thousands of lives?

I should start by saying that, despite what I'm about to say, I did enjoy the story overall. The writing was good and held my interest, and though there is some violence, it doesn't feel overdone or too graphic. Having said all that, it wasn't a five star book for me for several reasons. First, most such stories have the hero and/or heroine solving the mystery and averting the catastrophe, but (trying to avoid spoilers...) this felt more like Ben was a passenger, working through his own problems along the way but contributing little to the job and often being fairly clueless. Perhaps that was why I didn't really feel I connected with him. In fact, to me it was Kirsten who made the book worth reading. Karl was evil and brutal, Vicky was too hard to read, and Ben felt more like a pawn for the others, but Kirsten made up for it all by feeling like a real character who we cheered through all her struggles, failures and successes. The book also has God acting in the world in ways I don't think we see happening. I would never say he couldn't do such things (because it's obviously not true), just that it doesn't feel realistic. Finally, the ending felt a bit like cheating - I liked the symbolism of it, but it wasn't fully satisfying. Nevertheless, I'd be interested in reading more by the author in future to see if I could find something a little more up my alley, because he does write well.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

[Raechel Lenore · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing style of "Codename: Mermaid" was very strong and easy to fall into. I love first person narratives, and so easily found myself turning the pages one right after the other, curious to see how the story would go. The grief the main character, Ben, displayed going through in the beginning chapters was poignant and real, and I appreciated the way it was shown.
This novel is set during WWII, and involves a lot of spies and intrigue - even as the reader, you're unsure who you are to trust and who you are to be suspicious of.
I liked the characters, especially Kirsten. Ben could sometimes come across as a little...bland; I'm not entirely sure why, because he had a backstory and was involved in the plot, but there was just something about him that sometimes made him seem to fade more into the background of the story, even though we were reading from his POV. I still liked him, though.
Kirsten had to endure a lot, and faced many trials and pain. Her faith throughout the novel was encouraging, and I also liked the music theme woven throughout. Even among the horrors she saw and was forced to participate in, she still clung to God, and I loved that.
The ending was a bit surprising to me. To be honest, I'm still a little uncertain about it, but it did end happily which I appreciate.
The plot was intriguing and I enjoyed following along, and spending time within the pages.

Thanks to the author for the review copy.

[Brittany Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️REVIEW⭐️:

A very unique WW2 historical fiction spy thriller. It’s inspired by Ode to Joy of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and set primarily in the Canadian wilderness. Narrated by Kristina Rothe. Rothe changes her voice ever so slightly for each character so you know who is talking at the time. She is originally from Germany so the pronunciation of German words is flawless and she even sings a few bars of a song which was beautiful! Rothe also conveyed fear, sadness, joy, relief with astounding accuracy. She made you feel as if you were right beside the characters.

The detailed descriptions, deeply layered characters, and symbolism and faith make this a book you don’t want to stop listening to. Ben is a reluctant retired FBI agent now spy for the US and is paired with a beautiful woman who looks just like his late wife. Neither one can trust the other. Kirsten, the other character whose point of view we have is an extraordinary woman whose faith strengthens her and carries her through a tumultuous time with a German saboteur.

Thank you Michael Emberger for sending me your audiobook in exchange for a review. I throughly enjoyed it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was eager to begin listening to this audio book. I really enjoy books set during WWII, and this story looked to be different than many of those stories. It was. It was set in the US before the US actually joined the war efforts. The Germans were attempting to hide gas cylinders throughout the US that they could detonate from a distance and kill thousands.

The narrator wasn't my favorite as I thought a man would have done a better job. There were some times when I felt there was repetition. I believe some of it was intentional, but there were other places where it was just confusing. It made me think I had hit a button and gone back in the story.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the story because it was different than so many other WWII books. It was clean and showed how people in precarious positions during the war placed all their faith in God. This was a new to me author, and I might have to give some of his other books a try.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not my typical style of book that I read but I am so glad that I took a chance! I was hooked from just looking at the stunning cover. Kirsten is a force and such a strong female character. I absolutely adore the way this book weaves music into the story line so seamlessly. It brought out emotions from me for these characters and what they had to endure and overcome.
This beautiful and complex plot line kept me guessing until the end. Take a chance on this book it will not disappoint!

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fantastic historical thriller! If you love exciting WWII suspense, you’ll love Codename Mermaid. With deep, relatable characters and a twisted, race-against-time plot, author Michael James Emberger wove an enigmatic plot that captivated me and kept me turning the pages.

HIGHLIGHTS: Early FBI Days · WW11 Timeline · A Small, Winter Town in Ontario · A Race Against the Clock to Save the World · A Strong, Determined Heroine · A Grieving, Duty-Driven Hero · Mystery, Intrigue and a Villainous Plan

From the first chapter of this novel, Emberger delivered a mysterious ambiance that immediately drew me in. After meeting the grieving Ben Blanchard and witnessing his loyalty to his country and his job, I wanted more. As the story unfolds and the plot thickened, there were several twists and turns that kept me guessing, wrapped up in the story.

I really loved both main characters, but especially Kirsten. Her history, her plight and her dedication mystified me. I don’t want to give any of the story or mystery away so I won’t say more but her portion of the story was truly my favorite and her character really rose to the surface to shine brightly as the heroine of the story.

I enjoyed the small town, winter setting in Ontario with the secondary characters and all the details shrouded in mystery, giving this story a thrilling, exciting sense of adventure and intrigue. There was a heart-pounding level of intensity interwoven with the need to see the Germans’ plan uncovered and thwarted which kept me captivated and fully invested in the story. There were also some faith-based elements of the story that intensified the loyalty and patriotism of the main characters.

The gripping ending surprised me, adding a mystical, almost magical element to the story that I was not expecting.

SUMMARY: Overall, this was a great read that I found thrilling and unique. It was clean with threads of duty, loyalty, faith and love. Readers who enjoy exciting historical mysteries may love this novel and should definitely give it a try!

Content Note: While a faith-based story, this novel does contain a mythical/resurrection element.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary e-copy of this book from the author. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.