Trail-Mix Readers discussion

The Book of the Month for August os Treasures of the Fourth Reich by Patrick Parker. Check it out and leave your review here.

Treasures of the Fourth ReichHere is my review: By book blogging I have learned a lot of cool stuff. It's better than taking any class. The novels I have reviewed have been thoroughly researched. Patrick Parker's Treasures of the Fourth Reich gives readers an interesting glimpse into the horrors of Nazi Germany. We've all learned about the ghettos, the death camps, and the invasions of many parts of Europe, but I never knew that the Nazis were also involved in the theft of art and other valuables. I also never knew that geese were trained as house guards. How neat is that!

As Hitler's reign of terror comes to a close, a high-ranking Nazi official has accumulated enough confiscated treasure to begin the Fourth Reich (or at the very least, hide out for the rest of his life). In a moment of pity, he spared the life of a Jewish girl, leaving her money but taking with him a valuable painting. Many years later, this girl reaches out to Maria Conner in hopes of recovering her painting (it has a lot of sentimental value for her). Maria and husband, Dix, soon find that the art theft ring has not only continued but is active-and that any resistance is deadly. As the death toll rises, Dix and Maria, along with various supporters, must find a way to stop the vicious ring before they are killed.

Parker had to take quite few fictional liberties to make his plot work. I can't fault him for that as I freely take such liberties. Between the kidnapped woman who is rescued by the next chapter, the explosion the team escapes from at the last second, the enemies who surrender a little too easily, reading Treasures is a little like watching your favorite football team trash their opponent. It doesn't do much for suspense, but it's great to know that your side is winning. There's enough action to keep the reader engaged, but after a while, the reader becomes secure in the knowledge that the "good guys" are in no real danger and that they'll always figure a way out. You will want to read to see how they fared. Treasures has a very strong Mission Impossible and Charlie's Angels feel.

Despite a bit of awkward narration in some places, Treasures is a very smooth read and definitely teaches a lot. As I said, the plot is highly engaging in spite of being just a little predictable. A neat and enjoyable, entertaining story. Most definitely worth a read.