Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner
Dead Ground
Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Gerald Seymour
Class/Genre: Mystery Government Agency Espionage Thriller
Simon & Schuster, Jun 1999, $25.00, 400 pp.
Once the Wall fell and Germany reunited, old enemies became strange bedfellows. Even former members of the Stasi, the East German secret police with a Gestapo heritage, have become acceptable by political and military leaders throughout the West. However, for some friends and lovers of the victims of the Stasi, the memory does not vanish just because a government has.
When the British welcomed Doktor Dieter Krause, they never expected an incident. However, upon seeing Dieter, Corporal Tracy Barnes goes berserk and starts punching and kicking the German until his bodyguards finally stop her. Tracy has recognized Dieter as the person whom cold bloodedly murdered her beloved just before East Germany collapsed. She wants vengeance. The British send Albert Perkins, a home duty officer with a special knack at finding out the truth, to investigate the incident. However, Albert will soon learn that Tracy is minor league as the real vengeance seekers go all the way back to Moscow.
DEAD GROUND is one of the best espionage thrillers of the year. The story line cleverly combines the elated aftermath of the collapse of the Wall with a tragic love story that brutally ended before the German unification occurred. The characters and their emotions seem so genuine that readers will believe that Gerald Seymour is using real persona. The plot also feels authentic as if officials opened an archive for Mr. Seymour's use. This author is clearly at the top of his game as fans of thrillers and espionage novels will relish this fabulous novel.
Harriet Klausner
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner
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