Ib Melchior (1917–2015)

I received a free copy of this e-book from the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange for a review.

You can tell this was written in the 1970's. I got this because I enjoy WWII fiction, and I also have an odd taste for things dealing with nuclear issues. A WWII novel about the Nazi atomic program? Yes please!

The first third of this book seemed like one big mess to me. The author launches into long action sequences with little to no explanations of what is happening, who we should care show more about, and why it is happening. Thankfully, it got a little better once you moved past that first third. The plot moved at a good pace and was quite fun for a while. The climatic ending scene seemed to go back to the messy style of the first third of the book.

Based solely on the plot, the book was pretty good. It moved along nicely and didn't drag. The characters were a constant disappointment. There really weren't any well developed characters in the entire novel. The two main characters seemed interchangeable and unremarkable. The women in the novel were weak and insubstantial. They seemed like they were there only to help the men, or have sex with them. This is probably a reflection of the time in which it was written, but it still sucks. The book does have a pretty unique and memorable death scene that still grosses me out whenever I think of it.

All in all, it kept me entertained, and it did dabble in nuclear history. That's about all I can say for it. show less

It was World War II's master weapon and Hitler had it first. As Germany crumbled, Hitler feverishly raged against final defeat. Every qualified citizen in the Reich was committed to developing an atomic bomb. In 1945 they almost succeeded. The code name was The Haigerloch Project.
The shock-a-second thriller of a brilliant scientist and a deadly and two spies thrust into the most crucial Allied mission of the war. A heart pounding race against time that explodes Hitler's dreams.

A brutal street killing. A tough L.A. cop. A faded snapshot. A poster adorned with a swastika. A Cruel nightmare of bloody intrigue. A sensational thriller, violent as a burst of machine gun fire. Hitler's evil is reborn. The Third Reich will rise again.

Star Trek score: 1. John Hoyt later starred as the ship's doctor in the first Star Trek pilot.