Edwin Alexander

Karl Heinz Fiedler is part of a secretive organization called The New Templars. The group is a privately funded organization dedicated to the preservation of the German cultural heritage. Karl goes to see a man named Herr Brandt, who at one point held a senior position in the SS Administration. The only problem is that there never was a Herr Brandt in the SS Administration. So the question is.... Who is Herr Brandt?

Well he must be someone important as Brandt passes on to Fiedler an inventory list that consists of photographs of valuable artifacts and a will that ensures that Brandt's whole collection goes to The New Templars. In the pile of stuff handed to Karl Fiedler is a typescript dated March 1944 and titled My Life by SS Gruppenfuhrer Richard J. Gluecks. Wrriten in the typescript is Mr. Gruppenfuhrer's account of how he helped dispose of Oswald Pohl's collection of artifacts.

When Al Hershey, private investigator was hired by Geoff Hughes to dig into the death of Megan Gilchrist his niece, he did not know what he was signing up for. As Hershey investigates the death of Megan he finds that she did not drown but was instead murdered. Megan was a sweet girl who did not hurt anyone so who and why was she murdered? These are the questions that Al Hershey has to answer. He will do so by travelling through three continents.

Theft of the Master was based on chronicled accounts of Hitler's orders to take and transport valuable pieces of art work to Germany. Theft of the Master takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride of intrigue, adventure and secrecy. I thought Theft of the Master was like Indiana Jones meets James Bond..... Explosive! From the moment you pick up this book you will find yourself not wanting to put this book down till the end. I really enjoyed the little tid bits of information that author, Edwin Alexander gave throughout the book. He would insert interesting information at the bottom of the pages when it applied. This was a great addition as this helped bring you into the plot line more. It made Theft of the Master like a history lesson but the kind you actually want to attend. This is my first Edwin Alexander novel but you can be sure that it won't be my last! So do yourself a favor and pick up a copy today.… (more)

Hitler’s well-documented determination to loot Europe of its most priceless art has sparked the imaginations of writers worldwide, resulting in many a thriller in book or movie format. Amazingly enough, some of the lost art objects still surface occasionally in places to which they were carried by those who in turn managed to loot Hitler’s stolen collection near the end of World War II. Edwin Alexander’s debut novel, Theft of the Master, in which just such a piece surfaces in 1992, is a worthy addition to the genre.

The piece in question, a 1493 wood carving depicting a seated Christ delivering the Sermon on the Mount, was only one of many priceless art objects smuggled into Paraguay by one of Hitler’s despicable minions when those “officers” scattered around the world to hide in holes like the rats they were. But even rats live long enough to die of old age occasionally and, when this one did just that, the priceless art was suddenly up for grabs again.

Importantly, in this instance, the missing seated-Christ sculpture has as much historical significance to the country from which it was originally stolen, Estonia, as it has monetary value to those hoping to cash in on Hitler’s failure to survive the war. Alexander begins his story with the creation of the seated-Christ and describes in detail the atrocities committed by Hitler’s thugs when they took possession of it. Then it disappears for nearly half a century.

Theft of the Master at times reads like two separate books because much of the story takes place on the California coast near San Francisco and involves a wealthy British family suddenly in need of the services of a private detective. They find one in the person of Al Hersey, a lethal ex-Marine and self-employed private investigator who is willing to go wherever, and speak with whoever might have answers to the questions his clients are asking. Slowly but surely, as the persistent Mr. Hersey pursues his investigation through California, Estonia, Paraguay, Sweden, and New York, it becomes obvious that the answers about what happened to his clients in 1992 go back much farther than anyone suspected.

Edwin Alexander’s complicated plot is filled with memorably unique characters that are, at times, more fun than the plot itself but, by the end of Al Hersey’s around-the-world adventures, the reader realizes what a trip it was and how masterful a job Alexander has done in tying all the loose ends together. Al Hersey and his stay-at-home wife, upon whom he depends to handle all the logistics of his investigation, make quite a team and here’s hoping that Theft of the Master is only the first of his adventures of which we will be reading.

This one is quite a ride, so pay attention.

Rated at: 4.0… (more)

Priceless works of art and cultural artifacts were stolen by the Nazis before World War II ground to a halt. Edwin Alexander's debut novel - Theft of the Master - is based on this historical fact. The novel opens in 1493 in Estonia with the commission of a carving of Christ. It then fast forwards to 1992 where the reader is introduced to The Templars - modern day Nazis intent on preserving "German cultural heritage." Alexander sets up the novel carefully - structuring it after a game of chess - while he moves from Germany to the coast of Northern California where a young woman is drowned under suspicious circumstances. Enter Al Hershey, a private investigator small in stature but big in street smarts and Marine experience. Hershey is a likable character who is adept at getting himself out of tight situations. Hired by the dead girl's parents, Hershey wastes no time unraveling the mystery from California, to Paraguay, to Estonia to Germany and back to California.

While the novel faltered at times with some cliche characters and plot gaps, Alexander's ability to tell a story with plenty of twists and turns keeps the reader flipping the pages. One of the strengths of the book is its reliance on historical fact to support the fictional elements...and I have to admit that was my initial interest in the book.

Alexander has a web page which includes an interview with him about this book, along with some additional information about the history of the novel. He is currently working on his second Al Hershey novel.

Theft of the Master was a quick and ultimately satisfying read and I can recommend it to readers who enjoy thrillers and historical fiction.

Rated 3.5.… (more)