The Accomplice

This is far from my favourite of Kanon's thrillers, but nonetheless I enjoyed reading it. There is an element of repetition in what he writes. Low level agent of some sort gets embroiled in a scenario of international significance, falls into bed and possibly into a more romantic relationship with woman connected to that scenario, bad guys come a cropper and everyone lives happily ever after. That formula is used again here as low ranking CIA desk-agent goes hunting for a Nazi war criminal who has found refuge in Argentina.

The plot was compelling and there was a good mix of excitement and historical background. The writing style for this one was not always easy to follow as the dialogue is closely interwoven with the protagonists show more thoughts and reactions which are often quite clipped. At times this gave the novel a slightly disjointed rhythm and I found myself re-reading sections to be sure who was speaking or thinking. That said, the atmosphere of post-war intrigue was convincingly drawn and the moral ambiguities of justice, revenge, and complicity were well handled. It’s perhaps not Kanon at his very best, but still a solid, thoughtful thriller that rewards a patient reader. show less

This is a thriller involving a reluctant Nazi hunter whose link to the man he's hunting, an associate of Mengele's who ran his own inhumane experiments at Auschwitz, is the man's beautiful daughter. It's 1962 and Aaron is visiting his uncle in Germany, whose work finding Nazis has landed him on the covers of magazines, when the elderly man spots Otto Schramm walking down a busy street. Since he is not able to, he asks Aaron, who works for the CIA, albeit as an analyst, to take on the job. Schramm was reported dead in Argentina years ago, but the key lies with his daughter, who lives in Buenos Aires. So Aaron goes to Argentina, and gets to know Schramm's daughter very well and very quickly. He doesn't have any experience at this, but he show more has the help of a German journalist and a few Mossad agents, as well as his own connections at the Buenos Aires field office of the CIA. But the guys helping him each have goals of their own and his own motivations are being influenced by the woman he's become involved with.

There's a lot going on in this thriller, with a look at the politics around the high-profile Nazis who fled accountability after the war and a lengthy set up to explain why Aaron, whose mother died in the camps, is canoodling with the daughter of a notorious Nazi, and to put the representatives of the various groups (Mossad, the CIA, etc...) interested in Schramm in position, which means that the real action doesn't start until the final third of the book. Of the books by this author that I've read, this is the least interesting, although it was still a fine diversion. show less

This is a welcome return to form after his previous novel ‘Defectors’, which failed to reach the heights of his earlier books. Taking as its subject, one somewhat seldom used, it follows the path of Aaron Wiley in his quest to bring a Nazi war criminal, Otto Schramm, to trial in Germany in 1962. Kanon’s prose ratchets up the tension as the action moves from Hamburg to Buenos Aires after Aaron’s uncle, Max Weill, involves him in the hunt for Schramm. During the chase, Aaron becomes romantically involved with Otto’s daughter, which creates a complicating situation for them both, something that only increases as the story progresses. With CIA and Israeli agents after Otto, each with their own agenda, Aaron attempts to bring Otto show more to justice. By the end, there are several accomplices in the action and the style and pace of the writing, urge you on to discover which of the parties will active their goal. show less

Every time I review a book by Joseph Kanon I say the same thing: he’s done it again. That is not to say the story is the same, but THE ACCOMPLICE is Kanon’s usual historical fiction/thriller with characters in situations I’m sure they can’t get out of but always do. Presentation is always smart dialog, no long paragraphs describing scenery as in so many other novels. This book is, as Kanon’s books always are, excellent.

Aaron Wiley feels obligated to find Otto Schramn, a doctor who performed medical experiments on Jews during World War II. It is now the 1960s, and Aaron’s uncle Max Weill, who has been tracking and turning in Nazis since his imprisonment at Auschwitz, has spotted Schramm in Germany but dies soon after.

So Aaron show more deduces that Schramm has left for Buenos Aires and follows him there. With assistance from a German newspaper reporter, an Israeli agent, a CIA station chief, and even Schramm’s daughter, Aaron hunts for Schramm, a monster turned crazy man. show less

A mix of mundane and interesting. Hated how he wrote the *one* woman character. Idea of justice was good. Protagonist occasionally had depth.

Max survived Auschwitz but lives with the horrors of what he saw in the camps including the medical experiments his former med school classmate, Otto Schramm, had forced him to participate in. Now, Max spends his few remaining days hunting out the Nazis who escaped with the help of fascists all over the world. When Max and his nephew Aaron see Otto, Max has a heart attack that leads to his death but only after enlisting Aaron to find Otto and bring him to justice.

Aaron, who works for the CIA, begins using his contacts to track down Otto's daughter but multi-national forces would prefer to avoid a public trial and Aaron is playing on multiple fronts.