Crowning Deception
In 1940, King Carol of Romania fled his country in the face of a Nazi-inspired coup, leaving behind the crown jewels. They were never seen again. Crowning Deception offers a fictional, if not fantastical, account of what became of them.
The story has a lot going for it: inventive, fast moving, interesting characters and exotic locations and a twist in the tail. For me it was spoilt by numerous minor but obvious errors (e.g., Salzburg is not on the Franco-German border) and the fact that the story is badly out of synch with the chronology of WWII (e.g., troops being sent to Burma before the war against Japan could have started). Does this matter? Am I being too pedantic? Do I know too much to be able to enjoy anything spontaneously?
I fear that WWII is too recent and too well known for the author to get away with this easily. However, if you can dismiss the historical background as just wallpaper, you will find yourself with an enjoyable and original thriller.
