Estocada
1937. Dieter Merz, the most decorated fighter ace in the Third Reich, is part of the infamous Condor Legion fighting in the Spanish Civil War. His skills bring him fame and to the notice of the top echelons of the Nazi hierarchy. Sent to Japan, he becomes involved with Keiko, a young Japanese woman who returns with him to Germany. Scotsman and ex-marine Tam Moncrieff is recruited by a nameless intelligence agency in London to investigate Hitler’s intentions regarding Czechoslovakia. His travels take him first to Czechoslovakia, where his inexperience puts both himself and his contacts in harm’s way, then on to Germany. What will Hitler do? Will the Generals support him? Moncrieff finds himself in a potential plot to kill Hitler. In Germany the two men finally meet. Duty collides with conscience, but in this time of suspicion, intrigue and murderous intent, will anyone make the killing strike: la estocada?
With a strong plot, the author brings alive this period of intense political and social drama. The main characters are well-written, with the use of actual historical characters – Ribbentrop, Hitler, Churchill, etc., giving structure and support. Graham Hurley’s many fans will love this. New readers start here. Recommended.
