World War II ended with Germany defeated, Hitler dead, and thousands of Jews released from concentration camps. Gestapo members were tried as war criminals, while scientists were recruited by various nations. That seemed to be it, or was it? What if there was more? A document so terrible that years later, people are willing to kill to prevent it from becoming public? This is the plot of Robert Barr Smith’s novel, Blood Eagle.

More than a half-century ago, the death of an attractive, young woman, Geli Raubal, was ruled a suicide. Not a matter of importance, except the woman was Adolf Hitler’s niece and mistress. An electrician accidentally discovers the truth of the matter and decides to sell the information for a chance to emigrate to a new life. This starts the race for information.

American Tom Cooper is on a mission to avenge the death of his wife and child, who died in a bombing by an unknown terrorist while they were vacationing in Germany. Cooper manages to convince his old commander to make him a covert agent to run down the terrorist who slaughtered his family. Across the sea, Englishman Simon Berwick is equally determined to kill the terrorist responsible for his family’s demise. Both men are in a race against time, but in the same race are the Nazis and Russians. More than one person has died and more will follow.

Blood Eagle is a fast-paced novel with non-stop action and is populated with alpha males who are willing to do what needs to be done. Tom Cooper and Simon Berwick’s characters are fleshed out and given realistic emotions and motivations. Even the minor character of the electrician is fully rounded. The scenery is described in such detail you feel like you are there.

Blood Eagle is a suspenseful novel that will keep you up all night to finish it. I highly recommend it, especially if you happen to be a WWII buff.

Reviewed by Morgan Wyatt
© April 2008