Theft
of the Master
An
Al Hershey Mystery
Edwin
Alexander
Garev
Publishing (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-9707558-5-6 (0970755856)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9707558-5-8 (9780970755858)
Publication Date: October 2007
List Price: $22.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Private investigator Al Hershey travels across the
globe in his search for a young woman's killer. Hired by the girl's
parents to look into her "accidental" death Al finds he is in the
middle of a more than a murder investigation.
Modern day Nazis
and a stolen renaissance sculpture all play a part in this intricate
character driven tale of promises and deceit.
Review:
Edwin Alexander's debut novel, Theft
of the Master,
is an engrossing international thriller that effectively blends
historical fact with a fictional story.
In
1493 the Church of the Holy Spirit in Tallinn, Estonia commissioned
Veit Stoss, perhaps Germany’s greatest wood-carver, to create
a
sculpture. The Church wanted a wooden altarpiece of Christ teaching his
followers, the gospels. Six months later, Stoss’ completed
work was
consecrated before a passionate, nationalistic congregation. Almost 500
years later, in 1992, a young woman, identified as Meg Gilchrist, has
washed up on the shore of Half Moon Bay just south of San Francisco.
Her parents, distraught by the death of their daughter, hire private
investigator Al Hershey to look into whether it was an accident or
murder. And what, if anything, could Stoss’ masterpiece
possibly have
to do with this tragedy? Hershey has only the slimiest of leads that
take him on a journey through three continents to solve the mystery of
her death.
In a backstory to the main plot, the modern history
of the sculpture reveals that the Nazi's stole it in 1941 and sent it
to Paraguay. The general in charge of the transfer was ultimately
captured and hanged; the sculpture was presumed lost. Alexander bases
this part of the story on fact, as it is well documented that Hitler
and his followers confiscated large quantities of artwork and had it
moved for safekeeping; much of it even today remains undiscovered.
But
the real thrill here is in following Hershey as he takes one step
forward and two steps back in his investigation that has him traveling
from Europe to South America and back to the United States. There are
almost as many twists and turns in the plot as places in which Hershey
finds himself searching for clues. The author provides vivid and
detailed descriptions for the characters and locales in the book that
add authenticity and depth to the story. And in between the
international intrigue are glimpses of personal humor. It's all very
well done.
From start to finish, Theft of the
Master
is a fast-paced and credible thriller that is not to be missed. It is
highly recommended.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Theft of the Master and to Lisa Roe, Online Publicist for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
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Mysteries in this series ...
Theft of
the Master
Garev Publishing (Hardcover), October 2007
ISBN-10: 0-9707558-5-6 (0970755856)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9707558-5-8 (9780970755858)
Omnimystery
keywords for Theft of the Master
...
Location(s) referenced: Estonia, California, Paraguay.
