Today I am thrilled for a few reasons. Thanks to Mr. Lou Aronica of The Story Plant, who publishes many authors that I have grown fond of and enjoy reading, has given me the privilege and honor to host today’s guest as he begins his virtual tour with Partners In Crime Tours, and who now has been added to that list of esteemed writers that I look forward to escaping into the pages of their latest novels. After reading the book that he will be discussing today, I am looking forward to his future novels. So please help me welcome Mr. Peter Leonard.
ABOUT PETER LEONARD
Peter Leonard’s debut novel, QUIVER, was published to international acclaim in 2008 (“A spectacular debut…you will be holding your breath until the final page.”– The New York Sun). It was followed by TRUST ME in 2009 (“TRUST ME is fast, sly and full of twists.” – Carl Hiaasen, New York Times bestselling author). The Story Plant will publish Leonard’s newest novel, ALL HE SAW WAS THE GIRL, in the spring of 2012.
You can visit Peter Leonard at his website here.
ABOUT THE BOOK
The year is 1971. The place is Detroit. Harry Levin, a scrap metal dealer and Holocaust survivor, has just learned that his daughter was killed in a car accident. Traveling to Washington, DC to claim the body, he learns that the accident was caused by a German diplomat who was driving drunk. This is only the beginning of the horror for Harry, though, as he discovers that the diplomat will never face charges – he has already been released and granted immunity. Enraged and aggrieved, Harry discovers the identity of his daughter’s killer, follows him to Munich, and hunts him down. What Harry finds out about the diplomat and his plans will explode his life and the lives of everyone around him.
Brimming with action and dark humor, Voices of the Dead, firmly positions Peter Leonard as a writer ever suspense fan needs to read.
Read an excerpt:
Hess found out the woman lived on P Street in Georgetown, not far from the consulate. He told the ambassador he was having dinner with potential clients, and wanted to drive himself. It was unorthodox, but plausible. He had been issued one of the embassy’s Mercedes sedans. He stopped at a bookstore and bought a map of the area, and located P Street. He drove there and saw the Goldman residence, a federal-style brick townhouse.
Hess went to a restaurant and had dinner and a couple drinks. At ten o’clock he drove back, parked around the corner on 32nd Street between two other vehicles so the license plate was not visible to anyone driving by. He walked to the Goldmans’, stood next to a tree in front of the three-storey townhouse. There were lights on the first floor. He walked to the front door and rang the buzzer. He could hear footsteps and voices inside. A light over the door went on. Hess stood in the open so whoever it was would see he was well dressed. The door opened, a man standing there, assumed he was Dr. Mitchell Goldman, dark hair, big nose, mid-forties, top of the shirt unbuttoned, exposing a gold chain and a five-pointed star. Hess smiled. “My car is on the fritz. May I use your phone to call a tow truck?”
Dr. Goldman stared at him with concern.
“I am staying just down the street at the consulate,” Hess said, smiling. Now the door opened and he stepped into the elegant foyer, chandelier overhead, marble floor.
“Mitch, who is it?” a woman said from a big open room to his right.
Dr. Goldman looked in her direction. “Guy’s having car trouble, wants to use the phone.”
“It’s ten o’clock at night.”
“He’ll just be a minute,” the dentist said.
Hess could see the woman sitting on a couch, watching television.
“The phone’s in here.” The dentist started to move.
Hess drew the Luger from the pocket of his suit jacket,and aimed it at Goldman.
The dentist put his hands up. “Whoa. Easy.”
“Who is in the house?”
“Just the two of us.”
“Are you expecting anyone?”
He shook his head.
“Tell her to come in here,” Hess said.
“What do you want? You want money?” He took his wallet out and handed it to him. “There’s eight hundred dollars in there.”
“Call her,” Hess said.
“Hon, come here, will you?”
“I’m watching ‘All in the Family.’ Can you wait till the commercial?”
Hess could hear people laughing on the television.
“Just for a minute,” the dentist said.
Hess saw her stand up and step around a low table in front of the couch, moving across the room, still looking back at the television. She turned her head as she entered the foyer and saw him holding the gun. Her hair looked darker in the dim light but he had only seen her briefly that day.
“Oh-my-god,” she said, hands going up to her face.
“We’re reasonable people,” the dentist said. “Tell us what you want.”
“The pleasure of your company,” Hess said. “Where is the cellar?”
MY REVIEW
VOICES OF THE DEAD by Peter Leonard
Published by The Story Plant
ISBN-10: 1611880327
ISBN-13: 978-1611880328
At the request of The Story Plant, an EBook Edition was sent at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
Synopsis (from publisher): The year is 1971. The place is Detroit. Harry Levin, a scrap metal dealer and Holocaust survivor, has just learned that his daughter was killed in a car accident. Traveling to Washington, DC to claim the body, he learns that the accident was caused by a German diplomat who was driving drunk. This is only the beginning of the horror for Harry, though, as he discovers that the diplomat will never face charges – he has already been released and granted immunity. Enraged and aggrieved, Harry discovers the identity of his daughter’s killer, follows him to Munich, and hunts him down. What Harry finds out about the diplomat and his plans will explode his life and the lives of everyone around him.Brimming with action and dark humor, Voices of the Dead, firmly positions Peter Leonard as a writer ever suspense fan needs to read.
My Thoughts and Opinion: I feel I need to start this review with a caveat because even I was surprised by my thoughts and opinion of this book. If I was to solely choose this book based on the synopsis for my personal library, without the request for review, I would most likely have not picked this one up as I tend not to enjoy espionage thrillers. However, with this book, I would have missed out on a great read.
The book pulled me in quickly with the car accident and death of Harry Levin’s daughter. From that moment on, the action begins, the suspense ramps up, and the books holds you to the very last page. It takes you from Detroit to Germany to Miami during the years of 1971 and shares the memories of Harry when he was a 14 year old boy, who watches his parents executed by the Nazi regime but was one that was able to escape the atrocities of that time. The characters come to life. The settings are conveyed so that detailed imagery can be formed in one’s mind, especially of the years of 1940s. Mr. Leonard’s writing style is flawless, and the type of read that I call, a “one more chapter” and before you know it, you have read 5 more chapters. What I found amazing, was that a book with a premise of a horrific time in our history, Mr. Leonard could interweave some humor without being disrespectful.
As the synopsis states, who is this diplomat Hess, that has been given immunity, for an accident that was his fault and that resulted in the death of a young and vibrant daughter of Harry Levin? Why does this man Hess look familiar to Harry? Harry is so distraught over his daughter’s passing, he travels to Germany, where Hess resides, and what he finds, is bigger than he imagined. More deaths? But why? The hunt begins.
Highly recommend!!!!!
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.
(2012 Challenges: Romantic/Suspense, EBooks, ARC, Mystery/Suspense, Off The Shelf, Serial Killers, Free Reads, Where Are You, A-Z, Merely Mystery, 52 in 52, Outdo Yourself, 100+)
CROSS FIRE by James Patterson
GODS AND FATHERS BY JAMES LePORE
KILLER BYTES by Alan Williams
