The Bookworm - Softcover

Silver, Mitch

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1643131486 ISBN 13: 9781643131481

Publisher: Pegasus Crime, 2019

Synopsis

A stunning and surprising new thriller, Mitch Silver’s latest novel takes readers from a secret operation during World War II―with appearances by Noel Coward and Winston Churchill―to present day London and Moscow, where Lara Klimt, “the Bookworm,” must employ all her skills to prevent an international conspiracy.

Why did Hitler chose not to invade England when he had the chance?

Europe, 1940: It’s late summer and Belgium has been overrun by the German army. Posing as a friar, a British operative talks his way into the monastery at Villers-devant-Orval just before Nazi art thieves plan to sweep through the area and whisk everything of value back to Berlin. But the ersatz man of the cloth is no thief. Instead, that night he adds an old leather Bible to the monastery’s library and then escapes.

London, 2017: A construction worker operating a backhoe makes a grisly discovery―a skeletal arm-bone with a rusty handcuff attached to the wrist. Was this the site, as a BBC newsreader speculates, of “a long-forgotten prison, uncharted on any map?” One viewer knows better: it’s all that remains of a courier who died in a V-2 rocket attack. The woman who will put these two disparate events together―and understand the looming tragedy she must hurry to prevent―is Russian historian and former Soviet chess champion Larissa Mendelovg Klimt, “Lara the Bookworm,” to her friends. She’s also experiencing some woeful marital troubles.
In the course of this riveting thriller, Lara will learn the significance of six musty Dictaphone cylinders recorded after D-Day by Noel Coward―actor, playwright and, secretly, a British agent reporting directly to Winston Churchill. She will understand precisely why that leather Bible, scooped up by the Nazis and deposited on the desk of Adolf Hitler days before he planned to attack Britain, played such a pivotal role in turning his guns to the East. And she will discover the new secret pact negotiated by the nefarious Russian president and his newly elected American counterpart―maverick and dealmaker―and the evil it portends.

Oh, and she’ll reconcile with her husband.

About this title

About the Author

Mitch Silver was born in Brooklyn and grew up on Long Island. He attended Yale (B.A. in History) and Harvard Law School (“I lasted three days. I know the law through Wednesday, but after that...”). He was an advertising writer for several of the big New York agencies, living in Paris for a year with his wife, Ellen Highsmith Silver, while he was European Creative Director on the Colgate-Palmolive account.   A previously published novelist (In Secret Service, S&S/Touchstone), Mitch and his wife Ellen live in Greenwich, Connecticut and have two children: Sloane is a nurse at Wake Forest Medical Center and Perry is an actor and the drummer for Sky Pony, a band in New York. Mitch also won the American Song Festival Lyric Grand Prize for "Sleeping Single in a Double Bed." His blood type is O positive, and he always writes his biography in the third person. For more info, please go to mitchsilverauthor.com.

Review

“The Bookworm is that very rare, almost extinct thriller: well plotted, intelligent as hell, with a truly memorable main character―'Lara The Bookworm.’ This is definitely sterling Silver!”
- James Patterson, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“The historical frame, including an alternate view of why Germany turned its wartime focus from England to the USSR, proves fascinating; the pace is agreeably fast; and the intelligent, capable Klimt makes an engaging lead character.”
- Booklist

“It is a masterpiece of speculative revisionism and in this aspect a captivating read, a romp.”
- The Washington Times

“This is fast and fun, with one of the best McGuffins I’ve ever seen. An exciting tale and very nearly as bizarre as some of the things Allied Intelligence did try during the war.”
- Historical Novels Review

“I devoured it. It combines elements of a political thriller and a historical novel. A thrill-filled surprise, which keeps you in awe of developments.”
- Book Notes by Athina

“A fascinating read for both conspiracy theorists and thriller fans.”
- Bookloons

“Phenomenal. Seizing my attention from the very first page, The Bookworm kept me captivated and swiftly turning pages in nail-biting anticipation of the final resolution. The Bookworm is one of the best political thrillers I have had the pleasure to read, and I recommend it highly to fans of this exciting genre.”
- Fresh Fiction

“High-speed chases, explosions, gunfights, murders and questionable romantic encounters add to the book’s action. An intriguing ‘what if’ adventure about Hitler and WWII.”
- Reviewing the Evidence

“This is fast and fun, with one of the best McGuffins I’ve ever seen...it’s an exciting tale...”
- Historical Novel Society

“Hold on to your seats, readers, because this is a thrill ride of a story, made even more exciting because it’s all so current and feels very real. I really liked the character of Dr. Larissa Klimt...she’s as complex as the story she is telling. It will definitely satisfy the appetite of the conspiracy theorists out there, and it’s a good mystery too.”
- A Line From a Book

About this edition

• Publisher: Pegasus Crime
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1643131486
• ISBN 13: 9781643131481
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 352