The Traitor's Emblem

In 1940 in the Strait of Gibraltar, a Spanish captain rescues a group of German castaways; one of them begs not to be returned to Germany and gives the captain a unique medallion. Years later the captain's son learns the history of this object after refusing to sell it. The story begins in Munich in 1919 as Paul Reiner, whose family has fallen into disgrace, works as a domestic at his half-brother Jürgen's birthday party. There he gallantly extricates Alys Tannenbaum from Jürgen's clutches, embarrassing Jürgen and sealing his own fate. Jürgen displays the violence and cowardice that have become fictional clichés in the portraits of nascent Nazi youth. Over time Paul flourishes in business, while Jürgen, fueled by jealousy and hatred, rises in the Nazi Party. We witness the rise of Hitler's influence as virulent anti-Semitism and anti-Freemasonry sentiments emerge. VERDICT From the misleading title, readers would expect this thriller to be about the medallion, but family intrigue and the quest for revenge dominate the tale. Although Gómez-Jurado is a good storyteller, for artifact provenance stories Steve Berry is the reigning maestro. If you want a peek at secret Masonic handshakes and rituals, however, Gómez-Jurado may have just lifted the veil. [See Prepub Alert, 1/24/11.]—Laura A.B. Cifelli, Ft. Myers-Lee Cty. P.L., FL