From Publishers Weekly
Best known for the witty, Francophiliac Gideon Oliver mystery series, Elkins here delivers a stand-alone thriller that probes wartime guilt from multiple angles. For history professor Pete Simon and his French-born wife, Lily, Brooklyn in 1963 is worlds away from the horrors of WWII. But when Lily's father, Marcel Vercier, turns up on their doorstep begging her to view an old film, the Simons' cozy life combusts. Lily had always maintained that her father had been shot by the Nazis in 1943; now, caught in her lie and troubled by unfathomable other secrets, she refuses to answer Pete's urgent questions. Before the Simons can see the film, Vercier is murdered, and masked thugs break into their apartment, demanding to have it. Lily hands it over, then disappears, leaving Pete a cryptic note about needing space. Feeling like a sap, Pete decides to find her anyway, flying to Barcelona, where Vercier was apparently partner in an antiques dealership. A tough interview with the dead man's cagey co-partner, Charles Lebrun, reveals little about the film, the murder or Lily's whereabouts, but it does enlighten Pete as to Vercier's wartime collaboration with Nazi occupiers. As Pete delves deeper into Vercier's past, he learns painful truths about Lily's family, finally concluding, When it comes to making blanket moral judgements about people¢please, leave me out of it. Some of the characters are sketchy, particularly Lily, who never amounts to more than an incredible simulation of Leslie Caron. The plot takes familiar paths, with an ending that ties up matters rather too neatly, especially given Pete's hard-earned tolerance for moral relativity. Still, this first-person novel captivates, largely because Pete's voice, a garlicky mix of France and Brooklyn, always sounds just right. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
If it's true that readers like nothing more than to be surprised, then they're in store for many pleasures in this Elkins thriller, which concerns shrouded events that occurred in a small town in occupied France. In 1963, the father of Peter Simon's French-born wife--a man she claims died in the war--shows up on the couple's New York doorstep. Soon after, the father is murdered, and Peter's wife goes missing. Finding her involves a trip to Europe and investigation into a harrowing past. For lucky listeners, the story entails unexpected twists on every cassette. Christopher Lane sounds like a regular guy--one who is thoroughly pushed, traumatized, and tested. The fun--and the surprises--don't let up until deep into the final tape. M.O. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
(*Starred Review*) One of the many joys of reading Elkins comes from sorting through his myriad plot layers. In his latest, Brooklyn College history professor Pete Simon has been happily married for 17 years to Lily, a lovely French woman he met during World War II. In 1963, two events rock Pete's comfortable world: JFK's assassination and the discovery that Lily has lied about much of her life. After finding Lily engaged in a heated argument with an elderly Frenchman, Pete learns that the man is Lily's supposedly long-dead father. Lily refuses to explain why she lied, and, when the old man is murdered, she disappears, leaving Pete only with a note telling him not to follow. Realizing that the solution lies in Europe, Pete sets off to learn more about Lily's father and to find his wife. Elkins masterfully weaves both backstory about his characters' lives and WWII history into a highly suspenseful plot. Without condoning collaborators or glorifying Nazis, he shows us that what we think of as black and white is sometimes closer to gray. Elkins is best known for his fine series starring forensic anthropologist Gideon Oliver, but he also excels at WWII-era thrillers (Loot, 1998). An outstanding novel. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Pete Simon's all-American life was everything he ever wished for: a good home, a satisfying career, and a marriage still strong and loving after nearly twenty years. But in the days following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, everything is about to change. And it begins with the appearance of a stranger at his door." "The man ranting madly about money, death, and forgiveness in unknown to Pete - but not to his distraught wife, Lily. Only when the man has gone does the truth come out. The unwelcome visitor was Lily's father, whom she had claimed died long ago in their native France. The next day he is dead, his savagely beaten body washed up in a nearby marsh - and Lily disappears, leaving a note behind begging Pete not to follow her." As a nation mourns its fallen leader, Pete Simon is devastated by a tragedy of his own. Now, with a business card from an antiques dealer in Barcelona as his only lead, he sets out to find his missing wife, embarking on a twisted and perilous journey that will carry him to Europe, where the hideous crimes of the Nazi aggressors remain fresh in the minds of those who cannot forget ... or forgive. But each door Pete opens leads him deeper into a painful and shocking past, slowly revealing secrets of greed, terror, guilt, and treacherous collaboration with a monstrous enemy that could shatter everything he believes in and destroy everything he loves. And suddenly he was become more than a concerned husband and seeker of a bitter truth; he has become the target of desperate, dangerous men and their terrifying vengeance.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Best known for the witty, Francophiliac Gideon Oliver mystery series, Elkins here delivers a stand-alone thriller that probes wartime guilt from multiple angles. For history professor Pete Simon and his French-born wife, Lily, Brooklyn in 1963 is worlds away from the horrors of WWII. But when Lily's father, Marcel Vercier, turns up on their doorstep begging her to view an old film, the Simons' cozy life combusts. Lily had always maintained that her father had been shot by the Nazis in 1943; now, caught in her lie and troubled by unfathomable other secrets, she refuses to answer Pete's urgent questions. Before the Simons can see the film, Vercier is murdered, and masked thugs break into their apartment, demanding to have it. Lily hands it over, then disappears, leaving Pete a cryptic note about needing space. Feeling like a sap, Pete decides to find her anyway, flying to Barcelona, where Vercier was apparently partner in an antiques dealership. A tough interview with the dead man's cagey co-partner, Charles Lebrun, reveals little about the film, the murder or Lily's whereabouts, but it does enlighten Pete as to Vercier's wartime collaboration with Nazi occupiers. As Pete delves deeper into Vercier's past, he learns painful truths about Lily's family, finally concluding, When it comes to making blanket moral judgements about people"please, leave me out of it. Some of the characters are sketchy, particularly Lily, who never amounts to more than an incredible simulation of Leslie Caron. The plot takes familiar paths, with an ending that ties up matters rather too neatly, especially given Pete's hard-earned tolerance for moral relativity. Still, this first-person novel captivates, largely because Pete's voice, a garlicky mix of France and Brooklyn, always sounds just right. 5-city West Coast author tour. (May 1) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews