Ms. Ziegler handles her cast very well, they are all complex and well written; she sprinkles the narrative with wonderful lyrical prose

I found the plot to be a bit too convenient, information happens to fall into Sam’s lap just at the right time, I did enjoy the Russian/British interaction

“The Death Instinct” by Jed Rubenfeld is a fictional thriller set in the 1920’s. The book centers around the historical Wall St. bombing of 1916.

The narrative is good, easily understood and confident. The tale of honor and betrayal is accompanied by interesting characters which makes it entertaining

The mystery is the way the investigation unfolds, layer by layer while the reader is privy to how the murder was done is a unique way to tell a story

Joe is not a perfect narrator and after finishing the book I finally saw what the author was trying to convey, a hard man making a hard living

The pace is fast but the story is predictable, about half way through (if not sooner) I already figured out the ending which, this time, had no twists.

The book is atmospheric and deals with the harsh punishment society deals to those they deem guilty (without proof) as well as racial elements.

Max Kaspar, afailed German-American, is fighting on the Eastern front when he is drafted by the SS to impersonate American officers and cause havoc

The mystery was not as involved as the previous book, I figured out who the killer is a bit before the ¾ mark. However, I found the side stories more compelling