Switzerland during WWII proves an unexpectedly rich setting in Ross's suspenseful second thriller (after 2005's Double Cross Blind). In September 1942, a U.S. Army Air Force pilot, Lieutenant Grant, crash-lands his photo reconnaissance plane in Swiss territory after catching a glimpse of a previously unknown Nazi secret weapon, a jet aircraft. The Swiss authorities imprison Grant, along with his navigator. Grant escapes and is soon enmeshed in a complicated plot that centers on Swiss collaboration, a Russian commander fresh from the Battle of Stalingrad, the Russian's ex-wife and secret negotiations that may result in a truce between Germany and Russia—thus freeing Hitler's forces from fighting the war on two fronts. Much time and energy is spent on the search for an obscure economic document, but there's plenty of action as Grant rips through one seemingly impossible mission after another. Thriller readers who enjoy looking at WWII from a fresh perspective will be particularly rewarded. (July)

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Ross follows up his promising debut, Double Cross Blind (2005), with this fast-paced thriller set during World War II. During a reconnaissance flight into enemy territory, Lieutenant Grant's plane is shot down by a German fighter patrol. Before they crash, Grant and his crew snap photos of a startling new kind of aircraft, one that seems to fly without propellers. Now he's stranded in Switzerland, and the Allied war effort--not to mention his own life--depends on his making his way back across the border to the crash site and finding the camera and its vitally important photographs. To do so, he must rely on a Swiss journalist and a major in the Russian army. In the universe of WWII thrillers, this one ranks around the upper middle: not as accomplished as the novels of Frederick Forsyth or Jack Higgins, but quite nicely written, with engaging characters, a plot that's hard to tear yourself away from, and the kind of sharp historical detail that makes the setting feel real. Ross is on the verge of jumping near the top of the pile. David Pitt

Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

[Audio Review] A cocky American pilot is flying over Switzerland during wartime and sees something he should not have seen just moments before his plane is shot down. What he has captured in his photos is an experimental weapon that could turn the course of the war a fighter jet. Narrator William Dufris performs Ross's latest WWII thriller with a breathless enthusiasm, making the listener alternately worry for the hero and cheer him on. A disturbing facet of the book is an exploration of Switzerland's so-called neutrality during the war. With his command of several accents French, Russian, Swiss, and German Dufris gives each character a distinct voice that never surrenders to cliché. --AudioFile --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

“An action-packed history lesson…. Unrelenting.”

—New York Post

“Engaging characters, a plot that's hard to tear yourself away from, and the kind of sharp historical detail that makes the setting feel real.” —Booklist