Jove Publications (Paperback), ISBN: 0515132276
In the final days of World War II, the Nazis attempted to retain a portion of the art, artifacts and gold looted from the Jews and the conquered nations of Europe by loading the spoils on special "treasure trains." Allied forces intercepted the trains before they reached their intended destinations, but some of the contents, which rightfully belonged to the survivors of the families from which they were taken, disappeared. What happened to these missing art and gold? Patricia Potter provides one possible answer in Broken Honor.

When the press ties his grandfather, a decorated general, to a recently surfaced WWII scandal, Colonel Lucien Flaherty (a.k.a. Irish) hits the pavement in an attempt to clear his relative's name. Irish starts by investigating the backgrounds of the other men implicated in the affair, General David Mallory and General Edward Eachan. Strangely, Irish finds that not only the generals, but all but one of their descendants, have died. Even stranger, it appears someone recently tried to kill Amy Mallory (General Mallory's granddaughter) by setting her house on fire.

Amy Mallory refuses to believe that someone would try to kill her. However, when the person who borrowed her grandfather's papers turns up dead, the possibility becomes stronger. She suspects the man called Colonel Flaherty, who coincidentally shows up just when her troubles begin. But when Flaherty thwarts another attempt on her life, circumstances force her to give him a chance. Will the past remain buried? Can she trust Irish with her grandfather's papers or, more importantly, with her heart?

Broken Honor, at first glance, seems to offer more than the usual contemporary fare. With WWII history, military history and a criminal mystery (three military families tied together by a 55-year-old war crime), the book holds promise. But despite plentiful plot ingredients (and family secrets) readers may find the story underdone and peppered with predictable characters. I found it enjoyable but not something to write home about.

Lynne Remick

Lynne Marie Pisano is a freelance writer, poet, book reviewer, SCBWI Metro New York LI Critique Group Coordinator and Co-Chair of the Long Island Children's Writers and Illustrators. She lives in New York with her husband Michael, her son Kevin and a daughter named Kayla, and Dante, a Schipperke.

Click here to share your views.