Title: A Wall of Shame
Author: George Amos
Publisher: URLink Print & Media, LLC
ISBN: 978-1647537289
Pages: 210
Genre: Historical Fiction / Mystery
Reviewed by: Philip Zozzaro
Hollywood Book Reviews
The end of World War II in 1945 brought a collective sigh of relief for most of the world. The evil of the Axis powers and their dictatorial leaders had been brought to an end. However, the end of one war had ushered in the underpinnings of future squabbles. Germany served as ground zero, having been zoned off between its four opponents, France, Great Britain, the Soviet Union and the United States. A cold war was brewing between East and West. John Groves, a veteran of both World Wars, served in the Special Operations Executive, is about to be dragged into the spy wars that typified the Cold War.
John is haunted by his actions during the War. He helped save a German General from a grim end, but ended another man’s life in the process. He also met the now deceased Adolf Hitler and regrets not ending the Fuhrer’s life and sparing the suffering of untold numbers. As the tensions between the Soviet Union and Western Powers (mainly the US) have risen, Berlin has been a key focal point. Soon, a wall has come down partitioning Berlin into East and West. In the East, an Intelligence agency named the Stasi reigns supreme. They pit neighbor against neighbor, encouraging an informant culture where those who don’t acquiesce to the Communist ways are imprisoned.
John has become dear friends with Ludwig, the German General he saved from certain death. He aided Ludwig and his family in their flight from the Soviets. Ludwig learns his son who is living in East Berlin has gone missing, and he fears the worst. John, who is in his mid-sixties, but still longs for the covert world, decides to help Ludwig once again and locate Ludwig’s son. The tension can be cut with a knife, as John must navigate the treachery of guarded checkpoints, where one askance look or answer could get him thrown into jail. The situation is more dangerous as unhappy citizens of East Berlin seek escape or defection to the west on a daily basis.
A Wall of Shame by author George Amos cuts to the chase in a calm, calculated manner. The paranoia of the Cold War is in full viewing for the reader to embrace, ponder, and be mystified by as the story progresses. The author captures the mood perfectly in relation to the ever-present espionage war waged during the four decades, a multifaceted battle where the enemy of your enemy may be your friend or an even worse enemy. The story delivers on every level and delivers a powerful punch that will leave the reader ultimately satisfied.