Lost Kin

Author: Steve Anderson

Series: Kaspar Brothers

Release Date: March 29, 2016

Publisher: Yucca

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Intriguing historical fiction set in post WWII Munich that reveals some of the darker secrets of post war policy.

Harry Kaspar serves as a Captain in the military government set up in Munich after the United States has occupied Germany. One night he answers a knock on his door to find a German police detective saying that a murder has been committed and a young girl is asking for him by name.  Upon finding a man in old US fatigues with a sabre in his chest, he learns the girl knows his estranged brother, which he hasn’t seen in years.  In an effort to find out more about what the girl knows, he heads down a trail that reveals some ghost from his past as well as his brother Max.  Harry learns that Ukrainian Cossacks are being shipped back to the Soviet Union against their will and are then slaughtered by Stalin’s agents.  Outraged, Harry pledges to help, but who can he trust to help him see them to safety?

I’m a huge fan of WWII history, fiction or non, but I have to admit that I haven’t read much on the post occupation part. That is why this novel was so intriguing.  However, I always felt like there was something more to the story that I was reading and discovered that there are two other novels out there, one dedicated to each brother.  Even so, it didn’t really take much away from the overall story.

The real story focuses on the sad fact that the United States and British government agreed to send back certain factions of people to the Soviet Union whether they wanted to go or not. The Soviet Union then executed them for fighting alongside Germany during the war against Russia.  I cannot begin to imagine what the soldiers who were just “following orders” must have gone through in this process.  Anderson does a great job bringing this to light with a suspenseful story.  If you like WWII historical fiction, then reading about the Kaspar brothers will keep you happy!

There is some strong language throughout the book as well as some scenes of innuendo. I would recommend this book for mature audiences.