• Reading age: 18

As 1939 begins, our loquacious and unreliable narrator, Kurtis De’ath, learns that the British monarchy has numerous, nasty skeletons in its closet which its ‘fixers’ will do anything to protect. The detention of Erl Echland prompts Kurtis to delve more deeply into the Windsors and Erl’s 1936 diary. And what’s in that folder which ‘Quiet’ Schmidt passed along in Berlin to Herr Death and which could bring down the Crown? Cue the amiable, Chamberlain supporter Chips Channon for assistance. Meanwhile, Chamberlain weakens and Sir Joe Ball sees his own fate hanging in the balance. Brendan Bracken champions a new breed of media as radio accelerates the news and he spearsheads the return of Winston Churchill to the Cabinet. In Germany, Rudolf Hess is after Ulrich Roller, threatening him with SS guard duty in Sachsenhausen, and necessitating Kurtis’ most intricate plan yet; one designed to use Martin Bormann to get rid of Hess forever. Margaret and William Joyce are desperate to leave Britain and, for his own reasons, Kurtis assists. As the prospect of a second Great War looms, the full power of the British government is making itself known. Mere days before Poland is invaded, our Herr Death is busy in Bayreuth, Munich, and Berlin as the window for peace between Germany and England closes. A last minute peace plan from an American General Motors executive in financial cahoots with Göring provides damning information about Germany’s perilous financial position. Faced with the inevitable, there are choices to be made as Erl, Ulrich, Unity Mitford all face personal crises and the hard reality sets in. Our narrator—is it possible?—is not ready for what’s coming.

D.K.R. Boyd (aka, David Boyd and David Collins) is an award-winning Canadian author residing in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, who has published more than 25 books for children, young adults, and adults. Educated and raised in St. Stephen, he attended Mount Allison University in Sackville, N.B. He was awarded a Prime Minister of Canada’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 1998 for the development of creative writing e-courses. From 1996-1999, he was the chairman of the board of The READ-IN!™, the world’s largest online telecommunications project for children at that time, involving dozens of international children’s authors connecting via live texting with students in schools around the globe.

D.K.R. Boyd's profile page

"Boyd’s skill at weaving exposition into his narrative is so great that the large and complicated plot moves forward very smoothly. Watching 20th century history unfold through the unmistakable viewpoint of Kurtis De’ath would be a treat for any lover of well-done historical fiction. Promised sequels are eagerly anticipated.” - Historical Novel Society

“Dense and yet compelling, Boyd's prose and detail make for a read that is witty and paced just right as it weaves through modern history in a way that I have not seen since Dorothy Dunnett conquered the events of the late Middle Ages.” - Amazon