American Charles Hirter is on vacation in the Bavarian Alps. Originally planned as an adventure for two, Charles had no problem exploring the sites on his own, since he and Jeanette ended their four year relationship. Mostly interested in the mountains, Charles mapped out a route that would take him through scenic meadows and woods, before finally revealing a breath-taking view of dolomite peaks.

During his expedition, a serious lightning storm erupts, forcing Charles to take cover. Unfortunately for Charles, the safe haven he finds is a cave that has been guarding a dangerous secret for many years; a secret that will ultimately cost Charles his life.

When another hiker finds Charles’ body, Kommissar Franz Waldbaer, a German detective in charge of the case, doesn’t have much to go on. The scene yields no clues or suspects; only a splinter of wood inside Charles’ shoe. Not exactly known for being a team player, Waldbaer is put out by the arrival of the victim’s brother, Robert Hirter, who not only plans to stay until the killer is caught but insists on helping with the investigation. To the Kommissar’s dismay he is not only unable to convince Robert to return to America, but Robert reveals himself to be CIA.

Conducting his own investigation, Robert meets with an elderly man who seems to have very interesting stories of Nazis, Third Reich officers and WWII secret cargo. When it becomes clear that evil from the past may be in the hands of evil in the present, Robert Hirter and Kommissar Waldbaer must team up to uncover a terrorist plot before it’s too late.

At first I was a bit leery to read Collision of Evil, as I’m not a big international thriller type of person. However, the story and writing was engaging enough and tossing in a few WWII/Third Reich references was interesting; not to mention allowing me to brush up on my German, which was a fun. It just got a bit rocky for me with the whole Islam terrorism thing. For me reading is about escaping real life for a while. Perhaps I wouldn’t be so sensitive if 9/11 hadn’t happened. But, as a New Yorker and a frequent airline traveler, I know too well that it did.

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Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Oceanview Publishing (September 21, 2009)
ISBN-13: 978-1933515540