First published 1990
In the torchlit chambers of Furstenwalde Castle, Heinrich Himmler convenes the Teutonic Order of Blood and Steel as Hitler's Reich crumbles around them. Below in the basement, screams from human test subjects fill the corridors. Himmler plans to ensure his evil survives the war's end. Fifty years pass. Men linked to the Order turn up dead across the globe, each corpse marked by a playing card showing a skull's grin stuffed into their mouths. Someone has learned the Order's most guarded secret. That someone now possesses the means to unleash destruction on a global scale. The investigation reveals connections spanning generations, from Nazi Germany's final days to a present-day conspiracy that threatens worldwide catastrophe. The killer's identity and the Order's ultimate purpose converge in a race against an enemy who has spent decades preparing for this moment.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, thriller, action
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, race-against-time
Setting: Furstenwalde Castle, Germany
Period: 1940s, 1990s
265 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Leisure Books
Content warnings: violence