by Lee Thomas
First published 2011
Ernst Lang came to Barnard, Texas in 1934, running from his life as a Nazi party leader and soldier. He wants nothing more than quiet anonymity in this small community. Then someone starts killing young men and leaving notes written in German. Panic spreads through Barnard as residents search for the killer. Suspicion falls on Lang, the German immigrant with secrets he cannot share. Lang remembers his own execution in Germany. He recalls the violence he committed, the men he led into battle, and those who betrayed him. But Lang cannot tell if these memories belong to a man somehow granted a second life or to a mind that has broken under the weight of guilt. As the murders continue and the town's fear grows, Lang must confront whether his violent past will destroy the peaceful existence he has built in Texas.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Barnard, Texas
Period: 1934
290 pages · Paperback · Lethe Press
Content warnings: violence