Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

Writer's Block Bookstore is partnering with The Roth Family JCC to host author Brad Meltzer at the Maitland Jewish Community Center auditorium for an in-person Q&A and signing on his latest book, "The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchil," which he co-authored with Josh Mensch. This event will be held Sunday, Jan. 15, from 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Meltzer will be signing all backlist titles as well. General admission tickets are $30 and include a copy of the book and up to two seats in the auditorium. Children under the age of 14 are admitted free of charge.

Meltzer is the No.1 New York Times bestselling author of "The Lightning Rod," "The Escape Artist," and over 10 other bestselling thrillers, as well as the "Ordinary People Change the World" series. He is also the host of the History Channel TV shows Brad Meltzer's Decoded and Brad Meltzer's Lost History, which he used to help find the missing 9/11 flag that the firefighters raised at Ground Zero.

The following is a review of the book, written by Lauren Zimmerman, owner of Writer's Block Bookstore.

"The Nazi Conspiracy"

We can always count on Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch to bring real stories to life. They are masters of storytelling when it comes to American history. I read the book while on vacation on a small exploration boat going through the Panama Canal and into the Pacific Ocean. The freedom of open spaces gave me the unique opportunity to slow down and read every word.

The Nazi Conspiracy is the third book Meltzer and Mensch have written together and their creativity and attention to detail is on every single page. The subject of this book is the plot to kill Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill. I was amazed how these authors were able to bring actual characters to life in the highly complicated, colossal event known as World War II. I found myself reading the endnotes to find out the original sources, and there were plenty. The amount of research involved is remarkable. I learned very quickly that the truth is better than fiction in this book.

The book begins with the end in the prologue. The storytelling in this book is close to the best I have ever read. The Nazis found out that the leaders of the Allies were trying to meet in person in Iran, and the Nazis had the opportunity, by sheer luck, to send assassins to kill all three leaders. During their summit, on the world stage, the Allies orchestrated a sophisticated plot to keep the location safe. Then, the timing, communications, and intelligence on the part of a Nazi spy almost worked. Indeed, the Nazi mission in Tehran is about to change into something none of them could imagine. But the Russians had spies and, by a twist of fate, again, became aware of the plot, hence, the plan to outsmart the Nazis so they could meet. Finally, for all the history buffs out there, I will give you one hint about what they talked about once they were together in Tehran. It starts with an "N." Now you need to get the book and read it for yourself.

"The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill" (Hardcover) sells for $29.99 and is available for immediate order. Published by Flatiron Books