Lost Kin (Kaspar Brothers)

Brothers divided by WWII reunite on a mission of justice in the chaos of early Cold War Europe in this historical espionage thriller.

Occupied Munich, 1946: Irina, a Cossack refugee, confesses to murdering a GI, but American captain Harry Kaspar doesn’t buy it. As Harry scours the devastated city for the truth, it leads him to his long-lost German brother, Max, who returned to Hitler’s Germany before the war.

Max has a questionable past, and he needs Harry for the cause that could redeem him: rescuing Irina’s stranded clan of Cossacks. Disowned by the Allies, they are now being hunted by Soviet death squads—the cold-blooded upshot of a callous postwar policy.

As a harsh winter brews and the Cold War looms, Harry and Max embark on a desperate rescue mission along the German-Czech border. As a mysterious figure shadows them, everyone is suspect—even those who have pledged to help. But before the Kaspar brothers can save the innocent victims of peace, grave secrets threaten to damn them all.

"There's enough action and mystery to keep the pages turning—traitors done in by a shashka, a Ukrainian sword; a dramatic face-off in Czechoslovakia's snowy Šumava Mountains—all spun out in a masterful story of redemption found within the brutalities of postwar realpolitik . . . Classic noir shadowed by the hulks and rubble of the once-proud city of Munich, a character itself in this haunting tale . . . Anderson deserves a standing ovation." —Kirkus Reviews

"A fascinating era, one of history's deep, dark pockets, observed with camera-like precision—captivating characters and dialogue worthy of Mad Men. I shouldn’t endorse Steve Anderson, I should put out a contract on him—he’s the competition. If you read only one book this year, read Lost Kin." —John Lawton, author of the Inspector Troy and Joe Wilderness novels

"Munich, a year after the end of WWII, is a bombed-out city of despair, the perfect backdrop for this dark tale of murder, brotherly betrayal, and intrigue. Steve Anderson deftly creates a world on the razor’s edge of survival, where yesterday’s allies are tomorrow’s cruel enemy, with the innocent caught in between. The setting is so ably envisioned you’ll want to brush the brick dust from your hands. A great read!”
—James R. Benn, author of The White Ghost, a Billy Boyle WWII mystery

"Bravo! In times of great migrations to the West and all across Europe, Steve Anderson's Lost Kin comes as a timely reminder. This is a hard-hitting tale of international intrigue, forced repatriation, and the bittersweet meaning of kinship when all values—even the most elementary ones—appear to have been swallowed up by war.” 
—Ben Pastor, author of Tin Sky, the latest novel in the Martin Bora series

"An excellent atmospheric portrayal of post-war Germany and the complexities of growing international maneuvering during that period, all wrapped in an intriguing mystery. Great read, especially for history buffs looking for a book written with intelligence and passion. Kudos!”
—Ron Lealos, author of Pashtun and Don’t Mean Nuthin’

"Steve Anderson’s Lost Kin does what good novels do for starters: it entertains. But in Anderson’s capable hands, entertainment is expanded into a real-life history lesson of post-war machinations as former allies fall out and the innocent are caught in the middle. This pulsing mystery-thriller set in postwar Germany captures time in a capsule and delivers up the beginnings of the Cold War in a very personal story of two brothers who fought on opposites sides and are now reunited in a desperate bid to do right by one group of beleaguered innocents caught in the maw of war.” 
—J. Sydney Jones, author of the acclaimed Viennese Mystery series and the WWII thriller, Ruin Value, among others

Lost Kin is the third book in the Kaspar Brothers series.

 

My newsletter post “A postwar tragedy nearly lost to history” reveals how, after WWII, the Western Allies repatriated thousands to the Soviet Union — and likely to death. These tragic events take center stage in Lost Kin.