Today, I'm delighted to welcome author J. P. Rieger to Ruins & Reading. I'm sharing my review of his intriguing tale, A Most Unlikely Man. It's short, but well worth checking out. Read on!
A Most Unlikely Man: A Tale of Resistance is currently on blog tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club. Find fascinating historical background posts, enticing excerpts, and more HERE!
A Most Unlikely Man
A Tale of Resistance
J.P. Rieger
Review:
A Most Unlikely Man: A Tale of Resistance is a fascinating novella about a daring escape from a small concentration camp in Alsace.
A train carriage full of captured Jews arrives at the Natzweiler-Struthof camp, with Isadore 'Lev’ Levinsky and a number of other men sent there. Immediately, he is tasked with helping two young Nazi officers remove the dead bodies of two men, as he seems to be one of the strongest.
We soon meet Otto Beck, a young Catholic pacifist the officers repeatedly call a queer. Not a homosexual, but in fact widowed, Beck fails to convince them. At first, reluctantly, Lev and the other Jewish men accept him.
To begin with, Lev is a selfish character. It transpired his wife left him after he'd cheated, he is now selfishly after bigger portions of food. It is up to Beck's glib tongue for Lev to slowly change his outlook and demeanor.
Whilst all the prisoners are desolate, certain of approaching death, Beck begins to play off the Nazi officers of all ranks against each other. At the same time, he puts the first doubts into the minds of the two youngest recruits, who are treated badly by their superiors.
As the camp comes under attack, ostensibly from the approaching Allies, he convinces several staff to flee – and they quietly slip away, leaving just a couple of guards and the group of prisoners.
Then, Beck reveals is daring plan of escaping the camp, into the safety of Switzerland. At first reluctant, the prisoners soon approve of the idea, and things are set in motion.
But their journey is fraught with danger, from visiting Nazi officers to greedy partisans, as they make their way south, along the German-French border.
Will they make it? Well, read the story to find out!
A Most Unlikely Man: A Tale of Resistance is an utterly gripping tale of hopelessness turned opportunity. The initially resigned prisoners are soon hopeful, and aware they have nothing to lose, they follow Beck's plans. This fast-paced tale has you turning the pages, as you wonder about Beck's motivations – and his actual role. What was he really doing there? And why?
A enthralling story of hope against all hope, of personal bravery, and of camaraderie and faith. Faith in your fellow humans.
Although there is some head-hopping at times (the narrative is partly omniscient), we do get a close glimpse at how Lev's attitude changes, and how Beck's influence proves decisive. This novel is about men, and the ability to overcome personal and religious differences in order to reach a beneficial goal, and it succeeds in its message.
A highly recommended read for those looking for a thrilling, fast-paced adventure, without the gore or bluster, but with an ultimate sense of peace.
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Blurb:
Isadore Levinsky is a survivor. No stranger to concentration camps, he’s been freighted by boxcar to yet one more, possibly his last, before death by rifle or neglect. He’s survived this far because he’s done what any person would do under the circumstances: everything possible, irrespective of the consequences for others. At the nearly deserted Natzweiler-Struthof camp, Levinsky matches wits with fellow prisoner Otto Beck, a self-proclaimed pacifist, gentile and admitted liar. Beck has decreed that all food and water will be shared equally. He’s rallied the men and challenged his Nazi overseers, willingly taking their beatings and abuse.
But is Beck a charismatic con man or a liberator? Previously convicted for treachery, Beck is architect of an escape plan specifically designed to assist his Nazi captors.
Can Levinsky and the men survive Beck and find their way to freedom?
A Most Unlikely Man: A Tale of Resistance is a story that resonates with our own times. Uplifting and inspiring, the story draws us into a dark past we must never forget, while shining a ray of hope for our future.
Praise for A Most Unlikely Man:
"The story is a very quick, short, easy read. There’s absolutely no indication that any of it has any basis in truth; so it’s merely based on an interesting, theoretical plot, and it is fun to consider."
~ Marcia C., Amazon 5* Review
Buy Link: Universal Buy Link
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About the Author:
J. Paul (J.P.) Rieger is a mostly retired Maryland attorney and author of five books, The Case Files of Roderick Misely, Consultant, a mystery featuring a wannabe lawyer anti-hero published in April, 2013; Clonk!, a police farce set in Baltimore and published in May, 2023 by Apprentice House Press (Loyola University, Maryland), The Big Comb Over, a slipstream comedy of manners published in April, 2024, Sunscreen Shower, a Clonk! sequel, published by Flock Publishing in October, 2024 and A Most Unlikely Man: A Tale of Resistance, published by Blue Cedar Press in September, 2025.
J. Paul and spouse live in Towson, Maryland.
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