Father and son writing team Michael and Patrick McMenamin collaborate in The Parsifal Pursuit, a new approach to the genre of historical fiction. This is the second in their series of Winston Churchill Thrillers. Mattie McGary, photo 
journalist with the Hearst newspaper empire, and Bourke Cockran Jr., a New York law school professor and former counter intelligence agent, protagonists from the DeValera Deception, are found deeply involved on separate assignments in a grail quest commissioned by Winston Churchill.
The year is 1931. A conspiracy is underway to assassinate Germany’s President Hindenburg. Their assignment is to find and recover a stolen ancient Christian artifact, the Spear of Destiny, which was used to pierce the side of Christ on the cross. Time is of the essence as Hitler and the Kaiser are in a race to recover the Spear for their own personal purposes.
Cochran’s specific assignment is to represent an heiress, victim of Nazi tactics in an extortion and protection racket. Germany is in a state of political struggle. Reactionary industrialists are backing Kaiser Wilhelm II, and racist radicals are promoting the Nazis and Adolf Hitler.
In the background another conflict is taking place in the search for the Spear in the Austrian Alps. Mattie’s life is endangered, as well as her romance with Cockran, when an unscrupulous, handsome guide recuses Mattie and determines to seduce her.
I appreciate the personal insight I gained into science of eugenics, the dangers of injustice to individuals when government attempts to legislate the practices aimed at improving the genetic composition of its citizens. I gained a new perspective on the political feelings in Europe in the years leading up to World War II.
Michael McMenamin’s careful attention to historical accuracy while interjecting fictional segments into factual circumstances gives credibility to the background for the story. Patrick McMenamin’s creative imagination adds a flavor of excitement, adventure, and romance to an important era in world history.
The Parsifal Pursuit is informative and entertaining – a new approach to the genre of historical fiction. The story is packed with suspense, adrenaline-producing drama, and fast-moving action right up to an unexpected, over the top, climatic conclusion.
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