In 1932, a group of German industrialists and financial leaders supported Adolf Hitler’s rise and the rearmament of Germany as a way to increase their wealth. They conspire to get Karl von Schagel appointed to the position of deputy minister of finance. In 1938, a group of six graduate students gives a presentation on their theory of “The Power Cycle.” The leader of the group is Jacques Roth, the heir to the Roth banking empire. The other members of his group all have similar privileged backgrounds, although they come from many countries. They claim that their theory shows that Germany is heading for war in Europe. They suggest a watchdog organization be founded to avert these situations in the early stages.

The book picks back up in 1943. With the war going against Germany, the industrialists are anxious to get their riches out of the country. A member of the old student group finds out about the money being moved and the whole group goes into action. They conceive and implement their own plan: block the German’s access to the money and steal some of it to fund their group. They want to have a group of sentinels that can watch for these events so they can stop them earlier in the future. The Sentinels put their plan into motion and get their hands on millions of dollars belonging to the Germans. Once the Germans find out about the theft the game is on. The Germans hire people to track down their stolen money. The Sentinels are either on the run or in hiding. The war is coming to a close. The action heats up.

The Sentinels: Fortunes of War was a riveting historical thriller. Set during the World War II years, the plot revolves around the powerful money men backing the Nazi regime and the Sentinels that try to shut them down. The Robin Hood type good guys go after the Nazi-backing bad guys. It makes for a great book and kept me up late reading. Overall, there was plenty of action and suspense for any thriller reader. Especially recommended for any thriller readers that like the World War II setting.

review copy (ARC) rec’d from publicist – Planned Television Arts