Codename Mermaid by Michael James Emberger, A Historical Thriller Inspired by Beethoven’s 9th, the Ode to Joy
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary e-copy of this book from the author. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review. Also, this blog post includes affiliate links. You can view my affiliate disclaimer here.
FBI agent Ben Blanchard is angry at God for allowing his wife to die. He’s tasked with investigating a Nazi sabotage operation with a new partner, Vicky, a known German spy who looks strikingly like his late wife…and they’ll be posing as a married couple.
They arrive in the isolated town of Sugar Falls, Ontario, where they find a mysterious lumber mill, a distressed German soprano, and murderous disputes over maple tapping. With outside support cut off, Ben is forced to rely on a shaken faith and a woman he can’t trust in an attempt to stop the Nazis from spreading their poisonous plan.
Rife with grief, deception, swords, songs, and scars, Codename Mermaid is a historical thriller inspired by Beethoven’s 9th, the Ode to Joy.
MY REVIEW: ★★★★/5
What a fantastic historical thriller! If you love exciting WWII suspense, you’ll love Codename Mermaid. With deep, relatable characters and a twisted, race-against-time plot, author Michael James Emberger wove an enigmatic plot that captivated me and kept me turning the pages.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Early FBI Days · WW11 Timeline · A Small, Winter Town in Ontario · A Race Against the Clock to Save the World · A Strong, Determined Heroine · A Grieving, Duty-Driven Hero · Mystery, Intrigue and a Villainous Plan
From the first chapter of this novel, Emberger delivered a mysterious ambiance that immediately drew me in. After meeting the grieving Ben Blanchard and witnessing his loyalty to his country and his job, I wanted more. As the story unfolds and the plot thickened, there were several twists and turns that kept me guessing, wrapped up in the story.
I really loved both main characters, but especially Kirsten. Her history, her plight and her dedication mystified me. I don’t want to give any of the story or mystery away so I won’t say more but her portion of the story was truly my favorite and her character really rose to the surface to shine brightly as the heroine of the story.
I enjoyed the small town, winter setting in Ontario with the secondary characters and all the details shrouded in mystery, giving this story a thrilling, exciting sense of adventure and intrigue. There was a heart-pounding level of intensity interwoven with the need to see the Germans’ plan uncovered and thwarted which kept me captivated and fully invested in the story. There were also some faith-based elements of the story that intensified the loyalty and patriotism of the main characters.
The gripping ending surprised me, adding a mystical, almost magical element to the story that I was not expecting.
Summary:
Overall, this was a great read that I found thrilling and unique. It was clean with threads of duty, loyalty, faith and love. Readers who enjoy exciting historical mysteries may love this novel and should definitely give it a try!
Content/Spoiler Note: This story does contain a resurrection moment and a mythical aspect.
Author Michael James Emberger. Author photos ©Melody Fulone.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Michael James Emberger is an author of thrillers and suspense residing in Wilton, NH. He enjoys weaving narratives of conspiracy and misguided intentions around divisive topics. Where there is debate, there is always room for a villain with goals far out of alignment from either side. Michael is a graduate of Messiah College, where he studied Engineering and met his wife racing solar cars cross-country. When he’s not working on home renovations or writing, he enjoys visiting the ocean and exploring the majesty of God’s creation on the summits of New Hampshire’s mountains.
