3 out of 4 stars
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In The Odessa Legacy by Dr. Richard L. Bend, main character Rick opens the story in a plane to Argentina, confused about how his life has turned out. His wife Laurie has been cheating on him, and he confronted her about it. Needing to clear his head, Rick takes a solo vacation to Argentina, where he meets a local elderly man named Archie. After Archie experiences some almost fatal luck, Rick helps tend for the man, and in turn, gains Archie's trust. Fearing he does not have much time left, Archie takes Rick on a journey he could have never imagined.
The story changes from present day to the immediate post World War II era, where some notable Nazi leaders have fled to Argentina to avoid persecution. There is one infamous character described in this story that everyone has heard about, and this historical fiction portrays what could have possibly happened to this evil man of history. Along with the famous Nazi leaders comes the folklore of hidden treasure and gold, and the men in the present day must find this treasure before more evil men do. Will the men succeed? Will Rick forgive his wife? Only time will tell in this stunning thriller.
I loved this story and was enthralled the whole way through. I've always heard the rumor that Nazi leaders who were not charged fled to South America, and this story takes this rumor and puts evidence behind it. I connected strongly with Rick and felt he was an excellent main character who I wanted to root for. There were multiple romantic side-stories throughout the book, keeping the reader engaged through the romantic scenes in the book.
This book is the first of a series, so there was a cliffhanger at the end of the book. I loved the historical fiction part of the storyline, but the sensual writing scattered throughout the book made me uncomfortable. I'm no prude, but the graphic nature of these scenes distracted me from the historical storyline and seemed out of place. I found one typo in the book, making this book appear to be professionally edited. The writing, in general, flowed well, and the author provides vivid imagery in his descriptions. The story could easily be adapted into a history channel series, minus the sex scenes.
I give The Odessa Legacy by Dr. Richard L. Bend 3 out of 4 stars, for its vivid imagery, strong main characters, and interesting storyline. I deducted a star for the out of place sex scenes. I recommend this book for any mature history buff wanting to know about the Nazi leaders in the time directly following the Second World War.
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The Odessa Legacy
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