May 2017

I love when an author tries something different, and it becomes the best thing he has written. Ten years ago, Mark Sullivan told me that he had heard about a man in Italy and wanted to write his story. I was told little about him, except that he was a hero from World War II with a big story to tell. But from the excitement that came over Mark’s face every time he talked about the book, I knew it was going to be something very special.

I had read all of Mark’s thrillers and loved them. BENEATH A SCARLET SKY is historical fiction, but it has the pitch-perfect thriller pacing that I have loved in his previous work. When the book opens, Pino Lella is a teen in Milan as the war comes to Italy. He likes girls, dancing and having a good time with his friends. But as war invaded his town, Pino took on a number of heroic roles, first shepherding Jews over the mountains into Switzerland (I dare you to forget these passages after you read them) and later operating as a driver to a German general, which gave him an opportunity to spy on the enemy. To do this, he had to wear a Nazi uniform, which alienated him from many of his friends.

Along the way he meets a beautiful woman, one with whom he hopes to share his life. And those dreams are ones that carry him through the dark days of war. I will not tell you how their story ends, as this is a book you want to savor every word of. I have shared early copies of BENEATH A SCARLET SKY with a few friends, and all have called me to talk about it --- in glowing terms. Everyone wants to talk about Pino. I am betting that once you read it, you will feel the same way. And if you are in a book group, this is a book that you will want to discuss.