Official Review: The Art of Evil by Roy E. Stolworthy
Posted: 01 Nov 2019, 08:03
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Art of Evil" by Roy E. Stolworthy.]
4 out of 4 stars
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The Art of Evil by Roy E. Stolworthy is a historical fiction novel. It tells the story of a former member of the SO15 Counter Terrorism Command called Robert Malin. After discovering a tumour, he had to quit the job he loved so much. After rejecting his father's offer to work at an antique shop, he receives a gloomy offer from a wealthy German neo-Nazi. What he has to find are pieces of a cross made from bones of Jews who died in the Holocaust.
The book is action-filled from the first page to the last. There are many plot twists, and it's only at the end of the book that the reader fully understands the complex storyline. Why would a neo-Nazi spend a fortune to get a cross made of bones? Why is the MI5 closely following everything that happens? And what about the Russian Spetsnaz agents? As the plot unfolds, the readers start to ask themselves these questions, and the story gets more and more enjoyable. The cross (and later a diamond) are just a vehicle to achieve something much bigger. The protagonist, as the book progresses, will find that there is a message inside the diamond containing the following message: "God will signal the rise of the Fourth Reich." The book is so good that there isn't any relevant flaw to report.
The fascinating feature of this novel (what I liked the most about it) is the fact that all characters are neither morally perfect nor one hundred per cent evil. The protagonist Robert Malin is not the prototype of a virtuous hero. He commits a multitude of murders and, in most cases, feels no moral scruples. Of course, it's not that difficult to look good when your antagonists are neo-Nazis or Russian agents, but even these villains are not entirely evil. The heroine of the story is someone who wanted to kill the protagonist at the beginning.
Besides, it's undeniable that Roy E. Stolworthy has an in-depth knowledge of Nazi Germany. The author mentions not only famous Nazis like Hitler, Albert Speer, Göring, but also underground figures like Irma Grese, Rudolf Höß and Klaus Barbie. Even when he changes historical events (such as Hitler's death by suicide for instance), he does so in a way that categorically demonstrates that he has read dozens of books about the World War II.
In summary, The Art of Evil by Roy E. Stolworthy deserves 4 out of 4 stars. There's nothing to criticize about this action-packed, breath-taking and addictive novel. The rating is self-explanatory. The book is professionally edited and polished. After reading more than 400 pages, I only found one squinting modifier, two independent clauses improperly joined with a comma, an example of improperly space punctuation and one unnecessary comma. Furthermore, the author needs to insert a page break before Chapter 36.
I would recommend to anyone over 12 who love historical fiction novels. The word "f*ck" appears 65 times in this book. Other profane words such as "sh*t," "bastard," and "bitch" are common as well. That's the main reason why people under 12 shouldn't read The Art of Evil.
******
The Art of Evil
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
The Art of Evil by Roy E. Stolworthy is a historical fiction novel. It tells the story of a former member of the SO15 Counter Terrorism Command called Robert Malin. After discovering a tumour, he had to quit the job he loved so much. After rejecting his father's offer to work at an antique shop, he receives a gloomy offer from a wealthy German neo-Nazi. What he has to find are pieces of a cross made from bones of Jews who died in the Holocaust.
The book is action-filled from the first page to the last. There are many plot twists, and it's only at the end of the book that the reader fully understands the complex storyline. Why would a neo-Nazi spend a fortune to get a cross made of bones? Why is the MI5 closely following everything that happens? And what about the Russian Spetsnaz agents? As the plot unfolds, the readers start to ask themselves these questions, and the story gets more and more enjoyable. The cross (and later a diamond) are just a vehicle to achieve something much bigger. The protagonist, as the book progresses, will find that there is a message inside the diamond containing the following message: "God will signal the rise of the Fourth Reich." The book is so good that there isn't any relevant flaw to report.
The fascinating feature of this novel (what I liked the most about it) is the fact that all characters are neither morally perfect nor one hundred per cent evil. The protagonist Robert Malin is not the prototype of a virtuous hero. He commits a multitude of murders and, in most cases, feels no moral scruples. Of course, it's not that difficult to look good when your antagonists are neo-Nazis or Russian agents, but even these villains are not entirely evil. The heroine of the story is someone who wanted to kill the protagonist at the beginning.
Besides, it's undeniable that Roy E. Stolworthy has an in-depth knowledge of Nazi Germany. The author mentions not only famous Nazis like Hitler, Albert Speer, Göring, but also underground figures like Irma Grese, Rudolf Höß and Klaus Barbie. Even when he changes historical events (such as Hitler's death by suicide for instance), he does so in a way that categorically demonstrates that he has read dozens of books about the World War II.
In summary, The Art of Evil by Roy E. Stolworthy deserves 4 out of 4 stars. There's nothing to criticize about this action-packed, breath-taking and addictive novel. The rating is self-explanatory. The book is professionally edited and polished. After reading more than 400 pages, I only found one squinting modifier, two independent clauses improperly joined with a comma, an example of improperly space punctuation and one unnecessary comma. Furthermore, the author needs to insert a page break before Chapter 36.
I would recommend to anyone over 12 who love historical fiction novels. The word "f*ck" appears 65 times in this book. Other profane words such as "sh*t," "bastard," and "bitch" are common as well. That's the main reason why people under 12 shouldn't read The Art of Evil.
******
The Art of Evil
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
