The Quest for Anna Klein: A Novel

Thomas H. Cook

Jun 2011 · Sold by HMH

About this ebook

On the eve of WWII, an international plot leads to a deadly obsession: “Nobody tells a story better than Thomas H. Cook” (Michael Connelly, New York Times–bestselling author of Two Kinds of Truth).
 
It’s 1939 and the world is on the brink of war, but Thomas Danforth is in New York City living a fortunate life. The well-traveled son of a wealthy importer, he’s in his twenties and running the family business, looking forward to a bright future. Then, during a snowy evening walk along Gramercy Park, a friend makes a fateful request—and involves Thomas in a dangerous idea that could change the fates of millions.
 
Thomas is to provide access to his secluded Connecticut mansion, where a mysterious woman will receive training in firearms and explosives. Thus begins an international plot carried out by the strange and alluring Anna Klein—a plot that will ensnare Thomas in more ways than one. When it all goes wrong and Anna disappears, he will travel far from home once again, but this time, into a war-torn world that is far more dangerous, in this story by an Edgar Award–winning author known for his “piercing thrillers” (New York Daily News).
 
“No other suspense writer takes readers as deeply into the heart of darkness as Thomas H. Cook.” —Chicago Tribune

Ratings and reviews

This is a story told by a man in his nineties about the days when he was in his twenties and recruited to help in what was becoming the struggle against Germany in the days leading up to WWII. Thomas Danforth lived a pampered life. On a wintry night, his friend persuades him to provide a location and cover for a young woman, Anna Klein. She was to be trained for a secret operation inside Germany. Her training would include weapons and explosives. The action is narrated in alternating chapters with Danforth's life today and his rememberance of the action in the pre-war days. Written with intelligence and literary excellence, we witness Anna facing her assignment with fatalism "...like a woman walking toward her future just as religious martyrs walked toward their execution sites." We are aware of what was going on insider Hitler's Germany with his program against the Jews but we're not sure how much Anna knows. We witness her bravery and stoicism and appreciate her as a characters. The story gives us glimpses of the evil in Germany and the brave few who were attempting to do something about it. It is a world of deception and treachery and we follow Anna and Thomas nervously anticipating what would be their fate. Then, something wrong happens and Anna disappears and Thomas attempts to find her. The theme seems to be to believe in oneself and have the conviction to take action when we observe something evil. Thomas H. Cook's work is always entertaining and with the courageous characters who come to life in this novel, we see Cook's excellent story telling and literary skill.

About the author

Thomas H. Cook was born in Fort Payne, Alabama. He has been nominated for Edgar Awards seven times in five different categories. He received the Best Novel Edgar, the Barry for Best Novel, and has been nominated for numerous other awards.