This debut piece of historical fiction, based on a true event is very well done. Phillip Halsman was accused, convicted twice and pardoned for the murder of his father while they were hiking in the Tyrol Mountains in 1929. His case was known worldwide with people such as Albert Einstein taking up his cause. He was ramrodded by Austrians who already held intense anti-Semite views. The author is able to take the reader through the trials, the prison term, and Halsman's illustrious photography career, his post-traumatic stress experiences, his never ending guilt for not finding his father's murderer, his lusts and loves, his trek to obtain a visa to move to the United States, sponsored by Albert Einstein who remembered his court case. I think the most striking stylistic note for me was the author's ability to shift his writing style to match the mood of different events. He shifted from succinct courtroom dialogue style to the romanticist internal monologue of the young Phillip to the delirious, fever dream voice of Phillip during times of illness as he fought tuberculosis. I am very impressed by Ratner's writing ability and will look for more in the future! ( )