This is not the type of book I usually read but it sounded intriguing. I enjoyed the book but had a few small issues with it. The lack of background information on the main character left me with real no connection or emotion for him. I didn't really care whether he was able to exact his revenge but at the same time I was intrigued as he was doing it. I found it a bit unbelievable that he was able to accomplish the tasks he was accomplishing. This is one of those books I was glad I read but I can't really pinpoint exactly how I felt about it once I was finished. ( )

Six Graves to Munich is an unusual book for the author, Mario Puzo (who wrote it with the pen-name Mario Cleri). It is unusual because his most successful works, and all of the books after this one, were about the mob, and this was evident here, as when the main character travelled to Italy to look for a mafia chief, the writing got noticeably better - it was more descriptive, more involved. Not to say that other parts weren’t, of course.

The story follows Michael Rogan, who served in World War II but was captured and tortured for codes used by the Allied forces. He was eventually shot and left for dead, but the was found by an Allied medical team and survived. After hardships back in America (he was shot in the head, and this messed things up quite a bit), one of his friends got him in on a new company which became very successful and made him a rich man. He used this money to fund a sort of crusade: to kill the seven men who tortured him during the war with a recording of his wife’s dying screams, and who ultimately shot him in the back of the head after assuring him of release and even dressing him up in civilian clothes, shaking his hand and telling him he was a free man. The story begins on his second murder and gets into his history later. There are obviously obstacles for him, such as people trying to stop him, not to mention basically evading the law throughout seven murders and numerous people beginning to catch on, with his only companion being a German prostitute that he met early on and for some reason decided to take with him.

This book is of somewhat poor quality compared to his others. It isn’t nearly as descriptive in most places, and it honestly is too convenient. I mean, I don’t like reading books where a bunch of bad stuff happens to the characters, but this book was kind of ridiculous. Everything turned out perfectly for him, with only the most minor setbacks, and none of them actually having to do with the seven primary murders. It just doesn’t seem as realistic. Also, I feel like there was something I was missing... like there was this underlying theme or ongoing metaphor that was hidden really well, only I didn’t know what it was saying. The biggest redeeming quality (besides being written by Mario Puzo) is that it was creative. I’ll give it that. And 3 stars.

A longtime fan of one of the most recognizable and much loved authors of our time, I was overjoyed when I received “Six Graves to Munich”. This hidden treasure—written prior to “The Godfather” fame—was sadly published under a pseudonym and throughout the years was forgotten. While most of the Puzo collection brilliantly focuses on the trials and tribulations of crime families, “Six Graves to Munich” is written in a different time and has a softer, although much more painful, undertone.

Once a man with everything, Michael Rogan now has one goal, one primary focus and breathes solely for vengeance. In what seems like another world, he was once a brilliant man who was able to easily manipulate situations to benefit himself. As a World War II intelligence officer, he found the perfect existence working behind enemy lines. However, he never expected to fall in love and his arrogance proved to be a fatal flaw resulting in the enemy capture of his family. When he becomes the lone survivor of this terrifying ordeal, his goals quickly change and the hunt for retribution begins.

“Six Graves to Munich” will keep you spellbound from cover to cover through startling twists and unexpected tenderness as the ghastly tale unfolds.

Reviewed by Suspense Magazine
www.suspensemagazine.com ( )

Distreta, però d'argument forçat i poc creïble ( )