All of the elements of an engaging story line and essential character development are there, but it is peppered throughout with enigmas, such as a Nazi submarine captain that you would instantly love-to-hate as an enemy, but who tears up at leaving his young wife and infant son behind while on a dangerous mission.
In the opening chapter a group of American boys actually commits treason by assisting the Nazis with a plan to introduce widespread chemical warfare on American soil, but even that is made understandable upon learning of the abuse these young men have suffered at the hands of their own townspeople for being German descendants at the wrong time in our history. You find yourself rooting for the traitors when the plan goes horribly wrong and they themselves become the invaders’ victims.
Nate Granzow is a highly skilled writer who has obviously taken great pains to learn and develop his craft. Moreover, The Scorpion’s Nest has been edited to a polish, making it sheer perfection to read. It is a stunning and masterfully woven tale of intrigue that takes you on an 80-year-trip of international espionage, barbaric pseudo-science, and all-too-human relationships.
Reviewed by Mercy Pilkington for IndieReader