Michael R. Stern

History Comes Alive in NJ

I have always loved historical fiction, and this was a nice break from the romances I normally find it in.

On the surface, this light read is filled with interesting facts and locations. The research compiled for this book alone must have been exhaustive. A quick trip to visit Gen Lee can be highly educational but it depends on the timing. How are these unscheduled field trips possible? Can the destination be controlled?

Under the surface, however, we find the federal government reacting with different levels of concern. The President may hold the power, but the First Lady is not to be ignored. And of course there’s the head of security... assassins can be found hiding in any shadow wearing any mask.

The ending answered some important questions while creating a natural segway for the next book in the series. I look forward to seeing which direction each character decides to take.… (mais)

Suppose you are a high school teacher. Your class is waiting to go into the room, but when you open the door, you and your students find yourself at Appomattox Court House, the day after Lee's Surrender, and that distinguished, yet tired, man facing you, certainly looks like General Robert E. Lee. Another class walks into the scene of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, and when you try to show your Prinicipal what has happened, the two of you walk into the Oval Office and face the President. If you thought you were in trouble before, just think that no one just walks in on the President. This novel is tightly written and well paced. Without a clue what is happening, or how, Fritz Russell must solve the enigma and fast if he is to control it and have any security in his own life. But what a temptation for a history teacher to be able to actually visit the history that he teaches. How does he keep himself and his students safe if he has no clue what is happening? I give this book my highest recommendation.… (mais)