The Berghof Betrayal: A Winston Churchill 1930s Thriller
by Michael McMenamin, Patrick McMenamin
Publication Date: May 19, 2016
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback & eBook
Genre: Historical Thriller
The Berghof Betrayal, a Winston Churchill 1930s Thriller, by Michael McMenamin & Patrick McMenamin, continues their award-winning Winston Churchill Thriller series with a new action packed story of conspiracy and intrigue involving a fake Nazi plot to assassinate Hitler
Michael McMenamin & Patrick McMenamin’s The Berghof Betrayal, a Winston Churchill 1930s Thriller was inspired by an actual diary entry of German diplomat and publisher Count Harry Kessler in early 1933, shortly after Hitler took power:
“Weiland Herzfelde has absolutely reliable information that the Nazis plan a fake attempt on Hitler’s life which is to be the signal for a general massacre. The sources of his information are the SA in Dortmund and a tapped telephone conversation between Hitler and Röhm.”
This fake assassination attempt will allow the Nazis to declare martial law and liquidate their political opponents. Unknown to Hitler, however, his enemies within the Nazi party—the Black Front—are conspiring with renegade elements of his own SS to turn the fake assassination attempt into a real one.
Churchill learns of the fake plot and persuades Mattie McGary, William Randolph Hearst’s top photojournalist and Churchill’s adventure-seeking Scottish god-daughter, to investigate. McGary meets up in Germany with her fiancé, American lawyer and former MID agent Bourke Cockran, Jr., who is trying to acquire the rights to Rear Area Pig, a book exposing Hitler’s less-than-heroic wartime service. Mattie and Cockran attempt to stay one step ahead of the SS loyal to Hitler who will stop at nothing to keep Cockran from acquiring the book and Mattie from learning the truth about the fake plot.
Michael and Patrick are the co-authors of the award-winning 1930s era “Winston Churchill Thriller” series. The first three books in the series—The DeValera Deception ,The Parsifal Pursuit and The Gemini Agenda—all were named Grand Prize Winners for Fiction by the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and Book of the Year for Thriller/Suspense and Historical Fiction by ForeWord Reviews.
Check out another interview with Michael about Churchill's Irish-American mentor
Excerpt
THE VIEW WALKING DOWN the access road
away from Hitler’s mountain home was even more spectacular than it had been
driving up. With the sun high and the air crystal clear, Mattie could see their
destination of the village square in Berchtesgaden several miles below while
above and around them towered the snow-covered mountain peaks of the Obersalzburg. She took several photos of
the scenery in all directions. Hitler had reclaimed his Alsatian Blondi who
walked obediently without a leash several yards in front of Hitler. She was once
again struck by the lack of security. Anyone could be waiting in ambush in one
of the nearby chalets or around the next bend in the road and his two SS
guards, who were a good fifty yards behind them to afford their Führer his
privacy, would have been useless.
Mattie was curious
as to whether he had taken any precautions for his safety. “Herr Hitler, I am surprised at the
absence of security here now that you are Chancellor.”
“I’m
a fatalist, Fraulein McGary. Anyone
with a rifle, telescopic sights and good aim in one of the chalets up here, “
Hitler replied, pointing to the widely scattered houses on the hill sides
around them, “could pick me off as I walk. Or they could wait for me in the
village square where I frequently walk as we are today. Still, I am not
entirely defenseless. Let me show you. Do they have snow in England? Did you
make snowballs as a young girl?” he asked with a smile.
“I’m
a Scot, not English,” Mattie replied, “and I assure you we have plenty of snow
in the Highlands. I had two older brothers and, in self-defense if nothing
else, I made plenty of snowballs in my youth.”
“And
you threw them as well?”
“A
snowball has no other purpose, Herr Hitler.
I pack a mean snowball and I have both a good arm and a good aim. Would you
like to see?” she asked with a grin.
“Actually,
yes I would. Make your best snowball and then throw it in front of us as far
and as high as you can.”
Mattie
reached down and began to pack a snowball wondering how in bloody hell she was
going to work this into her story. When she finished, she held the snowball out
for Hitler’s inspection.
“Excellent!
Now, throw!”
Mattie
reached back and threw the snowball high in the air in front of them. Then, she
watched in amazement as Hitler swiftly produced a Luger automatic pistol from
the pocket of his great coat, extended his right arm straight out and fired.
The snowball exploded in a spray of white.
“Oh!
My goodness!” Mattie exclaimed. “That was an incredible shot!”
Hitler’s
eyes narrowed. “What do you mean ‘incredible’? You think that was luck? That I
can’t do it again?” he asked, the Luger now held barrel down at his side.
“Oh,
no. Of course not. I was simply admiring your marksmanship,” she replied.
“My
SS guards tell me I’m as good as, if not better than, their best marksmen. But
go ahead, make another snowball.”
“Really,
Herr Hitler, I’m persuaded. It’s not
necessary.”
“Make
another snowball.”
Mattie
did; she threw it; Hitler fired; and the snowball again burst apart in mid-air.
He was obviously a crack shot, she thought, and needed no introduction to the
new triangle stance which had improved her accuracy after Robbie Rankin had
taught it to her.
“I
am a fatalist as I told you. Still, I believe in my destiny to lead the German
peoples back to greatness,” he said as he slipped the Luger into his pocket and
smiled. “But it never hurts to give Destiny a helping hand every now and then.”
After
that, they walked along in silence. As the snowball exhibition demonstrated,
the Nazi leader was in a good mood and showed no signs of displeasure at their
interview or some of her tough questions. And he shouldn’t, she thought,
because except for his chilling counter-threat against the Jews, he had fielded
her questions fairly well, questions she was sure he did not regularly receive
from the German press. Moments later,
she heard the sound of a motorcar and watched as Hitler’s Mercedes with its
black top and windows up passed them.
They were in sight
of the village square when Hitler spoke for the first time since ordering the
second snowball. “I noticed as we talked in the tea house, Fraulein, that you have acquired an engagement ring since last we
met in Munich. Allow me to offer my congratulations. Who is the fortunate young
man?”
“Thank
you. His name is Bourke Cockran. I introduced him to you at the Hotel Continental last June.” Mattie said. You
know, she thought, that time when you were supposed to meet my godfather
Winston and you stood him up.
“Ah,
yes. I do remember. You two were with Kurt von Sturm and his most attractive
blonde companion.”
“Ingrid
Johannson. She now owns a major publishing company in New York.”
“Yes, well, she and Kurt were a handsome
couple, but I daresay you and Kurt would be an even more handsome couple. You
know he’s the commander of Germany’s newest zeppelin?”
What
an odd thing to say, Mattie thought. Had Hitler seen her SS file also? “Yes, I
know. Kurt’s a good friend. We had drinks a few days ago in Berlin.”
“A
fine young man. I cannot divulge the details, but he was most helpful to the
Party and me at a critical time leading up to our breakthrough election in
1930. To me, he represents the Nordic ideal—tall, blond and physically fit.
Just like my loyal SS.”
Yeah,
right, Mattie thought. And the “tall, blond and physically fit” snake serving
as the number two man in your precious “loyal SS” is up to his neck in a plot
to kill you.
Hitler
chuckled. “You’ve heard, of course, the joke about the perfect Aryan man?”
Mattie
thought she had, but she wasn’t sure and she wasn’t going to admit it in any
event. When Mattie smiled and shook her head ‘no’, Hitler continued, “The
perfect Aryan man is as tall as Goebbels, as physically trim as Goring and as
blond as Himmler.”
Hitler
laughed at his own joke and Mattie joined in, but not for the same reason. She had heard the joke, but in the version
she heard, it had been ‘as blond as Hitler’, not Himmler.
Literary Awards and Praise for the Winston Churchill Thrillers:
The DeValera Deception
Grand Prize Winner Fiction, 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards
Historical Fiction Book of the Year, ForeWord Reviews 2011
Thriller/Suspense Book of the Year, ForeWord Reviews 2011
"Crisply written and meticulously researched, The DeValera Deception is a remarkably well-crafted adventure story." -Mysterious Reviews
"A fast-paced historical thriller. The historical aspects of the novel are especially true to life, giving it a strong factual feel.” -Suspense Magazine
The Parsifal Pursuit
Grand Prize Winner Fiction, 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Awards
Thriller/Suspense Book of the Year, ForeWord Reviews 2012
“Evocative of Ken Follet and Steve Berry at their best, The Parsifal Pursuit is a thrilling ride through pre-World War II Europe, a masterful page-turner you won't soon forget!” D.E. Johnson Award-winning author of the historical mysteries The Detroit Electric Scheme and Motor City Shakedown.
"Vivid portrayal of Churchill and unusual insights into Hitler's character, a fast-paced thriller that is hard to put down." Richard Langworth, Author of Churchill By Himself.
The Gemini Agenda
Grand Prize Winner Fiction, 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Awards
Historical Fiction Book of the Year Finalist, ForeWord Reviews 2013
Thriller/Suspense Book of the Year Finalist, ForeWord Reviews 2013
“This series set in America and Europe during the 1930s gets better each time out. The story about secret experiments on twins is both chilling and irresistibly entertaining.” Les Roberts, Past President, Private Eye Writers of America.
“The McMenamins have once more successfully woven together history and fantasy in a dramatic thriller.” David Freeman, Editor of Finest Hour, The Churchill Centre Journal.
About the Authors
Michael McMenamin and Patrick McMenamin are the co-authors of the award winning 1930s era “Winston Churchill Thriller” series. The first three novels in the series—The DeValera Deception, The Parsifal Pursuit, and The Gemini Agenda—received a total of 14 literary awards. The Berghof Betrayal is their fourth Winston Churchill Thriller and they are currently at work on their fifth, The Silver Mosaic. Both Michael and Patrick have travelled extensively in Europe, South America, Central America and Asia while Patrick has also travelled in the Middle East and Africa.
Michael is the author of the critically acclaimed Becoming Winston Churchill, The Untold Story of Young Winston and His American Mentor [Hardcover, Greenwood 2007; Paperback, Enigma 2009] and the co-author of Milking the Public, Political Scandals of the Dairy Lobby from LBJ to Jimmy Carter [Nelson Hall, 1980]. He is an editorial board member of Finest Hour, the quarterly journal of the the International Churchill Society in Washington, D.C. and a contributing editor for the libertarian magazine Reason. His work has appeared also in The Churchills in Ireland, 1660-1965, Corrections and Controversies [Irish Academic Press, 2012] as well as two Reason anthologies, Free Minds & Free Markets, Twenty Five Years of Reason [Pacific Research Institute, 1993] and Choice, the Best of Reason [BenBella Books, 2004]. He was formerly a first amendment and media defense lawyer and a U.S. Army counter-intelligence agent.
Patrick, the other half of the father-son writing team, is an award-winning journalist who has produced stories for HuffPost Live, ABC News, Fox News and Fox Business Network, including work with John Stossel and Judge Andrew Napolitano. He is a Phi Beta Kappa cum laude graduate of the University of Rochester with Departmental Honors in both 20th Century European history and Film Studies.
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