1936: The Nazi party is in power and two half- brothers must choose sides. Dieter has always believed in the strength and message of the FΓΌhrer. Thomas can't help but question the radical message and intolerance. When Dieter accuses Thomas's father of betraying the cause and has him shipped away for questioning, the fragile family is broken, and Johann loses the only parent he's ever known. Before his arrest, Thomas's father gives him a key and swears Thomas to secrecy. Dieter must never get the key or all will be lost. With no choice left, Thomas gives up the life he once had in order to escape Dieter and protect his father's secret.
Years later in 1945, the brothers are destined to cross paths again. Dieter is a brutal and prominent SS Officer. Thomas has become Doctor Johann Schultz, hiding in plain sight as he works the front lines, treating German soldiers as best he can. He still abhors the Nazi party, but with a wife and child, he will do anything to protect them. When Dieter is seriously wounded and brought to Johann for treatment, it is as if fate is giving Johann another chance to avenge his father. Except Dieter carries a secret that threatens Johann, his family, and the entire city of Berlin. Can Johann stop Dieter from carrying out his mission and save his family and Berlin before THE NERO DECREE is enacted?
THE NERO DECREE by Gregory Lee is a race as Johann rushes back to Berlin to save his family with Dieter close on his heels. It is a pursuit that will bind them closer than the years they spent living under the same roof. The inherent danger of the time period also creates a backdrop of fear and distrust that work to increase the sense of isolation against insurmountable odds. For me, though, the chase plot often falters because the physical obstacles might increase, but the emotional obstacles are at their highest in the beginning. What Johann has to lose is very clear from the opening chapters, thus his character growth is limited.
Johann and Dieter are cast in black and white roles. Dieter's zealousness and brutality clearly make him evil, and Johann's steadfast and protective streaks make him good, despite the horrible actions he must take to survive. They play that same character note throughout and it becomes monotonous and at times unintentionally comic. I began to wonder what deus ex machina would intercede to pull Johann from Dieter's trap.
THE NERO DECREE is a cat-and-mouse chase through war torn Germany. The sense of dread and grief permeate every scene, adding to the harsh atmosphere and insurmountable odds Johann faces as he tries to save his family. The NERO DECREE wasn't the book for me, but you might enjoy it if you're a fan of the chase and suspense.
As the Nazis come to power in Germany, a violent argument over a secret key causes young Johann to lose the only parent he has left. Worse, it is his half-brother, Dieter, who commits this horrific act of betrayal. Although their fragile family bonds are irrevocably destroyed, the brothers paths are destined to cross again. Years later, Hitler's army is on the verge of defeat as Soviet forces cross into Germany. Hiding in plain sight, Johann works to save German lives, secretly despising the Fuehrer to whom Dieter has sworn his allegiance. Yet now it is Dieter who holds a terrible secret that threatens not just Johann and his family, but an entire city unsuspecting of the enemy within. As Germany falls before the Allies' merciless advance, Johann and Dieter are locked in their own furious battle. Who will be left standing in the wreckage of their homeland? The fate of not only the brothers themselves, but the entire city of Berlin, rests in their hands.
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