The Blieberg Project by David Khara

First published in France in 2010; published in translation by Le French Book on July 15, 2014

The Bleiberg Project is the first novel of the Consortium series. Wall Street trader Jeremy Novacek is wealthy but empty of heart. He carries the guilt of a reckless and irresponsible moment that could have destroyed his life, had his employer not rescued him. While generally wallowing in self-pity, Jeremy is cheered to learn that his father, from whom he has been estranged for a quarter century, has died. When he conveys the news to his hospitalized mother, she gives him a locket that contains a small key embossed with a swastika. The key opens the door to secrets about Jeremy’s past and to a more meaningful future.

When The Bleiberg Project isn’t following Jeremy, it tracks events that occurred during World War II or focuses on the present day scheming of ruthless Mossad agent Eytan Mog, who has taken an interest in knowledge that Jeremy’s father acquired while working for the CIA. But what is that knowledge and what does it have to do with the contents of the box to which Jeremy now has the key? Jeremy intends to find out. He’s accompanied in that journey by a CIA agent who, being female, is of course beautiful.

I would rate The Bleiberg Project as a no-worse-but-not-much-better-than-average Nazi conspiracy thriller. Apart from some expository information dumps, the story moves smoothly and quickly, but it covers ground that has been well plowed by other writers. The Übermensch theme is too familiar to be compelling, and while David Khara adds a fresh touch here and there, nothing about the novel is particularly exciting. Khara’s prose is snappy but his characters, while adequate, never quite come to life. If Nazi Übermensch stories are your thing, you’ll probably enjoy The Bleiberg Project. If you think you’ve read enough novels about ongoing Nazi plots to create a superior race, there’s no need for you to add this to your reading list. Or you can opt for the graphic novel, which trims away the fat and is, I thought, superior to the origial prose version.

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The Shiro Project by David Khara

Published in France in 2011; published in translation by Le French Book on November 18, 2014

The Shiro Project begins with the release of a weaponized virus in a Maryland laboratory in 1957, then jumps to the Czech Republic in 2011 where the residents of a village are all dead. After that we go to the Israeli Embassy in Brussels to learn the story of Eytan Morg, a genetically modified Mossad agent who made his debut in The Bleiberg Project. Eytan spent most of his life capturing or killing escaped Nazis, but since there is not much point in chasing octogenarians, he has more recently devoted himself to a secret society called Consortium. The group is dedicated to creating a master race of superior beings who might even be superior to Eytan. To his surprise, Eytan he finds himself coerced into working with Consortium against a common enemy.

Flashback chapters fill us in on Eytan's past while chapters set in the present team Eytan with a Consortium agent named Elena who is Eytan's genetically-enhanced counterpart. When Elena isn't trying to kill Eytan, she admires and even wants to bed him. Such is the nature of the fickle heart.

The evildoers that occupy Eytan and Elena have their genesis in Unit 731, a covert agency of the Japanese government that experimented with chemical and biological warfare in China before and during World War II. Nefarious Pentagon conspirators also play a role.

The story is intelligent, drawing upon history to create credible villains, although the villains seem dated. The story is also a bit wooden, a description that applies equally to the protagonist. Eytan's egocentric attitude (people "believe in nothing" because they do not share his passion for his cause) is occasionally overbearing, but most of the time he's a reasonably likeable hero. We are told that Eytan "saw the value in each life he took." As sensitive killers go, Eytan is stuffy, more likely to deliver lectures than violence. His genetic programming apparently did not include a sense of humor.

Fortunately, the novel is more fun than Eytan. It delivers a satisfying amount of action, moves at a brisk pace, and leads to a pleasing (albeit predictable) resolution.

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