End Game: Irrational Acts, Tragic Consequences (Book III in the Antarctic Murders Trilogy)
Theodore Jerome Cohen
AuthorHouse (2010)
ISBN 9781456710033
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (09/10)
“End Game” is the third and final book in Theodore Jerome Cohen’s series the “Antarctic Murders Trilogy.” The fictional story is based on actual events which took place in history.
Earlier books in the series describe in detail a robbery from the vault of the Banco Central de Chile in Talcahuano. Millions of dollars in cash, negotiable securities, gold coins, and jewelry were stolen. The incident involves members of the crew of the Chilean auxiliary fleet tug Lientur. The Trilogy takes place over a five-year period following the Chilean Earthquake of May, 1960, while the third book takes place only in 1965.
Dr. Grant Morris and Ted Stone, from the University of Wisconsin, members of the 16th Chilean Expedition to the Antarctic, played an intricate role in “Frozen in Time: Murder at the Bottom of the World.” They now return in this final installment of the series. In an ambitious attempt by Captain Roberto Muñoz of the Lientur to cover up earlier crimes of theft, murder, and deception, Morris and Stone suddenly find their lives are in jeopardy.
Captain Mateo Valderas and his associate, Lieutenant-Commander Antonio De Rio, both of the Chilean Navy’s Office of Internal Affairs, have met their match in Captain Muñoz, the Number One suspect of the Banco Central de Chile robbery. He is also the major suspect in a series of related murders. In a masterful technique of plotting, Cohen conveys a tension building drama of international intrigue.
The accompanying maps of Chilean Antarctic bases found on the North Antarctic Peninsula, the country of Chile, and France as well as a striking collection of photos of Iglesia de San Francisco, and the Teatro Municipal of Santiago, Chile, add another dimension to the reader’s enjoyment of a complex plot that involves action on three continents.
As in his first book, “Full Circle,” Ted takes the reader on an amazing journey through the world of orchestral music. “End Game” will awaken a latent gift for music appreciation in fans of the genre of mystery and suspense while adding a whole new world of drama and adventure to the music lover.
Theodore Jerome Cohen utilizes a style of suspense writing which builds anticipation and tension in the reader that calls for interaction, involvement, and emotional response. There is something unique and unexplainable in his writing style that becomes addictive, and is certain to attract an ever increasing base of Cohen fans.
“End Game: Irrational Acts, Tragic Consequences” is informative and entertaining. Cutting-edge drama and suspense, revealing characters and convincing dialog provide “The Antarctic Murders Trilogy” with all the elements of a cutting-edge, award-winning, best-selling novel.
