HUNTING THE HANGMAN

A roman à clef about a team of British-trained paratroopers who carry out a daring mission in Nazi Germany.

The Hangman is Reinhard Heydrich, SS Obergruppenführer and architect of the Holocaust. In August 1941, exiled Czech President Edvard Beneš and chief Czech military intelligence officer František Moravec meet in England and formulate a plan to assassinate Heydrich, whom Beneš believes has been chosen by Hitler as his heir. Jan Kubiš and Josef Gabčík, heroic Czech soldiers and close friends tapped to lead the mission, are trained by British Cpl. Andy Donald, with Anthony Eden and Winston Churchill making cameo appearances. Linskey moves back and forth between the Czech-led team and Heydrich’s interactions with Göring, Bormann, Hitler, et al. Linskey begins each chapter with an apt period quotation succinctly capturing the tragic European situation. His solid research provides several illuminating tidbits, like the fact that fellow navy cadets gave Heydrich the derogatory nickname “Blond Moses.” As days of training for Operation Anthropoid unexpectedly drag out into months, Jan and Josef grow increasingly frustrated. So too the tale unfolds slowly until the final third and the actual mission. The duo parachute into Czechoslovakia and reunite with their girlfriends as the ambitious Heydrich works to forge bonds with colleagues and smooth his rise to the top. Linskey’s scrupulous groundwork allows him to depict these final phases with consistency and clarity.

An interesting and informative novel that will please World War II buffs but falls short as a thriller.