Fender Head

Escaping from a Michigan prison camp in 1945, German solider and POW, Lothar Laumer, is on the run. With few resources, murder and robbery become necessities for survival, and after finding romance, he cleverly implements a plan to join the same army he had escaped from and becomes a career non-commissioned officer. His false sense of security is upended when a blast from the past threatens to undo him. To order this paperback book from Amazon, click here. To order this e-book from Amazon, click here.

Review of Fender Head:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pleasantly Surprised Reviewed on May 24, 2021 by Kitiera Morey I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book made me care about baseball, if only during the novel. That says quite a lot considering I’d rather watch paint dry than think about the sport. I credit this miracle to Laumer, the main character. He’s a fascinating individual, and the author did an amazing job making him flesh-and-bone. In fact, all the characters are well-crafted, even the ones with tiny rolls. Like Sally. I wouldn’t have minded her hanging around longer than she did, though her brief appearance added a much-appreciated, colorful layer to Laumer’s wild life. I’m not one for war stories but I love anything that can immerse me in WW2 or shortly thereafter, and this novel does exactly that. I greatly appreciate the time that went into crafting a realistic setting. It added to the depth of the story. One problem I have, though, is that the first few chapters could be cut. They are set many years after the meat of the story and they aren’t from Laumer’s POV. I don’t feel they add anything necessary to what follows. There is a callback to them at the very end, which wouldn’t have worked without the early setup, but it could have been structured differently so that wasn’t an issue, and it would have made the narrative stronger. The only other problem I found is that the entire book seems to be the background to the conflict that’s described in the book’s summary. What’s there only appears at the end of the novel. I don’t know if there will be another installment that follows after this book’s ending. If not, the author focused on the wrong plot point and would do well to revise his summary’s angle. Otherwise, this is a great read. I devoured it in a matter of hours and loved every minute of it, and I was disappointed when it ended. I’ll be keeping my eye out for more of the author’s works. ___ 5.0 out of 5 stars This was an incredibly engaging thriller! Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2021 by Anthony Avina I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. This was an incredibly engaging thriller. The author delves into the complex world of POWs and those who escaped imprisonment after WWII to lead entirely new lives. The narrative overall was evenly paced and entertaining, drawing the reader in with complex twists and turns that help showcase how the protagonist arrived smack dab in the middle of a military murder investigation. What really sunk in though however was the author’s delve into character growth. The complexity of the protagonist, Laumer, was intense and captivating. The character’s deep- seated issues after being forced into service for the German military are highlighted in his interactions with Emma, the young woman who changes his life forever. Laumer’s journey from POW to criminal on the run and then posing as another man was thrilling to see unfold. This was a masterful, suspenseful, and military- action-driven war thriller like no other. Author Robert McEvilla brings a level of authenticity and authority to his writing and captures the clash of cultures in the midst of war perfectly. A tale of survival, readers won’t be able to put this book down. Be sure to grab your copy today! ___ Reviewed on April 29, 2021 by Kirkus Indie A novel traces the life of a World War II German soldier who escapes from a prisoner-of-war camp on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, eventually assuming an alias and becoming a career officer in the American military. McEvilla’s prologue lays out the key elements of the plotline, telling readers up front where the story will go and signaling that a secret remains after the final page is read. The narrative then details the strange adventures of a man trying to blend into a country and culture he had once vowed to defeat. In January 1945, 20-something Lothar Laumer, a former paratrooper with sworn allegiance to Hitler, has one goal—to get out of a Michigan POW camp and reach his half brother in Milwaukee. He and two camp mates escape via a tunnel and begin trudging through subzero temperatures and a snowstorm. Laumer spots a service station manned by an attendant refueling a car. Leaving his two compatriots on the road, Laumer kills the attendant by smashing his head with a rock, steals the car, and leaves his fellow escapees to fend for themselves. He is now not only a runaway POW, but also a murderer. During the next two days, Laumer acquires a gun, loses his car in a landslide, and winds up traveling miles on a pair of skis. At a highway intersection, he is struck by a car driven by Emma, a blond woman who brings him back to her isolated cabin in the woods. McEvilla has assigned himself the task of keeping readers interested in an unlikable protagonist who is excited by violence and danger. The author succeeds by burdening Laumer with an obsessive fear of being caught, challenging him with the difficulties of learning American colloquialisms (most of which amusingly involve baseball), and placing him in a situation in which he is totally dominated by a powerful, fiercely independent, and eccentric woman. Their ensuing relationship is the most tender part of the novel and results in the gradual conversion of Laumer into Sgt. Vincent Vanderjack, aka “The Dutchman,” who serves in the American military. An engaging, unusual fugitive tale mixing bloodshed and quirky humor with a provocative ending.