| THE SHADOW IN THE GLASS by Justin Richards & Stephen Cole |
| Story ? Synopsis: In May 1944, a UFO lands in a small English village, Turelhampton, which is immediately evacuated. 57 years later, it's still under military control. Journalist Claire Aldwych comes to investigate for the Conspiracy Channel, and narrowly escapes from the guarding army. Her tape reveals strange imp creatures. She hands over the tape to UNIT, and is then called from an old contact about Adolf Hitler. Sceptically, she drives off to investigate, but finds her contact has died in a mysterious fire, and other people are out to kill her, too. She calls in UNIT again. The Brigadier is contacted about Turelhampton, and once he sees the imp tape, calls in the Doctor. They go to the crash site at Turelhampton, which the Doctor identifies as a Vvormak spaceship, missing a few components. They realise someone is deliberately stirring up trouble, and connect it to Claire's Hitler connection. They narrowly avoid a nuclear explosion, but the fallout from the Vvormak ship powering up threatens the area, giving them little time. The Brigadier goes to Russia to check on the available facts about Hitler's death. The Doctor goes back to 1944 to get Churchill's permission to embark on an espionage mission in Germany. The Doctor gets seconded to the Nazi mission that will raid Turelhampton and remove the Scrying glass, a lost component of the Vvormak craft. But when they arrive, he finds the Glass already gone. Meanwhile, the Brigadier manages to purloin fragments and fluids of Adolf Hitler from the Russians. Back in 2001, the Doctor realises he has to go back again to get samples from Hitler and Eva Braun. He takes the Brigadier along to 1942, where they are mistaken for medics, and obtain their samples. Back in 2001, they realise that Eva was taken away to live in hiding, because she was pregnant, and it is her son whom appears to be recruiting for a Fourth Reich. Deducing that the Nazis are hiding in Antarctica, the Doctor, Claire and the Brigadier travel there in the TARDIS, and manage to blow the Nazi operation and take the Glass. But they are forced to take Hitler Jnr back to 1945. But when the son meets his father, he appears mad, and the Doctor and the Brigadier make it seem that way. The son is shot, and taken away by Bormann. Claire tries to take pictures of the Bunker, but is pushed into the path of a bomb by Bormann, so she will appear to be Eva Braun. The Doctor and the Brigadier return to the TARDIS, but realise what has happened to Claire. Appalled, they head back to 2001. The Doctor gives the lost components back to the Vvormak, who take off in their ship, dissipating the spreading fallout. |
| Review:- Arguably the greatest event of the 20th century has inspired many people over the subsequent years. Here is a warts & all conspiracy thriller that presents a fresh, definitive look at the power of Adolf Hitler. There are two main strands here - the Vvormak, and the Nazis. Initially, it seems that these are separate mysteries, but they're soon connected thanks to this book's guest companion, Claire. She helps prevent it becoming too much of an old pals act between the Doctor and the Brigadier. As a journalist, she seems pretty credible, although maybe she has other problems not really touched on that stop her taking events another way. The appearance of a revenant Hitler prompts a major investigation as the Doctor and his allies look for the truth. Amusingly, whilst Claire is proud of her contacts, the Brigadier trumps her by taking a trip to Russia, whilst the Doctor outdoes them both with a trip back to WW2 to pop in on Churchill again. His antics as Major Johan Schmidt allow him to be present at the Nazi invasion of Turelhampton, which provides some answers, but asks a few more. This then allows the Doctor to take a 2nd trip back, with the Brigadier, to meet Hitler in person. After all this, they finally stumble on the truth, and the reason for Hitler's last-minute marriage - the new Hitler is his son. One trip to Antarctica later, and the hunt for the Scrying Glass (silly name, accurate or not) comes to an end. But the story still has room for one more janut, back to the Bunker in 1945. This allows Hitler's son to find the truth about his father, contrary to the lies he had been taught through his life. He then plays his part in history as a "double" of his father. The final twist is that Claire's curiosity leads to her own part in events - as Eva's double. This does at least mark a final reminder that this was one of the blackest periods in human history, where no-one was safe. In a way, it's a shame that the Vvormak are pretty much background figures in the story (although for shadow creatures, perhaps it's appropriate?). But the Nazis have proved compelling baddies in fiction for the last 6 or 7 decades, and will probably continue to do so. Hopefully, this may be their last appearance in these books. The Doctor and the Brigadier come out very well from this book, managing to show what talented people they are, whether schmoozing with Hitler, taking blood samples, or spying on the Russians. It's a very good book, that sustains interest all the way, and is paced well. |
| Disclaimer: I've read the book. |