LitPick Review
Treachery Unmasked written by Dorian Rockwood is a story about a child actor named Sammy who is about to age out of being a child actor for Paragon Studios. It is 1941, and Sammy is growing up and wants to stay working for Paragon. It all starts when Sammy gives his mother a $20 dollar bill that he found stashed in his dressing room and with a man who says he is an agent for the Federal Investigative Agency. The story involves Sammy, his mother, Elliot and Gene who are friends and associates in his acting profession, and two German spies who harass Sammy by radio and telephone. The German spies hid counterfeit money in the dressing room that could cause some serious issues for the United States and help Germany. At this time in history, Adolf Hitler had plans of ruining the United States economy. Sammy has to find a way to keep America safe.
Opinion:
Dorian Rockwood has written an historical fiction war novel that takes place in the United States and reads like an old movie from the forties. The author uses the lingo of the times throughout the book like "the real McCoy" and "nuts and bolts." He also mentions some famous gossip columnists named Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons. This is quite the visual book when he describes the movie studio, the equipment used, Sammy's dressing room, and other scenes. The last two sections, the Author's note and Who Are These People, were a good touch and gave background material to the book. This is one aspect that makes this a good book for 8 to 12 year-old children who might be interested in learning more about this time of World War II. This book could also be used as a language lesson with the use of some of the German phrases that are spoken in the book. Treachery Unmasked is a fast-paced historical novel that reads like a detective movie on television and could be read in a day.
