Nick Dybek's "The Verdun Affair" is something I probably wouldn't have chosen to read by looking at the back cover. However, upon diving in, I realized it was so much more than a romance. The mysterious undertone throughout the novel kept my hooked from the beginning, and made it hard for me to put this book down. While at times the story seemed a little slow, especially in the beginning, the writing made it seem like I was right there with the characters on their journey to find the truth. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for something that keeps them on the edge of their seat.

Thanks to Simon & Shuster and Nick Dybek for providing me with an advanced reading copy.

Some books are like cotton candy, you quickly devour them and while the experience was pleasant it does not stay with you. This is not one of those books. This book is more like a rich chocolate ganache cake, to be savored bite by bite over an extended period of time. While reserved there is a great deal of emotion here. it begins in the aftermath of the Great War at Verdun, a repository of the never to be identified remains of people’s loved ones. It deals with the yearning for those lost, the unintended results of kindnesses and the need to find a way to go on.

A twisty, richly researched and beautifully peopled novel which gorgeously captures a time and place.

Nick Dybek has chosen to write a novel about a period of war that is sometimes overlooked. It is the time after the battle: what has become of the town, its people, and its daily life? More importantly, what is the impact on those who must somehow pick up the pieces of their lives to create a place in a devastated world?

Tom is a young man, former ambulance driver, now collecting bones for an ossuary to commemorate all the war dead of Verdun. Sarah comes to Verdun seeking any news that her husband may still be alive. After an unexpected but brief affair, they part. The action then shifts to Bologna where Tom (now a writer) and Paul, a fellow journalist meet. They are in pursuit of a silent, wounded amnesiac, nicknamed Douglas Fairbanks, after the famous silent film star. Sarah also arrives, hoping that perhaps this man may be her husband.

The book has mystery, danger, and romance. Observations about places are beautifully written. The characters attempt to make connections but the fragility of forming deep relationships eludes them.

Holding the narrative together is the over-arching secondary narrative that takes place in 1950s Los Angeles. Paul and Tom (now a screen writer) meet by chance in Hollywood. Over several days, wine and dinners they recall their European days and learn only now what they were thinking and what went unshared.

This is a well-written novel that may have been improved by tighter editing. Some interesting details and anecdotes could have been shortened or omitted to move the action along at a stronger pace. But this is a story that will linger after the book is over. Recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.