Wednesday 18 October 2017

Wednesday 10 May 2017

Payback - alternative history novel

Payback - Alternate history novel

by Michael FitzGerald

Payback is an alternative history novel by Michael FitzGerald.
It’s a novel filled with disaster and possibility that changes the course of world history.
Payback is a ‘what if?’ novel based on some historical facts but which goes on to create a fictional story of an alternative history where a different future emerges. There were several assassination attempts on Hitler in real life during the 1930s but none of them was successful.
Payback imagines that the Mafia is approached by the US government to supply an assassin to work with an undercover FBI agent to kill Hitler in Rome. It is essential that the assassination appears to be the work of gangsters rather than a government-sponsored killing.
What if Hitler had been assassinated before World War Two? Who would fill the power vacuum? Who would take over in Germany? How would Mussolini react?
Payback involves two main characters, the Jewish gangster Bugsy Siegel and his FBI partner, Luigi Carmona. Siegel believes that Carmona is a gangster like himself and both men receive help from the Italian Mafia against their great enemy, Mussolini. They go to Italy to try and assassinate Hitler but lead the Mafia to believe that the target of their mission is Mussolini. Then things begin to unravel and become more complex and dangerous for them.
Timeline – True Facts
  • The background to Payback is Hitler’s state visit to Italy in 1938. He has recently conquered Austria and the Czechoslovakian crisis is looming. War seems increasingly likely.
  • The American Mafia, often called “The Syndicate” or “Murder Inc.,” is dominated by an alliance between Jewish and Italian criminal gangs. Two of its most powerful leaders are Meyer Lansky and Benjamin Siegel.
  • Siegel, often known as “Bugsy” because of his mental instability, is a ruthless, reckless thug. He has never been a religious Jew but Nazi anti-Semitism makes him become more active on behalf of the Jews. Siegel, Lansky and other Jewish gangsters regularly storm pro-Nazi meetings in New York and break them up by force.
  • Siegel has talked for years about wanting to assassinate Hitler. On one occasion Goering and Goebbels are staying at the villa in Rome owned by one of his mistresses. He wants to kill them on the spot but his mistress talks him out of it, pointing out that she and her husband would be arrested and probably executed.
  • In 1938 the head of the American Mafia is Frank Costello. He, like most Mafiosi, is anti-Fascist. Mussolini has been cracking down on the Mafia ever since he came to power. Many Italian Mafia leaders are in prison or hiding out.
  • Costello’s great rival Vito Genovese escapes to Italy. He presents Mussolini with a million dollars in cash – worth considerably more in today’s money. As a result the authorities turn a blind eye to the activities of the Genovese Mafia while cracking down hard on Costello’s followers.
  • General Ludwig Beck was an anti-Nazi and the Chief of the General Staff of the German Army. In 1938 he genuinely contemplated a military coup if the Czechoslovak crisis had resulted in war.
Payback takes these historical facts and weaves them together into an alternative history novel. It looks at how a successful assassination could have been carried out and looks at the likely consequences for German and world history if it had succeeded.

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Payback is a fast-paced, exciting, page-turner of a “what if?” novel. It has elements of suspense, pathos and humour to lighten the tension.
Payback is great for alternative history fans as well as crime enthusiasts and those interested in World War Two.
It’s a novel filled with disaster and possibility that changes the course of world history.
What if Hitler had been assassinated before World War Two? Who would fill the power vacuum? Who would take over in Germany? How would Mussolini react?
Payback is a fast-paced novel involving two assassins, the gangster Bugsy Siegel and an undercover FBI agent. They travel to Italy for Hitler’s state visit in 1938 to kill him, with additional help from the anti-fascist Mafia.
In the aftermath of the assassination chaos ensues as the Nazi leaders are unaware of the dramatic changes taking place in Germany during their absence. Mussolini makes new plans of his own in the light of the events.
Reviews
Payback has been described as:
“one of the best ‘what if?’ novels since ‘Fatherland,’ – Kim Kinrade, author of “Rockets of the Reich
“a great read with an amazing plot that kept me always wanting more” – David Avoura King, author of “Hitler Out of Time”
“strong characters and surprising twists and turns” – Sandra Saidak, author of “From the Ashes”
“a first-rate thriller that keeps the heart racing to the very last page” – James Thayer, author of “S-Day”
Payback is available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Links

http://mikefitzauthor.co.uk/
http://paybacknovelblog.wordpress.com/
http://paybacknovelblog.blogspot.co.uk/
http://mikefitzauthor.blogspot.co.uk/
https://mikefitzuk.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/mikefitzauthor/
https://twitter.com/mikefitzauthor/
https://uk.pinterest.com/fitzgerald2851/




Friday 17 February 2017

PAYBACK - NEW ALTERNATIVE HISTORY NOVEL

PAYBACK – NEW ALTERNATIVE HISTORY NOVEL
BY MICHAEL FITZGERALD PUBLISHED BY MOONSHINE COVE
Payback is great for alternative history fans as well as crime enthusiasts and those interested in World War Two.
It’s a novel filled with disaster and possibility that changes the course of world history.
What if Hitler had been assassinated before World War Two? Who would fill the power vacuum? Who would take over in Germany? How would Mussolini react?
Payback is a fast-paced novel involving two assassins, the gangster Bugsy Siegel and an undercover FBI agent. They travel to Italy for Hitler’s state visit in 1938 to kill him, with additional help from the anti-fascist Mafia.
In the aftermath of the assassination chaos ensues as the Nazi leaders are unaware of the dramatic changes taking place in Germany during their absence. Mussolini makes new plans of his own in the light of the events.
Payback has been described as “one of the best ‘what if?’ novels since ‘Fatherland,”(Kim Kinrade, author of “Rockets of the Reich”)  “a great read with an amazing plot that kept me always wanting more,” (David Avoura King, author of “Hitler Out of Time”) “strong characters and surprising twists and turns,” (Sandra Saidak, author of “From the Ashes”) “a first-rate thriller that keeps the heart racing to the very last page.” (James Thayer, author of “S-Day”).
ISBN numbers · ISBN-10: 1945181001 and · ISBN-13: 978-1945181006
ASIN numbers for the Kindle : ASIN: B01MFABT1Q. 
Payback has 268 pages
£11.49/ $13.99 paperback
£4.91 /$5.99 Kindle.
Payback is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and all major wholesalers and retailers.