The Last Door, Ajar by Michael Holly Barrett

It is 1945. The infamous Max Smartz, superspy; Eva Braun, wife of Adolf Hitler; Joseph Goebbels, propaganda minister; and Otto Klugg, intelligence officer, do not die at the end of World War II, but trick the guards in the Fuhrerbunker tunnels, allowing them to make their escape.

Welcome to one of the April 24th stops on the blog tour for The Last Door, Ajar by Michael Holly Barrett with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

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About the Book

The Last Door, Ajar
by Michael Holly Barrett

Published 31 December 2024
Tellwell Talent

Genre: Historical Fiction
Page Count: 386
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

It is 1945. The infamous Max Smartz, superspy; Eva Braun, wife of Adolf Hitler; Joseph Goebbels, propaganda minister; and Otto Klugg, intelligence officer, do not die at the end of World War II, but trick the guards in the Fuhrerbunker tunnels, allowing them to make their escape. Their escape plan is to reach war-neutral Southern Ireland, where Maxwell Smartz has an established base and is familiar with rural south Kerry and its people. They evade capture and eventually reach France. Here, they meet with a good friend and colleague, an undercover agent called Maurice Le Blanc, who asks them to assist him in retrieving some stolen gold bars.

After finding the fortune, the friends attempt to retrieve it in an old Dutch van but are continually thwarted and risk losing everything. To complicate matters, they learn that Max’s brother, Victor, has been incarcerated in the notorious Spandau prison and is being tried for Nazi war crimes. They hatch a plot to save him, but is it worth the danger of going back to Berlin and being caught?

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Excerpt

Joseph Goebbels was a German Nazi politician who joined the Nazi party in 1933. He rose to the ranks of Propaganda Minister and Minister of Culture. He was not very tall and had a clubbed foot, which never stopped him thinking big and walking tall. Culture was fine by Goebbels as long as it was German culture, pure Aryan. His henchmen, the Nazis, would gladly kick the shit out of anyone with the slightest notion of foreign culture other than the ‘Only true German culture’. He was responsible for all publicity, films, art, books and newsreels that only showed the best of all that was German. Magda, his wife, was four years younger than him and was an avid supporter of Nazism, and a good friend of both Hitler and his wife, Eva. Eva was quoted as saying, ‘She, Magda, had no compunction about killing her six children, she feared for their safety if they continued to live’. Joseph Goebbels was a brilliant orator; his speeches were full of passion and fire for the Germany he so loved. Hitler loved his friend, Joseph, and his great enthusiasm for rousing the people into action. Now things had changed dramatically — they were losing the war, everything that could go wrong, went wrong The Yanks, English and Russians were all racing towards Berlin looking for scalps, and Joseph, Magda, Hitler and Eva made an unwritten pact not to allow that to happen. They would deny the intruders the pleasure of rolling heads, they were intent on spoiling the party for the allied army.

About the Author

My humble beginnings in a terrace house with an outdoor toilet and indoor rats. The drinking water was got from a public pump in the street. We were all sailing in the Titanic,Third

Class, but we were not aware of anything better. We had so much fun, swimming in the river. As kids we had wonderful imaginations.The only luxuries we ever saw were in the Cinema, usually

 American films, people smoking and drinking alcohol.

Everyone in the town of County Cork, Ireland seemed to be in the same boat; we made the best of it until the swinging sixties came along and changed everything. In spite of our poverty, I managed to get a College education. But opportunities were as scarce as rich Uncles. The Christian Brothers were brutal, and handy with the cane, in National School. I was lucky like many fellows my own age to get an apprenticeship as a diesel mechanic. Soon developed a taste for Alcohol, and got into trouble pretty soon, was lucky again to find A.A. and get my act together in 1978.

My hero died in 1977, Elvis Presley, the music stopped, the sixties was over, the Beatles were broken up, CCR, too. So getting sober was the best thing to do, under the miserable

 circumstances. I got a job as a Pipe Welder with ASME 1X certificate and began working around Europe, finally settling in warm Spain, Barcelona and met a Catalunya woman. Started writing for the first time, mostly comedies, Peter Sellers style, another hero of mine.

 This is my second published book, I also self published earlier works Like ,’Gorilla Days in Ireland’ by Michael Barrett, on Amazon. The Frankie Stein Enigma, and others, I paint oil and acrylic pictures, write mountains of poetry, sing and play the guitar.

‘ I do just about everything, that doesn’t make any money for me.’ But love doing what I do, writing poetry is mind stimulating, energising .

My favourite actors are William Holden, Warren Oates, Gregory Peck, and favourite detective the great Peter Falk in Columbo, a genius and Clouseau, Peter Sellers, and Peter Ustinov.

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Giveaway Alert!

Michael Holly Barrett will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

April 21
1: The Book Connection
2: Gina Rae Mitchell
3: Always Reading
4: Straight From the Library
5: The Pen and Muse Book Reviews
6: Our Town Book Reviews
7: Wendi Zwaduk – Romance to Make Your Heart Race

April 22
1: Fabulous and Brunette
2: Locks, Hooks and Books
3: Guatemala Paula Loves to Read
4: The Faerie Review
5:  The Avid Reader
6: It’s Raining Books

April 23
1: Iron Canuck Reviews & More
2: A Wonderful World of Words
3: Long and Short Reviews
4: Deal Sharing Aunt
5: D. S. Dehel
6: Moonlight Compass Books
7: TBR Addictions

April 24
1: FUONLYKNEW
2: Sandra’s Book Club
3: Sapphyria’s Books
4: Author C.A.Milson
5: Christine Young
6: Ellwyn’s Blog
7: Westveil Publishing

April 25
1: Aubrey Wynne: Timeless Love
2: Dawn’s Reading Nook
3: Welcome to My World of Dreams
4: Wine Cellar Library
5: Celticlady’s Reviews
6: Romance Novel Giveaways

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