The British Lion: A Novel

With the end of the World War II, the victorious Germans now occupy a defeated Great Britain. In London, Detective John Henry Rossett, now reporting to the Nazis, lies in a hospital bed recovering from gunshot wounds. Desperate to avoid blame over the events that led to the shooting, his SS boss, Ernst Koehler, covers up the incident. But when Koehler's wife and daughter are captured by American spies, the terrified German turns to the only man he trusts to help him—a shrewd cop who will do whatever is necessary to get the job done: Rossett.

Rossett must put aside his tense relationship with Koehler in order to save innocent lives. Caught between the Nazi SS, the violent British resistance, and Americans with very uncertain loyalties, Rossett makes his way out of London to find Ruth Hartz, a Jewish scientist working in Cambridge. She has been forced to work on developing the atomic bomb for Germany, though she knows it could end any hope for freedom in Europe and maybe even the world. And she must finish the project—if she, too, wants to survive.

Praise for The Darkest Hour, book one of the John Rossett series:

"Convincing and swift-moving. . . .Schumacher's assured and atmospheric writing make this a memorable novel, reminiscent of writers from John Buchan to Ken Follett, and of directors from Alfred Hitchcock to Carol Reed." — Wall Street Journal

"Each cliffhanger chapter moves Rossett from the frying pan into a fire . . .an exhilarating roller-coaster ride." —Fort Worth Star-Telegram