The Advocate

The Advocate
By Bill Mesce Jr and Steven G. Szilagyi
Reviewed by Leila



Harry Voss, an American Major and lawyer working overseas in England is appointed by the Judge advocate's office to handle a case, which was an American plane having been shot down by one of its mates. As the crippled plane fell, the pilot who is shooting attacks the cottage of an old man and his wife, who are known as the Greshams. Harry is told to keep the case a secret, and as he gathers information from people who knew the suspect and victim, he cannot tell them why he is asking. Unfortunately, some people find out more than they should, while others are strictly sworn to silence. Harry is faced with the fact that everything seems so complicated while the case seems to be open and shut at the exact same time.

 The author has written a fiction book taking place in World War Two, and is also a mystery, involving what the speaker has learned from the main character Harry Voss. The story has a lot of details concerning Harry’s surroundings, the personalities of the people he interacts with and the thoughts he has concerning the case of O'Connell’s death. The authors thoroughly explain the background of the suspect, along with the backgrounds of the ones who died, to give some idea as to what led them to enlist in the army.

The authors have made some parts of the novel in first person, with the speaker talking about how he acquired the information, from Harry Voss, but for most of the story, the speaker's name is not said. In addition, there is a man who is often referred to as The Master or Himself, and his name is not spoken for most of the story. I would have liked for these characters to have been identified a bit sooner, but leaving them unknown for most of the time can engage readers to keep reading in order to find out who these men are.

As a result, I would rate this book 4.5 stars, because it is detailed, suspenseful, and engaging. The Advocate is a great combination of WWII and a murder mystery