Liar Moon

<p>Praise for Ben Pastor's "Lumen" <p>"Pastor's plot is well crafted, her prose sharp. . . . A disturbing mix of detection and reflection."--"Publishers Weekly"<p>"Rivets the reader with its twist of historical realities. A historical piece, it faithfully reproduces the grim canvas of war. A character study, it captures the thoughts and actions of real people, not stereotypes."--"The Free Lance-Star"<p>"And don't miss "Lumen" by Ben Pastor. . . . An interesting, original, and melancholy tale."--"Literary Review"<p>Italy, September 1943. The Italian government switches sides and declares war on Germany. The north of Italy is controlled by the fascist puppets of Germany; the south liberated by Allied forces fighting their way up the peninsula.<p>Having survived hell on the Russian front, Wehrmacht major and aristocrat Baron Martin von Bora is sent to Verona. He is ordered to investigate the murder of a prominent local fascist: a bizarre death threatening to discredit the regime's public image. The prime suspect is the victim's twenty-eight-year-old widow Clara.<p>Haunted by his record of opposition to SS policies in Russia, Bora must watch his step. Against the backdrop of relentless anti-partisan warfare and the tragedy of the Holocaust, a breathless chase begins.<p>Ben Pastor, born and now back in Italy, lived for thirty years in the United States, working as a university professor in Vermont. The first in the Martin Bora series, "Lumen," was published by Bitter Lemon Press in May 2011.