Swiss Account

Financial thriller writer Erdman (The Crash of '79 , The Panic of '89 ) now quasi-fictionalizes the role of Swiss banks during the latter part of World War II. The novel is heavily grounded in history, with major appearances by Allen Dulles (who was then assigned to the Office of Strategic Services), leading Nazi figures, and members of the Red Orchestra (the precursor of the Soviet KGB). The plot revolves around supposed Swiss neutrality when in actuality the country's leading bankers and manufacturers were exporting goods to Germany and holding SS money, as well as the fuhrer's determination to build an atom bomb. Sabotaging that effort was the focus of Dulles' work, but, unfortunately, Erdman is so concerned with monetary matters that the nature of his mission remains cloudy until the last few chapters. Skip the love scenes; the best part is following wartime transactions, cover-ups, and happy endings.