“Mr. Abernathy” is an intense, convoluted thriller with a science fiction slant.  The action moves easily between modern-day America, WWII-era Germany, and other settings, tracing three stories.  By the time the various plots converge the author has mixed history, physics, folklore and spies into the tangled web.

Parker Dundee is a History professor who has come home to bury his father.  While going through his father’s things he discovers several boxes of papers pertaining to his father’s job with the State Department.  He grabs the one box marked personal and takes it home with him.  As he goes through the papers he discovers parts of his father’s life that he never knew about.

Willy Horvitz is a brilliant young physicist working in Berlin in 1944.  He’s a theoretical physicist but his work has come to the attention of the SS, who insist on his help developing new weapons for the Third Reich.  He has secrets of his own that make him vulnerable to coercion by the Nazi’s. 

Mr. Abernathy is a mysterious figure who appears throughout the story.  He seems to be important to both men.  He’s also of interest to a number of other parties. 

The writing is solid, nicely paced and detailed.  There were enough technical details to be interesting but not enough to slow down the narrative.  I don’t have enough of a background in physics, engineering or aeronautics to judge the accuracy of the details, but they read well.  Each chapter ends with enough of a teaser to draw the reader forward, without being melodramatic.  The main characters were well drawn, well rounded and believable.  Some of the secondary characters verged on stereotypes but they were memorable.  Some of the characters were ciphers but they helped add to the tension.  The narrative switches between perspectives and time periods smoothly.  It’s quite easy to determine whose story is being told because Parker’s story is told in first person, while the others are told in third person. 

I did figure out the mysteries before they were explained but I still thought "Mr. Abernathy" was a great story with an intriguing premise and a satisfying resolution.  I really enjoyed spending time with the characters.  If you enjoy mysteries or thrillers with a touch of science fiction and science, you’ll love this.

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