Ordinary heroes - Scott Turow

From the bestselling author of Presumed Innocent comes Ordinary Heroes, Scott Turow's Second World War story of family and bravery.

All parents keep secrets from their children. My father, it seemed, kept more than most . . .

Whilst mourning the death of his father, journalist Stewart Dubin decides to research the life of a man he had always respected, always admired, but possibly never quite knew . . .

As a young, idealistic lawyer during the last terrible months of the Second World War, David Dubin was sent to the European Front - ostensibly to bring charges against a brave American hero, Robert Martin, who had suddenly, inexplicably, gone local and stopped following orders. Martin has become a liability and the authorities want him neutralized.

But as Dubin learns more about Martin and the demons possessing him, he finds himself falling in love with Martin's enigmatic ex-mistress - a dangerous woman of incredible courage. And someone who will do anything to protect her comrade-in-arms . . .

Stewart discovers a journal written by his father - and learns of his incredible courage in the face of battle, reads first-hand of the shattering moral consequences for those caught in the chaos of war and, finally, the secret he had died protecting . . .

Scott Turow is the world-famous author of several bestselling novels about the law, from Presumed Innocent to Reversible Errors , as well as the wartime thriller Ordinary Heroes. He has also written an examination of the death penalty, Ultimate Punishment. He lives with his family outside Chicago, where he is a partner in the international law firm of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal.

Vivid and immediate . . . one of the best pieces of writing Turow has done . . . This novel provides a showcase for Turow's storytelling skills
New York Times

The author's sharp evocation has an assurance barely hinted at in his earlier books . . . there are nuances in his writing a world away from such contemporaries as Grisham. . . vivid
Independent

Ordinary Heroes, like all of Turow's fiction, derives its considerable power from its depiction of a lawyer's disillusionment, his understanding of the dark ironies that await anyone with an absolute belief in the rule of justice
Washington Post