Author: Lewis Kelley

ISBN: 1-933204-13-3

Set against the drama of World War II ravaged Europe in 1944, Auslander by first-time author Lewis Kelley is a likable action movie that just happens to be in print form.

The protagonist, Vince LaSalle, is everything one could ask for in an action hero.  He's clever, moral, strong (both physically and spiritually), loyal, patient and the only living man capable of handling the missions he handles so well.  Vince is also black and, this being 1944, he not only contends with Germans that want to kill him but the "insanity of America's racial problems, transported to a foreign shore…"  However, since Vince is so on top of everything he takes it all in stride and never once questions why he loves his country.

Vince has to prove himself at every turn.  From overcoming secret training missions specifically designed for failure to navigating the city of Berlin where the color of his skin is a dead give away, Vince stays cool and calm and one step ahead at all times.

That's not to say he doesn't have help along the way.  Almost every Allied nation has a representative in Auslander.  There's Jan, the British secret service agent who has a soft spot for Vince.  There's Danny, the enormous Scotsman who refuses to be broken under the worst German torture.  There's Jurgen Hecht, Hitler's personal mechanic, who knew Vince's father back home in New York and was commandeered in Berlin while trying to visit his ailing mother.  The list goes on, including French nationals, Polish resistance fighters, important scientists and even Winston Churchill.

Last but not least is Vince's elite unit of fellow black soldiers, the 595^th.  They can do any mission a regular army unit can do and many they can't but never get the proper respect or recognition.  They ultimately prove invaluable in ferreting out the leaks in the intelligence organization that keep getting the good men and women on the inside killed and captured.

On the home front in Harlem Vince's fiancé Vierna does her best to not worry.  His brother Derek, who has been injured in the war, returns to find the love of his life, Mae, with another man.  They thwart a would be rapist.  They desperately try to reform a heroine addict.  Derek and Mae attempt to reconcile and finally all three sail to England to help out with Vince's mission.

Like any good action piece the dialogue is at best informative and at worst over-explanatory.  The characters in Auslander talk to one another exactly the way American history says they should.  All the good guys are good and do what's right at all times.  All the bad guys are bad but still can't help but admire how awesome Vince is.

Lewis Kelly knows his war machines and munitions.  He knows how to write action.  For every disingenuous plot device there's a likable, though often simplified, character.  For every underdeveloped line of dialogue there's an action scene told with a master's skill.  If there's a sequel (which seems likely and will hopefully be a little shorter) and Mr. Kelly can settle down and write the story without writing the film at the same time he might just have a good career in front of him.

The above review was contributed by: David Allen: Passionate Reader & Writer.