Mike Whicker lives in Evansville, Indiana, where he teaches high school English and creative writing. Mike is an authority on the Third Reich and occasionally speaks on the World War II era. He has also written a novel, Proper Suda, along with his creative writing class, the F.J. Scribes.
Invitation to Valhalla is one of the best historical fiction books that I have ever read. It is set during World War II and follows Erika Lehmann, a Nazi top spy, from Germany to an Evansville, Indiana Naval Base. Erika is the English-speaking daughter of Hitler's old comrade and a member of the Führer's inner circle. She is beautiful, athletic, and clever. But most important, she'll stop at nothing to accomplish her mission, including masquerading as a Jew.
Whicker has done such an excellent job with this story that it is difficult to tell where the facts end and fiction begins. He gives the reader a unique view of the Nazi spy effort. Even if you aren't a history buff, you will enjoy this book. The suspense is real from beginning to end. Whicker has done such an exceptional job of character building, that the reader even cares what happens to the enemy.
Although, not your usual mystery, I enjoyed this book very much and couldn't put it down. In fact, I found myself reflecting on the story long after I had finished the book.
