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Book Review By Harriet Klausner
The Longest Night by Gregg Keizer



Putnam, Aug 2004, 24.95, 384 pp.
ISBN: 0399151702

In 1943, American hit man Leonard "Mouse" Weiss knows he is fortunate to still be alive as he botched up his last assignment by allowing a witness to survive. Brooklyn Jewish crime boss Meyer Lansky knows that Mouse has been a loyal employee for years, but must make an example to others that failure is unacceptable, but does not want to have his man killed yet he cannot have him hang around the town.

Instead, he decides to give Mouse a second chance when Danish Jews contact the mob boss for help. To make a case for world intervention, they need money and weapons to seize a train carrying Dutch Jews to certain death. Mouse will make the drop, but the New York thug, who considered absconding with the loot, finds he wants to help the resistance, but also lands in trouble in which failure means the deaths of not just him but also the innocents involved.

Harriet Klausner


Plot & Themes
Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story:
Spying/Terrorism Thriller Yes
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
descript. of violence and chases - 20 %
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20 %
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 %
Escape/rescue behind enemy lines? Yes
War-time military intelligence mission? Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status:
Age: - 40's-50's
Ethnicity/Race

Main Adversary
Identity: - an organization
The antagonists are: - nazis
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - Scandinavia

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
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