THE LONGEST NIGHT

When Mouse Weiss, a hit man for Jewish mafia boss Meyer Lansky in 1943 New York City, screws up a hit by leaving a witness alive, he is sent to war-torn Europe to rescue thousands of Dutch Jews before they can be shipped to concentration camps in this suspenseful tale of wartime conspiracy and betrayal. Cynical Mouse, resentful of the assignment, plans to steal the $100,000 Lansky gives him to fund the plot as soon as he gets a chance. But he has his hands full dealing with his unorthodox partners: a crazy German Jew and a resistance cell of idealistic Dutch patriots infiltrated by traitors and collaborators. The plan is to highjack a train of Jewish prisoners and race to the Dutch coast where fishing boats will pick everyone up, but German counter-intelligence is very good, and soon the resistance is on the run. Ambushes and shootouts lead to a riveting showdown, and then to a moment of truth for Mouse, who must take responsibility for the fate of those in his charge—and for that of Reka, a fierce Jewish resistance fighter with whom he has fallen in love. Nail-biting wartime action is heightened by charged moral decision-making in this strong first novel with a surprisingly tragic ending. Agent, Don Maass. (Aug.)

FYI: Jeffery Deaver's forthcoming Garden of Beasts ( Forecasts, May 3) also concerns a mob hit man sent on a mission to Nazi Europe.