The File by Gary Born

An accidental discovery in western Uganda summons monsters and memories from the past in The File by Gary Born, a thrilling international adventure.

Though Hitler may be long since dead, discovering the whereabouts of his golden treasure trove is a mission worth killing over, putting an innocent father/daughter team of researchers in the crosshairs of multiple countries. From the Deputy Director of the CIA and sinister Nazi sympathizers to deadly Russian operatives and an overly curious botanist, this novel is packed with colorful characters, and Born does an excellent job weaving each narrative together without losing readers in the weeds. Conspiratorial, captivating, and relentlessly filled with action, this novel is quite timely, despite its historical roots.

While the gripping storyline will keep pulp fiction readers glued to the page, the quality of writing does leave a bit to be desired. Repetitive sentence structure, simplistic descriptions, and heavy-handed dialogue make the book feel somewhat scripted and predictable. That said, some amount of on-the-nose writing does work for the adventure genre, and orchestrating a wildly tangled plot with more than a dozen narrative perspectives is an impressive feat for any writer.

With a powerful female protagonist at the helm, who shows authentic depth and bold decision-making from start to finish, The File is a fast-paced and entertaining read.

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