Derek B. Miller

Sometimes the truth lies in the things you cannot see In 1830 a young novice called Catherine Labouré was granted a vision of the Virgin Mary Nearly 200 years later Sister Anne is also waiting for a sign Which is why she accepts a mission to go to a tiny community on an island just off the coast of Brittany Her only companion there is a sceptical chain smoking older nun who just wants to be left in peace On the island she meets Hugo the son of a devout family who prefers to look for the meaning of life amid the stars Madenn a grandmother whose daughter was killed in a crash and who finds meaning in routine Isaac Madenn s grandson an otherworldly teenager who doesn t fit in but who befriends Hugo and Julia a sickly child If anyone needs a miracle it is her But it is not Sister Anne who receives a vision Instead it is Isaac who is found on a promontary transfixed unable to utter more than the words I see The event soon becomes headline news and the world descends on the small island opening old wounds and unleashing a chain of events none of them could have foreseen

A brilliantly imagined World War II saga Kirkus A compellingly chaotic blend of art heist thriller wartime adventure historical epic and coming of age drama Observer Derek B Miller has crafted an ambitious sometimes tricksy story full of colourful characters darkly funny readable and intelligent Times We will lie cheat steal fight kill and sin our way to Napoli We will trust no one but each other and we will remember that in this place at this time there is no way to tell friend from foe The bombing of Rome in 1943 leaves fourteen year old Massimo orphaned and with no choice but to set out on a perilous journey to find his remaining family in Naples A chance meeting with the mysterious and charismatic Pietro Houdini will deliver both of them to the doors of the monastery of Monte Cassino a centuries old haven of contemplation learning and art But the abbey is in the path of the relentless Allied advance to Rome Pietro and Massimo need a plan to survive the coming onslaught and that means out manoeuvring the Germans who are as interested in the abbey s art collection as in the murder of two of their officers in the town below For their plan to work they must dissemble disguise and outwit two armies using skills that Pietro has i

AMERICAN BY DAY

El tipo más raro del mundo, de Derek B. Miller, es una novela negra redonda: trama imaginativa, ejecución precisa y un gran personaje protagonista con muchísimo carisma. El héroe más original que ha dado la ficcion en mucho tiempo: un personaje que los lectores no olvidaran facilmente. El tipo mas raro del mundo ha sido un exito internacional tanto de critica como de ventas. The Times la ha elegido como la novela debutante que hay que seguir de 2013, asi como a su autor entre los cinco novelistas a tener en cuenta.Sheldon Horowitz, judio neoyorquino de ochenta y dos años, se va a vivir con su nieta y su marido a Oslo despues de fallecer su mujer. Obsesionado con la muerte de su hijo en la guerra de Vietnam, su caracter refunfuñon y su negativa a aceptar la debilidad de su memoria se unen a la natural desubicacion en la que se encuentra. Una mañana escucha ruidos: una pelea domestica. Y una mujer y su hijo se refugian en su casa. Un maton intenta tirar la puerta abajo y Sheldon escapa con el niño. Sheldon tendra que protegerlo como le hubiera gustado hacerlo con su propio hijo.Divertida y conmovedora, a la vez que totalmente absorbente, estamos ante una ficcion policiaca del mas alto nivel. The GuardianHorowitz testarudo, atormentado pero amable es un enigmatico e inusual heroe. No podras abandonarlo una vez que lo conozcas. The TimesUna cautivadora novela de suspense que va mucho mas alla del genero, hasta dejar al lector emocionalmente exhausto. Absolutamente brillante. Sunday Examiner