“Traitor or Hero” by Matthew Eberz

Traitor or Hero             

Matthew Eberz           
Independently Published (2026)
ISBN: 979-8199097086
Reviewed by Philip Zozzaro for Reader Views (08/2026)

In July 1942, Otis was a young man from Pennsylvania who left his small town to serve his country in its time of need. He enlisted in the Navy and was both nervous and excited when his ship engaged the enemy off the Gulf of Mexico. While there was an adrenaline rush when he experienced his first firefight, this was tempered by the sight of enemy casualties floating in the Gulf waters. Otis survived the war but came home a changed man, the war having left a lasting impression on his heart and mind. Sixty years later, Otis is aging, widowed, and preparing to leave this world. As he is combing through his belongings, he finds a message written in German. He remembers taking this as a keepsake from one of the dead sailors in 1942.

Otis had hoped to share the message with one of his fellow crew members, but the passage of time has brought with it the attrition of life, and Otis is the sole surviving member. A chance encounter with a woman named Gail renews the possibility of answers, as Gail is taken in by Otis’ story and refers him to Sam Call, a former Army man who now investigates cases on behalf of a group called “Leave No Man Behind.” Sam advises his wife Mary and his partner David Lyttle, and the group begins to look into the case surrounding the dead sailor and the German message. As the team conducts their inquiry, they discover the link between the message and the covert mission known as “Operation Pastorius” that involved three German sabotage teams that were apprehended in 1942. Sam is disturbed when a possible link between the saboteurs and his estranged father is found.

Books about World War II have proven consistently fascinating since its conclusion in 1945, not only because of its global scope, but because of the leaders who shepherded their countries through the war along with those aiding the war effort at home and abroad. While the battlefield was where decisive campaigns were fought, intelligence and sabotage operations were also crucial in gaining an advantage.

The apprehension of the men involved in Operation Pastorius thwarted Nazi plans of striking the US homeland in 1942. Author Matthew Gerard Eberz utilizes much of the backstory of this case to propel this intelligent and suspenseful mystery forward, where one sailor’s need for closure opens up a Pandora’s box involving Fifth Column Nazis, buried secrets, and treasure. Traitor or Hero: Secrets, Silence & Sabotage, part of the Honor series by Matthew Eberz,is more than a detective story; it is an often emotional book about finding closure from your past, whether it be in the character of Otis or Sam. This is a book that excels for its action as much as its intriguing characters, whether it be dogged investigator Sam Call, consummate soldier David Lyttle, or the intelligent and outspoken Mary Call. Traitor or Hero is entertaining from start to finish and will perhaps inspire the reader to delve into World War II history a little further as a result.