Synopsis of Works

Souls of Wereth
Adult Historical Fiction Novel
Subject: Wereth Massacre, Wereth, Belgium

On December 17, 1944, in Wereth, Belgium, four Nazi soldiers commit an act of terror that will follow them for the rest of their lives. They shoot and decapitate eleven African American soldiers who had surrendered without resistance. Immediately after this horrific act, the U.S. military investigates the murders, but the case is never brought to trial...

Souls of Wereth is a vivid account of the lives of the four Nazis responsible for the killings we know today as the Wereth Massacre. In the authors’ story the four Nazis flee to Canada near the end of the war, taking their families with them, in fear of being charged with committing war crimes. Jacob Neuhof and his wife Belinda settle in Toronto, Ontario. Stephan Ackerman is single. He moves to Port Colborne, Ontario where he lives alone. Niels Smid, his wife, three children and mother-in-law settle in Summerland, British Columbia and Benjamin Hermans, his wife and two daughters settle about 200 miles from Niels in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Nazis are encouraged to keep in touch by the secret Nazi organization set up to help Nazis escape from Europe. The Organization encourages the Nazis to stay in touch with each other and with the agency because, “The Nazi party plans to re-organize after the war is officially over.”

About a year after moving to Canada, and at the height of their successful new lives, the Nazis plan their first reunion, a festive occasion to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada in the United States. At the meeting, they update each other about their families, businesses and careers.

Jacob is owner of a  hunting and fishing resort which includes several rental cabins; Stephan is a Lutheran pastor; Benjamin is a photographer, the career he held while living in Europe; and Niels is the owner Smid’s Winery and lives on a house on the property.

The Nazis talk about what has happened in their lives since coming to Canada. They talk very little about the war. Clearly, they put their past behind them and it is clear that neither shows remorse for the atrocities they committed during the war.

However, in a matter of months they are forced to face their involvement in the Wereth massacre when a series of letters appear from an unidentified source, hinting that someone outside of the four of them knows about the soldiers slain in Wereth. On receiving the first red envelope, the four Nazis call an emergency meeting. Someone immediately suspects blackmail, but after each receives a second note suggesting he should commit suicide, and meeting a second time to discuss the situation, they add another possibility, that Major Lehmann is sending the notes and in time, they abandon blackmail idea altogether.

They feel certain that Major Lehmann is responsible for the letters for a couple of reasons, both concerned with him protecting himself. Except for the four of them, the major was the only other person who knows about Wereth. Another reason was because they can testify that the major ordered them to, “Take care of the soldiers the way we always take care of colored soldiers.”

Stephan, in particular, makes his main focus in life to get rid of the major. In trying to solve the problem, Stephan blunders in ways that cause harm to a third suspect. Still, the problem concerning the red envelopes is not resolved. In the meantime, Stephan is becoming plagued with health problems and so is Jacob. Added to his health issues and due to a natural disaster, Jacob becomes burdened with financial problems. Because of personal vices and self indulging habits Niels and Benjamin also encounter financial problems.

The end result is that each of the four Nazi is afflicted with self destructive behaviors, which are further aggravated by the unsolved mysterious case of the red envelopes. The Nazis struggle to face their personal demons and alternative behaviors that collectively include alcohol abuse, anger issues, mental and physical abuse, immorality, psychosis, infidelity and gender issues. Dramatic climaxes in each Nazi’s life sets the stage for each one’s survival or destruction.