Blame the Dead

In  BLAME THE DEAD  Ruggero takes us to Sicily, 1943, where he tells the story of Eddie Harkins, former Philadelphia beat cop turned Military Police lieutenant, who reluctantly finds himself first at the scene of a murder at the US Army’s 11th Field Hospital. There the nurses contend with heat, dirt, short-handed staffs, the threat of German counterattack, an ever-present flood of horribly wounded GIs, and the threat of assault by one of their own.   

  

As a former soldier himself, Ruggero is always intrigued by stories of soldiers, especially when they confront moral dilemmas. He is also uniquely qualified to write about this time period, conducting over 150 interviews with veterans and doing research in Sicily, where his family emigrated from in the early 20 th  century. In fact, the protagonist, Eddie Harkins, is named after Ruggero’s own maternal great-grandfather.  With  BLAME THE DEAD , Ruggero explores a fascinating what-if mystery that touches on issues that stem from failed leadership, such as sexual harassment and sexual assault within the military, women and their roles in the war, and the real daily experience of those that served in a war that has often been “Disney-fied” by history books.  My Review I am a fan of military and historical fiction themed books. Usually when I see a book in this vein as this book by Mr. Ruggero, I jump to check out the book. Thus the reason I am sad that I struggled with this book.

I instantly was transported back in time. I got a clear vision of the world and the characters that Mr. Ruggero built for this book. Yet, I found myself missing that strong connection towards the characters; except maybe Colianno. He was a young guy that was assigned to Eddie to be taken under his wing. There was a bit of a mystery about Colianno. They more I got to know him the more I did like him.

In regards, to the main mystery, it was good. The other issue I had with this book besides the connection to the characters is that I found the pacing of the story to be slow. At times there was a bit too much time spent on talking or the build up to the mystery that I felt slowed the story down. While, this book may not have hit me in al the right spots; there is something in the way Mr. Ruggero writes that does make me want to give him another chance.

  

About Ed Ruggero 

Ed Ruggero is uniquely qualified to write such a poignant tale of World War II. He is a West Point graduate and former Army officer who has studied, practiced, and taught leadership for more than twenty-five years. His client list includes the FBI, the NYPD, CEO Conference Europe, the CIA, the Young Presidents Organization, Forbes, among many others. He has spoken to audiences around the world on leadership, leader development, and ethics.   Ruggero is also the author of eleven books, including Duty First: West Point and the Making of American Leaders, a study of leader development at the US Military Academy, and Combat Jump: The Young Men Who Led the Assault Into Fortress Europe, July 1943, which became a one-hour docudrama on The History Channel. Ed is also the co-author of The Leader’s Compass, a fictional story of how one leader developed a personal leadership philosophy. His most recent book is The First Men In: US Paratroopers and the Fight to Save D-Day.