Prague Counterpoint (novel)

Prague Counterpoint (1989) is the second novel of Bodie and Brock Thoene's Zion Covenant Series, the immediate successor of Vienna Prelude and predecessor to Munich Signature.

Plot Summary

Walter Kronenberger, a devoutly-Catholic German journalist opposed to [...] had fled to Vienna with his twin sons Charles (who has a cleft-palate and harelip) and Louis somewhat prior to the Anschluss. As he hears the sounds of Wermacht vehicles in his shabby hotel room, he contemplates [...] and loads his pistol. Before leaving the hotel, he tells his two sons to hide in the Vienna Philharmonic's symphony hall and to ask for "Aunt Leah".

Vienna Philharmonic's cellist Leah Goldblatt (a close friend of Elisa Lindheim) marries percussionist Shimon Feldstein shortly prior to the Anschluss. Afterwards, Austrian Nazis rampage through Vienna's Jewish neighbourhood, smashing windows and arresting many Jewish men (including Shimon); Leah, who is outside at the time of the rampage, is warned by the leader Otto Wattenburger to hide out--which she does at the Philharmonic's symphony hall. She takes on the role of "Aunt Leah" and hides out the two boys as well.

Elisa and Murphy decide to help refugees fleeing the Anschluss to Czechoslovakia. On a visit to Vienna, Elisa takes Leah from the Philharmonic and hides her in her apartment, warning her to Steer clear of the superintendent who is nosy and mercenary. She is arrested and jailed for awhile by Otto on a charge of "smuggling precious works out of Reich" (she has in her possession a first-EDition copy of Goethe's Faust, which she has planned to take to "Le Morthomme", a Paris bookseller); Otto then rips the flyleaf-page of the tome, stating "not so precious at all" and informs her that he is actually working for Canaris.

A Prague concert featuring Elisa is watched by her husband Murphy and Czech President Edvard Beneš. Beneš and Elisa are targeted by Sudeten German [...] officer Georg Sporer for assassination--which is prevented through Murphy's intervention, leading to Sporer's arrest.