Before World War II, two German boys enjoy playing piano, and one visits each week to teach the other. When the Nazis seize power, the lessons must end — one of the boys is Jewish.

Leo Bergner, the Jewish pupil, escapes Germany while his piano teacher, Bruno Franzmann, is called to serve the Fatherland. As the war ends, Bruno escapes to Buenos Aires and Leo begins a career in banking, only to uncover a conspiracy of Jewish persecution that puts him in direct opposition to his beloved Israel, while also jeopardizing his career, his marriage, and his life.

In Argentina, Bruno hatches an unscrupulous plot to finance a multi-national corporation, and in time, his efforts require a business trip to London — his first visit to Europe since he escaped. After forty years, a lost family heirloom will decide their fate.

Winner of 2011 Written Arts Award for Best Fiction.

From the reviewers:

“A poignant story of two men whose lives are forever altered by a period of history that should never be forgotten. Emeralds Never Fade is hard to close at night and hard to forget.”  -Robert Dugoni, NY Times bestselling author – MURDER ONE and BODILY HARM

“An extremely clever, well-crafted thriller that compels the reader to turn page after page excitedly.” -Robert K. Tanenbaum, bestselling author of the Butch Karp thriller series

“I started ‘Emeralds’ and couldn’t put it down until the end. It is a page turner — greatly enjoyable and informative. Perfecto!” -Connie Martinson, nationally syndicated journalist and television host of Connie Martinson Talks Books

“A tour de force account of men shaped by their remarkable life experiences. ‘Emeralds Never Fade’ gains power and poignancy with every riveting page.” -Jim Engster, NPR host and President of Louisiana Radio Network

“A fascinating combination of thriller and psychodrama of an entire era. With echoes of The Chosen, Maitland-Lewis captures the very personal fallout of the Holocaust in a manner that captures events in both their terror and absurdity.” -Eric Dezenhall, author of The Devil Himself

Visit Amazon’s Stephen Maitland-Lewis Page

Stephen Maitland-Lewis is a British attorney and former international investment banker.

He held senior positions in the City of London, Kuwait, and on Wall Street before moving to California in 1991. He owned a luxury hotel and a world-renowned award-winning restaurant and was also the Director of Marketing of a California daily newspaper.

Maitland-Lewis, who lives in Beverly Hills, is a jazz aficionado and Board Trustee of The Louis Armstrong House Museum in New York.

And here, in the comfort of your own browser, is your free sample of EMERALDS NEVER FADE by Stephen Maitland-Lewis: