Canadian author D.K.R. Boyd delivers fifth and final volume of The Reflecting Man

ST. STEPHEN, New Brunswick - April 14, 2024 - PRLog -- "My name is De'ath."

So begins the psychological thriller, The Reflecting Man, by critically acclaimed author D.K.R. Boyd. Set in Canada, America, France, Germany, and England, before and during World War Two, Boyd's story is a work of historical fiction. He weaves together details from hundreds of non-fiction accounts, journals, and diaries to illustrate Europe's descent into war.

The Reflecting Man, a five-volume historical fiction series, records the antic journey of a loquacious and unreliable narrator, Kurtis De'ath, whose unusual talents lead him into the innermost circles of Hitler's Third Reich, Stalin's Red State, and Churchill's British Conservative government. The journey is, in meticulous detail, an examination of how Europe went to war in 1939.

The Reflecting Man is himself a reflection of his times. The series is widely and deeply researched, employing hundreds of non-fiction accounts, journals, and diaries of actual participants and observers of the darkening clouds over Europe and the descent into war. Though Boyd's story is a work of historical fiction, the settings and characters he presents have been meticulously researched.

"I wanted to examine the major figures of the war without the influence of modern propaganda, as well as unmasking the sub-culture of the 'dark men' who did their masters' bidding even as they built their own fiefdoms within each political hierarchy…and I wanted to do it in little known or unheard of detail."

"As characters, their development is based on factual accounts and personal diaries," says Boyd, "but they are viewed through the lens of my protagonist, Kurtis De'ath, and his alternate identities. And to this, I have added a taste of magical realism, which helps draw the reader into the plot and does not let them go," relates Boyd. "I think there are very few fictional characters as provocative and entertaining as Kurtis De'ath, so it quite naturally developed into his alternate identities, Herr Death, Kurtis Tod, and the Wagner family's chocolatier, the Shokoladenmann.

"I've learned that what we think we know about these powerful leaders of nations, and the many others who appear in this series, is often far from the truth. In some cases, the revelations are quite startling. There are, many readers will find, multiple echoes of events in today's 21st century predicaments. Reflection is what is on offer in this series and there's plenty of it available."

In The Reflecting Man, characters articulate religious, racial and sexual prejudices very casually to reflect the reality of the time period. Boyd says, "No sugar-coating, I'm afraid. Authenticity is the goal." The book also investigates numerous cultural issues and even anticipates the growth of mass media and new technologies on both sides of the Atlantic, while exploring topics still relevant today, including anti-Semitism, the cult of Aryanism, and pseudo-scientific theories of eugenics, as well as conflicting attitudes on homosexuality in pre-WWII Germany and England.

"Today's readers will find that many of the themes in The Reflecting Man are mirrored in modern culture," Boyd adds. "The Reflecting Man's story is a provocative, wickedly long, detailed rampage through historical fact in a fictional mode. I love it, but it takes time to tell it correctly," admits Boyd. "Now that Kurtis' travels are finally finished in Volume Five, I hope it will have been worth each Reader's while."

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D.K.R. Boyd is an award-winning Canadian author and former educator at Appleby College in Oakville, Ontario. As David Boyd, he has published more than 25 books for children, young adults, and adults and also, under the pseudonym David Collins, a dystopian novel, The Grief Team.  He returned to St. Stephen after retiring in 2007 in order to create The Reflecting Man series.

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"Boyd's skill at weaving exposition into his narrative is so great that the large and complicated plot moves forward very smoothly. Watching 20th century history unfold through the unmistakable viewpoint of Kurtis De'ath would be a treat for any lover of well-done historical fiction. Promised sequels are eagerly anticipated." - Historical Novel Society

"Dense and yet compelling, Boyd's prose and detail make for a read that is witty and paced just right as it weaves through modern history in a way that I have not seen since Dorothy Dunnett conquered the events of the late Middle Ages." - Amazon.com Review