In the World War One occupied town of Denain, France, Bertrand Prospère cares for the remnants of his family while covertly engaging in espionage. When his troubled daughter Josephine is befriended by a German soldier, complications arise. Matters worsen after a relative and fellow spy flees and the suspicious regimental intelligence officer redirects his attention to Bertrand. Caught in a cat and mouse game, Bertrand must outwit those who seemingly hold all the cards. Set in the historic battleground region of the French Nord, the story transports the reader on a remarkable journey through the eyes of Bertrand and his family during the tumult of nineteenth and early twentieth century France, flirts with the bygone era of Roman Gaul, and travels to distant lands and back. Nigro's first novel is a fast-moving, page-turner whose colorful characters crisscross time and continents. In a precarious world where life is cheap and morality is in the eyes of the beholder, The Stonemason's Apprentice masterfully delivers a message of optimism, forbearance, and hope in the face of adversity, intolerance, and evil.
About the Author: Born and raised in Massachusetts, Nigro moved seven times by the age of eleven as his father sought construction work across the state. His one constant was the town library, where he was transported through ancient civilizations, medieval courts, nineteenth century intrigues, and the tumult of the twentieth century. In college, he put his imagination to paper and was encouraged by his professors to be a writer. Instead, he chose to soldier, storing away experiences like the Ranger Training Battalion parachute jump at dawn into the New Mexico desert, and the hug from the elderly Frenchman for the long ago liberation of his village by Patton's Third Army. Along the way he picked up a Masters from Boston University, raised three lovely girls, and went on to other employs, including public servant and corporate executive, while always, in his heart of hearts, a writer. A few years back, while moonlighting as a bartender in Falls Church, Virginia, Nigro was befriended by a favorite customer and renowned screen writer. At the customer's behest, he tentatively began to write, starting with a journal, then a couple of short stories, the beginnings of a crime novel, and finally, the novel in your hands. Having spent the last thirty years living, working, and travelling acrss three continents, he now writes from his home by the Elizabeth River, in Norfolk, VA, accompanied by his wife and a Chihuahua named Gizzy.