Excerpt: The Alpine Fortress by Rowena Kinread
- Archaeolibrarian
- 6 hours ago
- 5 min read
Book details:
Publication Date: 12th September 2025
Publisher: Goldcrest Books
Page Length: 311
#RowenaKinread @maryanneyarde
@rowenakinread @yardereviews
In the shadow of the Bavarian Alps, a forgotten map leads to an unsolved mystery buried for decades. When Ivanna discovers the sketch among her late grandfather’s belongings, she stumbles upon a secret that connects her family’s harrowing past to the Nazi regime's stolen treasures.
What begins as a curious family discovery quickly escalates into a perilous adventure, drawing the attention of law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and dangerous criminals.
The Alpine Fortress is a thrilling tale of survival, betrayal, and redemption. From the chilling depths of Nazi conspiracies to the breathtaking heights of the Alps, this story will keep you on the edge of your seat as the past and present collide in an unforgettable race against time.
Will Ivanna uncover the truth—or will the secrets of the fortress remain buried forever?
Triggers: Trigger warnings: violence, murder, stalking, rape, trauma
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“The Alpine Fortress” by Rowena Kinread is a captivating crime thriller that immerses readers in a suspenseful narrative set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Alps.
Yarde Book Reviews & Book Promotion
…. From autumn 1943 onwards, Hitler ordered that the most valuable works of art were to be stored in the numerous salt mines in Salzkammergut. The region was part of the so called Alpine Fortress, the last area of retreat for the Nazi Party.
“After Germany was defeated, and the magnitude of Nazi war atrocities became apparent to the world, many in the party’s elite, especially those who masterminded the Holocaust death camps, knew they needed to disappear.”
“But how could someone like Gerhard Weckmann not only escape but even remain undetected in Argentina?” Matteo wanted to know. “I mean, the war criminals were persecuted and brought to trial, weren’t they? At Nuremberg.”
“He left his wife and children in Berlin and changed his name to Felipe Vargas, a common South American name. Once there, we know he underwent plastic surgery and quietly slipped into a new life. He took enough diamonds with him to pay for an extravagant existence. He married an Argentinian beauty from a powerful family and had a son, Esteban Vargas, and two daughters. He lived a life of luxury. Esteban inherited his father’s love of fine art and over the years has become one of the most serious art collectors in the world.”
“Now I’m beginning to see,” Matteo countered, “but was it really so easy for him to escape justice? That’s devastating.”
“I’m afraid so. It’s common knowledge that Argentina was a safe haven for many Nazis after World War Two. Juan Perón spent part of the war working in
Argentina’s embassy in Italy and openly admired the politics of Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler. When Perón became president of Argentina in 1946, he ordered diplomats and intelligence officers to establish secret escape routes, so-called ‘ratlines’, to smuggle thousands of former SS officers and Nazi Party members from ports in Spain and Italy out of Europe and into Latin America.” “Ratlines? I’ve never heard of that term,” Matteo queried.
“Me neither,” Robert agreed.
“In 1946, the Perón government sent word through Argentine Cardinal Antonio Caggiano to a French counterpart that Argentina would be willing to receive Nazi collaborators from France who faced potential war crimes prosecution. That spring, French war criminals, carrying passports issued by the International Red Cross, stamped with Argentine tourist visas, began to cross the Atlantic Ocean.”
“What? Are you saying the Church helped Nazis escape justice?” Matteo was outraged.
“The Catholics, yes. Catholic leaders apparently accepted working with the Nazis in order to fight the common enemy of Bolshevism. Numerous Vatican officials aided the escape of Nazi war criminals. Specifically, they provided them with false Vatican-issued identity documents that were then used to obtain passports from the International Red Cross.
“These Vatican papers were not full passports and thus were not enough to gain passage overseas. They could, however, be used to obtain a displaced person passport from the International Committee of the Red Cross, which in turn could be used to apply for visas. In theory, the Red Cross would perform background checks on passport applicants, but in practice, the word of a priest, or particularly a bishop, would be good enough.”
“That is absolutely sickening,” Matteo burst out. “I didn’t know so many escaped.”
“The Americans had proof that Gerhard Weckmann, alias Felipe Vargas, was responsible for a lot of deaths, but they couldn’t do anything if he was in Argentina. The Germans applied for extradition, but the country’s Supreme Court refused to extradite him because of supposed inaccuracies in the paperwork.”
“But what has Felipe to do with Esteban?” Matteo asked. “Presumably the father must be dead by now. You mentioned drugs before.”
“Yes, and yes. The father died in 2005. I told you that Felipe married into a powerful family. More precisely, he married Lucia Rodriguez, daughter of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The ministers were appointed by and served at the pleasure of the president at that time, Juan Perón. One factor that made Argentina an attractive location for processing drugs was its chemicals industry, which supported robust pharmaceutical sectors.
“For years, Argentina was open territory for individuals and groups seeking to import industrial quantities of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and other precursor chemicals, used to produce drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine. The country had minimal restrictions on imports of these chemicals, allowing potential drug manufacturers access to a near endless supply of precursors. Illegal synthetic drug production emerged in the country due to the availability of relatively inexpensive precursor chemicals.
“The pharmaceutical companies were some of Perón’s biggest campaign donors. He was unwilling to regulate this trade, yet happy to support this welcome source of income, not only for his party but also for himself personally.
“So, Lucia’s father, Alberto Rodriguez, was well informed and actively involved in the drug business. He ensured a job for Felipe Vargas in the foreign service, where he was responsible for making contacts in Europe. Felipe Vargas, in turn, procured a good position in the foreign service for his son Esteban. His son stood directly under his command, and learned all that was to be learned, until his father retired, and he took over his position.
“In 1990 Esteban married Bianca Suarez, daughter of Alfonso Suarez, leader of Los Ortegas, one of the most powerful drug cartels in Argentina. Alfonso Suarez insisted that all members of the family work actively for Los Ortegas. Esteban joined the diplomatic service and thus he could send and receive parcels from abroad with a complete absence of border controls. He was responsible for the transport and the distribution of drugs in Europe and made useful contacts here. The Schengen Agreement, a treaty that led to the creation of Europe’s Schengen Area, where internal border checks have largely been abolished, made his task a piece of cake.
Rowena Kinread grew up in Ripon, Yorkshire with her large family and a horde of pets. Keen on travelling, her first job was with Lufthansa in Germany.
She began writing in the nineties. Her special area of interest is history, after researching her ancestry and finding family roots in Ireland with the Dalriada clan, particularly this era. Her debut fiction novel titled “The Missionary” is a historical novel about the dramatic life of St. Patrick. It was published by Pegasus Publishers on April 29th, 2021 and has been highly appraised by The Scotsman, The Yorkshire Post and the Irish Times.
Her second novel “The Scots of Dalriada” centres around Fergus Mór, the founder father of Scotland and takes place in 5th century Ireland and Scotland, and is published by Pegasus Publishers.
The author lives with her husband in Bodman-Ludwigshafen, Lake Constance, Germany. They have three children and six grandchildren.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://www.rowena-kinread.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rowenakinread
Twitter / X: https://x.com/RowenaKinread
Tour hosted by: Yarde Reviews & Book Promotion
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