The Devil's Playground Book One of the Sapphire Staff Series by Cynthia Sens takes us to 2011 and introduces Mel Taylor, a guy who on the outside seems like a normal everyday 'guy next door.' He is, however, not a regular guy. He was born in 1916, saw the devastation that World War II brought to the world, and yet he is only 44 years old. He has nightmares of the past and is trying to blend the past and the present and find his place and way in the world. When a friend asks for his help, Mel and his assistant Emily embark on a perilous journey to find a missing boy. When things get dangerous while looking for a Nazi scientist, Mel must take a powerful secret from its hiding place, a holy relic called the Sapphire Staff.

I feel with this book Cynthia Sens has put down a strong opener for a series. The book is entertaining and well written. It did take a little bit for me to fully get into the story, but once I did I was committed to it. Mel is an interesting character and I look forward to learning more about him because I plan to read more of the series. There is a really good blend of adventure along with the character development, and you cannot beat a book that brings a holy relic out of hiding. So, if you like history, magic, and adventure, The Devil's Playground is going to be a read for you to enjoy.

Captain Taylor suddenly finds himself in a difficult predicament in The Devil’s Playground by Cynthia Sens when he realizes that his troubles have followed him. Thrust into the future as he tries to destroy a secret device invented by Nazi scientists, Taylor adjusts to his circumstances while trying to retain a connection to the past. Taylor finds that he must rescue people from the evil surrounding him as the noose is drawn tight to capture the relic he holds. Experiments begun on concentration camp prisoners are followed up on the grandchildren of the survivors. Taylor confronts the madman responsible when he is called upon to rescue the kidnapped victims. A strange chain of events is uncovered and the relationships between Taylor and his modern friends are not as random as he had originally thought. Although he appears to have been successful in thwarting the plans of the scientists, there is still a big question that remains unanswered – is it really over?

Espionage and the horrifying experiments conducted by Nazi scientists come to life in this fast-paced story about Mel Taylor, an American army captain who is inexplicably catapulted from Nazi Germany fifty years into the future. The Devil’s Playground is a creative tale combining the Nazi interest in the occult, their experimentation on human subjects, and their intention to rule the world, and transplanting it into modern America. Trying to live in the present, Taylor is forced to confront the horror of his past and try to prevent the past from repeating itself.

The Devil's Playground - Book One of the Sapphire Staff Series by Cynthia Sens is a thriller peppered with history that makes it an interesting read. Mel Taylor has witnessed the devastation of World War II even though he is still in his early forties. He has many painful and traumatic dreams and memories that haunt him. Mel finds himself helping a father find his missing son. He and his assistant Emily Haptonstall find themselves on a dangerous mission as they search for a Nazi scientist. This mission also takes him to the locked secrets of his past and reveals his possession of the sapphire staff, a holy relic of incredible power. But now with their lives in danger, he has to bring out the staff from hiding and use its power to save them.

The story is set in 2011 and it is a blend of history woven with intrigue and a certain amount of suspense that holds the reader's attention till the end. There are many twists and turns in the story and all the characters lend support to the plot. The story is entertaining with a dash of the supernatural running through it, which enhances the mystery angle. The characters of Mel and Emily have been described well with all the nuances that add to the thrilling aspect of the story. Will the sapphire staff with its power be able to save Mel and Emily?