The File

A young botanist is on a scientific expedition in Africa and she stumbles across the wreck of an aeroplane which had crashed in the rainforest and lain hidden for many years. The type of aircraft and the uniforms on the remains of the crew identify it as a Nazi war machine. It contains a metal cabinet full of documents. 

These papers are evidence of a secret conspiracy to bankroll a Nazi regeneration project at the end of the second world war. Politicians and powerful families around the world who had betrayed their countries in return for Hitler’s money are implicated. Their descendants stand to lose everything if the secrets become known.

So starts a race by the Americans and Russians, who are desperate to get the file of papers no matter who or what gets in the way. They are ruthless, semi-professional, semi-official killers. The heroine of the story is the young botanist who tries to evade capture by escaping through the rainforest, and then travelling across Africa into Europe.

This is a genuinely thrilling book. Its author has practised international arbitration and litigation in London for the past 30 years. He is chair of the international arbitration practice group at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP.

Born’s background in international law and investment banking, involving both Swiss bank accounts and world war two assets, inspired the book’s main plot. This revolves around secret bank accounts holding Nazi loot from the second world war.

Born is also the author of International Commercial Arbitration and numerous other works on international dispute resolution. Despite the author’s background, there is little law in The File, though a villain gets threatened with lawyers at one point.

Born’s descriptions of the story’s settings – whether rainforest, desert or central Europe – are drawn from life experience and thorough research. He spent time in the Rwenzori Mountains when he was the same age as Sara, his heroine (though he wasn’t being hunted by killers); walked the streets of Zurich; and visited Lucca and the surrounding areas. He also researched Nazi warplanes, Tempelhof Airport in Berlin, and what rival US and Russian military units would and have been good at.  

Born is working on another thriller, The Priest, about a former Mafia enforcer who is posted abroad after becoming a priest. He befriends a former general, whose deathbed confession sends the former gangster in search of documents that could reshape the map of Asia.

Born chose thrillers because they are engrossing and he likes their inevitable international aspects: ‘Legal writing involves very structured assignments that are restricted by the facts and by the law. In contrast, fiction writing happens on a blank piece of paper, with literally anything and everything available as material.’

David Pickup is a partner at Pickup & Scott Solicitors, Aylesbury