ALIVE OR DEAD - Whatever happened to Jakob? is a novel of war and terror; persecution and helpfulness; sexual assault and love; revenge and murder; right and wrong. Vienna 1919: The Jewish family Nathan feels the growing hate for Jews and persecution of Jews in Austria. Culminating with Austria being annexed by Germany in 1938 and World War II. Is their fate sealed? Denmark 2006: The lawyer Daniel Danielsen from the town of Skive is given an old wardrobe. Underneath the drawer of the wardrobe he finds a parcel with a letter. Hidden and forgotten for more than 60 years. What is the content of the parcel? Who is it meant for? Who left it there and where is the person who wrote the letter? Daniel decides to begin investigating. It takes him to Vienna. Here he looks for traces. He visits the beastly concentration camp in Mauthausen. Is Nazism still an item in Vienna in the year of 2006? In Israel Daniel looks for information in the register of the holocaust museum Yad Vashem. Apparently a dead end. And then still... Back in Vienna Daniel gets closer to revealing the drama that happened before and during World War II. A drama of jealousy, revenge, envy and sexual assault. Reporting of Jews leading to oppression, forced labor and death in the KZ-camp Mauthausen. Here a very special kind of execution was used by the Nazis from a place named the Parachute Rock. Cheaper than shooting or the use of the gas chamber. And excellent entertainment the guards found. Some people think Daniel finds out too much and he is taken to a non-voluntary 'sightseeing' tour to Mauthausen. To the Parachute Rock.