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Deaf after contracting measles as a child, Mina is a brilliant student but is thrown out of school due to the Nazi rules about disabilities. Luckily she can lipread and is able to get into university, keeping her deafness a secret. But her scientific brain is recognised by the government and she is whisked away to Berlin to work on the German atomic bomb…

When The World Went Silent is an historical book set in Austria and Germany during WW2. There is some basis in fact but Mina’s character is completely fictional.

Mina won’t let her deafness get in the way of achieving her dream. Luckily she became deaf as a child so is able to talk normally and she is proficient at lipreading so others don’t immediately realise she has a disability. However, she is also in danger from the Nazi ideology about perfect Aryans and the threat of sterilisation and euthanasia are mentioned to coerce her into working for their atomic project.

I loved Mina’s character and her determination to succeed. Her passion for science radiates from the pages as does her desperate hope for humanity. The latter leads her to sabotage the German atomic project to prevent the Nazis creating a weapon of mass destruction. The science behind the story was fascinating and I also enjoyed the medical side to the radiation plot.

I really loved this book despite not understanding most of the science! The best and worst of humanity are depicted with authenticity. The historical side of the book has been well researched. I felt immersed in the history and geography portrayed in the book. The supporting characters are a mix of real people and fictional but all add depth to Mina’s character through their relationships.  My only quibbles were that the prologue and epilogue by ‘Mother’ weren’t really necessary and I felt the ending was a little rushed.

When The World Went Silent is a wonderful historical book about bravery and overcoming adversity.

When the World Went Silent: A completely heartbreaking and utterly gripping World War Two page-turner

Berlin, 1942. “All I know is we will survive this together,” he says before kissing the tears away from my cheeks. But I know if the Nazis discover what we’ve done, how we’ve conspired against them, we will die together.

Deaf since the age of five, Mina has had to fight for everything she has, including her place at an Austrian university to study physics. She has never felt accepted—until she meets fellow student Siggy, and her heart stops at the kindness in his bright blue eyes.

But Mina’s world comes crashing down when the SS arrive at her door and escort her to Berlin. She’s terrified it’s because of her disability—she’s heard the awful rumours about the Nazi euthanasia program. So relief washes over her when she’s told as one of Germany’s brightest minds, she’s been recruited to work for the government.

Soon, this relief turns to horror when Mina learns why she’s truly here: they want her to build the atomic bomb that will win Germany the war. Mina knows if she refuses they will kill her. But if she does as they say, she could be responsible for the death of millions.

With Siggy’s help, Mina vows to do everything she can to sabotage the project. Will they save the world from a devastating catastrophe? Or will everything they’ve risked be in vain?

An absolutely unforgettable and page-turning WW2 novel about one woman’s bravery and determination to save millions of lives. Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Alice Network and The Nightingale will be gripped.

Buy link: https://geni.us/B0D4RP4B8Xsocial

Ellie Midwood is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning historical fiction author, whose works have been translated into 14 languages. She owes her interest in the history of the Second World War to her grandfather, Junior Sergeant in the 2nd Guards Tank Army of the First Belorussian Front, who began telling her about his experiences on the frontline when she was a young girl. Growing up, her interest in history only deepened and transformed from reading about the war to writing about it. After obtaining her BA in Linguistics, Ellie decided to make writing her full-time career and began working on her first full-length historical novel, “The Girl from Berlin.” Ellie is continuously enriching her library with new research material and feeds her passion for WWII and Holocaust history by collecting rare memorabilia and documents.

In her free time, Ellie is a health-obsessed yoga enthusiast, neat freak, adventurer, Nazi Germany history expert, polyglot, philosopher, a proud Jew, and a doggie mama. Ellie lives in New York with her fiancé and their two dogs.

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Bella Winter’s father was a police officer and she has inherited his love of investigating. She is first on the scene when a local man is found dead next to his metal detector and she is convinced the death was murder…

The Antique Store Detective is the first book in a new series of amateur sleuth cosy murder mysteries.

Bella is sure that Oliver Barton’s death is suspicious but the local police believe it was accidental. She takes it upon herself to investigate alongside her friend/colleague John who was given a precious coin by the victim. Did Oliver find treasure, could money be the motive, or was there something else behind the murder?

There are lots of characters and relationships to establish as this is the first in a new series. Bella’s character didn’t really stand out despite being the lead and she certainly doesn’t have the charisma of Eve Mallow, the lead in this author’s other cosy murder mystery series. Hopefully this will develop in future books. Her forceful, eccentric mother did make me smile though!

I thought the pace of the book was quite slow. There are several strands of investigation for our amateur sleuths, many characters and motives to explore. Bella and John work their way through their investigation and there are plenty of twists to keep the reader guessing.

The Antique Store Detective has a good mystery and I look forward to getting to know the main character as she develops.

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Book: The Antique Store Detective

Author: Clare Chase

Pub Day: Aug 7th 2024

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Author Bio

Clare Chase writes classic mysteries. Her aim is to take readers away from it all via some armchair sleuthing in atmospheric locations.

Her debut novel was shortlisted for Novelicious’s Undiscovered Award, as well as an EPIC award post-publication, and was chosen as a Debut of the Month by LoveReading. Murder on the Marshes (Tara Thorpe 1) was shortlisted for an International Thriller Writers award.

Like her heroines, Clare is fascinated by people and what makes them tick. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked in settings as diverse as Littlehey Prison and the University of Cambridge, in her home city. She’s lived everywhere from the house of a lord to a slug-infested flat and finds the mid-terrace she currently occupies a good happy medium.

As well as writing, Clare loves family time, art and architecture,

cooking, and of course, reading other people’s books.

You can find Clare’s website and blog at www.clarechase.com

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1940, French bookseller Madeline discovers that her late husband had a son in Germany, making the boy half Jewish and in danger under Nazi rule. Meanwhile she is also enlisted by the Resistance to save banned books. 2011, Olivia discovers a photo of her great grandmother with a Nazi and wants to find the truth about her heritage…

The Bookseller of Paris is the second book in The Paris Sisters series. I have previously read and reviewed the first book, The Last Day in Paris.

Madeline is adjusting to life as a widow as well as the occupation of Paris by the Nazis. She is shocked when she finds out that her husband had fathered a child that he never knew about. She wants to travel to Germany to see the boy and protect him if possible. She also has another secret mission which also puts her in danger.

Olivia spots a photo in an auction lot and recognises her great grandmother Ada. She knows very little about her family history and is estranged from her grandfather Kurt. She travels to Scotland to meet him properly and try to find out about his past. I enjoyed her exploration and investigation of the truth behind the family secrets, in tandem with events unfolding in the 1940s narrative.

I thought both timelines were equally vividly portrayed and effectively imagined. The use of the two timelines allows the plot to unfold and interlink, and I thought this was well executed by the author. The writing style was easy to read and the characters felt authentic. At the end of the book is an author’s note which demonstrates the author’s research and basis on real events and people. This added extra depth and emotion to the plot and character depiction.

The Bookseller of Paris is a hugely emotional and enjoyable historical novel based on real life people for added poignancy.

Book Description:

Paris, 1940: Madeline tries to scream, but she can’t breathe. A German soldier is working to free her from the rubble – but if he reaches her, he will find the books hidden beneath her clothes…

When the Germans seize Paris, its peaceful streets fill with terror overnight, and nowhere is safe. Desperate to help her friends, Parisian bookseller Madeline Valette turns her bookshop into a sanctuary for those in hiding, but she knows it’s only a matter of time before she’s found out.

So when she is asked to join the Resistance and smuggle banned books from Berlin, she accepts, desperate to defy the Nazis. And while she wants to save precious books from destruction, she also hopes her trips to Germany might help her find the last living connection she has to her beloved husband…

Because Madeline has received a letter from a German woman called Ada, the mother of her husband’s son. Facing persecution, the Jewish boy is in terrible danger. But where are they now, and can Madeline help them before it’s too late?

When Madeline finally finds Ada and the child, she realises Ada is at the mercy of a high-ranking Nazi official and both their lives are now at risk. Can Madeline get them to safety? Or will the unthinkable happen to this innocent child?

The second unputdownable novel in the Paris Sisters series, this is the story of two women’s bravery in the face of the darkness of the Second World War. Perfect for fans of Roberta Kagan, Kristin Hannah, and Fiona Valpy.

Author Bio:

Suzanne Kelman is a 2015 Academy of Motion Pictures Nicholl Finalist, Multi-Award-Winning Screenwriter and a Film Producer. As well as working in film she is also an International Amazon Bestselling Fiction Author of the Southlea Bay Series – The Rejected Writers’ Book Club, Rejected Writers Take the Stage and The Rejected Writers’ Christmas Wedding. Born in the United Kingdom, she now resides in Washington State.

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Margery Lancaster tried to kill her abusive husband and their baby son. She went to prison and served her sentence but now she is targeted by a killer. The chief suspects are her ex husband and now grown up son. One dies before he can be investigated and the other is missing…

Poison Memories is the 12th book in the DC Morgan Brookes series of police procedurals set in the Lake District.

Morgan and Ben are battling the elements as the weather rages. This makes the crime scene difficult to preserve and the pair do their best to save evidence. Margery commited a terrible crime in the past but has completed her time in prison so deserves the police’s usual meticulous focus to catch her killer.

There are some hugely emotive topics covered in this book. Margery was abused and possibly suffering from postnatal depression but there is no doubt that her actions were terrible. Morgan’s superior officer is going through a nasty divorce and it is affecting his behaviour. Morgan reacts to both her victim and her boss with compassion as well as professionalism.

There is a spooky element to the book as the house was the site of murders centuries ago. Morgan hears creaking floorboards and whispers but could this be the weather? Her aunt Ettie, an empath and witch, has other ideas and I love her character. Ettie also met Margery in the past and this showed a slightly darker side to her abilities as well as their strength.

The relationships and dynamics between the police characters was fabulous as always in this series. There is teasing and banter but this is all underpinned by respect. The book has plenty of plot twists, despite only having two initial suspects so I was kept guessing. Chapters are quite short so the plot speeds along at a reasonable pace.

Poison Memories is an enjoyable police procedural with a good mystery and strong police team.

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Book: POISON MEMORIES

Author: Helen Phifer 

Pub Day: JULY 2nd 2024 

Buy Link(s):

https://geni.us/B0CWTN1FDRsocial

About the Book: 

Wind howls against the bolted front door, but the woman can still hear footsteps approaching. He has come for her. The memory of what she did still haunts her, and she knows she deserves to die…

Arriving at High Wraith cottage, Detective Morgan Brookes joins her horrified team, who have found a woman’s body chained and dangling from the gnarled branch of an old oak tree. It’s a race against time to preserve any evidence as heavy rain destroys the scene, but they’ve already identified the victim as a woman who once tried to kill her own family.

Twenty years ago, Margery Lancaster went to prison for poisoning her husband and infant son. They both survived, and Morgan must treat the pair as her first suspects. But before she has a chance to get to work, Margery’s ex-husband is brutally murdered, and Morgan’s heart thumps as she sees his hands tied with silver chains that match those found on Margery’s body. Then his son, now a local doctor, arrives at the station to be interviewed. Morgan watches in despair as he drops to the floor and falls into a coma.

With almost all of the forensic evidence washed away by the storm, and no family left to interview, Morgan’s last hope is tracking the two chains to a local hardware store. But the killer is already closing in on his final victim. Is it already too late for Morgan to stop him, or will she uncover the terrible secrets this family are hiding in time to save another life?

A heart-racing, edge-of-your-seat thriller for fans of Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Rachel McLean. Will have your heart pounding as you reach the final, breathtaking twist.

Author Bio

TRIGGER WARNING: child sex abuse and trafficking

FBI agent Beth Katz has been searching for her partner Dax’s lost sister who vanished years ago. Finally she has found Ginny but it isn’t the reunion she and Dax wanted. Ginny has been brainwashed by her captor and helps him to traffic other girls for a paedophile ring. Beth’s serial killer instinct is fired up to seek revenge for the innocent victims…

Forgotten Girls is the 4th book to feature FBI agent and serial killer Beth Katz. Her alter ego is The Tarot Killer who kills other killers rather than sending them to prison.

Dax and Beth are thrilled that his sister has been found but there are huge repercussions and the agents begin an operation to catch the paedophiles. Thankfully, despite the dark content, there are no graphic scenes or imagery although we do see Beth’s sickened reaction to the videos she sees. There are two key suspects who go on the run so Beth and Dax along with other agents use the latest technology to track them down. But the paedophile ring is huge and rich and the team are in constant danger.

This case is intensely personal for Dax and he wants to make the perpetrators suffer. Beth and Dax grow closer in this book as she had finally learned to trust and crave human contact. This slows down the pace a little. Beth’s secret serial killer persona doesn’t appear until later in the book and I was impatient! She does have lots of violent attacks to contend with throughout the book but these are all in the line of duty and don’t have the usual impact.

Forgotten Girls is an enjoyable instalment in the series but I want to see more of Beth’s dark persona!

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Book: Forgotten Girls
Author: D.K. HOOD
Pub Day:  July 31st 2024

Buy Link: https://geni.us/B0D3LSQDXBsocial

About the book:

She bites her nails as she steals a glance at the stranger in the pickup truck beside her. She trusted him when he offered her a ride, but now, as he turns onto a deserted road leading into a dark pine forest, she knows she’s made a huge mistake.

Special agent Beth Katz races through the dense Montana woodland toward a small, isolated cabin. She’s investigating the disappearance of her partner Dax Styles’s sister who went missing as she walked home from school, and Beth finally has a solid lead. Outside the decrepit building, her heart pounds wondering what she will find on the other side of the door.

A young woman with long brown hair and cornflower blue eyes, just like Dax’s, shakes in the kitchen. It’s clearly Ginny, but before Dax can speak to his long-lost sister, Beth hears a noise from outside. In a rundown outbuilding, they discover another young girl, reported missing just weeks before. Dressed in a thin nightie, Ava cowers as Beth breaks into the padlocked room. Her captor has fled, but Beth will use every skill she’s got to track him down.

Working night and day, Beth uncovers more cases of young girls taken from remote roads near their homes. Twelve-year-old Shiloh Weeks vanished as she walked home just days ago. Her story remarkably similar to Ginny and Ava’s.

Beth and Dax are on a mission to stop to this twisted individual and save any new girls from being taken into the woods and lost forever. But when the trail leads them to a man impersonating a police officer to gain the trust of his victims, will Dax hand him over or take matters into his own hands?

Author Bio

D.K Hood is THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, USA TODAY, and #1 AMAZON MILLION COPY Bestselling Author of the Kane and Alton Series.

D.K’s spine chilling, fast paced serial killer thrillers revolve around Sheriff Jenna Alton and her ex- special forces Deputy, Dave Kane. As the main characters fight crime, their secret pasts are never far away. Set in and around the fictional backwoods town of Black Rock Falls, Montana, known locally as Serial Killer Central, D.K ‘s imagery takes the reader into the scenes with her. Given the title “Queen of Suspense” by her reviewers, D.K ‘s writing style offers her readers a movie style, sizzling fast thrill ride.

NEW SERIES: SPECIAL AGENT BETH KATZ-

Beth is a serial killer working for the FBI. By day she is a dedicated agent and by night she becomes the notorious Tarot Killer and hunts down vicious serial killers, who have slipped through the net of justice. With her handsome mountain man partner,

Agent Dax Styles, they fight crime by walking a very thin line of the law.

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