Naples 1943. Carmela del Bosco is living on her grandmother’s farm when her half brother arrives with an injured spy. She tends to his wounds but her cousin Tino is a fascist, looking for any excuse to seize the family farm…
The Italian Girl’s Secret is an historical novel set in Italy during WW2 following Italy’s surrender but the fighting between the Nazis and Allies continues to overshadow everyday life.
Carmela is a woman with a past. She travelled to England for her education and fell in love with tragic consequences. This language knowledge allows her to form a connection with Sebbe. She is devoted to her nonna Rosaria but their relationship with cousins Tino and Santo is dangerous. Carmela needs to use her wit and bravery throughout the book.
I am learning Italian through Duolingo and enjoyed the smattering of Italian incuded in the writing. The setting is brought to life through the descriptions of the scenery, food and culture as well as the historical context. Despite my own knowledge of the period, everyday life after the fall of Mussolini is not something that I knew much about so I enjoyed this exploration of the resistance.
The Italian Girl’s Secret is an emotional novel about love and loss in times of war. I have previously reviewed The Paris Girl by Natalie Meg Evans.
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Book: The Italian Girl’s Secret
Author: Natalie Meg Evans
Pub Day: Sept 10th 2021
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About the Book:
Italy, 1943. In the hills outside Naples, the silver moon shines brightly on a whitewashed farmhouse. An urgent knock on the door breaks the silence: and in that moment, one young woman’s act of incredible bravery changes the course of the war.
For Carmela del Bosco, a farm girl in a remote Italian village, sheltering an English spy is the most dangerous thing she could do. If she’s caught by the fascists it would be the end, especially for her beloved grandmother sleeping soundly upstairs. But taking in the pleading brown eyes of the man calling himself Sebastiano slumped at her door, and his terrible injuries inflicted by the Nazi occupiers, Carmela remembers how Nonna always taught her right from wrong. Risking everything, she hides him in a ruined tower on the edge of the farm.
Each day Carmela tends his wounds, and the passion that kindles between them is a light in the darkest time. Sebastiano has information that could end the war, and needs her help to send it. But tracking down fellow members of the resistenza in the mountains means risking her life and bringing danger to everyone she knows.
Carmela knows she must find the courage to do what’s right for her country. But if she leaves the farm, will she ever see her beloved nonna again? And will her sacrifice tear her away from the only man she’s ever loved, forever?
An absolutely stunning and heartbreaking historical novel about the impossible choices people are forced to make in wartime. Fans of The Nightingale, All the Light We Cannot See and Rhys Bowen will be captivated.
Author Bio
Natalie Meg Evans has been an art student, actor, PR copywriter, book-keeper and bar tender but always wanted to write. A USA Today best-seller and RITA nominee, she is author of four published novels which follow the fortunes of strong-minded women during the 1930s and 40s. Fashion, manners and art are the glass through which her characters’ lives are viewed. Each novel is laced with passion, romance and desire. Mystery is never far away.
An avid absorber of history – for her sixth birthday she got a toy Arthurian castle with plastic knights – Natalie views historical fiction as theatre for the imagination. Her novels delve behind the scenes of a prestige industry: high fashion, millinery, theatre, wine making. Rich arenas for love and conflict. Most at home in the English countryside, Natalie lives in rural Suffolk. She has one son.
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Ilse Stein is a German Jew deported to the Minsk ghetto with her younger sisters. Her father dies on the train journey and her mother is selected for gassing on arrival. Ilse lives in fear for herself and her sisters, death never far away. But a glimmer of hope and love sparks when she meets Luftwaffe officer Willy Schultz and he sees beyond the yellow star…
The Girl Who Survived is an historical novel set in the early 1940s. It is based on a true story which makes the details and descriptions even more poignant.
Ilse is brave and resilient, determined to retain her humanity and save her sisters. The Nazi atrocities are presented quite objectively as Ilse dissociates herself in order to preserve her mental health and inner strength. I felt that the emotion was unusually downplayed especially given the first person narrative style.
Schultz is a more complex character as he is defying the ideology that has dominated his nation for a decade. I initially followed Ilse’s lead by being distrustful and wary of his intentions. However he continues to show kindness and gradually wins her over, facing danger as he defies Nazi policies towards the Jews.
The writing style is engaging and brings the characters to life. They feel realistic and human even in the most inhumane circumstances. The events in the book do not make for easy reading and the sadness within the pages is occasionally overwhelming.
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Book: The Girl Who Survived
Author: Ellie Midwood
Pub Day: Sept 7th 2021
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Germany, 1941: “We live together, or we die together.” A novel that will stay with you forever, The Girl Who Survived tells the inspiring true story of Ilse Stein, a German Jew who was imprisoned in a ghetto––and who fell in love with the man she was supposed to loathe.
For eighteen-year-old Ilse life is unrecognizable. A year ago, she wasn’t forced to wear a star on her clothes. A year ago, her parents were alive, not yet killed by their own countrymen. A year ago, she had her freedom.
Now, at the break of dawn, she steps off the cattle train into a Minsk ghetto. This is Ilse’s new home: trapped by barbed wire, surrounded by SS guards she is forbidden to look in the eye, with no choice but to trade the last of her belongings for scraps of food. Sentenced for the crime of simply existing, she doesn’t expect to live past the summer.
Yet the prisoners in the ghetto refuse to give up––the underground resistance is plotting their escape. Ilse’s first act of defiance is smuggling from the munitions factory, slipping bullets into the lining of her pockets.
But this is just the beginning… When Ilse meets Wilhem, a local SS administrative officer, she never dreams that her greatest rebellion will be falling for him. Wilhem promises that she will survive, even if the cost is his life. But in a world of such danger, daring to love is the most dangerous risk of all…
Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Choice, and Orphan Train will be completely gripped by this heartbreaking tale. Based on a true story, this powerful novel shows that love is stronger than terror, and that when life takes everything from you, death is not to be feared…
This book was previously published as No Woman’s Land.
Author Bio
Ellie Midwood is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning historical fiction author. 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 Chihuahua named Shark Bait.
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Ruby Fletcher was convicted of a double murder and is released on a technicality. She returns to her local community but is unwelcome by the neighbours who testified against her. Can she prove her innocence and is there a killer still on the loose…?
Such A Quiet Place is a mix of domestic and crime suspense thriller. The police play a marginal role whilst the community adjusts to the damage in its midst as Ruby returns from her overturned conviction. They need to assess the murders as well as their own situation, revealing secrets and lies that have been haunting them.
The whole book is written from Harper’s first person perspective. This allows us to chart her own actions as well as explore her anxiety over Ruby’s return and the distrust amongst the neighbours. She is targeted by an anonymous person threatening to reveal her secret which is an intriguing twist.
Ruby is a complex character. We only see her through Harper’s viewpoint. Is she guilty or innocent? Is she rightfully aggrieved or vindictively targeting her former friends? There were plenty of twists and turns as events in the present day unfold and the past becomes clearer.
There is a darkness to the book as danger looms and secrets are revealed. It is difficut to like many of the characters as they have a sinister edge. I liked the way the strands come together to explain both the past and present.
Such A Quiet Place is an enjoyable thriller that kept me entertained.
Such A Quiet Place book blurb
We had no warning that she’d come back.
Hollow’s Edge used to be a quiet place. A private and idyllic neighborhood where neighbors dropped in on neighbors, celebrated graduation and holiday parties together, and looked out for one another. But then came the murder of Brandon and Fiona Truett. A year and a half later, Hollow’s Edge is simmering. The residents are trapped, unable to sell their homes, confronted daily by the empty Truett house, and suffocated by their trial testimonies that implicated one of their own. Ruby Fletcher. And now, Ruby’s back.
With her conviction overturned, Ruby waltzes right back to Hollow’s Edge, and into the home she once shared with Harper Nash. Harper, five years older, has always treated Ruby like a wayward younger sister. But now she’s terrified. What possible good could come of Ruby returning to the scene of the crime? And how can she possibly turn her away, when she knows Ruby has nowhere to go?
Within days, suspicion spreads like a virus across Hollow’s Edge. It’s increasingly clear that not everyone told the truth about the night of the Truett’s murders. And when Harper begins receiving threatening notes, she realizes she has to uncover the truth before someone else becomes the killer’s next victim.
About the author
Megan Miranda is the New York Times bestselling author of ALL THE MISSING GIRLS, THE PERFECT STRANGER, THE LAST HOUSE GUEST, which was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club selection, and THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS. She has also written several books for young adults, including COME FIND ME, FRAGMENTS OF THE LOST, and THE SAFEST LIES. She grew up in New Jersey, graduated from MIT, and lives in North Carolina with her husband and two children.
Follow @MeganLMiranda on Instagram, or @AuthorMeganMiranda on Facebook.
www.meganmiranda.com
A man’s body is found murdered on the steps of a crematorium. Another man is missing. Detective Inspector Siv Drummond needs to work out the connection between the two men so she can uncover the motive and find the killer…
Murder in Mallow Cottage is the third book from Gretta Mulrooney to feature Siv Drummond and her team but it is the first that I have read. There are mentions about personal plotlines which I assume were included in previous books.
Siv is a great lead detective and character. She frequently chats to her deceased husband and she is constantly irritated by her mother who just happens to be dating her superior officer. Siv is deeply caring about her fellow police officers and is determined to find out the truth so that the victims can receive justice.
There are plenty of twists and turns as links between the two men are established and explored. Many of the characters are not entirely truthful with the police, trying to portray themselves in a positive light but potentially hiding relevant information or even secrets about their own involvement. Both the police and the suspects were written in a realistic way and their behaviour and dialogue seemed natural.
Murder in Mallow Cotage is an enjoyable police procedural novel.
MURDER IN MALLOW COTTAGE (Siv Drummond #3)
DETECTIVE SIV DRUMMOND IS ON THE CASE IN THIS GRIPPING NEW NOVEL.
Someone’s out for revenge.
The colder the better.
Eugene Warren is found at the local crematorium. But he shouldn’t be there. Nobody knew he was dead.
Detective Siv Drummond and her team are on the case. But the only person the victim seemed to be friends with is missing.
Now the search is on to track down Henry Kilgore. But what they find is Eugene’s car and a cryptic message:
Remember fun at Mallow Cottage.
What lethal secret lies hidden between the lines? Can Siv piece it all together before the killer strikes again?
Perfect for fans of Joy Ellis, Jane Adams, Tana French, Liane Moriarty, Ruth Rendell or Rachel Caine.
MEET THE DETECTIVE
Detective Inspector Siv Drummond is widowed following a tragic accident involving her husband. With everything in London reminding her of the past, she moves from a high-profile squad with the Met to a new job as DI in her old hometown — sleepy, seaside Berminster. She’s still grieving and lonely, but she’s a fighter and she’s smart, which earns her the respect of her colleagues DS Ali Carlin and DC Patrick Hill, and the grudging approval of her DCI, who wants his protégé to get her job.
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GRETTA MULROONEY:
“I loved this first in the DI Siv Drummond series, may there be many more to follow. I couldn’t put the book down, but tried to read slowly . . . didn’t want it to end. It’s great having a book that you can’t wait to get back into.” Hannelore C.
“I thoroughly enjoyed These Little Lies which is a good procedural with several twists and a well concealed motive and perpetrator.” Elaine T.
“Enjoyed it immensely – read it in one day, ignoring all else.” Aileen G.
“The first in the series can often be a difficult thing . . . you’ve got to set up the scenes and the characters. This one did it well.” Louise T.
“A pleasure to read.” Independent
“A beautifully written book, a magnificent read.” Big Issue
“A memorable tale with a shocking denouement.” Time Out
“A psychological tale echoing Barbara Vine.” Bookseller
“I had plenty of guesses, all of them wrong so the novel held my attention throughout. The pacing is excellent.” E. Tomasso
“The book moves along at a steady pace and gains momentum as it progresses. There are many twists and turns along the way as the reader is caught up in the intrigue and suspense towards a real jaw dropping shocker of an ending nobody will see coming.” BOOKS n ALL
“A thoroughly enjoyable read and extremely well thought out. Had me puzzled as an avid crime reader.” Carole
“A fascinating read with many twists and turns that keeps you guessing to the end. A must read.” Greta H.
About the author: GRETTA MULROONEY
Gretta Mulrooney was born in London of Irish parents and did an English degree in Derry. She has been published for over twenty-five years; children’s books, short stories, literary fiction which won critical acclaim and crime fiction. She has also written for the BBC and Radio Four.
Gretta has always been an avid reader of crime fiction and decided, in retirement, to turn to crime. She has written seven novels featuring a London based private detective, Tyrone Swift: She has also started a new police-based series featuring DI Siv Drummond, set in the fictional Sussex town of Berminster.
BOOKS BY GRETTA MULROONEY
THE TYRONE SWIFT DETECTIVE SERIES:
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THE LADY VANISHED
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BLOOD SECRETS
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TWO LOVERS, SIX DEATHS
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WATCHING YOU
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LOW LAKE
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YOUR LAST LIE
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HER LOST SISTER
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MURDER IN PEMBROKESHIRE
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BOUND BY LIES: THE DETECTIVE TYRONE SWIFT TRILOGY
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DETECTIVE TYRONE SWIFT BOOKS 4-6 BOX SET
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THE COMPLETE TYRONE SWIFT MYSTERY BOX SET
DETECTIVE INSPECTOR SIV DRUMMOND
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THESE LITTLE LIES
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NEVER CAME HOME
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MURDER IN MALLOW COTTAGE
STANDALONE NOVELS:
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OUT OF THE BLUE
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LOST CHILD
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COMING OF AGE
FOLLOW GRETTA ON
1940s Ukraine is battle torn with partisans attempting to protect their nation against both the Soviets and Nazis. Antonia is a university lecturer who is in love with Viktor, fiercely loyal to her family and country. She endures both physical and mental pain through heartache and torture as the personal and political weave together.
The Woman at the Gates is an historical novel set in Ukraine during WW2. There are strong themes of patriotism, courage and love. Danger never lurks far from the main characters and the writing style conveys the tension of their situation.
I struggled to like Antonia although I respected her greatly, and I felt the same about the other partisans. Their struggle against invading forces is brave and even heroic. However, in order to survive they shut off as much emotion as possible so I found it difficult to feel a bond with them as people. Antonia has a thyroid condition which allows us to remember her vulnerability and humanity.
This book provides a new perspective on the Second World War as it is a cultural and national identity that has not been covered in any book I have read previously. The pace is quite slow as the political machinations of the period are played out.
The Woman at the Gates is an interesting story about survival and intense bravery. I have previously reviewed The Girl from the Mountains by Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger.
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Book: The Woman at the Gates
Author: Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger
Pub Day: Sept 2nd 2021
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1944, Germany: Gazing through the barbed wire fence, up to the pale blue sky, Antonia dreams of home: cherry orchards, golden fields, and the man she loves, who she may never see again…
Resistance fighter Antonia is out in the forest behind her family’s beloved farm when the Nazi soldiers arrive. As she sees her sister Lena and her young nephews herded towards the trucks, guns pointed at their heads, she faces a split-second, heart-wrenching decision: to stay hidden, stay free and continue the fight. Or to give herself up and go with her family to protect them—no matter what lies ahead.
As she clutches her nephew’s little hand in hers, her other arm tight around Lena, she knows she has made the right choice. And as the truck rattles towards a brutal labor camp, and they start to wonder what fate has in store for them, Antonia’s only thought is of how to escape.
Because before they were captured, Antonia worked tirelessly to free her country from those who had turned her homeland into a bloody battleground. By her side had been clever, handsome Viktor. The man she was to marry, whose love shone like a light in the darkness of war surrounding them.
Antonia does not know if Viktor has been caught or executed. But she knows she must try to find a way back to him and she cannot wait any longer to be saved. Her precious nephews will die without proper food and they could all be killed at any moment.
The world outside the camp gates is full of danger, but they have to find a way through them first. And that is their only hope, even if it costs Antonia her life. The Nazis have taken everything from her, but they can never take away her courage…
A heartbreaking, inspiring and totally unforgettable story of the unbelievable courage and determination of extraordinary people in the darkest days of war. Fans of Kristin Hannah, Fiona Valpy, and The Tattooist of Auschwitz will be gripped from the very first page until the final, heart-stopping conclusion.
Author Bio
Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger was born in Minnesota in 1969. A first-generation American of Ukrainian immigrants, she grew up in the culture-rich neighborhood of “Nordeast” Minneapolis. Inspired by her second-grade teacher, her writing career began with short stories, then morphed into travel narratives, and eventually novels. She has worked as a journalist and as a managing editor for a magazine publisher before jumping the editor’s desk and pursuing her dreams of writing and traveling. In 2000, she moved to western Austria and established her own communications training company. She has won several awards for her short stories and novels and now primarily writes historical fiction.
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