TRIGGER WARNING: misogyny and violence against women including sexual assault
Detective Eve Bennet is called to a polygamous community to investigate a missing newborn and mother. She herself is an apostate from the religious community and shunned while she tries to investigate. Can she defy her own family to locate the mother and child?
Lost Little Angels is the second book to feature detective Eve Bennet but I have not read the first in the series, Only Girl Alive. There are spoilers about events and outcomes from the first book so I would advise reading them in order.
Eve is tenacious and determined. She is also kind and caring. She knows what the community is like and fears for the safety of the women and children at the hands of their husbands and fathers. There is a personal side to the plot as she is targeted by the male members of her family. I really liked the strength of her character and her sense of justice as she tries to rescue women and challenge the dogma of the religious community.
The plot is quite gripping but the latter part of the plot is deeply unpleasant (I can’t give further details without huge spoilers!) I also felt very uncomfortable about the portrayal of the fundamentalist religion although this was contrasted by the positive portrayal of the non derogatory polygamous marriages of a fellow officer. The ending is certainly dramatic and I would read like to read future books in this series as well as catch upon the first.
Lost Little Angels is a tense book with a gripping plotline and strong female lead character.
She wakes suddenly, realizing with a panic that her darling baby daughter should have woken long before now. Racing to the pink-colored nursery, she lets out a deep cry as she opens the door. The crib is empty. Her little girl has vanished.
It’s after midnight when Detective Eve Bennet receives a distraught phone call from an unknown number. The voice at the other end begs her not to hang up—a baby has gone missing. But what the caller says next makes Eve’s heart race. “She isn’t the first. There are many, many more.”
Rushing to the missing girl’s home, Eve finds the house empty, and when she knocks on their neighbors’ doors, not a single person answers. Whoever reported the missing baby doesn’t want to be found…
Secrets are held tight in the small town of Hilldale and as an outsider, Eve knows that the only way to uncover the truth is to persuade someone to talk. She finally has a breakthrough when a young wife goes against her husband’s wishes and tells Eve it’s not just babies being taken—mothers are disappearing too.
The woman leaves Eve a hand drawn map leading her to an isolated trailer park. What she finds there shocks her to her core. But she hardly has time to think before she notices a lone figure watching her every move. She’s not alone.
Can Eve save herself in time to finally unmask the truth before more innocent children disappear forever?
Fans of Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliot and Lisa Regan won’t be able to put down this utterly gripping crime thriller from a USA Today bestselling author.
Author Bio
Holly Roberts began writing to alleviate stress in her day job, that of a homicide and sex crimes detective. Romance was her go to genre because she required a happy ending. She also touched on cozy mysteries and added six books to her forty book romance repertoire. Now that she’s retired and her mind at peace, she decided to delve into crime thrillers using her background and thirst for research to write the Eve Bennet series.
Holly has two movie/television options under her belt for her amazing life story. Part of the reason is Holly became a police officer at age 45 and led two high profile cases, one involving a serial killer. Now she enjoys the excitement of writing about crime while sitting at home with her two dogs, laptop, and a cup of hot tea close by.
1941, Kitty and Edgar have been separated by their roles during the war and both are keen to do anything to defeat the Nazis. But might they need to make the ultimate sacrifice for peace…?
An American Wife in Paris is the second book to feature Kitty during WW2. There are mentions of events in the previous book, The American Wife, so I would suggest reading them in order.
Kitty and Edgar are determined to continue subverting the Nazi regime but this places them both in incredible danger as they work undercover. There is plenty of drama and action as the pair risk their lives for the greater good. Both main characters are extremely brave and as readers we are desperate for them to succeed.
The power of love in the face of the hatred of the Nazis is key to understanding the relationship and decisions of Kitty and Edgar. I felt that the class and gender based social conventions of the historical period were authentic and accurate. The plot is also underpinned by realistic descriptions of the geographical settings and cultural differences.
There is a cliffhanger at the end so you really need to read the next book in order to resolve the story. I know this can frustrate some readers who like a proper conclusion or who dislike a long wait between books so hopefully the next book will arrive shortly!
An American Wife in Paris is a tense historical novel and I look forward to the next book in the series to find out what happens next.
“If I go back to Paris, it would be my third time there as an undercover agent…” Kitty murmured. “I ask myself, how many chances does one person get?”
Paris, 1941. When Kitty is asked to return to Paris as an undercover agent, she knows the mission is her most dangerous yet. But she has been fighting the Nazis for too long to stop now. And her role within the Resistance has already cost her friends, family and now – almost – her own marriage.
Because while she and Edgar are more in love than ever, his role as an undercover Nazi means it is safer if they are no longer married. And while signing the divorce papers is a formality that breaks her heart, Kitty knows that she and Edgar will find a way to be together when the war is finally over…
More determined than ever to undermine the Nazi regime, Kitty has nothing left to lose. From secretly supplying Prisoner of War camps with essential items, to moving refugees across borders to safety, she will stop at nothing to play her part in bringing the war to a close, even if it means risking her own life.
But when Edgar goes missing, Kitty’s world stops. As she begins a desperate search for her beloved husband, she hears from her contacts that he has been killed. But Kitty feels strongly in her heart that, somewhere out there, Edgar is still alive. And she knows she must risk everything to rescue the man she loves, no matter what…
An absolutely gripping, heartbreaking and powerful story about courage, love and bravery in the midst of World War 2. Perfect for fans of The Nightingale, My Name is Eva and All the Light We Cannot See.
Author Bio
Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger is a Ukrainian-American who transplanted to Austria.
Born in 1969, she grew up in the culture-rich neighborhood of “Nordeast” Minneapolis and started her writing career with short stories, travel narratives, and worked as a journalist and managing magazine editor, before jumping the desk and pursuing her own writing and traveling.
Her books tackle David-vs.-Goliath themes with strong women battling for the Underdogs against a system, be it political, geographical, or industrial. Sometimes all three. “I enjoy discovering the good, the bad, and the ugly in my characters when they come into conflict,” she says. “And all of my stories have been inspired by injustices I’ve discovered along my travels.”
Jade Collins is on death row awaiting execution. CIA agent Mark Brand offers her a chance to escape in exchange for using her deadly skills to take out a drugs boss. Can the pair trust each other when their lives depend on it…?
The Woman From Death Row is a tense spy and crime thriller set in America.
Jade killed an abusive man and is utterly unrepentant. She has killed before and the victims always deserved it. She faces her execution with the same cool detachment but is offered a deal. The CIA want her to kill for them and they will fake her death and set her free. Jade accepts the deal but not everything goes smoothly.
The book is written from Jade and Mark’s perspectives. I really liked both main characters as they are complex, brave and determined. However, neither of them is entirely trustworthy yet they need to rely on each other in order to survive. Both of them have suffered which creates an emotional link between them and the reader as we want them to overcome their pain and succeed in their mission.
The plot twists are fast and furious and it was difficult to know whether Mark or Jade could be trusted or where the plot was heading. I don’t want to give big spoilers but there is plenty of double dealing and massive danger to both main characters. Some of the medical detail is a little grisly but I found it fascinating. This looks to be the first book in a new series and I would definitely want to follow Jade’s story.
The Woman From Death Row is an entertaining, fast paced and tense thriller.
Jade Collins grew up on the seedy side of Los Angeles, but her tenacious nature pushes her to strive for a better life. After attending college and earning her medical degree, she feels good about where her life is going. But, bad things happen to good people, and Jade finds herself on death row after killing a man who had been abusing one of her patients.
Just three years after his marriage, Dr. Mark Brand’s wife passes away and his life is sent into a downward spiral. Depression steals everything from him—his medical license, his livelihood and his will to go on. Only a reunion with a powerful man he once knew gives Mark the strength to pick himself up again. He has a new job and a new life, but he is paying a steep price for his second chance. Nothing in life is free and this powerful man has plans for Mark.
Mark is sent to San Quentin to meet Jade and offers to get her off death row if she agrees to team up with him in a dangerous assignment. With no other choice, Jade agrees but aims to get out of the game at the first opportunity. Mark wants out too, but he’s sold his soul to the man who rescued him, and his only option is to follow orders and get the job done.
As danger mounts, Mark is pitted against the man who saved him and he’s forced to rely on Jade, a woman he hardly knows and doesn’t fully trust. The situation is made worse by the feelings he’s developing for her.
Will the opportunist destroy Mark’s life once more?
Will this game put Jade back on death row?
About the author
Peter Hogenkamp is a practicing physician, public speaker and author of medical fiction and thrillers living in Rutland, Vermont. Peter’s writing credits include The Intern (TouchPoint Press, April 2020); The Vatican Conspiracy book and audiobook (Bookouture/HachetteUK, October 2020), The Vatican Secret (Bookouture/HachetteUK, April 2021), The Vatican Secret audiobook (Saga Egmont, March 2022) and Cospirazione Vaticano (Newton Compton Editori 7/2021.) The Woman from Death Row, book one of the new Jade Stryker thriller series, will be published Spring 2023 by Tirgearr Publishing. Peter can be found on his Author Website, as well as his personal blog, Peter Hogenkamp Writes, where he writes about most anything. He is the creator, producer and host of Your Health Matters, a health information program, which airs on cable television and streams on YouTube. Peter was a finalist for the prestigious 2019 Killer Nashville Claymore Award as well as the 2020 Vermont Writer’s Prize. He tweets—against the wishes of his wife, four children and feisty Cairn Terrier, Hermione—on Twitter. He can be reached at his FaceBook Page and at peterhogenkampbooks@gmail.com.
1939, Max is Polish by birth but grew up in Germany. With war looming, he decides to head home and parachutes into Poland. He injures himself and is found by Helena’s family who nurse him back to health. 1995, Helena reflects on life and love…
The Airman’s Girl is an historical novel set in 1939 and 1995.
Helena is a young Polish woman who is becoming increasingly fearful about the looming Nazi invasion. The Nazis view the Poles as almost as ethnically dangerous as the Jews, plus her family work with the mentally ill which the Nazis abhor. She and her siblings have the opportunity to escape to England but they stay, with dire consequences as the Nazis round up Polish people into concentration camps.
Max has been brought up in Germany by his father who opposed the Nazi regime. Now his father is dead, there is nothing to tie him to Germany any more. He is so desperate to return to Poland that he jumps out of a plane and parachutes to the ground, injuring himself in the fall. Both main characters are brave and determined, and very easy to like which creates a feeling of dread at what may happen to them.
The book is written from various first person perspectives including Helena and Max, as well as the diaries of Helena’s father. This allows us to see the story from different sides and gives us a more intimate knowledge of their thoughts and feelings. The author has researched the experience of the Poles during the war and this provides additional detail which brings the plot, locations and era to life.
The Airman’s Girl is an enjoyable and emotional historical novel.
The Airman’s Girl: A gripping and moving World War 2 historical novel
About the book:
Poland, 1939: As I stare into the German pilot’s frightened eyes, I realise I have no choice but to help him. And in that moment, I know that this young man, and this decision, will change my life forever…
When a German pilot crashes over my parents’ farmland, at first I am terrified. Who is this man? And should I help him, or have him arrested? But when I look into his eyes for the first time, I feel in my heart that I must do everything I can to save this stranger’s life.
As I begin to secretly nurse his injuries, he tells me his name is Max. And as we share whispered candlelit conversations, he admits that he didn’t crash his plane, but parachuted over Poland to defect from the Nazis. And as he slowly tells me his story, I realise I am falling in love with this man – with his bravery, and his determination to do what is right, no matter the cost.
But when the Nazis arrive, the small world we have built together is shattered in an instant. And when the Germans arrest me and my twin siblings, dragging us to a camp in the dead of night, I know that our only chance of survival, our only hope, is to be rescued.
As I sit in my cell, I think of what Max told me. He held my hand and promised me that if we were arrested, he would go undercover as a German soldier and save us. But will the guards believe his story? And, even if they do, will he make it to us before it is too late?
Based on a true story, this heartbreaking and emotional wartime novel follows one couple’s love story, and their courage in the face of unimaginable odds. An incredibly gripping and moving story, perfect for readers of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Nightingale and The Alice Network.
Carly Schabowski worked as a journalist in both North Cyprus and Australia before returning to Oxford, where she studied for an MA and then a PhD in creative writing at Oxford Brookes University. Carly now teaches at Oxford Brookes University as an associate lecturer in Creative Writing for first and second-year English literature students.
David is deported in a cattle truck. His only hope is the secret document he has entrusted to his sister Hannelore and thirteen year old daughter Clara. Can they reach safety or will the Nazis find them?
A Light to Guide Us Home is an historical novel set during WW2. It is the third book in a series but works as a stand alone novel. I have previosuly reviewed the first book in the series, The Watchmaker’s Daughter.
Clara is just 13 but has been given a hugely important task to complete. The danger and tension is present from the start as David is hauled away to a camp. All his hope for a better future and a chance of survival is in the successful transport of a document to Allied hands. Meanwhile he has given the other half of the document to his sister in the hope that at leats one of them can get to safety.
The book is written from various points of view which allows us to better understand the characters, their feelings and actions. The author has clearly researched the era and geography of the locations so her descriptions bring the events to life.
The youth of Clara adds an extra dimension to the tension and my maternal instincts kicked in as I worried for her situation. Intense drama, fear and danger radiate through the book but this is balanced by the hope of a better future and the simple acts of humanity that make a differnce during the darkest days.
A Light to Guide Us Home is an emotional and intense read about hope and danger in war-torn Europe.
A Light to Guide Us Home: An utterly heartbreaking and powerful WW2 historical novel (The Resistance Girl Book 3) by Dianne Haley
‘Please, you must get Clara out of France!’ cried the woman, her voice breaking in desperation. ‘She’s only thirteen and her parents have been taken to a death camp. Can you save her before it is too late?’
1943, Nazi-occupied France:ValérieHallez clings to the hope that she will soon reunite with her beloved fiancé, Philippe, fighting the Nazis in Italy. Until that day comes, she risks her life helping Jewish children flee across the border with the resistance, but each tear-stained face breaks her heart a little more.
So, when she learns of little lost Clara, an orphan whose family has been torn apart by the German occupation, and is asked to rescue her, she jumps at the chance to save another innocent life. But she isn’t the only one searching for the young girl…
Because brave Clara is carrying a crucial Nazi document. And the secrets it holds could change the course of the war forever.
Frantically trying to stay one step ahead of the Gestapo, Valérie traces Clara to an isolated children’s home– but she is too late. German soldiers have already raided the building.
Her relief when she hears that Clara escaped is short lived, as there’s not a whisper of her whereabouts. And just when she’s about to start on her search, devastating news reaches her about Philippe.
Shattered by the thought that Philippe may never come home, Valérie tries to pull the pieces of her broken heart back together. She knows there’s a little girl lost out there who needs her. So, she must make the hardest choice of all. Even if she can’t save her dearest love, can she save poor Clara – and help her end this terrible war?
A totally unputdownable and heart-wrenching wartime story about love, bravery and sacrifice. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Nightingale and The Alice Network.
A Light to Guide Us Home can be read as a standalone.
Originally from the north of Scotland, Dianne now lives with her husband in Edinburgh and has two grown-up children. After a thirty-year business career in London and Edinburgh when Dianne wrote between projects, she is now writing full-time.
Dianne and her family have been visiting the area round Lake Geneva since 1992 and love the Alps in all seasons. The inspiration for her series set in WW2 Switzerland came from a drive through Geneva’s old town on a rainy October evening, the cobbled lanes a perfect setting for secrets and hiding places.
