City of Women

by David R. Gillham

　

It is 1943—the height of the Second World War. With the men taken by the army, Berlin has become a city of women. And while her husband fights on the Eastern Front, Sigrid Schröder is, for all intents and purposes, the model soldier’s wife: She goes to work every day, does as much with her rations as she can, and dutifully cares for her meddling mother-in-law, all the while ignoring the horrific immoralities of the regime.
But behind this façade is an entirely different Sigrid, a woman who dreams of her former Jewish lover, who is now lost in the chaos of the war.
Sigrid’s tedious existence is turned upside down when she finds herself hiding a mother and her two young daughters—whom she believes might be her lover’s family—and she must make terrifying choices that could cost her everything. (Overview from Goodreads)

My Thoughts

I certainly was intrigued when I read the overview for this book. Little did I know the story would become an obsession. This was one of those book that I wanted to constantly be reading but did not want it to end.

Sigrid has a simple, albeit boring, life. She is a German wife who lives with her very mean mother-in-law. She has an affair and falls in love with a secretive Jewish man named Egon Weiss. She meets a young girl named Ericha, who is involved with helping Jews escape the horrors of 1943 Germany. Ericha goads Sigrid into helping with escapees, called u-boats because they are “those in hiding. ‘submarines’, because they are submerged and must run silently to avoid detection and destruction.” One family consists of a woman and her two daughters. Egon has told Sigrid that he has a wife and two daughters that he believes are dead. Could this be them?

What should she do? Who can she ask for help, when today’s friend could be tomorrow’s enemy. One misstep, one wrong word, one wrong look and the whole process could come tumbling down.

I often put this book down with my stomach in knots from the suspense. There were several twists and I often gasped when someone who seemed trustworthy turned out to be not so.

I am so often amazed at the art of storytelling. This book is a perfect example of why. A page turner from the very beginning. I hope Mr. Gillham has more tales to weave, as I would definitely be interested in reading any other books that he may write.

Thank you so much to Penguin Group (USA) and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC for an unbiased review.

Publish date: August 7, 2012.

My Rating: 5 of 5

Disappeared

by Anthony Quinn

In Northern Ireland’s darkest corner, the Troubles have never ended

Though bombs no longer rock Belfast, for some the fight goes on. Retired Special Branch agent David Hughes disappears after looking into the previously closed case of Oliver Jordan, who went missing at the hands of the IRA decades ago. Soon after, a former spy is found bludgeoned to death, the day after placing his own obituary in the newspaper. Beneath Northern Ireland’s modern calm, ancient jealousies threaten to rend the country asunder once more.
A Catholic detective in a Protestant nation, Celcius Daly knows too well the agonies of sectarian strife. To solve this string of murders, he must reach decades into the past, confronting a painful history that Ireland would prefer to forget. (from Goodreads)

　

My Thoughts

　

Move over everyone, there’s a new author in town and his name is Anthony Quinn. Mr. Quinn has written a smart, tightly woven mystery. Along with this, Mr. Quinn writing is beautiful - lyrical and descriptive. When you read this book, take my advice. Do NOT - skim, skip, fast forward or in any way miss out on the details.

I really like the main character, Detective Celcius Daly. He is driven to solve both a new and old murder, along with a disappearance no matter how many threats he receives telling him to stop.

This is Mr. Quinn’s first novel. Welcome to America, Mr. Quinn. I am glad your book made it across the pond and I look forward to future books.

I tip my hat to Netgalley and Open Road for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Publish date: July 24, 2012.

Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy #2)

by

Deborah Harkness

"Together we lifted our feet and stepped into the unknown"—the thrilling sequel to the New York Times bestseller A Discovery of Witches

Deborah Harkness exploded onto the literary scene with her debut novel, A Discovery of Witches, Book One of the magical All Souls Trilogy and an international publishing phenomenon. The novel introduced Diana Bishop, Oxford scholar and reluctant witch, and the handsome geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont; together they found themselves at the center of a supernatural battle over an enchanted manuscript known as Ashmole 782.
Now, picking up from A Discovery of Witches’ cliffhanger ending, Shadow of Night plunges Diana and Matthew into Elizabethan London, a world of spies, subterfuge, and a coterie of Matthew’s old friends, the mysterious School of Night that includes Christopher Marlowe and Walter Raleigh. Here, Diana must locate a witch to tutor her in magic, Matthew is forced to confront a past he thought he had put to rest, and the mystery of Ashmole 782 deepens. (Synopsis from Goodreads).

　

My Thoughts

I so loved this continuing tale of Diana and Matthew. I call both books in this trilogy my “escape” books. Ms Harkness writes with such depth of character and scenic detail, that I often feel like I am in the book. When I read her stories, all sound is blocked out and time is irrelevant. Then, I look up to discover it is 2012 and I am in the Midwest, USA!

We meet many interesting characters in book #2, not the least of which is Matthew’s father, Phillipe. We also get to meet Diana’s father who had also time traveled back to Elizabethan London, but in current times is already dead. Make sense? You’ll need to read the books, as I feel like I’ve already told too much.

My dream vacation will occur when book #3 is published. I’m going to lock myself away somewhere and escape one more time within this truly delightful story. This is what story telling is all about!

I bow in gratitude to Netgalley and Penguin Group (USA) for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

Publish date: July 10, 2012

My Rating:  5 of 5

This Bright River: A Novel

by Patrick Somerville

Ben Hanson’s aimless life has bottomed out after a series of bad decisions, but a surprising offer from his father draws him home to Wisconsin. There, he finds his family fractured, still reeling from his cousin’s mysterious death a decade earlier.
Lauren Sheehan abandoned her career in medicine after a series of violent events abroad. Now she’s back in the safest place she knows - the same small Wisconsin town where she and Ben grew up - hiding from a world that has only brought her heartache.
As Lauren cautiously expands her horizons and Ben tries to unravel the mysteries of his family and himself, their paths intersect. Could each be exactly what the other needs?
A compelling family drama and a surprising love story, rich with the dark humor and piercing intelligence that made The Cradle so beloved, This Bright River confirms Somerville’s status as one of the most talented writers at work today (from Goodreads)


My Thoughts
There are so many ways that I liked this book. There were some laugh out loud parts that would appear rather unexpectedly, mostly comments made by the main character, Ben. I liked how the tale was told from Ben and Lauren’s perspective. As the story unfolds, we get to learn the history of what led them back to their hometown, along with their current life stories and what brought them together. The book was a good mix of drama, humor and suspense.

This was the first book I have read by this author. It was so well written that I will definitely be looking for more from Mr. Somerville.

Thank you Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Publish Date: June 26, 2012

My Rating: 4 of 5