WWII

Interview with Rhys Bowen (Where the Sky Begins)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Where the Sky Begins by Rhys Bowen is another home run regarding this historical novel. The reality of World War II plays a huge role in this novel. Readers will take a journey with the characters as they see families separated when the children are sent to the countryside, husbands being called to fight in the war, the high casualty rate of RAF fighters, the societal class system, the civilian casualties after the German …

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Interview with Erika Robuck (The Invisible Woman and Sisters of Night and Fog)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Invisible Woman and Sisters of Night and Fog by Erika Robuck are very riveting historical novels. Based very closely on true stories, Robuck skillfully brings to life these heroic women, Virginia Hall, Virginia d’Albert-Lake, and Violette Szabo. Both these novels highlight the duty, sacrifice, and determination of these historic women who helped the Resistance in WWII. The SOE, known as the Special Operations Executive, was a British WWII organization formed in 1940. They …

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Interview with Anita Abriel (Lana’s War and A Girl During the War)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Lana’s War and A Girl During the War by Anita Abriel are heartfelt reads. The stories take place during World War II, the former in France and the latter in Italy. Both books are filled with danger and romance. Lana’s War begins with a tragedy. In Paris 1943 Lana Antanova is about to tell her husband, Frederick they are going to have a baby when she sees him brutally shot dead by a Gestapo …

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Interview with Stephanie Graves (Olive Bright, Pigeoneer and A Valiant Deceit)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Olive Bright, Pigeoneer and A Valiant Deceit by Stephanie Graves are the latest books in her new historical mystery series. It features Olive Bright, a spirited young pigeon fancier who finds herself working for a secret British intelligence agency, while in her spare time solving mysteries. These books are set in England during World War II where the reader gets a close look at life in a small English town. The first book has …

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Interview with Ronald H. Balson (Defending Britta Stein)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Defending Britta Stein by Ronald H. Balson is a wonderful read. Although the book has some courtroom drama including legal strategy and loopholes, most of the story is Britta Stein’s recounting of the events leading up to and during World War II in Denmark. This is historical fiction at its best with bravery, betrayal, and redemption. Britta Stein is a 92-year-old Jewish Danish woman who emigrated to America. She is being sued for defamation …

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Interview with Stephanie Marie Thornton (A Most Clever Girl)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper A Most Clever Girl by Stephanie Marie Thornton brings to life in fictional form, the true story of Elizabeth Bentley, a Cold War double agent. Readers are presented with the psychology of a spy, the dangers, betrayals, and motivations. Bentley was an American citizen who spied for the Russians until she became an FBI informant. She was recruited by the American Communist Party to spy on fascists since she worked at an Italian library. …

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Interview with Renee Ryan (The Widows of Champagne)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Widows of Champagne by Renee Ryan is the story of a family struggling to survive in Nazi-occupied France. Three widows who lost their beloved husbands must now protect their livelihood, the Chateau Fouche-LeBlanc vineyard in Reims, after it was requisitioned by the Nazis. The plot has wine merchant, Helmut Von Schmidt, now turned Nazi Captain in the Wehrmacht, requisitioning the LeBlanc home and stealing their wine for the German troops. Throughout the days …

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Interview with Kelly Rimmer (The Warsaw Orphan)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer is inspired by the real-life heroine who saved thousands of Polish Jewish children during WWII. It is a story that intertwines war, family, survival, and love with themes of injustice, revenge, compassion, and sacrifice. There are four main characters that represent the mindset of those who lived in Warsaw Poland from 1942 to the end of the war. Readers see a teenage boy in the Warsaw Ghetto, Roman, …

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The Deadly Hours by Anna Lee Huber, Christine Trent, Susanna Kearsley, and C. S. Harris

Title: The Deadly Hours Authors: Anna Lee Huber, Christine Trent, Susanna Kearsley, C. S. Harris Series: n/a An intriguing premise that wasn’t pulled off very well I would like to thank Anna Lee Huber, Christine Trent, Susanna Kearsley, C. S. Harris, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Weapon of Choice by Susanna Kearsley – five stars I was pleasantly surprised to find I loved this novella, and I …

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Interview with Sarah Sundin (When Twilight Breaks)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper When Twilight Breaks by Sarah Sundin is a novel where readers will experience a range of emotions with an inspirational story. Woven into this historical novel’s pages are love, intrigue, mystery, and danger. This suspenseful story focuses on the unfair laws and treatment of the Jewish population in Munich Germany in 1938 before the war began. Evelyn Brand is an American foreign correspondent determined to prove her worth in a male-dominated profession and to …

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