The Girl in the Photo - Catherine Hokin

 1944. ‘I have to go away, my darling. Please, be brave, stay alive, for me.’ Her mother’s voice breaks. The little girl tries to stop the forbidden tears from falling, as the train takes her mother, and she is left alone in the camp…

Berlin, six years later. When Hanni Winter shows her new husband the heartbreaking photos she captured during the war, his reaction is unexpected. His face white, Freddy can’t take his eyes off the photo of a young girl around four years old. ‘That’s Renny,’ he whispers, ‘my sister, she was taken by the Nazis…’

Hanni remembers her perfectly – the child with the wide eyes and bitten lips, who wouldn’t let herself cry despite the chaos and cruelty all around them in the camp. Her heart had broken for the little girl as she took her picture, desperate to reveal the truth about the Nazis to the world. If that child is Renny, then they must try to find her. They must return to hell on earth.

But when Hanni arrives at the black and white arch of the camp, she comes face to face with a man she fears more than any other. Can she find the strength to fight again, or will every hope for the future be lost forever?

A heart-wrenching novel about love and courage in the face of terrible odds. Fans of The Alice Network, The Nightingale and The Tattooist of Auschwitz will need a box of tissues handy.

Author Bio:

I seem to have followed a rather meandering career, including marketing and teaching and politics (don't try and join the dots), to get where I have always wanted to be, which is writing historical fiction. I am a story lover as well as a story writer and nothing fascinates me more than a strong female protagonist and a quest. Hopefully those are what you will encounter when you pick up my books.

I am from the North of England but now live very happily in Glasgow with my American husband. Both my children have left home (one to London and one to Berlin) which may explain why I am finally writing. If I'm not at my desk you'll most probably find me in the cinema, or just follow the sound of very loud music.

I'd love to hear from you and there are lots of ways you can find me, so jump in via my website https://www.catherinehokin.com/ or on my Cat Hokin FB page or on twitter @cathokin

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My Review

Wow, what an emotional rollercoaster. From the moment that we joined the Hanni Winter series, we knew that her past would catch up with her. While she might have been an unwilling pawn in her father's evil ways and not directly responsible for anything that he has done, she hasn't been able to expose him or admit who she really is. Now, she is left with no choice but to finally face up to everything and admit who she really is. Facing the very real possibility of losing everything in the process.

I don't really want to give too much away here, the book was a great read and I wouldn't want to spoil anything. It left me on the edge of my seat and I really wanted everything to work out for Hanni and Freddie. I will say though, that we don't end this book with everything wrapped up in a neat bow. There's at least one more book to come and Hanni and mostly likely Freddie have much more to face.

These books are great reads. Set after the second world war they deal with the long shadow that the evil that occurred in that period cast. It's easy to think that Nazi Germany fell and everything was sunshine and flowers from that point on, but of course, that was far from the case, the scars were deep.

I can't wait to see what happens next for Hanni and I hope that things are finally going to be alright for her.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

A Village Fete Murder - Katie Gayle

 Julia Bird can’t wait to attend the annual village party at the local stately home, with its tea tents, cake stalls, and… dead body in the maze?

The annual village celebration at Berrywick House is underway, complete with over-decorated cake stalls, fiercely contested flower competitions, and even a maze for the disappointed losers to hide in. Julia Bird, now a well-known – even notorious – member of the community, with her trusty Labrador Jake, has thrown herself headlong into the festivities. But her reputation for adding drama to any event stands up yet again when she discovers a dead body in the maze…

It seems Ursula Benjamin, village know-it-all and prickly baking competition participant, has been strangled – and the killer has to be someone at the fete. As Julia grapples with finding yet another murder in Berrywick, she starts to wonder, could one of the competitive cake-bakers have taken the contest to deadly new heights? Or is there something darker in Ursula’s life that led to her untimely demise?

Embroiled once again in a murder enquiry, Julia isn’t about to leave the investigation to the police. Like it or not, she’s involved, and she’s going to help them solve the mystery. But when there’s another death, and it’s clear the murders aren’t isolated incidents, the stakes become even higher. Can Julia figure out the identity of the killer, and prevent any further dastardly deeds, before the wholesome spirit of the village is ruined forever?

If you like utterly gripping English mysteries, then you’ll love A Village Fete Murder. Perfect for fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands.
 
Author Bio:

Katie Gayle is the writing partnership of best-selling South African writers, Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. Kate and Gail have, between them, written over ten books of various genres, but with Katie Gayle, they both make their debut in the cozy mystery genre. Both Gail and Kate live in Johannesburg, with husbands, children, dogs and cats. Unlike their sleuth Epiphany Bloom, neither of them have ever stolen a cat from the vet.

https://www.facebook.com/KatieGayleWriter

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My Review

A Village Fete Murder sees us joining Julia again and somehow she seems to have stumbled on yet another body! Like the previous books, Julia can't help but try and find out who is behind this latest murdering spree. There are plenty of suspects, for the first murder at least and she wastes no time in trying to find out what happened.

Books like this do amuse me, who anyone could be so unlucky to find so many murder victims I don't know, but Julia seems to take it in her stride. It was nice this time to find out a little more about Julia herself. We learn about her life as a social worker and what came before her retirement. We also learn a little more about her daughter Jess.

I didn't manage to solve this one before it was revealed, but I still enjoyed the book and giving it a go. I don't think that Julia was any further ahead though and her friend in the police wasn't either. In fact, the police don't seem to be able to spot anything without Julia's help!

This is a great fun series, if murder can be fun that is! I can't wait to see more from Julia soon. 

Immortal Sins - Anya J Cosgrove

 

Immortal Sins - Book 3 in the Dark Falls Academy Series.

Cole had to flee to Faerie. His best friend Flynn—my bully and tormentor—holds all the answers. My family secrets are like a noose, slowly tightening around my neck.

To vanquish my demons, I’ll break all the rules. I’ll kneel before my dark prince and infiltrate his world.

Mortals shouldn’t eat Faerie fruits.
Every witch knows the rule.

Can I handle just one bite? Or two? What about a taste of forever?

My Review

I'm really enjoying the Dark Falls Academy series. There was quite a wait between books one and two, but fortunately, this latest instalment came quite quickly. It picks up where our last book left off, Cole has been exiled, and Jules and her friends are trying to work against new headmaster Oz and also to clear Cole's name. To do so, she must work with Flynn, Cole's best friend but someone who has never really been on Jules's side.

This story sees Jules and Flynn travelling away from Dark Falls academy, following Cole into Faerie, somewhere that she has never been before, but has heard plenty about. It's clear that as she does things are going to change and Jules will have to try and come to terms with these changes.

I really enjoyed the developing relationship between Jules and Flynn as well as the growth of the relationship that she has with Cole. I'm not sure where any of these are likely to go next, but I have a few theories.

This book doesn't conclude things, with a cliffhanger at the end which just makes you desperate to read on and find out what will happen next. Sadly, we have to wait a little longer, but with the fourth (and final?) book due out in May, it's not too long.