Category Archives: stories

Mar31

The Chateau on Sunset by Natasha Lester- review

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I haven’t done a review in a while as my husband passed away on March 4th and I haven’t been able to focus on writing for a bit. I have read a few books and hope to get more reviews done soon.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy for review.

Fire was the theme of this book. It played a large part in the story. A late 1950s, early 960s take on the Jane Eyre story, the author did an excellent job weaving in elements of the source material in this coming-of-age tale.

The young orphan, Aria Jones, after her parents died in a fiery automobile accident, comes to live with her aunt at the Chateau Marmot, an icon in Los Angeles. The aunt, a former actress has turned tranquilizer user after a mysterious event a number of years ago. She stopped acting and holed up in a set of rooms in the chateau when her engagement to a Hollywood producer ended. She wasn’t much of a substitute parent for her fourteen-year-old niece, the child of her brother.

Left to her own devices in the hotel, Aria tries hard to not make a nuisance of herself. Two young actresses sort of take her under their wings and act kind of like big sisters for her.

Over the years, Aria doesn’t leave the hotel much. She works to stay low profile but a lot of people in the chateau rely on her sensibleness. She calls the hotel doctor to help a lot of the young actresses who find themselves in bad situations. She also babysits a lot of the actors’ and actresses’ children and hordes money to save to live in Hawaii when she is an adult. Her biggest desire is to escape the hotel but she never seems to want to even walk all the way down Sunset Boulevard.

When she is almost an adult, a rock star purchases the chateau. He has a child whose mother passed away. Aria asks to babysit the child who happens to be the same age as Aria was when she moved to the chateau herself. She has success bonding with the teen and forms an attachment with the rock star father.

Several mysteries exist in the chateau. Why a friend of Aria’s aunt died in an apparent suicide; who lives in one of the bungalows secretly; what secrets does the famous producer hide; what does the rock star hide from his past as well as his present; and why did Aria’s aunt go from wildly popular as an actress to a recluse living on Quaaludes and other drugs?

Fire appears on the regular in this book and it haunts the protagonist’s life.

I absolutely loved this book. Lots of good meaty drama in the story. The protagonist was very likable and the two friends she made when she first came to the chateau were complicated young women who had deep side stories themselves.

The rock star who was based on Rochester was an enigma as well and the protagonist drew him out in the same way Jane Eyre drew out Rochester.

The protagonist’s story traces—in a 1960s fashion—the path of Jane Eyre. As someone who has been to the Marmont, I enjoyed the fact that the writer made the hotel itself a real character in this novel.

Overall, this is an excellent read and a very good, mystery heavy, take on the classic tale. 

BLURB:

A sheltered young woman living at the Chateau Marmont falls under the spell of a scandalous, secretive man as all of Hollywood’s glamour swirls around her—a stunning feminist reimagining of Jane Eyre from the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Seamstress.

In 1957, newly orphaned Aria Jones is sent to live with her aunt, a fading star who hides away in Hollywood’s infamous Chateau Marmont. There, two aspiring actresses, Calliope and Flitter, take grieving Aria under their wing.

But the Marmont isn’t meant for small girls with big hearts, and Aria’s first few nights reveal an insidious secret that continues to haunt her as she grows up in the hotel’s halls, where the bright lights of Hollywood cast even darker shadows. If Aria can just stay invisible and invite no trouble as she saves money, then she can leave the Marmont and live life on her own terms—alone, but free. 

All her carefully laid plans are shattered when the hotel is bought by Theo Winchester: a reclusive rockstar turned unexpected caretaker of his daughter Adele, and unlike any man Aria has met before. To earn the last bit of money she needs to escape, Aria becomes Adele’s tutor, which brings Aria closer to Theo and ignites a passion she never expected. 

Suddenly, Aria finds herself wondering if she still wants to remain invisible—and if inviting trouble is a risk she’s willing to take to pursue what she truly desires.

Feb6

The Librarians of Lisbon by Suzanne Nelson

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I received this book free from the publisher from a drawing from Little Free Library steward giveaway. It will now go into my LFL for someone else to enjoy.

1943. Lisbon, Portugal. A neutral country in WWII, but not a safe haven at all. The city teems with refugees, stateless people, spies, gestapo agents, and people trying to get out of Europe in any way possible. Exit visas are at a premium and living in the city means constant danger from sources sometimes unknown. Many countries ran spy operations from the city and also worked on preserving written materials the Nazis were determined to destroy.

Enter two friends who were librarians in Boston. One the member of an elite family and the other a quiet woman who has a photographic memory. They both enlisted in order to help with the tasks of preserving the endangered books and records and in order to do their part for the war effort.

After training at The Farm, the OSS facility, they’re both sent to Lisbon to work as librarians.

Unbeknownst to the other, they each have been recruited to other missions with their day jobs as covers for their respective missions.

And thus the adventures of this book are set in motion. Alternating chapters featuring each heroine, Selene and Bea, make the story move quickly.

I loved this book. The setting, the history, the danger the main characters were in and the overall plot were all well executed.

I recently read a biography of Josephine Baker which focused on her time as a WWII spy in Lisbon and Morocco and this novel read almost like that biography in many places. So very realistic. Clearly, the author did her research on the city and the era. It was definitely exciting and well-paced.

I highly recommend this one. Very well done.

BLURB:

n a glittering city of secrets and shadows, love is the most perilous gamble of all.

Lisbon 1943. As two American librarians are drawn into a city of dangerous subterfuge and unexpected love affairs, they are forced to choose between their missions and the men they love. Brimming with evocative writing and meticulous research, award-winning author Suzanne Nelson spins a web of secret aliases, sweeping romance, and great sacrifice. Inspired by real historical figures, this is the captivating story of two remarkable young women, their bravery and heartache, and a friendship that withstands the ravages of war.

With World War Two raging across Europe, best friends Selene Delmont and Beatrice Sullivan are enlisted by the U.S. Intelligence Office and sent to Lisbon—a sparkling city and hotbed of trouble, harboring exiled royalty, hunted refugees, and spies trading double-edged secrets in seductively dark corners. In official capacity, librarians Selene and Bea have been recruited to catalog the vast mountain of information gathered by the Allies, but by night, both women are undercover agents tasked with infiltrating the Axis spy network.

Where Selene is confident and brash, Bea is bookish and careful. Selene longs to escape her family’s impossible expectations and embrace her independence, while all Bea wants is to heal from heartbreak and keep impulsive Selene out of trouble. But soon, both librarians are caught up in treacherous games of deception alongside two of Lisbon’s most notorious men—the outcast Portuguese baron, Luca Caldeira, and the lethal double-agent, Gable. As Selene charms her way through lavish ballrooms and fêtes with Luca, Bea is plunged into Gable’s shadowy underworld of informants. Victory depends upon the joint success of their missions, but when an unexpected betrayal throws a carefully spun web of lies into chaos, everything they’ve sacrificed is put at risk. As Selene and Bea are pushed to their breaking points can their friendship, and their hearts, survive the cost of war?

Jan26

The Red Queen by Martha Grimes

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I’ve read every book Martha Grimes has ever written and the Richard Jury series has been one of my favorite series since the 1980s when she first started writing them. I still own all her work and she has always been an “auto buy” for me.

I never, ever thought I’d say this about one of her books, but this one should never have been written, much less published. It was only about 250 pages in total. Probably about 180 of them were filler and nonsensical. It would have been a great short story if the murder part of the plot had been distilled to its essence and published that way.

I love the recurring characters of the series, but the whole subplot with Sgt. Wiggins and Brian Macalvie was a distraction that served no purpose other than to add word count and pages to the book. The promise in the blurb that it would tie into Jury’s investigation went nowhere and there was no reason to have this whole road trip escapade in the book.

Melrose Plant served no purpose other than to eat and drink in his club with Jury. Even his “job” working at the victim’s stables offered no clues to solving the mystery like they usually do.

There was a chapter about pigs that was absolutely ludicrous as well as a visit to the characters of Plant’s home town that basically only served to remind us of all the quirky people who live in the village.

Jury also popped into several pubs where he’d solved crimes in recent books and we got to see him interact with bartenders in those places.

In short, this seemed like a goodbye “tour” of the series. If I’d known that, I might not have spent $28.00 on a short story with a lot of filler and nonsense woven in. This sort of makes me livid. I get that the author is now 95, but maybe she should have stopped with the book before this one rather than leave us long term fans with such a bitter taste in our mouths.

Aug19

The Glass Eel by J. J. Viertel

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I received a copy of the ARC of this book from the publisher, The Mysterious Press in exchange for an unbiased review on behalf of Rosie’s Review Team. I thank the publisher and Wunderkind PR firm for this opportunity. It comes out in September and you should have it on your list to read, for sure.

The book was quite enjoyable and even educational. I didn’t know one thing about eel migration and spawning nor did I know about how they are harvested or transported for sale. The father/Son writing team clearly are well-acquainted with the process as well as the state of Maine.

But don’t think this is some boring tale about fisheries and eels. It’s a downright interesting mystery and thriller of a novel.

There are a few chapters from the point of view of sea creatures which add to the atmosphere of the story. It’s not like they’re anthropomorphic, but more like we, the readers, are included in the biosphere of the ocean and currents and how they interact with sea life. I thought it was a pretty cool concept that added richness to the story.

Jeanette, the main protagonist, is a woman with strength and conviction. She’s brave to the point of irrationality in some places, but I never felt like she was “too stupid to live” like sometimes happens in novels. She was sensible and bright and one steady-nerved person. She didn’t hesitate to move into danger when she needed to be strong and unafraid.

The other characters in the story who were her friends and close comrades were all well-written and fully realized. I liked all of them and they each added an important element to the story telling. It’s always a good read when the protagonist’s allies are also people the reader can root for and like. This reader is very much someone who needs to care about the characters to full enjoy a story. This writing team delivers that and more.

The bad guys were also well developed and each were a different brand of evil. None were caricatures which is always a good thing.

The story is intriguing and very nicely plotted and laid out.

Environmental issues play a part as well as the treatment of indigenous people in the state historically, as well as in the modern era. The authors didn’t bang the reader over the head with any of those things, though. They seamlessly wove those issues into the tale.

The action was fast and the suspects many and varied.

I truly enjoyed this book and hope to see more from these writers. It was a quick read. Filled with action, great plot points and a satisfying ending.

Five stars

BLURB:

In this gripping debut thriller, struggling divorcée Jeanette King becomes embroiled in a criminal ring when she discovers her ex-husband’s cache of baby eels.

Caterpillar Island is off the central coast of Maine―beloved vacationland of lobster bakes and quaint fried clam shacks, kayaking and country houses. At night, though, by the light of a headlamp, the island is alive with cash, guns, and poachers. Oxy addicts, struggling retirees, and unemployable deadbeats dip their nets in the creeks to catch elvers―two-inch-long baby eels that fetch $2000 a pound on the international black market.

Into this dark and dangerous world falls Jeanette King, who has, up to this moment, been earning her meager living mainly by picking and packaging peekytoe crab meat for shipment to New York and Boston. As Jeanette gets drawn into a fast-moving story of risk and violent consequences, she enlists the aid of a local policeman and an Indigenous activist. Together they try to set things right for the people and the planet. But the deeper they dig, the more dangerous things get. An ensuing procession of colorful locals, corrupt state politicians, and treacherous outsiders weaves a tale that reveals the underbelly of a deadly business.

Aug12

The Plot Twist by Eleanor Goymer, a Review

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Allie is a romance writer with writer’s block and a book due imminently.

Martin is a famous writer of murder mysteries who hasn’t had a new book out in so many years that he calls himself a former writer.

They share a publishing house and meet in an alley at the publisher’s summer party where both are avoiding certain people at the party. Also on that alley is an attractive young man who Allie had a conversation earlier when he was passing out hors d’oeuvres.

Both Allie and Martin are in a bind. They’re required to honor their contracts or return their advances. Allie still has hers but she doesn’t want to part with it. Martin has loaned his to his daughter and he’s positive she’s spent it all. And his wife has no idea.

Each of the writers are called in to the office of the publisher to see the new guy running the place. The man with no soul. After their meetings, separately, they both head to the cafe across the street to lick their wounds. Recognizing each other from that alley encounter, they sit together to commiserate.

The conversation turns to Allie’s boyfriend who broke up with her the night of the summer party. She’s not upset as they’d drifted apart, but she did fantasize about him being the victim of a serial killer. Martin talks about needing advice from a romance writer on how to reignite the passion in his marriage.

Martin tells her she should write a murder mystery with her idea about the serial killer, but her contract is for a romance, so she tells him he can have her plot if he helps her with her writer’s block by sharing the story of how he and his wife met as well as the romantic gestures he creates in his quest to win back his wife.

The story jumps off from there with many situations that cause the reader to cheer for both of the writers as well as laugh at some of the situations Allie finds herself in.

Allie is an absolutely charming character who steps into interesting scenarios as she flirts with and sort of dates the handsome man who was also in the alley that night. She also continues to try to work through her writer’s block and finds herself telling many fibs to her editor in the process.

Martin’s journey feels a little easier but he’s not the main protagonist so that was fine with this reader.  He’s a likable character as well. There is a twist in the tale that leads to more angst for Allie.

This was a fun book and a pretty quick read. It was left in my little free library on a Friday and I finished it that weekend. I’m not one to read a lot of romance as there are certain aspects of some of them I don’t enjoy, but this was witty, charming, and somewhat unique. I recommend it.

BLURB:

This love story is a work in progress…

When romcom author Allie Edwards crosses paths with bestselling crime novelist – aka publishing dinosaur – Martin Clark at a party, they discover they both have crippling writer’s block, overdue manuscripts and precisely zero words to show to their respective editors.

With deadlines looming, Allie and Martin decide to switch plots and tell each other’s stories. In the writing process, Allie not only gains a father-figure in Martin, but also meets gorgeous events caterer Will, the answer to the leading man-shaped hole in her life and her lack of spicy material.

Caught between love and her career, what could possibly go wrong?

Jun9

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer by Ragnar Jónasson

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Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for a copy of this book for review.

I’m starting this off with the thing that bothered me a lot about this book. I hate and despise cliffhangers. Hate, hate, hate them. And this book ends on one. The major story line was resolved, but the subplot was not.

In spite of my dislike for the cliffhanger, I enjoyed the book. I’m a huge fan of Nordic stories. And ones set in Iceland are some of my favorites. The protagonist, young detective Helgi, was someone the reader can root for. He was a policeman who had some secrets he didn’t want anyone to know about which added an interesting component to his personality. An unexpected dimension to how he interacted with the world.

The story centers on a writer of mystery novels, Elin S. Jonsdottir, who lives alone and has never been married. She has a group of friends who have been in her life long term and they are creatures of habit. Lunching together on certain days of the week and at the same places. She also likes to hike and spend time in the outdoors. She has form for going off on her own and not telling anyone as she is independent.

When she fails to show up for one of the scheduled lunches, one of the friends reports her missing and the investigation ensues. The investigation is on the down low as the friends as well as the police want to keep the media at bay as Elin is a very popular Icelandic writer.

Our detective protagonist is a huge fan of golden age mysteries of the 1930s. He’s excited about the case as he believes he could earn a promotion if he brings her home safely.

The story is full of nuances and a few twists. I saw one coming but I liked how the author got us there. The policeman’s personal life is also interesting with some twists there as well.

The format of the book is unique as well. It skips time periods back and forth and also has a number of scenes that are the crime writer being interviewed. These are the only times we get to learn about her personality as the book progresses. The piecemeal learning about her was enjoyable. This reader enjoys books with different time jumps. It keeps things interesting.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one and if I don’t read the next one, I’ll make up my own ending to the cliffhanger. lol

BLURB:

The next thrilling golden-age-style mystery from #1 Icelandic bestseller Ragnar Jónasson, author of Death at the Sanatorium and Reykjavík.

One winter evening, bestselling crime author Elín S. Jónsdóttir goes missing.

There are no clues to her disappearance and it is up to young detective Helgi to crack the case before its leaked to the press.

As Helgi interviews the people closest to her—a publisher, an accountant, a retired judge—he realizes that Elín’s life wasn’t what it seemed. In fact, her past is even stranger than the fiction she wrote.

As the case of the missing crime writer becomes more mysterious by the hour, Helgi must uncover the secrets of the writer’s very unexpected life.

Mar3

The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh

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This book was dropped off in my little free library and it looked intriguing so I took the time to read it and now I can’t decide if I should put it back in my library.  Not because it isn’t a good book, because it is entertaining, but the publisher really screwed up this paperback.  Imagine reading along, getting to the part where things are being revealed and then, suddenly, on the next page, there is no segue way, but different people in the room than were in conversation the page before. Confused, you look to the top of the page at the page numbers and the book goes from page 278 to page 311. So, you check what chapter you’re on. It’s 48. Then you skip forward to see that the next chapter is 56. So, BIG chunk missing. Vital pages are missing. But you soldier on and get to page 342. Book then reverts to page 311 again and then those pages up to page 342 are in there again. Still nothing on the chapters that were omitted.  Wild, huh? There are only 364 pages in the book in its entirety. To say the reader is robbed is putting it mildly. A big chunk of stuff is missing.

I was able to fill in most of the blanks of the story, but was disappointed to not be able to read the whole book. I wonder if all this print run was so screwed up. I’m glad I didn’t spend my money on it as I would have been really much more upset.

As far as the plot, characterization and twists, it was a well-constructed story. The author has a way with words and her prose is easy to read. The tale of Leo and Emma was complex and well-written. I enjoyed the story but am disappointed in the fact that vital pages were missing. I don’t like to downgrade a review due to things beyond the writer’s control, but I can only give this one three stars because her publisher let her (and the reader) down; otherwise, this would have been a solid four from me.  

BLURB:

Emma loves her husband Leo and their young daughter Ruby: she’d do anything for them. But almost everything she’s told them about herself is a lie. And she might just have got away with it, if it weren’t for her husband’s job. Leo is an obituary writer; Emma a well-known marine biologist. When she suffers a serious illness, Leo copes by doing what he knows best – researching and writing about his wife’s life. But as he starts to unravel the truth, he discovers the woman he loves doesn’t really exist. Even her name isn’t real.When the very darkest moments of Emma’s past finally emerge, she must somehow prove to Leo that she really is the woman he always thought she was . . .But first, she must tell him about the other love of her life.

Feb14

Lost Angel by Sam Knight

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This story is part of a series of midlife crisis thrillers.

Jeff McKenzie is the protagonist of the story. He’s divorced with a teenage daughter. The girl is secretive and doesn’t spend a lot of time with her father. He’s a bit lonely and also still a bit obsessed with his former wife who has remarried and has a small stepson with her new spouse.

Jeff is in charge of one of the floats for the Christmas parade. One that has a lot of children on it as a children’s choir.

During the parade, one child disappears. And it’s the one child that puts Jeff in the crosshairs of the local police. His former wife’s stepchild.

Convinced he’s the one who has arranged the boy’s disappearance, local law enforcement are determined to pin it on him. Jeff himself is determined to find the boy and return him safely to his family.

A wild ride ensues as the reader is swept along with the tide that threatens to overtake Jeff.

The next few days are hazardous not only to Jeff’s chances of staying out of jail, but also hazardous to his health.

Over the time the story takes place, Jeff learns some things about his daughter, the man his wife is married to, and also about himself.

I liked this story a lot. It was fast paced but also contained a good character growth arc. I did figure out whodunit pretty quickly, but I enjoyed the journey with Jeff as he discovered that he had depths to himself he never suspected.

BLURB:

Jeff McKenzie used to be young, good-looking, and married. Now his ex-wife’s new husband is all of those things, and Jeff is just doing the best he can to spend time with his teenage daughter. But when a body turns up in the park during the holiday festival and sets the town on edge, and then his ex-wife’s stepson vanishes right off Jeff’s float during the Christmas parade, accusations fly. His float, his fault, and maybe the two incidents are related. With the police breathing down his neck, accusing him of murder and kidnapping, even his own daughter starts doubting him, and Jeff knows he is running out of time to find the real kidnapper before it’s too late—for everyone.

Feb12

Cold in the Earth by Thorne Moore

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Thank you to Thorne Moore for a copy of the book for an unbiased review for Rosie’s Book Review team.

I liked this one from the beginning as I like stories that start with random scenes that the reader has no idea how they will connect, but then the connections are made and things gel.

That being said, I enjoyed the section of the book that took place in the past more than the portion that took place in the present.

I confess, there were parts of this book that literally enraged me. The crimes themselves made me angry as well as the cover up that occurred for twenty-five years, but what really set me off was the rash, illegal actions of the former detective turned private investigator. I could scarcely keep reading that section as it really set me off. This character really irked me with the sense of entitlement to mow right over someone else in the furtherance of her own agenda. I almost stopped reading the book at one point.

I kept going and the former detective somewhat redeemed herself, but every time I let myself think back to that section of the book, I get mad again. Even now, after I’ve read other books, I find myself thinking about her behavior and getting mad all over again. 

To sum up this review, the author is a great writer who had an intricate plot both in the sections set in the past as well as the sections set in the present. The fact that this fictional character gave me such a visceral reaction to her deeds tells me the book is excellently written.

As a lawyer who has made it her life goal to be honest and have integrity at all times, this one section hit me hard when the character I’d grown to like did something so against my personal morals. My heart rate was not at a good level during those pages. 🙂

I’m giving this one four stars for the writing and plot. For anyone who might not be triggered by a former law enforcement officer breaking all kinds of laws, this might be a five star story.

BLURB:

How long can the truth stay buried?

When a murderer is convicted, the survivors of the victim can bury their loved one and move on. But what if they are denied even that?

A disturbed young man has been killing girls, but where has he hidden them? Twenty-five years on, their families are still waiting for the chance to bring them home. Ex-detective constable Rosanna Quillan is determined to bring it about, but time is running out and she discovers there are more lost souls than she had realised.

Feb10

The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall

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I have been remiss in posting reviews lately. No excuses, just madness in my day job. I wrote a few this weekend, so I am trying to do better.

This was an excellent book. I very much enjoyed it. There are two distinct story lines with two heroines, Audrey and Kate. The stories intersect when the two characters meet at a large estate house that has been turned into a boutique hotel.

Audrey was an English young woman who was living in Berlin in the 1930s. Her mother had been German and her father was English. Her mother passed away when Audrey was young and she spent a lot of time with the neighbor girl where she lived. When her father returned to England, Audrey stayed in Berlin with the Jewish family across the street. The daughter of the house was her best friend. Audrey was a gifted pianist studying her craft and stayed to keep at her studies.  

Kate is a young woman in the early part of the 21st century. Her marriage and job ended and she had nowhere to go as the lease was up on the place she and her husband rented while married. Her parents had passed away in a car accident and she was going to be all on her own. She was lucky enough to land a job at the boutique hotel that came with a place for her to live.

The two ladies meet and, after some initial animosity, they form a friendship over a period of time. Slowly, both of their stories come to light.

Audrey was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Nazi party took over Berlin and the Jewish family she lived with had some harrowing times. Audrey refused to abandon them and her own life thereby became fraught with danger.

Kate was also in the wrong place at the wrong time and had her own life changing moments.

Without giving away any spoilers, I have to say the bravery and heroism of Audrey was amazing to read as her story unfolded. The time period she lived in held many dark days and she withstood a lot.

Kate’s story was not as full of life or death circumstances, but she had a rough go at life as well.

How both of these ladies persevered and overcame makes for a great read. This one is high on my list of favorites. I read a lot of stories set in Audrey’s early life time frame and this one ranks high on intrigue and a compelling story line. 5 stars.

BLURB:

Northern England, 2010. After a tragic accident upends her life, Kate Mercer leaves London to work at an old guest house near the Scottish border, where she hopes to find a fresh start and heal from her loss. When she arrives, she begins to unravel the truth about her past, but discovers that the mysterious elderly proprietor is harboring secrets of her own .

Berlin, 1938. Audrey James is weeks away from graduating from a prestigious music school in Berlin, where she’s been living with her best friend, Ilse Kaplan. As war looms, Ilse’s family disappears and high-ranking Nazi officers confiscate the house. In desperation, Audrey becomes their housekeeper while Ilse is forced into hiding in the attic. When a shocking turn of events embroils Audrey in the anti-Hitler movement, she must decide what matters most: protecting those she loves, or sacrificing everything for the greater good.

Inspired by true stories of courageous women and the German resistance during World War II, The Secret History of Audrey James is a captivating novel about the unbreakable bonds of friendship, the sacrifices we make for those we love, and the healing that comes from human connection.