THE POLISH GIRL

MY THOUGHTS:

Wanda Odwaga begs the German soldier to not kill her father, but it was too late.  He’s gone and she will never forget that horrible experience in her life.  Wanda witnessed the murder of her father and she decides she must do something to make sure it doesn’t happen again.  Wanda joins the Polish resistance and she comes face to face with the Nazi that murdered her father.  She will never forget that fateful day and she wants revenge for her father’s death.  Her work for the resistance is important but her mission is personal…to take the life of the man that took her father’s life.  Meanwhile, Finn leaves America to impersonate his twin brother Stephen.  Stephen has killed many Jewish people at the command of the Nazi’s. Finn’s mission, by the order of the British government, is to bring down Hitler and his army.  

I enjoyed this story very much.  The Polish Girl was a very emotional read and I found myself reaching for the Kleenex box a few times.  This story was both a heart-breaking and inspiring read, that had me on the edge of my seat wondering what will happen next.   Author Gosia Nealon is a new author for me.  I really enjoyed her writing style, and she definitely pulled me into the pages at the very beginning.  I will absolutely, and with a doubt read more of her books.  This is the first installment in what I am sure will be a wonderful series and I highly recommend it.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

THE POLISH GIRL 
Author: Gosia Nealon 
Publisher:  Bookouture
Publication Date: February 24, 2023
Pages: 276 
Buy on Amazon 

Poland, 1944. “Please, officer, I beg you—”, I cry. But my father has already fallen. “Don’t leave me, Tata,” I whisper, rushing to desperately cradle him close. As the kind, loving man who raised me takes his last breath, I weep into my hands and promise to fight to end this terrible war, no matter the cost…

Although it won’t bring her beloved father back, twenty-three-year-old Wanda vows to honour his memory and all he stood for. Throwing herself into the Polish resistance, she risks her life on the dangerous mission of transporting ammunition for the underground network’s uprising against the Nazis.

Slipping through the night-time shadows of an empty park to meet an informant—one who could provide crucial supplies in the battle for what’s right—the sight of the man waiting turns Wanda’s blood to ice. Even in the dim light, she instantly recognises him as the soldier who killed her father.

The soldier claims he is a double agent, working for the resistance. Questioning everything, Wanda’s heart races as she is forced to make a split-second decision. Believe the man who she thought was the enemy? Or endanger the lives of her network—and their secret plans to fight the Germans?

Can Wanda trust the man she hates most in the world? Did her father die in vain? Or if she fights her every instinct, will she truly change the tide of the war?

ABOUT GOSIA NEALON

While Gosia Nealon is a proud New Yorker, she was born and raised in Poland. Her journey to the Big Apple revealed a wealth of cultural differences, but also the values that connect us all. Like the fierce desire to protect family, find love, and ultimately, discover who we are and why we’re here. 

Gosia’s award-winning short stories have always delved into life’s biggest questions, but it was the drama, sacrifice, and tragedy of WWII that led her to pen her debut novel, which won a gold medal in the 2022 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY).  Growing up in Poland, Gosia heard many firsthand accounts of the war, told from a perspective rarely captured in mainstream literature. She was compelled to breathe life into two young people falling in love in the midst of the most terrifying conflict of our time. When Gosia isn’t tapping away at her laptop, she’s often walking the streets of New York. With her husband and two young sons in tow, they search for the most succulent pierogi, transporting them back to the cobbled streets of her childhood.

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THE STOLEN TWINS

MY THOUGHTS:

World War II is ranging on and so many lives have been changed and lost.  Arina and Nora are twin sisters that, have never in their life, spent a day apart from each other.  They ride the train with their mother and arrive at the horrible place of Auschwitz.  They are quickly separated and their future is completely uncertain.  When the war comes to an end, Arina and Nora age out of each of their group homes.  They must overcome everything that has happened to them and do everything possible to reunite with each other.  But first they must find each other and that will be the most difficult task of all.

I loved The Stolen Twins written by Shari J. Ryan.  I am a huge fan of Historical Fiction and this author never disappoints.  This heart-breaking and inspiring tale will have you flying through the pages.  I didn’t want to stop reading once I began this fabulous story.  I felt emotional heartache for Arina and Nora the horrible things they endured.  This story is filled with the phenomenal courage, resilience and survival of even the youngest of children.  This moving story is a tough book to read with an emotional storyline and I highly recommend it. 

Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

THE STOLEN TWINS 
Author: Shari J. Ryan 
Publisher:  Bookouture
Publication Date: February 14, 2023
Pages: 315 
Buy on Amazon 

Auschwitz, 1944: “You can’t leave me,” I whisper, my hand trembling as I reach for her cheek. “You can’t. We’re in this life together, always, just you and me.” This utterly heartbreaking yet beautifully hopeful World War Two page-turner tells the story of identical twin sisters in Auschwitz. Born minutes apart, Arina and Nora have never left each other’s side—until now…

The cattle car is dark, except for the light filtering through the boarded windows. There are too many of us to count, crushed up against each other. The air is stuffy, carrying the scent of our terror—none of us know what awaits us when this train stops. I cling onto Mama’s hand and Nora, my twin sister, clutches Papa’s.

After what feels like forever, the train stops. We spill out of the carriage, the sun blinding us after being imprisoned in darkness for so long. There are people everywhere, soldiers separating children from their parents, husbands from wives.

We’re in some sort of queue, and a man in a dark-green SS uniform walks by, glancing at everyone he passes. “Twins, twins,” he shouts. My heart falls into the pit of my stomach.

“Right here,” says Mama, hesitation in her voice. “My daughters are twins.” My eyes widen, and Nora trembles. Papa tries to tell Mama to be quiet, but it’s too late.

The Nazi catches sight of us. “Twins,” he says again, pausing to inspect Nora and me. “Yes, you are, aren’t you? You two are going to come along with me.”

ABOUT SHARI J. RYAN

Shari J. Ryan is a USA Today Bestselling Historical Fiction writer. Her desire to write stories revolving Jewish livelihood during World War II stems from being a descendant of two Holocaust survivors. After the passing of Shari’s grandmother, she pursued an active interest in learning more about the inherited stories she yearned to understand better.

Shortly after earning a bachelors degree from Johnson & Wales University, Shari began her career as a graphic artist and freelance writer. She then found her passion for writing books in 2012. In 2016, Shari began writing her first Historical Fiction novel, Last Words, a story about a lifelong journey through the eyes of a Holocaust survivor. With two character related books to follow, Shari quickly found a new passion to share untold World War II stories within a fictional setting. 

Shari is a lifelong New England girl who lives to make people laugh. She is happily married with two wonderful sons and a spunky Australian Shepard, who fits right in with the family. 

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THE LAST LETTER FROM PARIS

MY THOUGHTS:

Cora Mayhew is trapped in Paris after she survives an attack on the train she is riding.  As she is thrown from her seat she can’t help but wonder if she will make it out alive and will she see her family ever again?  She loves her adoptive family but she wants to find her birth mother.  She is carrying a letter that she must get mailed.  Cora has many hurdles that she has overcome but none of them are more important than what lies ahead for her.  She meets Max Heller, a German soldier and he helps her to find the best and safest way out of France.  With so much at stake she must decide if she should continue her search for her birth mother or leave France forever and risk never seeing Max again.

I enjoyed The Last Letter From Paris by Kate Eastham very much. This heartbreaking story had me gripped from the very beginning.  This World War II story is filled with courage, determination and resilience.  It is one that will stay with me for a very long time.  Kate Eastham does an exceptional job of pulling the reader into the story and making them feel like they are living in the very moment.  I found this book to be unputdownable and I highly recommend it.  

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

DESCRIPTION:

THE LAST LETTER FROM PARIS
Author:  Kate Eastham
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: February 7, 2023 
Pages: 313
Buy on Amazon

Winter 1940, Paris. The air is thick with fog the day Cora’s train is struck by Nazi bombs, throwing her from her seat as the carriage lurches off the tracks. In that moment, the only thing on her mind is making it out alive to return to the family she left behind…

Bruised and gasping for air, Cora Mayhew struggles to her feet, shaking glass from her hair. Clutching a fine silver locket, surrounded by passengers crying out for their loved ones, Cora knows she must find a way to post the heart-wrenching letter she’s been clutching in her hand and get back to her beloved family in America.

For months she’s seen the flashes in the night sky and heard the drone of planes. She came to Paris to search for her birth mother – the locket her only clue – and stayed to work for the secret resistance movement, helping others escape the horrors of war. But now, staggering from the wreckage, Cora fears she too should have left Paris sooner.

Just as her spirit starts to slip, a German soldier finds Cora and saves her life. Max Heller is everything a Nazi shouldn’t be: kind, good-humoured and selfless. As he helps her plot her escape from France, Cora can’t help but fall for him – even though she knows she shouldn’t lose her heart to an enemy soldier…

Then the discovery of a devastating secret about her birth mother forces her to confront a painful truth. Max is the only one who can help her, and the contents of her letter are too important not to make it out of Paris. But should she place her trust in the enemy, or go it alone and risk never making it out alive? And does escaping from Paris mean she will never see Max again…?

ABOUT KATE EASTHAM

A change in circumstance meant Kate Eastham made the shift from a career in nursing to being a carer for her partner. Determined to make the most of this new role ‘working from home’ and inspired by an in-depth study of the origins of nursing, she wrote her first novel at the kitchen table. Miss Nightingale’s Nurses was published by Penguin in 2018, closely followed by three more in the series. With her passion for history, Kate aims to make visible the lives of ordinary yet extraordinary women from the past. Her current historical fiction is set during the World Wars and will be published by Bookouture.

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DEATH BY A CORNISH COVE

MY THOUGHTS:

Cressida Fawcett and her best friend Dolly are invited to the fancy ball of the season.  Looking forward to sipping fancy cocktails by the sea and taking in the sunshine is exactly what she needs right now.  Just when the invited guests begin to celebrate the engagement of Lord Canterbury he drops dead in front of them all.  When it is determined that Lord Canterbury’s death is due to poisoning, the fancy ball is no longer fancy and the guests are now suspects. Then another victim, the maid’s body is found floating in the cove.  Detective Chief Inspector Andrews has arrived from Scotland Yard, to solve the case, but he is running out of time.  He has to find out who the culprit is and is it the same person that killed both victims?  Cressida steps in to assist Detective Andrews and just in time.

This wonderful who-dunnit had me stumped from the beginning.   I loved the twists and turns throughout the entire story.  This witty and wonderful story had me hooked.  It was a rapid read as I couldn’t wait to find out who the culprit was.  I love the role that Ruby, the pug, played in the story.  This was a great addition to this fun cozy mystery series.  This is a must read for all cozy mystery fans.  This book can be read as a standalone and I highly recommend it.  

DESCRIPTION:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ratin

DEATH BY A CORNISH COVE

Author:  Fliss Chester
Publisher:  Bookouture
Publication Date: February 9, 2023 
Pages: 291 
Buy on Amazon

A seaside party at a Cornish mansion with plenty of fizz, what could be more perfect? But something fishy is afoot… a killer lurks among the guests, and only Cressida Fawcett can stop them.

When Cressida Fawcett is invited to stay at Penbeagle House on the Cornish coast for a fancy-dress ball, she is looking forward to sipping rum cocktails clad as a pirate, watching the red-sailed boats go by and relaxing in the sea air with her good friend Dotty. But before they can raise their glasses to toast Cressida’s former flame Lord Canterbury’s engagement, he drops dead in front of the horrified guests.

The local doctor determines that Lord Canterbury was poisoned, and soon Detective Chief Inspector Andrews is on his way from Scotland Yard. But Cressida is dismayed by the murder of the intrepid explorer who once asked for her hand in marriage, and she cannot simply leave the case to the police. Together with Dotty and her little pug Ruby, Cressida searches for clues only to discover that many of the guests have a motive for murder. Did an irate journalist or a bitter fellow explorer send Lord Canterbury on his untimely final journey?

And when a young maid is found dead, floating in the shimmering waters of the cove, Cressida knows time is running out to catch the killer. Could aclue hidden among some rather pungent crab sandwiches help her solve the case before there is another murder? 

ABOUT FLISS CHESTER

Fliss Chester lives in Surrey with her husband and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their business. Never far from a decent glass of something, Fliss also loves cooking (and writing up her favourite recipes on her blog), enjoying the beautiful Surrey and West Sussex countryside and having a good natter.

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