Review: A Dangerous Game

Title: A Dangerous Game

Author: Mandy Robotham

Publisher: 16th January 2025 by Avon Books UK

Pages: 384 pages

Genre:  Historical Fiction, mystery, thriller

Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

London, 1952. Seven years after the chaotic aftermath of World War II, London is coming alive again, with jazz clubs and flickering cinema awnings lighting up the night sky.

But for widowed Helen ‘Dexie’ Dexter, she’s still a woman in a man’s world. She longs to prove herself as an officer in the London Metropolitan Police, yet she’s stuck intervening in domestics and making tea for her male colleagues.

Then Harri Schroder arrives, seconded from Hamburg to the Met. Haunted by the loss of his wife and child, Harri is unlike any man Dexie has ever known. Compassionate and sharp-witted, he sees her not as a threat, but as an intelligent, canny officer full of potential.

And when Harri is tasked with hunting down a Nazi war criminal-turned-respected-businessman, with connections to the upper echelons of British society, it’s Dexie he turns to for help.

But as their bond deepens, a deadly fog engulfs London. Dexie and Harri must expose the fugitive before he vanishes, risking everything for justice – and each other…

My Thoughts

Mandy Robotham is an auto buy for me as you are always guaranteed a great read. Once again her story is from post World War II - on this occasion, 1952 London during the Great Smog. It was at times frightening to be on the streets of smoggy London as our two leads battled not only the elements but also Nazi war criminals. Who are the leads? None other than  ‘your beloved grumpy Inspektor, Harri’ from Mandy’s last book, The Hidden Storyteller. Mandy states, “... in writing the closing pages of my previous book, The Hidden Storyteller, I sensed I wasn’t finished with Harri - he needed space to show us more of his unorthodox policing methods, to shed some of his cynicism, and to heal” - and we could not be happier! To read another story with Harri is reward enough - he is such an endearing character and although he berates his ‘self-conceit that he can actually right the wrongs of an entire war’, you can’t help but cheer him on!

‘You mean former Nazis - war criminals and murderers - are now employed by various security services? As agents? That governments are now rewarding these bastards for doing the Fuhrer’s bidding? You can’t be serious.’

Interestingly, this is a story of not only historic details surrounding the infamous London Smog but also incorporates a thriller detective drama. Mandy does well in combining the gripping tale of a Nazi war criminal on the loose. Towards the end the pace is fast with danger and several tense moments for all involved and readers are sure to be cheering loudly for Harri and Dexie.

‘She can’t die, not here or now, not from a bloody fog!’

Congratulations Mandy on yet another winning book. I have read and adored all your books and cannot recommend them highly enough. 'A Dangerous Game' is a fabulous thriller with a dash of romance. A tale of cat and mouse espionage during the real-life 'Great Smog' of 1952 where it's estimated some 4,000 - 10,000 people died.

‘The hunters have become the hunted.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

 

Review: The Hidden Storyteller

Title: The Hidden Storyteller

Author: Mandy Robotham

Publisher: 29th February 2024 by Avon Books UK

Pages: 384 pages

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

The war is over. But there are still secrets to be found amidst the ashes…

Hamburg, 1946.

The war is over, and Germany is in ruins. Posted to an Allied-run Hamburg, reporter Georgie Young returns to the country she fled seven years prior – as Chamberlain spoke those fateful words – to find it unrecognisable.

Amidst the stark horrors of a bombed-out city crumbling under the weight of millions of displaced Europeans, she discovers pockets of warmth: a violinist playing amidst the wreckage, couples dancing in the streets, and a nation trying to make amends.

But when she joins forces with local policeman Harri Schroder to solve a murder case he is working on – a woman with the word traitor engraved into her skin – she soon discovers that the darkest secrets of war haven’t been left in the past. And once again she is pulled into a world she hardly expected to see again…

My Thoughts

Mandy Robotham is an auto buy for me as you are always guaranteed a great historical read. The interesting aspect of this novel is that it is post World War II, taking place a year after the declaration of peace. It was fascinating to be on the streets of Hamburg as the struggles and tensions simmered post war under British administration. 

‘People have fought for years to survive Hitler’s madness, and they’re dying because we can’t feed the peace.’

For those of you familiar with Mandy’s 2020 book, ‘The Berlin Girl’, it is Georgie Young, a young British journalist sent to Berlin as a foreign correspondent in 1938, now finding herself in Hamburg post war 1946. The story is also told from not just Georgie but Meta (displaced German) and Harri (German police). The story is over the few weeks that Georgie is in Germany to write her newspaper article. Mandy’s research is once again en pointe with both characters and settings authentically capturing the various experiences of war and the fallout from it. 

‘Is he destined to always have the stink of fascism steeped into the fibres of his being, never to be scrubbed away? Heinrich Himmler must be bloody laughing in his grave.’

Interestingly, this is a story of not only historic details but also incorporates a thriller detective drama. Mandy does well in combining the gripping tale of a murderer on the loose. Towards the end the pace is fast with danger and several tense moments for all involved and readers are sure to engage with characters that you want a better life and outcome for.  

‘Another life lost is nothing new, even after the bombs have stopped - starvation, disease and the freezing weather are the new agents of death.’

Congratulations Mandy on yet another winning book. I have read and adored all your books and cannot recommend them highly enough. For a realistic, well written tale of what life in Germany was like directly after the conclusion of WWII, look no further than ‘The Hidden Storyteller’’. 

‘I’ve been altered by a lot over the last few years, but I didn’t imagine that two weeks in a post-war German city would be quite so life-changing. For a whole host of reasons.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

 

Review: The War Pianist

Title: The War Pianist

Author: Mandy Robotham

Publisher: 16th February 2023 by Avon Books UK

Pages: 400 pages

Genre:  historical fiction, WWII

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

Pianist: NOUN. Informal. A person who operates or controls a radio transmitter – often in code.

July, 1940

Blitz-ridden London: Marnie Fern’s life is torn apart when her grandfather is killed in an air raid. But once she discovers that he’d been working undercover as a radio operative – or Pianist – for the Dutch resistance, Marnie knows she must complete his mission – no matter the cost…

Nazi-occupied Amsterdam: At the other end of the wireless, fellow pianist Corrie Bakker is caught in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse as she desperately tries to keep her loved ones out of the line of fire – even if it means sacrificing herself…

Bound together by the invisible wires of their radios, the two women lead parallel lives in their home cities, as both are betrayed by those they trust the most. But when the Nazis close in on one of them, only the other can save her…

My Thoughts

‘… when the streets outside are layered in dust and debris, as if Hitler has shaken the contents of a giant vacuum cleaner bag across Britain’s capital.’

I have read and loved all of Mandy’s books and I believe her latest offering, The War Pianist, may very well be one of her best! As always Mandy offers her readers a story packed with everything historical fiction readers love - espionage and betrayal, to plights and flights whether it be in blitz ridden London or Nazi occupied Amsterdam. 

‘… a mesh of letters and numbers … the vital work of a radio ‘pianist’ with nimble fingers … this fleeting stream of dots and dashes spells out ‘hope’ in her mind.’

There is never any doubt on the amount of research Mandy undertakes for her books. I learnt so much as I had never heard of radio operators being referred to as ‘pianists’ for their lightning finger movement in sending coded messages in quick time so as their position may never be compromised. Mandy’s war stories come alive off the page as she makes each and everyone of her characters someone you care about. You not only see the rubble in the streets of London but you feel the fear as Nazi boots are heard approaching on the streets of Amsterdam. Mandy’s writing is so vivid that despite all the knowledge readers bring, she still can invoke fear and shock as events play out.

‘Only inside are you allowed to die and scream and pummel your heart back into life and weep into your WVS tea, which swills alongside the swallowed-back tears.’

The story is brilliantly paced with twists and turns, with courage and bravery and with a touch of romance (shout out to the Jane Austen references, “Darcy to her Lizzy”.) Told from multiple points of view, Mandy’s writing is sure to hook you especially as Marnie is just an ordinary person like many of us and therefore so relatable in her thoughts and actions. Congratulations Mandy on yet another winning book. I have read and adored all your books and recommend them highly to all lovers of historical fiction. 

‘Is she strong enough to withstand it? Equally, can she walk away and pretend this doesn’t exist?’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Resistance Girl

Title: The Resistance Girl

Author: Mandy Robotham

Publisher: 31st March 2022 by Avon Books UK

Pages: 400 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction, World War II

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

The next gripping and emotional historical fiction read from international bestseller, Mandy Robotham.

Norway, 1942. War rages, and operation Shetland bus is in full swing. Under cover of darkness, Rumi Orlstad and other locals smuggle British agents, fugitives and supplies across the North Sea to the relative safety of Scotland.

But when one mission goes awry, and Rumi’s husband is lost to the dangerous waters, she retreats from the clandestine group, vowing never to take to the seas again.

Meanwhile, her childhood friend Anya has been placed in Lebensborn, one of Himmler’s secret Aryan maternity camps. And when Rumi learns the fate of Anya’s child, she knows she has no choice but to face her fears and help Anya flee from Nazi grip…

My Thoughts

I have read and loved all of Mandy’s books and The Resistance Girl is another excellent addition to her offerings. Interestingly, this time around Mandy takes her readers to Norway and the story of their resistance during WWII, something I was not familiar with. Mandy writes such great historical war fiction with strong, independent women at the forefront and a realistic fictional tale to coincide with.

‘… they endured the biggest German troop concentration of any occupied nation.’

Mandy’s stories are always well researched and written with absorbing characters and plot lines. She expertly captures both the anger and fear, repression and resistance of the Nazi invasion. I also appreciated the inclusion of certain Norwegian cultural aspects such as fishing and knitting all set against the backdrop of pure Scandinavian landscapes. The story behind the Lebensborn and the baby trafficking to create a pure Aryan race is horrifying. Mandy brings it all to a climactic conclusion with an epilogue to appease those of us always wanting more. 

‘Aren’t you always telling me Norwegian women can do anything? Isn’t this the time to prove it?’

For all this, I was not quite as invested in this book as I had been in Mandy’s previous offerings. I can’t really pinpoint the exact reason why - too much inner dialogues, lamenting the past, general story pacing throughout and wishing for a stronger focus on the Lebensborn aspect. Yet it is still an amazing and worthwhile read with such a unique offering from a new perspective in WWII literary fiction and characters that historical fiction lovers are sure to relish. 

‘I wouldn’t wish you any other way. This anger, it fuels you, Rumi, to do some good. But I’ve learnt the hard way that it needs to be channelled.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Girl Behind the Wall

Title: The Girl Behind the Wall

Author: Mandy Robotham

Publisher: 6th July 2021 by Avon Books - HarperCollins UK

Pages: 400 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: Historical Fiction | Women's Fiction  | World War II

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

A city divided.

When the Berlin Wall goes up, Karin is on the wrong side of the city. Overnight, she’s trapped under Soviet rule in unforgiving East Berlin and separated from her twin sister, Jutta.

Two sisters torn apart.

Karin and Jutta lead parallel lives for years, cut off by the Wall. But Karin finds one reason to keep going: Otto, the man who gives her hope, even amidst the brutal East German regime.

One impossible choice…

When Jutta finds a hidden way through the wall, the twins are reunited. But the Stasi have eyes everywhere, and soon Karin is faced with a terrible decision: to flee to the West and be with her sister, or sacrifice it all to follow her heart?

My Thoughts

‘The tourists come and go, they look and peer over the Wall to another land, at people who squint their eyes back at the West. They comment on the atrocity and they go away again. But still there are no bulldozers, no widespread will to tear it down. The Wall endures.’

You really cannot surpass Mandy’s books for quality WWII fiction stories. I truly loved this one for shining a light on the post Cold War situation - something I was not overly familiar with. Through cleverly telling a story from twins who perchance find themselves separated by the construction of the Berlin Wall, you get a first person account of what life must have been like to wake and find your city being split in two. This proved an emotional read exploring family and political divisions, sibling and romantic love. 

‘So the Wall is not a ‘protection barrier’, but a steely way of stitching up a heavily bleeding wound. For good.’

I grew up watching the Olympic Games with East and West German teams and was in fact in Europe around the time of the Wall coming down. Today, we would find it extraordinary to have a major city torn in two, with divides being political, social and very emotional. Two polar opposite ways of governing but a simple stone throw apart and to have loved ones separated by such a structure would be pure heartache. I think Mandy captures so much of these themes wonderfully well. 

‘Her sister, her soulmate, is barely a few kilometres away, and yet it might as well be a million miles, at the end of a rainbow.’

It was thought provoking to consider that this wall basically went up overnight, where previously, movement between the two zones had been permitted. The use of twins was a stroke of genius as it perfectly encapsulates the divide between East and West. I was there with Jutta crawling through the wall and standing beside Karen as she looked over her shoulder fearing life under Communist rule. 

‘But the world isn’t thinking straight right now, is it? As the Wall climbs higher, life as they know it comes crashing down.’

It is clear the depth of research Mandy has undertaken on all bases concerning facts surrounding not only the politics of the day but the human side of this major world event. Any book that has you racing to Google places and events has done a great job. Tying it all together with characters you come to care about and a plot that has you on the edge of your seat, is a historical fiction reader's heaven.

‘She balances the scales in her head, weighing the risk against Karin’s need and Mama’s elation. In every calculation, Jutta’s own sacrifice is outweighed by her family’s continuing loss.’

Congratulations Mandy on yet another winning book. I have read and adored all your books and cannot recommend them highly enough. For a realistic, well written tale of what life in Berlin during the years of the Wall would have been like, look no further than, ‘The Girl Behind the Wall’. 

“… until August 1961, you lived with your twin sister Karin in said residence. Until, in fact, the day when the anti-fascist protection barrier was erected.”

The Wall. If we’re being honest, call it the fucking Wall.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Berlin Girl

Title: The Berlin Girl

Author: Mandy Robotham

Publisher: 29th October 2020 by Avon Books UK

Pages: 400 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction, world war II

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

From the bestselling author of The German Midwife comes the heart-wrenching story of a country on the brink of war, a woman who puts herself in the line of fire, and a world about to be forever changed.

 

Berlin, 1938: It’s the height of summer, and Germany is on the brink of war. When fledgling reporter Georgie Young is posted to Berlin, alongside fellow Londoner Max Spender, she knows they are entering the eye of the storm.

 

Arriving to a city swathed in red flags and crawling with Nazis, Georgie feels helpless, witnessing innocent people being torn from their homes. As tensions rise, she realises she and Max have to act – even if it means putting their lives on the line.

 

But when she digs deeper, Georgie begins to uncover the unspeakable truth about Hitler’s Germany – and the pair are pulled into a world darker than she could ever have imagined…

My Thoughts

‘It was the beginning of war - and me, in so many ways. Part of me, I think, will always be that Berlin girl.’

Mandy Robotham is quickly becoming a ‘go to’ author for me as you are always guaranteed a great read. The interesting aspect of this novel is that it is pre World War II and takes place over a year from summer 1938 until the declaration of war. It is fascinating to be on the streets of Berlin as tensions begin to rise. 

‘... it was vital that someone should record this abuse against humanity – pictures, in this case, might be more valuable than words. So far, reports alone had not been enough to provoke any reaction from outside Germany to what Hitler was creating. Maybe the world needed to see it in stark black and white, staring at this debacle over their breakfast?’

The story centres around Georgie Young, a young British journalist sent to Berlin as a foreign correspondent. Being a Londoner, Georgie’s view of events are insightful as she witnesses the ruthless control as the Nazis assume a stranglehold on the city. Once again, Mandy has done her research and it is fascinating to be a witness to how things begin to change in a city that Georgie feels drawn to and feels such affinity with. 

It starts off a little slow, as there are a range of characters to establish. At times the plot could be stronger, overall however, the smaller everyday events compensate for this. By the end, the pace really picks up and as the action reaches a crescendo, it is hard to put down. It was encouraging to have a strong female lead in, what was then, a male stronghold - she could hold it ‘with the boys’ who came from a range of newspaper affiliations. I also very much appreciated the detailed epilogue that gives a brief window into what happened to many of the characters throughout the years to follow. Something not often given and provides nice closure.

‘More than ever, she’d felt herself come of age in just one night; there was no pretence at being a fledgling reporter now. This was serious. And she had little choice but to rise to the challenge.’

There is some romance but it runs secondary to the overall theme. There is also Rubin, Georgie’s Jewish driver, who provides the first person POV for the domestic viewpoint and what it was like in the last days as many tried to escape persecution and incarceration. The ending is a little predictable but the epilogue, as mentioned, more than compensates for that. 

Despite not being a five star read as I have found Mandy’s other books to be, this is still really solid reading for historical fiction fans, particularly WWII diehards. The attraction here is to be a part of the Berlin living just months before war was actually declared and seen through the eyes of a young person not affiliated or under the Nazi spell.

‘Why wasn’t the rest of the world truly afraid? Did everyone have to live directly under Hitler’s tyranny to realise his vile capabilities?’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.