Book Review #The Undercover Secretary #Ellie Midwood #Historical Fiction #Bookouture #Holocaust #War # World War II

 

MY THOUGHTS AND BOOK REVIEW

France, 1942. "I forced myself to hold his gaze. My heart thrashed inside my chest like a bird battering its wings. They knew who I was. They knew what I’d done." These chilling lines set the stage for Ellie Midwood's emotionally charged World War Two novel, "The Undercover Secretary," a tale of courage, sacrifice, and indomitable spirit.

The protagonist, Dora Schaul, has suffered immeasurable losses at the hands of the Nazis. Her loved ones have been torn away from her, leaving her in a world consumed by chaos and despair. Yet, in the face of unimaginable adversity, Dora refuses to succumb to the tyranny of Hitler's regime. The Nazis may have shattered her world, but they will not crush her spirit.

Midwood's storytelling weaves a compelling narrative around Dora, who becomes a beacon of resistance. Working in secret for the underground network in France, Dora undertakes an extraordinary mission – infiltrating the very heart of the enemy as the secretary to the Head of Gestapo, a figure synonymous with brutality and cold-bloodedness.

The tension rises as Dora daily navigates the treacherous waters of her undercover life, constantly at risk of exposure. She rubs shoulders with those she despises, serving coffee to the perpetrators of her family's demise, all the while working towards a mission that could alter the course of history – leaking the names of SS officers to the British press.

Midwood's portrayal of Dora's internal struggles and external challenges is both heart-wrenching and gripping. The juxtaposition of her daily interactions with the enemy and her clandestine mission creates a narrative that is rich in suspense and emotion. The author skillfully captures the essence of the time, the palpable fear, and the unwavering determination of those who fought against an oppressive regime.

The question of survival permeates the story, not only for Dora but for the countless lives she seeks to save. As readers, we are drawn into a world where every moment is fraught with danger, and the consequences of failure are catastrophic.

"The Undercover Secretary" stands out in the genre of World War Two fiction, offering a fresh perspective on the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unspeakable atrocities. Fans of "The Tattooist of Auschwitz," "The Alice Network," and "The Lilac Girls" will find themselves utterly swept away by this poignant and enthralling novel, a testament to one woman's courage in the darkest hours of history. Ellie Midwood has crafted a tale that lingers long after the last page is turned, reminding us of the power of hope even in the bleakest of times.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture Publisher for an advance digital copy for my advance review.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

France, 1942. “I forced myself to hold his gaze. My heart thrashed inside my chest like a bird battering its wings. They knew who I was. They knew what I’d done.” This heartbreaking and unputdownable World War Two novel tells the incredible true story Dora Schaul, who risked her life by coming face-to-face with enemy—the monsters who killed her loved ones.

Dora has lost everything to the Nazis. Her dearest friends have disappeared into thin air. Her parents have been imprisoned in concentration camps and murdered for the crime of simply existing. She has no idea if her darling husband, the devoted and brave Alfred, is still alive.

Though her world is crashing and burning around her, Dora refuses to give in to Hitler’s tyranny. The Nazis may have broken her heart, but they will not break her spirit.

Secretly working for the underground network in France, Dora risks her life on the most dangerous mission in the history of the local resistance. She goes undercover as the secretary of the Head of Gestapo; a soldier with a brutal reputation. A cold-blooded killer.

She is tasked with leaking the names of the SS to the British press. Every day, she rubs shoulders with the enemy. She makes coffee for the people she despises. She types letters for the monsters who killed her family. At any second, she could be found out…

Can she survive, turning the tide of the war and saving thousands of lives? Or will those she loved the most in the world, and millions of other innocent people, have died in vain?

Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Alice Network, and The Lilac Girls will be utterly swept away by this heart-wrenching and totally gripping novel about one of history’s most courageous women.

Format

254 pages, ebook

Published

January 19, 2023 by Bookouture

ISBN

9781837900442

Language

English

#BOOK ON TOUR #DEATH AT CROOKHAM HALL #MICHELLE SALTER #HISTORICAL FICTION (The Iris Woodmore Mysteries Book 1)

MY THOUGHTS AND BOOK REVIEW 

Happy Publication Day! In the book Death at Crookham Hall, Iris investigates her mother's death, Violet Woodmore set in London in 1920 while visiting Crookham Hall. Iris Woodmore worked as the only permanent reporter for Elijah Whittle, editor of The Walden Herald. As Iris was looking for stories during the by-election for the next MP for Aldershot. Mrs. Siddons had been declared as the woman candidate for the liberal party. Mrs. Siddon was Iris's friend after her mother's death six years then, and Great War had passed. Lady Delphina Timpson is standing for the conservatives. And Donald Anstey was standing for the labour candidate. Iris investigates her mother suffragette Violet Woodmore's death and finds the waterman of Thames telling Iris that her mother jumped into the water of Thames sinking into the filthy darkness, another martyr to the cause. At the same, Mrs. Siddons had been a suffragette, Is Iris's mother's death caused by the authority by forcing her into the water?. Her mother was marching on Buckingham palace with the other three women, Iris mother went to the house of commons, she didn't go alone, there was Rebecca Dent who was with her - Rebecca had gone missing at the short of the war. Rebecca lived in Walden and not in London. Rebecca worked as a maid for Lord and Lady Timpson. She went missing in August 1914. Iris Woodmore visits Crookham Hall, to the House of Commons to find out more about her mother's death revealing that her mother might have jumped into the Thames. That's when Iris found out Rebecca was with her mother that day. 

And then it happened the murder of Lord Timpson, I enjoyed the courtroom scenes at the end chapters. A cozy mystery set in the 1920s full of suspense and an in-depth plot. 

Thanks to Publisher ‏ : ‎ Boldwood Books (January 18, 2023), Netgalley for an advance copy for my honest review.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Boldwood Books (January 18, 2023)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 18, 2023

• BOOK DESCRIPTION
• 
  
• London, 1920. For the first time ever, two women are competing against each other to become an MP. Reporter Iris Woodmore has a big story on her hands when she accompanies one of the candidates to the House of Commons. But it’s a place that holds painful memories. In 1914, her mother died there when she fell into the River Thames during a daring suffragette protest. Then, in the shadow of Big Ben, a waterman tells Iris her mother didn’t fall – she jumped.
• 
  
  Iris discovers that the suffragette with her mother that fateful day has been missing for six years, mysteriously disappearing just after the protest. Desperate to know the truth behind the fatal jump, Iris’s investigation leads her to Crookham Hall, an ancestral home where secrets and lies lead to murder…
  
  
  The first book in the Iris Woodmore cozy crime series.
• 
  

  I just reviewed Death at Crookham Hall by Michelle Salter #DeathatCrookhamHall   #NetGalley

   ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MICHELLE SALTER

Michelle Salter is a historical crime fiction writer based in Hampshire, United Kingdom. Many of her novels are set in the area where she lives and are inspired by real-life 

She brings a love of social history to her novels, 

which reflects how issues of 100 years ago are not so different from the challenges we face today.

When she’s not writing, Michelle can be found knee-deep in mud at her local nature reserve.

She enjoys working with a team of volunteers undertaking conservation activities on land and in water, 

repairing riverbanks, sloshing around in the marshes, and driving a tractor badly.

Boldwood’s IG account - https://www.instagram.com/bookandtonic/

Social Media Links –  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichelleSalterWriter 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichelleASalter 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellesalter_writer/ 

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/michelle-salter