Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke

August 1, 2015

Gr 8 Up-German Gretchen Muller and German Jew Daniel Cohen are now living in England in 1933, trying to put the dangerous and complicated past behind them. Then Daniel receives word that his cousin is in grave danger back in Munich. Daniel himself is a hunted man, but his need to put his family first draws him back. He takes off in the middle of the night, but first leaves Gretchen a quick note about his plans. Gretchen, formerly one of Adolf Hitler's close friends and now much despised by the man, refuses to let Daniel face the situation alone. Unbelievably, Gretchen manages to find Daniel in Munich and learns that he is the prime suspect in the murder of a young prostitute. What follows is the winding and twisting adventure of Gretchen and Daniel, as they evade National Socialists and the police and try to clear Daniel's name. While the author references many historical events of the early 1930s in Germany, this story reads far less as historical fiction and more as an action/thriller. Heather Wilds very capably uses different voices for the characters. VERDICT Add to collections where historical romances are flying off the shelf.-Suzanne Dix, The Seven Hills School, Cincinnati, OH

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