Eoin Dempsey

Historical fiction about rescue of an airman by a German resistor. It takes place mostly within Germany’s Black Forest region in 1943-1944. This book was a mixed bag for me. While I found elements to enjoy, such as basing it around resistors in Nazi Germany, there were quite a few inconsistencies in the plot, and I found it a bit contrived. This book purports to be “based on a true story;” however, upon further research, it appears to be mostly fiction. The White Rose organization existed, but the protagonist appears to be fabricated, along with the airman she rescues. I wish the author had addressed which parts are historically based. The book also employs terms that are inaccurate for the time and location. The writing was basic, but it was a quick read and I was interested to find out what happened. I obtained this book as a Kindle First free book of the month and have not had much success with them.… (meer)

I have been absolutely loving this latest series by historical fiction author Eoin Dempsey, set in 1930’s Berlin during the years leading up to WW2. Seamus Ritter brought his children from the US to Berlin in search of a better life. Now Michael Ritter is going to be running in the Olympic games against American sensation Jesse Owens. Maureen Ritter is working with the rebel underground. A younger daughter, Fiona, has fallen in with a Hitler Youth group. The way that Dempsey writes this, the social pressures that all in the family face, is extremely well done. Seamus’s wife Lisa and her daughter are in danger because they’ve discovered they have Jewish grandparents they didn’t know about.

In this fourth book of the series, Willi, a newspaper stand boy who was involved in a previous book where Lisa and Seamus covered up a murder, comes to Seamus because he needs his help. The Nazis are rounding up Roma families and locking them in camps around Berlin. They’re being starved and Willi fears they’ll soon be taken away from the city to who knows where. Maureen (one of my favorite characters) works with the underground and a new character Monika, a love interest for Michael that I very much like, to try to save Willi’s family. I love the way Dempsey has developed these characters with so much heart and does such an outstanding job showing the history of the time period. Every time I see there is a new installment of this series ready, I am so excited to see what is in store for the Ritter family next.

I received a complimentary copy of The Grand Illusion from the author and NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.… (meer)