Emerging from his home into the streets of Oxfordshire, Joseph Makepeace seems to be suffering from convulsions, as his eyes appear open wide, as if he’s witnessed an evil terror. The local residents though are more suspicious and believe him to be possessed by the devil itself, having entered his soul and causing him to act in such a manor. Then his son and daughter are found to have had their heads bashed in with a shovel, as they lie murdered, a discovery which appears to seal the fate of Joseph as the culprit for many. Will Dr. Thomas Silkstone be able to get to the truth and past the superstition? Can he find the real culprit before it’s too late? What will become of them all as they feel the burn of the devil’s breath? A unique historical fiction story that stands out from other books in the genre .’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ It would be gullible to assume all German citizens supported and believed in their deranged Fuhrer.

An interesting premise, where a young woman is asked to transcribe Hitler’s medical notes in Hamburg. Initially it started out interesting, and there’s a hint of a romance when Katja meets Daniel on a visit to Paris for a conference. When she flees Germany later and moves to Paris, the romance develops. Overall I found the story hooked you in, but I did wane a bit towards the end, from Calais onwards. And the final bit of the story just seemed too improbable - which spoiled it a bit for me unfortunately. I should be happy, but it was just too unlikely (or if it had happened, how could so long go by?).

Publication Order of Dr. Thomas Silkstone Books

A wonderfully written, lovely paced book. I read late into the night, couldn't wait to see what happened.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I rate thus book 5 stars. Definitely for fans of war historical fiction. Definitely a book to add to your to be read list. Will keep you entertained and curious to see how it ends. Enjoy. very strong stars⭐️! The Paris Notebook by Tessa Harris began in Hamburg, Germany in 1939. Katja Heinz had become the sole caregiver for her depressed and widowed mother. Thoughts of her dead father still brought tears to Katja’s eyes. Her father had been made an example of during the Nazi book burnings. Katja’s father had written and published a book that scientifically discredited the Nazi’s claim to a superior Aryan race. His book had infuriated the Nazis and caused the Nazis to ban his book. Katja’s father was present during the book burning of 1933. As book after book was thrown into the bonfire, Katja’s father became increasingly angrier and angrier. When he tried to pull a book away from an over zealous Nazi, he was pushed into the bonfire. Katja, who had accompanied her father to the book burning, witnessed her father’s slow and agonizing death. The vision of her father’s suffering would be forever imbedded upon her mind.

A mix of danger, suspense, mystery, romance and heartbreaking choices make for a story I would definitely recommend.’ NetGalley reviewer, This is the third installment in the Dr. Thomas Silkstone franchise, as it continues the exploits of its eponymous investigator during his time in the eighteenth century. First published on the first of January in 2013, this was to be the next adventure in the ongoing saga of the doctor, as he gets his next case to investigate. Following in the same style and tone, it manages to recapture the overall ambiance of the series, giving the readers more of what they want with it. This plot/story has multiple layers. One thing I enjoyed was the level of suspense. Harris has written historical mysteries as well, so naturally she is great at creating a sense of urgency and suspense within the story. I thought this was an unexpected treat as it read very much like a suspense novel with danger lurking around each corner. But what really worked for me was that she didn’t sacrifice character development to achieve suspense. Often with suspenseful books, there is less in the way of character development and more in creating suspenseful situations. In this book, I felt like the beginning really layer the foundation for the characters and gave the readers time to form connections and then as the story went on, things ramped up in the suspense department and it really created this balanced sense of urgency and compassion for the characters that felt unique to me.

Publication Order of Constance Piper Mystery Books

Katja is now in Paris where she met Daniel Kennan a man who had a tragic past, but at the same time, she feels very attracted to making her life so different. With the notebook hidden in her hat box, Katja and Doctor Viktor travel to Paris. Seeking refuge in the Shakespeare and Company bookshop, they hope to find a publisher brave enough to print the controversial script. I will definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves reading historical fiction and who wants to know more about World War ll.