The Librarian of Burned Books by Brianna Labuskes

 

The Librarian of Burned Books by Brianna Labuskes-516 pages

This book is inspired by the true story of the Council of Books in Wartime.  For anyone who loves books and the freedom to read what we want just reading about the book burnings in Germany made me furious.

This book is about three women who are woven together by their love of the written word and preserving it for the future.  It was a slow start for me, so many characters and plots taking place on different continents.  I stuck with it though and I'm glad I did.  The author put a lot of research into this book and I learned things that I was not aware of.  It is well worth your time.

Death in Focus by Anne Perry

Death in Focus: An Elena Standish Novel by Anne Perry --- 305 pages.

The first book in a new series by best selling historical mystery author Anne Perry, set in Europe during the rise of Fascism and the prelude to the Second World War.

From Google Books:

It is 1933 and Europe is a place of increasing fear and violence. Young British photographer Elena Standish is on assignment in Amalfi when she meets Ian Newton, a charming Englishman with whom she falls in love. But what does she really know about him?

Accompanying Ian on a train from Italy to Paris, Elena finds him dying of multiple stab wounds. Ian reveals he is a member of Britain's MI6 (Military Intelligence), on his way to Berlin to try to prevent the assassination of one of Hitler's henchmen. Hitler will eliminate a rival and frame the British for the death, thus creating an excuse to go to war. Elena promises to deliver the message to the British Embassy in Berlin. But she is too late: the assassination succeeds; Elena is accused of the crime and finds herself fleeing for her life.

Meanwhile Lucas Standish, secret head of MI6 during the war, learns that his beloved granddaughter Elena is being hunted in Berlin for murder. With Elena on the run, and at least one traitor in the British Embassy, how can Elena know who to trust?

The book disappointed me. My biggest problem is that Elena, a 28-year-old woman who grew up during the difficult years of World War I and its aftermath, and has been through one intimate betrayal already from trusting too much, is unbelievably naive. My second problem with the book is that some complete stranger (always male) turns up at every crisis to save Elena as she wanders about Berlin trying to evade arrest. On the other hand Perry does capture the fear and despair of people who barely survived one war and are now dreading another.

Click HERE to read the review from Publishers Weekly.

Click HERE to read the review from Kirkus Reviews.

Click HERE to read the review from Criminal Element.com.

Click HERE to watch Anne Perry discussing her new Elena Standish series.