#bookreviewers – Page 9 – Rosepoint Publishing

The Constant Soldier by William Ryan – #BookReview – Historical World War II Fiction

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Paul Brandt, a soldier in the German army, returns wounded and ashamed from the bloody chaos of the Eastern Front to find his village changed and in the dark shadow of an SS rest hut—a luxurious retreat for officers recuperating from their injuries and for those who manage the nearby concentration camps of Auschwitz. The hut is run with the help of a small group of female prisoners from the camps who, against all odds, have survived the war so far. When, by chance, Brandt glimpses one of these prisoners, he realizes he must find a way to access the hut. For inside is the woman to whom his fate has been tied since their arrest five years earlier, and now he must do all he can to protect her.

As the Russian offensive moves closer and partisans press from the surrounding woodlands, the days of this rest hut and its SS inhabitants are numbered. And while hope for Brandt and the female prisoners grows tantalizingly close, the danger is greater than ever. In a forest to the east, a young female Soviet tank driver awaits her orders to advance . . .

His Review:

Brant is a soldier wounded badly at the Russian front and has been given a discharge from the German army. He is considered a hero by many because of the arm that was lost and terrible burns received in battle. Although discharged, he is responsible for a rest facility for Germans back from the front. Officers mostly, who are in desperate need of rest and relaxation.

Before the war, Brandt attended university in Vienna. At 25, with the war starting, he no longer wishes to continue at the university and is swept up in the expansion of the German army. Assigned to the facility he is running are a number of women who are charged with cleaning the linens and preparing foods and other domestic chores required to keep the soldiers on leave comfortable. Among the women is one who he was romantically involved with before the war.

The town where the facility is located is near his father’s old family farm in Ukraine. The local mayor of the town has taken it as one of his responsibilities to help run the retreat as well. He is overweight and vicious in his treatment of the women and anyone else that he can push around. He reports to the camp commandant and makes everyone’s life miserable.

The constant threat of the Red Army pushing through the area is a constant concern. Brandt and the others feel there will be no mercy shown by the Russians toward them. The people from the surrounding area are frantically trying to head west towards the approaching American army to avoid being captured by the Russians. The situation has become desperate.

William Ryan has spun a very believable story of the frantic situation lived by the people in Eastern Europe nearing the end of WW II. The struggle for the basics of life and just to be alive is continuous and unremitting. The mental images and development of the characters in this book is illuminating, revealing, and gripping. Putting myself in their shoes made my appreciation of the tragedy of war and their survival more personal. 5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. These are my own thoughts. The novel is highly recommended.

Book Details:

Genre: Historical World War II Fiction, 20^th Century Historical Romance
Publisher: Arcade
ISBN-10: ‎ 1956763783
ASIN: B0BTZWD21K
Publication date: ‎ November 7, 2023
Date First Available: ‎ January 1, 1970
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: William Ryan’s first novel in the Captain Korolev series, The Holy Thief, was shortlisted for a Crime Writer’s Association’s New Blood Dagger, a Barry Award, The Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award and The Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. The second in the series, The Bloody Meadow, was shortlisted for the Ireland AM Crime Novel of the Year and the third, The Twelfth Department, was also shortlisted for the Ireland AM Crime Novel of the Year as well as the CWA’s Historical Fiction Dagger and was a Guardian Crime Novel of the Year..

The Constant Soldier, William’s fourth novel was described as “subtle, suspenseful and superb” by The Daily Mail and shortlisted for the HWA’s Gold Crown and the CWA’s Steel Dagger. A House of Ghosts, (as W.C. Ryan),was published in October 2018 and was described as “an intelligent, absorbing, exquisitely spooky mystery” by The Irish Times. The Winter Guest, published in January 2022, was called an “impeccably researched and utterly intriguing historical mystery that lays bare the societal fractures caused in Ireland’s fight for freedom” by the Irish Independent.

Visit http://www.william-ryan.com for more information.

Enjoy Your Sunday

Rosepoint Reviews – September Recap – Welcome October Autumn

Rosepoint Reviews - September Recap

Yes, September brought our long-awaited East Coast trip! While I did get some reviews scheduled, I relied on my little tablet and the “stick” to which I’d downloaded the activity for the month. Unfortunately, it didn’t work although I’d tried, tested, and thought I had it before we left.

Lincoln Memorial - DC — Lincoln Memorial

Our timing landed us in DC during their record-setting heat wave where walking the National Mall was a major test of the constitution of the physical kind. We planned to hit Philly, New York, Boston, Bar Harbor (my personal designation), Nova Scotia (the CE’s personal designation), Montreal (Canada), and Toronto (Canada). Hurricane Lee knocked Bar Harbor out, however, and we diverted to Plattsburgh IL, and a ferry ride—thence a quick and easy cross at the border into Canada.

Scaddabush Front Street Italian Restaurant, Toronto, Canada — Scaddabush Front Street Italian Restaurant in Toronto. So good we went back a second time.

We did experience a major downpour but nothing like New York just experienced with flooded subways. Our son did all the driving, the scenery was beautiful—much of it looked like home actually—except for the majestic skylines of the massive cities. My personal daily walking goal is 3,500 steps. Walking those cities achieved more than 21k steps one day, my equivalent of…10 miles? And there was always a lot of walking! Do you use a FitBit or equivalent; chronicle your steps? You’d think with all that walking I’d have shed some pounds. Nope. One—it was just one.

I mentioned last month our puppy adoption failure. Even with a lot of steps, could not keep up with a puppy. Still, back home and missing a dog’s joyous grin when we return home and a little couch buddy. I shouldn’t, but can’t help looking for an adult rescue.

If I was looking for some downtime, walking miles every day for almost three weeks wasn’t it, nor the backlog faced when we returned. Still trying to play catch up.

So a slow reading month—we read (or listened to) twelve books in September. These are still predominately from NetGalley, but more now from a variety of sources as we search for good, easy reading. (As always, links below are to my reviews that include purchase info.)

September Recap

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller (CE review)
Dying for a Daiquiri by Cindy Sample
A Superior Death by Nevada Barr (audiobook)
The Woman with a Purple Heart by Diane Hanks (5* CE review)
That Others May Live by Sara Driscoll (5* CE review)
Three Wise Men by Lou Bavou (CE review)
The Sorrowful Girl by Keenan Powell (5* CE review)
Tangled Webs by Maria McDonald
A Beautiful Ferocity by Jean Grainger (5* review)
One Last Kill by Robert Dugoni (5* CE review)
The Women by Kristin Hannah (5* review)
The Storyteller’s Death by Ann Dávila Cardinal

These included historical fiction, literary fiction, cozy mystery, and paranormal.

Favorite Book of the Month

Sorry, not sorry, but there is no contest here. Hands down, this month’s favorite (and will likely be the favorite of the year is The Women. Okay, you might accuse me of prejudice because we lived through that time—spent in nearby support—and heard that protest music echo in my head as I read. But I’d argue that the well-developed main character nailed the reality of the time—and perhaps could be applied to the present as well. Not due to release until February of 2024; I’d urge you to put it on your must-read list.

Book of the Month for September—The Women by Kristin Hannah.

My Reading Challenges page… I have 110 books of a goal of 145 in Goodreads (at this point one book ahead of schedule) and still riding at a 97% feedback ratio in NetGalley. Haven’t even looked at the Reading Challenges page. Soon…

Autumn is making herself known in crisp morning temps, changes of weather from erratic warm to very cool and back again. (In our neck of the woods, 80 will plummet 20 degrees shortly.) I do enjoy leaf peeping and did see the start of it on our trip. For me, though, it’s a harbinger of winter and I’m not a fan. As pretty as those northern states were, I couldn’t help but visualize and feel the snow and cold. I’ll proudly wear my Toronto sweatshirt, but I’ll be glad I’m no longer there.

Welcome, as always, to my new subscribers. I always appreciate those who read and comment.

One Last Kill by Robert Dugoni – #BookReview – #womensleuths

Tracy Crosswhite Book 10

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

An Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling series.

Detective Tracy Crosswhite draws a long-dormant serial killer out of hiding in a nerve-shattering novel by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

Tracy Crosswhite is reopening the investigation into Seattle’s Route 99 serial killer. After thirteen victims, he stopped hunting and the trail went cold, stirring public outrage. Now, nearly three decades after his first kill, Tracy is expected to finally bring closure to the victims’ families and redeem the Seattle PD’s reputation. Even if it means working with her nemesis, Captain Johnny Nolasco.

Lead detective of the original task force, Nolasco dares Tracy to do what he failed to: close the case. Forming an uneasy alliance, Tracy and Nolasco revisit old leads and pursue new evidence only to unearth high-level corruption and cover-ups as dangerous as the elusive killer himself. At the risk of being exposed, such deadly and powerful forces will go to extremes to stay in the shadows.

That’s just where Tracy and Nolasco are headed—to find the twisted truth behind a killer’s motives, his disappearance, and his chilling comeback.

His Review:

Tracy Crosswhite has risen quickly through the ranks of detective in Seattle. To be sure, the men in the department are not always supportive of fast-moving women. To level the playing field, she has been assigned to review old cold cases that were not solved. One case in particular regarding eleven hookers was never solved. There is a similarity between all of the deaths, a carved set of “Angels Wings” on the left shoulder of the victim.

The case is over 25 years old and suddenly the killer is striking again! This time the victims are middle-aged ladies who work in governmental positions in Seattle. They are no longer part of the marginalized segment of society. Their deaths are affecting the community in general and everyone is on edge. Tracy is pulled into the problem and is working with a senior detective who worked on the case over 25 years ago. His name is Johnnie Nolasco.

This criminal has been very careful and thorough! Why would he deviate from his former modus operandi and start killing middle-aged or retired former city employees? There is no apparent DNA material to help identify the killer. Tracy starts by going through the boxes of evidence collected on each of the murders and in one of the boxes makes a surprising find!

Working together Tracy and Johnnie slowly follow the evidence and develop a possible identity for the killer. The investigation is stymied at every turn by the lack of speed from various departments within the Seattle Police Department. They feel they have found a viable individual but are reluctant to name the person who is a bit too close to home.

Dugoni does not disappoint. The trail is convoluted and has more twists and turns than the road to Pike’s Peak. Read and enjoy this novel! 5 stars – CE Williams

[Note: The CE and I have shared a number of Dugoni’s books, including most recently Her Deadly Game, and greatly enjoyed it. As I’ve said before, around this house we like to say, “Of course it’s good, it’s a Dugoni.” They are consistently engaging, well-crafted, and well-plotted with relatable characters. This one is no exception. VW]

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Book Details:

Genre: Serial Killer Thrillers, Women Sleuths
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ISBN: ‎ 1662500211
ASIN: B0B9T7K1F3
Print Length: 351 pages
Publication Date: October 3, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite police series set in Seattle, which has sold more than 8 million books worldwide. He is also the author of The Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thriller series, and several stand-alone novels including The 7th Canon, Damage Control, and the literary novels, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell – Suspense Magazine’s 2018 Book of the Year, for which Dugoni’s narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award and the critically acclaimed, The World Played Chess; as well as the nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. Several of his novels have been optioned for movies and television series. Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction and a three-time winner of the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. He has also been a finalist for many other awards including the International Thriller Award, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Silver Falchion Award for mystery, and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award.

Robert Dugoni’s books are sold in more than twenty-five countries and have been translated into more than thirty languages.

Visit his website at http://www.robertdugoni.com, and follow him on twitter @robertdugoni and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorRobertDugoni

Tangled Webs by Maria McDonald – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

A spellbinding new historical psychological mystery

Book Blurb

Two women take drastic action to protect the life they’ve built, in this gripping new novel set in early twentieth-century Belfast by the author of The Devil’s Own.

Jane Best and Agnes Williams are known in Belfast for taking in lodgers at Riverdale House, the business they started together after losing their husbands in the Anglo-Zulu War. For forty years, they’ve welcomed young women in need of a respectable place to stay in the city—including unfortunate cases like young Iris Seoin, who’s come here to get away from her abuser.

When a man shows up at the lodging house looking for Iris, he experiences a flash of recognition. He knows these two. He knows their past. And he knows what they’re hiding.

For Jane and Agnes, everything is at stake. But if they succeed in burying this blackmailer, will their secret stay buried with him?

My Review

Jane Best and Agnes Williams both experience the death of their husbands. While they had two very different backgrounds, neither could return to their former lives and agree on a new location with a business they could use to generate income as well as a stable home.

Each have their areas of expertise and soon they own and operate a safe lodging residence for ladies. Against the odds, however, an uncouth man from their former lives recognize them. What follows is a suspense-driven, well plotted mystery set in the latter 19^th century Ireland.

“…Home Rule means Rome Rule.”

I enjoyed the early account of their experience and later the struggle to create their lodging house. The antagonist is just nasty enough to stack the tension. Support characters and descriptions of the area and time create authenticity.

Several twists come as a surprise and plot re-direction. The prose provides light-hearted insight to the circumstances while the background turns darker.

A quick and easy read that adds spice to the suspense and generates the need to know more. Recommended!

Book Details

ASIN: ‎ B0CDCPFG9M
Publisher‏ : ‎ Bloodhound Books
Publication date‏ : ‎ September 1, 2023
Print length ‏ : ‎ 322 pages
Genre: LGBTQ+Genre Fiction, Lesbian Fiction
Source: Author
Title Link: A Superior Death [Amazon]

Rosepoint Publishing: Four points

The Author: Originally from Belfast, Maria McDonald lives in Kildare, with her husband Gerry.

Maria is an avid reader who loves to write but only indulged in her passion for writing fiction after retirement. Since then, her short stories and articles have been published in Woman’s Way and Ireland’s Own, as well as numerous anthologies; Intermissions, Grattan Street Press Melbourne; Same page anthology, University College Cork; Fragments of Time, Amber Publishers. Maria is a founder member of Ink Tank Writing Group, based in Newbridge library and contributed to their anthologies, Timeless in Kildare and Let Me Tell You Something.

#TuesdayBookBlog

The Sorrowful Girl by Keenan Powell – #BookReview – Historical Irish Fiction

A Liam Barrett Gilded Age Novel

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Liam Barrett embodied the hopes and dreams of his family, bound for Harvard Law School. When his father unexpectedly dies, he gives up his plans and goes to work providing for his family in Adams, Massachusetts. As a policeman who abhors violence and who possesses an ability to calm agitated people, he strives to mediate disputes and keep peace in his community.

When a young Adams woman is found murdered near the estate of mill owner Alistair Cunningham, Cunningham pressures Liam to make a quick arrest. But Liam wants justice. As he fights to ensure that an innocent man is not railroaded, Liam uncovers a sinister plot forcing him to choose between his pacifist conviction and his duty to protect his town.

His Review:

Owen Sweeny comes into the local police office to report the finding of a young girl’s body found in the nearby woods. A good deed never goes unpunished. He is immediately thrown in jail as the prime suspect in her murder. The townspeople are expecting a lynching.

Liam Barrett is the local policeman appointed by the owner of the town’s factory to investigate the murder and hang the culprit. There is no evidence that Owen is the killer and he has a solid alibi. The plot thickens and the town’s tension is amplified as the investigation seems to stall.

This writer has devised a well-conceived crime with many false leads. The guilty party is not exposed until the end and I found myself totally in the dark, unable to guess the perp. I was impressed by the myriad of false leads leading to the climax. I heartily recommend this read to everyone who enjoys a good mystery. 5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and these are my own opinions.

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Irish Fiction, Historical British & Irish Literature, Traditional Detective Mysteries
Publisher: Three Hooligans Press
ISBN-13: ‎ 979-8987149553
ASIN: B0C81KGNW3
Print Length: 271 pages
Publication Date: June 14, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s): The Sorrowful Girl [Amazon]

The Author: Keenan Powell is the Agatha, Lefty, and Silver Falchion nominated author of the Maeve Malloy Mystery series.

Despite being one of original Dungeons and Dragons illustrators, art seemed an impractical pursuit – not an heiress, wouldn’t marry well, hated teaching – so she went to law school. The day after graduation, she moved to Alaska.

She is the author of the Maureen Gould Legal Thrillers, the Maeve Malloy Mysteries and numerous short stories.

Stretch out and relax--Enjoy your day.

Three Wise Men by Lou Bavou – #BookReview – #OccultUFOs

The answers to those profound questions about the Universe, Time, the Origin of Life and are we alone or not?

(Three Wise Book Series-Part 1)

Book Blurb:

Most science books are hard work!
So, this is a fact book with a fictional twist. It sets out to make science and religion more understandable and enjoyable to read, plus hopefully pose a few thought-provoking insights along the way.

It’s a novel way of explaining the science behind those profound questions we ponder on occasionally: What are the origins of the Universe and life? Are we alone in the Universe? When did Time begin? Does God exist? Is there an afterlife?

To make the science, which explores questions, more palatable, the scientific facts are presented as a dialogue between three fictional friends, who give factual commentaries on the above questions with a little humor added into the mix.

The narrative is set mainly in a Manhattan bar where the three friends meet every Friday after work. As a change of scenery, the friends also spend weekends at a hunting lodge.

The diverse social background of the three main characters; an investment banker with a scientific background, a pious Catholic of Irish descent and a down-to-earth Italian plumber, together with the insights given by the female proprietor of the bar, allows for a balance of views and opinions: from academic, religious and pragmatic perspectives on life.

Each chapter covers one of these profound questions, starting with the existence of God which naturally leads on to the reasons why people are religious. Having challenged the rationale behind religion, the book then counterbalances this with chapters on the origin, size and the end of the Universe. This then leads onto discussions on the link between space and time. The natural progression from the Universe and time leads onto a chapter on the origin of life including the possibility of life elsewhere. Finally, there’s a historical perspective on death and burials.

His Review:

Three friends are spending Christmas Eve at the local watering hole. Their conversations turn to the mysteries of the universe. Does God exist; How did the universe even happen; and is there other life in the cosmos? These are questions that mankind has been pondering for ions. Michael, Jess, and Gio bandy about these questions while enjoying various libations.

The author, Lou Bavou, has delved deeply into these questions while being at the least an agnostic. Belief in a God is fundamental to every religion on the planet. But there is no apparent proof that He even exists. Certainly, enlightened populations around the planet have developed theories and speculations about this question but is there tangible evidence?

Are there aliens or some other species living in the vast array of our universe? And are these aliens aware of our presence here on earth? SETI, the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence has pondered this question for over a decade. Maybe our planet’s location in the Milky Way Galaxy is akin to someone in a backwater yet discovered.

Time and distance make the discovery of our planet problematic! Even at the speed of light mankind cannot expect to explore habitable planets outside our solar system. The time is just not available for us as fragile creatures. This entire novel is a serious look at astronomy and philosophy and is a well-written treatise. 4 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to the author for providing me with the opportunity to read and review his book with no expectation for a review. These opinions are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four stars

Book Details:

Genre: Occult UFOs, UFOs, Astronomy
Publisher: Bavou
ASIN: B0C85CV31L
Print Length: 257 pages
Publication Date: June 14, 2023
Source: Author

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Lou Bavou is a unique new voice in the world of science books. With a strong education in math, physics and chemistry, he graduated with an honors degree from Birmingham University, UK. He spent a long career as a consultant engineer to the energy industry running his own small consultancy company with extensive travel and work around North America, Europe, Russia and Asia; learning about the local cultures and history. During his travels he has rubbed shoulders with oil rig ‘bears’, negotiated with Arabic oil ministers and been tailed by the Iraqi secret service and still found time to write numerous professional reports, papers and guidelines for the energy industry.

Lou recently decided to change direction and take-up writing full-time.

Nowadays, when he’s not researching his keen interests in astronomy and astrobiology, he spends time running a small holding. He still travels and has wild camped in the Sahara Desert, ice skated on the highest rink in the world in Kazakhstan, sheltered from major cyclones in China and Sri Lanka – and they say lightening never strikes twice, once nearly drowned in the River Thames and survived his wife’s meatballs, but still lives with her on the outskirts of SW London with their children of all ages.

That Others May Live by Sara Driscoll – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

An FBI K-9 Novel, Book 8

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

A treat for dog lovers, this latest novel in the only mystery series that revolves around a K-9 search-and-rescue unit is gripping, timely, and “wonderfully readable” (Publishers Weekly), with a gutsy heroine and an authentic, harder edge that will appeal to fans of harder-edged mysteries.

There are situations that fill even the most seasoned FBI K-9 handlers with shock and horror. Meg Jennings is preparing for another work day when she gets words of a catastrophic scene in downtown Washington, DC. Part of a twelve-story condo building has collapsed, and the rest of the structure could soon follow. Every search-and-rescue worker and K-9 team is needed on-site immediately to find survivors—and assess the casualties.

Putting aside her fears for her firefighter fiancé, who’s already inside the unstable building, Meg turns to the task at hand. If anyone is still alive within the rubble, she and Hawk, working alongside other K-9 teams, must find them. Every hour, every moment counts—and a wrong move could trigger a deadly chain reaction for those buried beneath. But beyond the present danger is a deeper threat, as evidence indicates that this wasn’t a random tragedy, but an act of domestic terrorism. And identifying the culprit and motivation, in time to stop another attack, means taking on an enemy with terrifying skills—and nothing left to lose.

His Review:

The call came in and Meg and Cody, a canine disaster recovery team, were called in to put their rescue efforts to the test. How could a building just over 30 years old collapse? Talbot Terrace at the corner of I and 9^th streets collapsed.The event was so sudden that families getting ready for their days were trapped in the collapsed building. The 12-story building had collapsed into a little over three stories high.

Rescue teams were called in including some of the finest from all over the Eastern seaboard. Meg with her rescue dog Cody began at the top of the pile looking for survivors. It seemed impossible looking at the pile of rubble that anyone could have lived through the catastrophe!

Finding a young man near the top floor felt like a major accomplishment. The F.B.I. and other teams were called in because the smell of explosives gave away the cause of the collapse. Was someone trying to kill a high-level diplomat or someone else in the melee? Meg and Cody were able to find a few survivors but the less than four feet between floors left a grim cleanup.

Sara Driscoll writes with clarity and authority. I felt like this book gave me an introductory primer to the construction of high-rise buildings. The description of the building methodology made it seem that there was little chance of a collapse but the investigation pointed pretty quickly to sabotage.

Could it have been a foreign power or enemy of the United States? This book explains the investigative process and subsequent means of identifying the culprits. Enjoy! 5 stars – CE Williams

Note: I read Before It’s Too Late in June and love the Sara Driscoll series. The crunch of time had me reluctantly sharing this book with the CE. You can see he enjoys the K-9 series as much as I. vw

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Book Details:

Genre: Terrorism Thrillers, Conspiracy Thrillers, Serial Killer Thrillers
Publisher: Kensington Books
ASIN: B0BZBK2PW1
Print Length: 352 pages
Publication Date: November 28, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s): That Others May Live

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Sara Driscoll is the pen name of Jen J. Danna, coauthor of the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries and author of the FBI K-9s and the NYPD Negotiators. After over thirty years in infectious diseases research, Jen hung up her lab coat to concentrate on her real love—writing “exceptional” thrillers (Publishers Weekly). She is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada and lives with her husband and four rescued cats outside of Toronto, Ontario. You can follow the latest news on her books, including the FBI K-9s, at http://www.saradriscollauthor.com.

#TuesdayBookBlog

The Woman with a Purple Heart by Diane Hanks – #BookReview – #HistoricalWorldWarIIFiction

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Based on the real life of Lieutenant Annie Fox, Chief Nurse of Hickam Hospital, The Woman with a Purple Heart is an inspiring WWII novel of heroic leadership, courage, and friendship that also exposes a shocking and shameful side of history.

Annie Fox will stop at nothing to serve her country. But what happens when her country fails her?

In November 1941, Annie Fox, an Army nurse, is transferred to Hickam Field, an air force base in Honolulu. The others on her transport plane are thrilled to work in paradise, but Annie sees her new duty station as the Army’s way of holding the door open to her retirement. But serving her country is her calling and she will go wherever she is told.

On December 7, Annie’s on her way to work when the first Japanese Zero fighter plane flies low over Hickam’s Parade Ground. The death and destruction that follow leave her no time to process what’s happening. She rallies her nurses, and they work to save as many lives as they can. But soon their small hospital is overwhelmed. Annie drives into Honolulu to gather supplies, nurses, and several women who will donate blood. However, the nurses are Japanese Americans, and the blood donors are prostitutes.

Under Annie’s leadership and working together in unexpected ways, they make it through that horrific day, when one of the Japanese American nurses and Annie’s friend, Kay, is arrested as a suspected subversive. As Hickam tries to recover, Annie works to find her friend and return Kay to her family. But Annie’s love for her country is put to the test. How can she reconcile the American bravery and resilience she saw on December 7 with the prejudice and injustice she witnesses just a few months later?

His Review:

Many of the people at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack saw an angel in their last moments. Lieutenant Annie Fox was a Canadian who volunteered during WWII and helped the wounded in France. Realizing that the wounded had no chance for survival, she held their hands and promised to write home to their parents.

She stayed with the U.S. Military and found herself at Hickam Field hospital near Pearl Harbor.

On December 7, 1941 the Japanese attacked the U.S. at Pearl Harbor and Hickam Field. Totally unprepared for the attack, over 2400 soldiers and sailors were killed and nearly 11,000 wounded in the melee. Lieutenant Fox was the last person many of them saw.

Lieutenant Fox was a Canadian who provided excellent nursing skills for the wounded during the war and was awarded the Purple Heart. However, she was not injured and so the award was rescinded in 1944 and replaced with a Bronze Star for meritorious service. Fox was the first woman awarded the Purple Heart. She retired in San Diego, California and died at the age of 93. She never married.

This story is extremely well written and reminded me of the wonderful nurses I met while stationed overseas in Japan and Taiwan. I also felt empathy for the Japanese who were sequestered in internment camps during WWII. Loyal Americans whose only crime was their ancestry. Read and enjoy this fabulous book. 5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. These are my own opinions

Book Details:

Genre: Biographical Historical Fiction, World War II Historical Fiction, Women’s Literature & Fiction
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
ISBN-10: ‎ 1728265118
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1728265117
ASIN: B0BT8GTXTR
Print Length: 352 pages
Publication Date: November 7, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Diane Hanks has a BFA in Creative Writing from Roger Williams University and an MA in Professional Writing & Publishing from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. A medical writer by day, she has written numerous screenplays and recently returned to her first love—writing novels. Diane also is a mentor for the Writers Guild Initiative, which makes the art of storytelling accessible to underserved populations. When not writing, she enjoys walking by the river near her home.