Thank you to Harper Audio and the author Oriana Ramunno for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook for an honest review before it's release date. As with any WW2 book, this one was heart wrenching and hard to read. No matter how many WW2 books I've read, they never get easier and this was no exception. This one was different than any other's I've read in that it incorporated a murder and an investigator trying to figure out the killer. You will also meet a sweet little Jewish boy who will steal your heart and plays an integral role in this book. This book had many characters that at times it was hard for me to remember who was who, especially when there are so many titles associated with the Nazi officers, and a lot of different women in the book. This was a good story and if WW2 fiction is your thing, I recommend it. (Reviewed also posted on Goodreads)

So, although I’ve read many Holocaust novels, it seems that each time I read one, it takes a little piece of my heart. I find myself cringing many times during the reading of these types…amidst all the terror and horrors.
The book opens in a camp where a young boy, Gioele, who is imprisoned there, finds the dead body of an SS officer. Apparently, he has choked on an apple. But, a criminologist is called in to investigate. His name is Hugo Fischer.
Hugo does not want to be here. He’s not happy with what the Germans are doing, and he definitely does not like what he sees here. But he is told that he cannot report anything that is going on here…and so he must remain quiet.
He also has an underlying disease that he doesn’t want them to know about…and so he supports the Germans, and hopes that he is never found out.
At the same time, he needs to investigate this death. And so he dives in. He meets many people along the way, and interrogates them all. To his surprise, the one who impresses him the most is young Gioele! He seems to form a bond with the boy, and the boy starts to open up to him. He finds out that his parents and twin brother were all taken here, but he has not seen them since they arrived. He asks Hugo to see if he can find out anything about where they are, or how they are. He obviously can’t make any promises, but says he’ll try. Hugo also finds out that one of the main docs there is doing experiments on twins…basically using them as Guinea pigs…amongst other horrific things going on there.
Horrible gut wrenching scenes throughout, but some great stuff too.
And in the end, one of his friends says to him, we can’t save them all, but if we can even save one, at least that one will have a chance…
And so they go on…
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the ARC of the audiobook which is being released on September 5th.
Ashes in the Snow by Oriana Ramunno.

This is one of my favorite genres. Especially when the books are based on true events. That being said, I think some of the content crossed the line and was very crude. The events and circumstances were horrible, but this is the first book that addressed it in an offensive manner. The slang and gutter language went to far. The narrator did a great job. The story was very interesting. The crude content was not needed.

This was a dark, disturbing, but well-written mystery set in Auschwitz during World War II. Although it was at times difficult to read, I’m glad I did. Unlike a more traditional mystery set during peaceful times, the division between right and wrong, good and evil, is not always clear. The evils are overpowering, while the good comes only in small sparks, and often at great cost.

This is a novel well worth reading. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review it.

I really liked this book. It had all the elements of a thriller; but, also addressed the horrors of the concentration camps. The characters were well thought out and the plot twists kept me engaged until the end.

This is my first book by Oriana Ramunno. A powerful, shocking, and a very descriptive page turner of a mystery during December 1943 in Auschwitz, block 10. The narration by Saul Reichlin is perfect for all of these well written characters, he keeps you at the edge of your seat. He has you wanting more, to find out what happened to the body of SS Officer Sigismund Braun that the little Jewish boy Gioele Errera has found. Every time I heard the name Josef Mengele it made me scared & sad, because his name brings the visual picture of the horrible inhumane things he did to lots of humans of all ages during this war. Detective Hugo Fischer is the one that must find out who, why, and how Braun has died. In the meantime you get to learn about the lives of Gioele and Hugo, both characters you get to feel for. What they endure and have to overcome. The ending is surprising, and I loved it. I was happy that I was able to figure out the clue left behind, I hope you can also. I recommend this five ⭐ book, read or listen to this remarkable story.

Thank you NetGalley & Harper Audio for the digital audio copy in exchange for my honest opinion & review.


#Netgalley
#HarperAudio
#AshesintheSnow
#Oriana Ramunno

For me this book was a great combination of my three favorite genres: mystery, thriller and historical fiction. Overall I enjoyed this book, but there were definitely a few parts that were difficult to listen to because of the nature of the topic. If you enjoy historical fiction, especially Holocaust stories, and mysteries, you might like this one!

Copied from Goodreads: Given the setting, I have mixed feelings about how much I enjoyed this book. Katherine Gregor did a phenomenal job translating from Oriana Ramunno’s Italian. The writing was thoughtful, even lyrical.

The novel is mostly written from the perspective of the Hugo Fischer, the Berliner detective who is summoned to Auschwitz to determine if a doctor’s death was foul play. We hear a few times from Gioele Errera, the young prisoner/Mengele Guinea pig who discovers the body and helps Fischer as a witness to the event and with his knowledge of the camp’s rhythms. Although the suffering in Auschwitz was omnipresent, the experiences of the average prisoner are not depicted in depth. I was impressed by the resolution. The solution to the mystery was completely logical but still managed to surprise me.

Both the fantastic writing and detective style of Fischer were reminiscent of Louise Penny and Jussi Adler-Olsen in all the best ways. If you are a fan of Inspector Gamache or Carl Morck, I would highly recommend this book. Harper Collins’s website lists “Ashes in the Snow” as “Hugo Fischer, Book 1.” I hope so!

Many thanks to Harper Audio via NetGalley for this free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

hate-crimes, 1943, cruelty, violence, criminologist, criminal-acts, children, Germans, murder-investigation, historical-fiction, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, history-and-culture, Holocaust, human-trafficking, human-rights, auschwitz*****

If you look closely you will find many who are trapped into doing evil just to stay alive.
Unfortunately they are vastly outnumbered by others who are unquestionably evil. This was reality in Germany and their occupied countries. And especially at Auschwitz in 1943.
This story centers on two of the trapped: one is a child housed as one of the twins studied by Mengele, the other is a criminologist who is sent to prove that a man prominent in the Reich has been murdered. This is a very difficult story to read, but it is near enough to the truth to serve as a reminder that we must NEVER FORGET.
The audio is performed by voice artist Saul Reichlin with British overtones.
I requested and received a temporary audiobook from HarperAudio via NetGalley. Thank you

Summary: The year is 1943 and Detective Hugo Fischer, accomplished criminologist, is sent to Auschwitz to investigate the mysterious death of a high-ranking SS officer. A young twin and current favorite of the infamous Josef Mengele, eight-year-old Gioele is the one who discovered the body. The boy strikes a deal with the detective: he will provide information if Hugo locates his parents.

Thoughts: This novel opens up with a punch to the face: Detective Hugo Fischer is standing on the train platform in front of Auschwitz, waiting to be escorted to the crime scene. From there, he watches as an SS officer rips a baby from her mother’s arms and stomps her to death. After witnessing such a thing, one would think that Hugo might not be shocked at the horror that awaits him inside the camp. Yet it seems as though every injustice shocks him anew. I’m like, Hugo, you just saw a man murder a baby in front of her mother and you’re shocked that the Nazis are performing human experimentation? Come on. But Hugo has, since the Nazi party seized power, kept his head down in order to survive, which is why he wears the swastika on his jacket and pretends his bad leg was the result of polio and not a degenerative disease. And while the book seemed to be leaning quite hard on Hannah Arendt’s idea of the banality of evil, there is no denying that what went on at Auschwitz was anything but banal. While it was an engrossing read, I found myself disliking all of the characters except Gioele, because I don’t believe the line of reasoning that plenty of Nazis were doing their jobs because execution was the only other option. We even learn that Hugo had job offers all over the world but chose to stay in Berlin. It was difficult sympathizing with a character who, when we meet him, witnessed the brutal murder of a baby girl without uttering so much as a word.

This is a well done murder mystery that has a unique setting in a German Concentration Camp. With the investigator being the main character and witnessing firsthand what is happening at the camp he begins to dislike being associated with the Third Reich. Include a young Jewish boy who was a witness to the murder, colorful characters involved with the murder victim and even some Resistance Operators on the inside of the camp and it's an enjoyable Who Done It even though it takes place in such a Sour Setting. I think it helps to be reminded of the heinous an unforgivable acts the were committed against humanity during the second world war even if it is relayed through a work of fiction. Saul Reichlin is a great narrator for this story. Much thanks to Net Galley and Harper Audio for an Advance listen to this Audiobook.

Auschwitz 1943 young Gioele finds the body of an SS officer. Detective Hugo comes to undercover who killed the SS officer.

This isn't my favorite story from the Holocaust but it's a good one. It's definitely worth reading if you follow Holocaust history.

It has taken me awhile to write down my thoughts about this book because I was emotionally wrecked after reading it. It was hard to read. I learned things about Auschwitz that I wish I hadn’t. Of course, I know what happened but this author describes the crimes in excruciating detail. Trigger warnings: rape, pedophilia, dismemberment, extreme violence.

I gave it 5 stars, because, even though it’s subject is abhorrent, the author was able to show me how one SS Detective was able to overcome his obedience to the Nazi’s to do the right thing. It starts out as a murder mystery and ends up being a story of hope.

Hugo Fischer is called to investigate the murder of an SS Doctor. In a place where millions are murdered but this doctor’s life is deemed “important.” Hugo’s main witness is a young Jewish boy who found the body. The boy, Gioele, is an 8 year old child that Joseph Mengele experiments on but treats him “special” because he is intelligent. He has a gift of drawing things as he sees them. Hugo’s questioning of the boy along with all the monstrosities he witnesses allows him to learn about The Final Solution and he is horrified.

While investigating he stumbles upon dark secrets that are kept within the camp. Hugo also has a secret of his own. He has a disability, that if found out, would condemn him to death. The race to find the murderer before they find out his secret is captivating. Who did it and why?

The author says her family history inspired the story. It would be interesting to know what part her family played in this story.

I would suggest reading this book only if you can stomach the evil deeds I mentioned above. That some of these things are facts, makes it hard to swallow. Sad but true. Overall, I’m glad I experienced this book but it’s not for everyone.

Many thanks to Harper Audio via NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest, spoiler-free review!
NOTE: Please read the content warnings for this book. Also, this is an audiobook review

Themes: WW2, Ethics
Representation: Disability (Multiple Sclerosis), Jewish
Content Warnings: Death, murder, child abuse, assault, genocide, antisemitism, gun violence, forced institutionalism, torture

Premise: It is 1943 in Auschwitz. Giole Errera, a young Jewish boy notices a murder and Hugo Fischer is sent to investigate the murder and find the culprit. Instead, after facing the atrocities of the concentration camp, Hugo finds more than he bargained for.


Characters


I think overall, the author does a great job at conveying characters that are accurate to the time this book takes place. Obviously, WW2 is a tough time. And when the world that you live in faces oppression and fascism, it is difficult to help others or get out of your situation.

Hugo Fischer is the main character of the book. Most of the chapters are told from his perspective. I thought his characterization was accurate to the times—as frustrating as he could be at some times. He, like most Germans, wanted to survive. And to do so, he had to turn a blind eye to the atrocities happening in concentration camps, otherwise, he would end up dead, or worse, in the situations that they were in. No matter what he felt in his heart about this situation, he most strongly felt that he had to survive. Which is one of the reasons why he hides his secret.

However, he DOES have character development so stay tuned for that.

The other main character is Giole. He is a young Jewish boy and he could not be more different than Hugo. Giole has witnessed a lot of tragic events that no one should witness, especially not a young boy of his age, yet he still holds out hope for things to become better. Giole’s character is also riveting. He is intelligent and curious. And I enjoyed his and Hugo’s interactions and bond throughout the story.

However, I did wish to see more from Google's perspective. I thought it would add more to his characterization.

Finally, the rest of the characters in the book are akin to their times. I absolutely shuddered at the anti-semitic remarks and disgusting retorts that the SS officers made. I hated how they paraded around like they owned everything. But I appreciated that the author didn’t attempt to sugarcoat things because back then, things were like that, if not worse.

Rating: 4.3/5


Plot


I thought that the plot was pretty riveting in general. It also followed the basic plot conventions. However, I did feel that some parts of the plot felt dragged out.

It starts with Giole finding a murdered body and Hugo being sent to investigate a death. Right away, after quickly establishing the scene, the plot jumps into action. It jumps into the atrocities of the concentration camps.

As the book goes on, things become more and more bleak. There are many twists in the book. Clues with dead ends keep you captivated by the mystery. There are also scenes for character development. And stark scenes that show you that life in WW2, especially in concentration camps, is astoundingly horrid.

In the end, when the killer is revealed, you will be surprised by who it is and their motives. However, you’re still able to see how the clues that were garnered reveal who the killer is.

Overall, decently solid plot.

Rating: 3.8/5


Diction & Themes


This book is written in the third person omniscient tense as there are two narrators in the book. It is also written in the past tense.

As for the themes, I thought they were well-explored. Again, I appreciated that the author didn’t attempt to sugarcoat things. I like how the author was historically accurate with the events and thoughts of the characters. Even though this book is fiction and there might not really be a murder in Block 10, the way this author writes the book, it feels like this is something that could have possibly happened.

As for the narrator, I didn’t have any thoughts about him. He didn’t have a boring, monotone voice, he conveyed emotion when reading and changed voices when there were different characters present. However, I didn’t feel like his voice stood out too much.

Rating: 4/5


Final Rating


Characters: 4.3/5
Plot: 3.8/5
Themes: 4/5
Final Rating: 4/5
Personal Rating: 4/5

Date Read: July 31st, 2023
Date Reviewed: July 31st, 2023

#AshesintheSnow #OrianaRamunno #HarperAudio #SaulReichlin #NetGalley.

This haunting, gut-wrenching story is set against the backdrop of Auschwitz in 1943, amidst the unimaginable horrors perpetrated by one group of people on others they were conditioned to perceive as less than human – notably Jews, gypsies, communists, Polish individuals, and generally anyone who did not mirror the ideals of Aryan supremacy.

Ramunno masterfully outlines life in the camp with meticulous attention to historical detail, using murder as a storyline to make it intriguing and unusual. The irony of investigating one murder when thousands were being killed is hard to miss. It was on a cold, wintry day that little Gioele Errera, one of Josef Mengele's (The Angel of Death) Jewish proteges and a subject of the inhuman experiments performed on twins, discovered the murdered body of an SS officer in the camp. Hugo Fischer, a detective with a secret of his own, is dispatched to unravel the truth behind the murder. What follows is a narration of some of the most gratuitous cruelty inflicted on humanity, beginning with the unjustified killing of a baby against the backdrop of the constantly billowing smoke from the chimneys of the overworked gas chambers. Fischer, though a Nazi himself, remains oblivious to the truth behind those chambers and the all-pervading smell of burning flesh until he is forced to confront the reality of the camp's operations. Even though there is nothing he can do to alter the camp's mission, he diligently follows the clues, uncovers the real perpetrators behind the murder of the SS officer and does what he can to help those he can, including little Gioele.

Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it, and this is the pervasive message in this story – illustrating how simple it is for a manipulative conman to appeal to the lowest common denominator amongst us, leading ordinary people to orchestrate a horrific genocide. Unless we confront the terrible atrocities of the past head-on, we are just one demagogue away from repeating them. I would strongly advocate for the reading of this book to anyone who desires not only an entertaining story but also a cautionary one, lest we be conned into repeating these atrocities again.

Thank you to Harper Audio, NetGalley, author Oriana Ramunno and narrator Saul Reichlin. Ashes in the Snow is a refreshing new look during the Christmas season. One of Dr. Joseph Menegles’ special patients stumbles upon a murdered doctor and the people in charge decide that they need to bring in a special investigator. Hugo Fischer will find find it if only his own health will let him. This is a wonderful book to listen to and the author did a wonderful job of showing respect to history.

This was not an easy read, but it was interesting. I enjoyed the story, and learning more about those who were inside the camps, as well as those who worked the camps.

I may go back and read this one again at a different time. There is a lot to digest within these pages.

I am not even sure where to begin with this review.
First let me thank Harper Audio & NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audio book.
On to the review. I wish they would have come up with a different title since is the same title of a movie based on the fantastic Historical YA novel Between Shades of Gray, all of which are WWII time frames.
However, snow and ashes are major components of the story line, so I won't let the title sway my opinion of this book.
I went into this story without preconceived thoughts one way or the other.
I have read a lot of historical fiction based on WWII, Concentration Camps and the Holocaust, so I was prepared to accept this as a run of the mill story line. I was very quickly and pleasantly surprised. This book has an unusual and unpredictable approach. The author does an amazing job describing the horrific reality of the concentration camps while weaving in a mystery for a perfect book. It is a given with the setting, this is not going to be a happy book. I have tried to think of words to describe the Holocaust, and I honestly don't think there are any that capture the magnitude of evilness. Words like horrific, inhumane, unthinkable, monstrous and brutal are not even bad enough words. But what I found so different with this author, her descriptions seem to be the most accurate when setting the tone and creating the setting.
Because I loved this book so much, I had to find out more on the author, who was unknown to me.
Please don't judge, but I was shocked to find it was written by a younger female. Why? because there was no sappiness I find with some younger female writers that cause me to role my eyes. On the flip side, there was no indication it was written by a man. It was just great writing! This appears to be her debut novel and is translated from German. I will be watching for more from her.
I can't complete this without saying the narrator was excellent.

Ramunno's Ashes in the Snow was such a surprise to me. It's about as complicated as a Holocaust thriller can be, but Ramunno deals with all of that complexity brilliantly. It is, after all, a brave writer who would have a Nazi lead this type of book. For all that I liked the actual book, I have to say that I found the narrator absolutely brilliant. I could listen to him read forever. He cut right through whatever else I was doing and I felt like I was there, in the scenes he was reading to me. It's not precisely the book you want to be immersed in, but it's the most transported I've felt in years.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio for this book in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who has done rather extensive research on the Holocaust and Auschwitz I found this book unique and honest. The book follows Hugo, a criminologist, as he battles with himself to solve the murder of a horrifying SS Doctor at Auschwitz. He is surrounded by death and inhumanity, hiding his own illness, and yet still must play his part. It is playing his part which disgusts him throughout, and drives this book along.

I was conflicted while reading that the reader is supposed to sympathize with camp nurses who work with children and experiment victims, as well as an SS officer, but I believe that is the point of the book. Being disgusted at the actions around you and actions you feel forced to take while secretly resisting in other ways.

This audiobook is well done and I enjoyed the narrator.