I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was not what I was expecting, but honestly it was a good thing.
Very enjoyable read.

It took me some time to read this book, although the theme is very very interesting and also the kind of reading I prefer. History and present are combined very nicely and it is definitely a book I would like to have in paper version on my shelf. I am a historian, after all, and it is really nice to see how some small details could change the history of the world. But... I prefered the story about the Hitler's Bible to the "present" story, and yet, I find it somewhat unfinished. Also, what is with that expression "the leader of the free world" (US president)?! I really want to puke every time I read it. Why force it so much???

I've been struggling with my rating of The Bookworm for more than a week. On one hand a lot of the book is very compelling and had me flipping page after page not wanting to stop. However, the ending was so anti-climatic and nonsensical that I just can't justify giving it a high rating. So I've settled on 2 stars, although it might be more accurate to give it 2.5...

Concept
Mitch Silver's concept in The Bookworm is really cool. It puts forward a theory that there is a specific, plotted and planned reason that Hitler changed his plan and targeted the USSR when he did during WWII. From a purely tactical point it absolutely makes sense that he changed his focus at this time during the war and Silver gives us a really cool reason why it might have happened. But don't kid yourself this is still fiction. As far as anyone knows there was no 'bookworm' or planted Bible that Hitler was influenced by. But I did enjoy the premise. I also enjoyed the way the story unveils itself. We learn as the researcher learns the situation as described in recordings from WWII. It worked well to look back at the time here, as opposed to being 'in' the time period.

'Book' History
What book lover doesn't want to read about how to make a fake of an old book? Or how to create hundred year (plus) ink? Or what bugs eat away at what paper over the years of storing a book?
For me this was easily the best part of the book. Unfortunately it's a very small part of the story, although critical to the plot. But I certainly enjoyed learning about dust mites, paper eating bugs, lead ink and other things that tip off historians or scientists to whether something is a genuine artifact or a fake. I hope all the science was accurate, and am trusting that Silver did their research here. According to the thank you notes at the back of The Bookworm that appears to be the case.

Prophecy
For me, almost any book (fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, etc.) that has a well done prophecy scenario as part of it's story line is intriguing. Nostradamus and some of his fellow prophets over history are very interesting to me and I'm constantly watching those TLC documentaries and what not about what one prophecy could (or could not) mean. The most interesting piece for me was the alternate interpretation of the fall 'the two towers' Nostradamus prophecy. Since 9/11 this prophecy has been attributed to the events leading up to and the result of the World Trade Center towers being brought down. I'm not sure why Silver chose to use that piece of prophecy in a new context. If it was just because it worked, or because it's some of the better known prophecy; I couldn't say. But it was certainly interesting to see a different spin on those lines from what has been the standard for the last 15+ years.

Oil Story line
I know this plot line put a lot of readers off; and I totally get why. It's not relevant until the very end and it feels unnecessary throughout the whole book until the very end. If I wasn't well versed in the oil and gas sector and how international sales of oil affect the worldwide economy then I think I would have felt the same. Ironically I really enjoyed the beginning of the story that focuses on the 'sour' aspect of the oil and why that is odd to the inspector. However, I knew exactly what was being discussed and so it didn't add complexity to me the way it may have for others. It's definitely a complicated scenario that is used and likely makes things more elaborate than needed to fuel the story forward.

Low Rating
While I rated this book low, it is actually worth reading if you love this type of story.
There are two main reasons I disliked The Bookworm so strongly by the end:
1) If you're going to heavily imply certain Presidents or famous people as main characters then just use their names. I assume that Donald Trump is never written out in the book due to legal concerns, but it just drove me insane. Like we were dancing around what the book was trying to really tell us.
2) There is a lack of an 'ah-ha' or satisfying moment in the final pages and it really did ruin the rest of the book for me. Silver takes a number of complex issues and mashes them all together to make a political point at the end. It's almost like wishful thinking about how the existing political situation in the USA might resolve itself. That wasn't my expectation even at the halfway point of the book and so I was annoyed to feel cheated out of a brilliant ending and instead find myself reading political propaganda for today's politics.

Overall
If the ending could be re-written this book would easily rate 4 stars for me. But I was so disappointed in the outcome that it left a bitter taste in my mouth; and that is why I cannot in good conscious give it a higher rating.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this book. The narration of this book is slightly slow - but feels realistic. It is well written, the characters are well drawn, and the story is interesting. Good read!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ecopy for my Kindle.
A book about conspiracy theories that take the read back and forth from WWII and the present sounds like a good. Plus the title "The Bookworm" got my attention since I'm an avid reader. But there were too many details and inconsistencies in history.

Though I liked the book, I made the decision when I finished not to review it on my site because it didn't fit into my editorial schedule. I may include it in a review post or possibly a book list post in the future.

Wow - what a unique and clever page turner!

Someone asked me about half way into this book what U was reading and what it was about...I tried to explain all the intersected stories, skipping from war time Britain and Germany, to modern day Russia & the oil fields in Alaska...and had to give up because I literally couldn't even begin to imagine how these stories would all come together. But boy, do they!

I have never read anything like this - and it's all so plausible it's made me want to look up the actual history and how it all played out.

And on a side note the "new American President" and his former model wife are written brilliantly! I kept having to stop reading to have a chuckle to myself.

This book is unlike anything else you will ever read and is pure genius!

been trying all day to read this book and unfortunately that's not going to happen, there's non thing about this book I actually like , and I just keep putting it down, and when I do pick it back up I have to go back and reread stuff I already read, so with that said I'm DNF it as of right now, was hopping to at least either like it or love it but there's no thing to like , with that said I would like to think Netgalley for at least letting me try it .

This is a very interesting exciting book that is part thriller, part historical fiction,, part mystery. I loved the premises of the plot about a Russian historian finding evidence that would unearth the history of WWII between the United States and Russia. The Russian protagonist is smart, educated, savvy and wary of the inflammatory information she is privy to and the ramifications at her hands. At the same time she is suffering marriage difficulties and problems with her family, she is facing a major life decision about publicizing the information. I enjoyed the well crafted story, the fast pace writing and the excellent characters. This is a fun read that any fan of mystery and thriller would enjoy.
Thank you for the ARC which did not influence my review.

Very timely political thriller. Great characters with an intriguing, fast paced plot line. Highly recommended

Intrigue and espionage woven through present day conspiracies …
Mitch Silver does a fantastic job of blurring fiction and reality in his global espionage thriller, The Bookworm. Centered around Larissa Klimt, a Russian archival academic better know to her friends as Книжный червь, the bookworm. Little does Lara know that her tightly regimented and ordered life will be thrown into chaos by events that were initiated because of Hitler himself. When world events put her twin brother and herself in danger, Lara uses her keen intelligence to navigate a tangled web that spans years and implicates some of the world’s most powerful leaders. I really liked how Mitch seamlessly uses actual events and people in his recreation of a series of events that led to the fall of the Nazis as well as the speculative relationship between the current US and Russian governments. Image result for usa and russia

This паутина , spider web, is very complex. Initially, there are so many actors and scenes that it can be confusing and difficult to follow along and remember all the characters. Even well into the story it was hard to keep some of the ancillary people and their connections straight. In addition to the main story is the relationship between Lara and her estranged husband. While there is some valid interactions between the two, for the most part it just seems like an awkward addition, one that distracts from the substance of the story, which really is quite good.

Overall, The Bookworm is an intriguing tale that constantly has the reader wondering where the line between fiction and fact lies. It will keep you engaged from cover to cover. If you are the type to enjoy a great “spy novel” you will find it especially hard to put down.

This ended up being more of a political thriller than a historical fiction as I was expecting. At first it seemed like it was going to be an intriguing story that involved a prophacy, a missing bible with a mix of time from WWII and present day. However, the main story ended up having more to do with current day politics and less about history. There was also a subplot that involved the current US president and oil procurement that seemed unnecessary to the main plot. I also don’t agree with the choice that Lara, the main character, makes at the end of the book. It seemed like she was working towards more personal growth than that to then take a step back at the end. I would not be likely to continue reading more books if this became a series. I would reccommend this for someone who enjoys reading political thrillers especially in regards to Russian politics and government.

* I received an eARC from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The Bookworm is the sobriquet of Larissa Mendelova Klimt, a professor of geopolitics. Think Jared Diamond and “Guns, Germs, Steel.” She’s smart, wicked smart, she even beat Kasparov at chess, though she modestly reminds people that he was playing several simultaneously. She’s also incredibly beautiful, because, after all, she is the heroine in this thriller.

So it begins, as any good thriller should, in several places at once. In Nazi Germany, in Alaska, and in Moscow. We have disparate characters doing their separate things, Lara reading documents from Hitler’s bunker in the Archives, her brother Lev measuring crude oil in Alaska, and some poor sod finding a long-buried body in London. Of course, it all comes together, that’s the point. Unfortunately for us, it all comes together too quickly and too easily with Lara being handed a case of old tapes of Noel Coward recounting his contribution to the war effort to the last detail. Then Lara gets the URL of a vodcast outlining a conspiracy between the US and Russian president. At long last, we know why Putin intervened in the election.



There’s not much suspense in The Bookworm despite its genre. This is unfortunate. Mitch Silver dreamed up two rather clever conspiracies, but rather than letting them be revealed bit by bit as our heroine and her brother peel back the clues, they are simply narrated by a couple of the conspirators. There’s no detecting, just listening. The only question is who will survive to the last page. That makes for very little suspense since with rare exceptions the important characters always do.

Good suspense does not tell us the conspiracy, it has us follow step by step as it is slowly revealed. It is never revealed in one fell swoop complete with visual aids and slides as in this book. That was just weird. It really seemed a waste of an excellent character, because I liked Lara quite a bit. There’s a simply bizarre incident with her friend Pavel. His conclusions and his subsequent actions make no sense. I guess Silver wanted to have a moment of personal jeopardy, but there were better choices than Pavel for that.

Since the book description tells us she reconciles with her husband before we even read it, it would be nice to see why, because as far as I can tell there is no reason whatsoever for that to happen. One minute he’s packing up to move out with her roommate whom he just slept with and the next they’re walking off into the sunset. Weird. My favorite part of the book is the wish fulfillment, panicked pratfalls of the Trump and Putin characters when they panic at a rally. It almost makes the book worthwhile. I should stop here, the more I think about it, the less I like it.

I received a copy of The Bookworm from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Bookworm at Pegasus Books
Mitch Silver Author Site

I had higher hopes for this one. I was definitely intrigued by the premise but the story just never really connected and took off for me.

This book gives an exciting twist to the intrigue of World War II. A bible plays an important part of this story and the lives of those who come in contact with it. Larissa Mendelovg is a Russian historian who gathers news and ties events from 2017 together and sets the history field on it's ears. Lots of action with fiction based on reality of World War II London. Well written with a good strong woman character who handles events realistically and could be a real person in today's world.

This book was a real struggle to get through and eventually I gave up on reading it. The plot was just too slow-paced and did not generate enough interest to want to finish the book and find out what happens.

My Thoughts


This book promised a lot with a forged document from World War II and its implications in a present day oil price fixing scheme between powerful countries. Therein lies the issue - whilst clever, it did perhaps try to undertake too much for the one book. Without a doubt, it is a fascinating concept but overall due to the intricate complications, there just lacked a greater depth to both characters and subplots. Towards the end there was a lot of action but it all seemed to come together a little too neatly. I also found the short, sharp chapters did nothing to help in the required elaborations.

Present day figures of American and Russian leaders were easy to recognise, as with the historical figures ranging from Churchill to Kennedy. The conspiracy theory is quite involved with a young JFK suggesting a war on both fronts, to present day oil dealings - be prepared to go with the outrageous ideas and pay attention as, at times, it gets a bit confusing. Personally, I would have preferred the focus to remain on the British attempt to trick Hitler as that in itself was engaging and to have left out the contemporary political dealings.

So whilst an interesting read it did not strongly deliver. The idea of the forged book was extremely clever - even to have it tied in with a present day unveiling. However, the problem was undertaking too vast an arena of characters and ideas and getting lost in modern day espionage. The Alaskan component, Lara’s brother and even her estranged husband were difficult to understandably incorporate - especially Lara’s final decision which was just utterly ridiculous given her thoughts throughout.

If you are at all interested in past or present espionage and conspiracy theories, then you will find this an engaging read. For me, it just tried to do too much and ended up lacking substance in the necessary areas. Much like Lara, the book was ‘pulled in too many directions’.



This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release

This book is a very interesting political thriller. Laura and her twin brother, Lev lead very interesting lives.

Thank you to Pegasus Books and Netgalley for the eARC of this book!
I have long loved political thrillers and historical fiction, and this book has aspects of both, which was a really nice combination. We follow Lara, a Russian scholar of geopolitics, as she is approached with a cache of recordings that were recently found in London, but which date back to WWII. She has to unravel the mystery of the recordings, while also trying to figure out who she can trust. Simultaneously, we see Lara's brother investigating a conspiracy of his own in the Alaskan oil fields. This book had a great premise, and it was a fun read if you like political intrigue.

The Bookworm by Mitch Silver is a gripping thriller and enjoyable for the most part. There’s so much going on though that it gets a bit overwhelming. Lara, the bookworm, is a Russian history professor who get caught in the middle of a couple of conspiracies.

First, we have the WW 2 hoax that manages to draw Hitler’s attention away from England toward Russia, stalling the invasion long enough that it never happens. Lara is given the Dictaphone cylinders to listen to by someone who is a little suspicious.

Then we have the Alaskan oil field that is merely a prop in a “deal” between the Russian and American presidents, with no actual drilling going on. Lev, Lara’s brother, discovers the charade, takes photos and barely escapes with his life.

Somehow this all ties together in a well-pace novel with chase scenes, chess games, and a couple of dead bodies. The problem for me though is that it could have been fabulous, but it didn’t quite make it. It ended up a little confusing and it was tough to see who was working with/for whom. It is fun, though, and I liked how the author weaved real historical events and people into his narrative.