This book covers an interesting perspective, in that our protagonist is the daughter of a Nazi Commander, which is a perspective I haven't read before.

It was a hard and tough read and though it had a slow start, it drew me in.

It is set at an interesting time, the war had just ended and we are in Berlin, which is currently governed by other countries.

There is also crime in this book, as Hanni, our MC discovers a body and is thrown into the investigation when Freddie, a policeman with demons of his own, asks for her help in solving it.

Hokin did such a great job creating real characters that really tug at your heart strings and a storyline that has a bit of everything.

I will say that I almost threw the book at how it ended but then after reading the author notes at the end, I realised she was making it a series.

I will definitely look to read book 2.

From desperation to devastation, Hanni Winter is determined to expose the horrors of the war. With a father as an SS officer, she saw more than most and Hanni uses her gift as a photographer to help solve the crimes of the SS officers. Meanwhile, Hanni soon finds herself working alongside a Jewish man named Freddy. Although he lost everything in the war he became a police officer. Hanni and Freddy should be sworn enemies, especially considering her father's crimes, but Hanni works to keep her identity a secret.

All the while, Hanni is determined to bring her father to justice, as she found his actions utterly despicable. Hanni is not sure if she is strong enough to tell Freddy who she is, who her father is, and why she is so determined in her efforts. If she does, she worries that he might not be able to forgive her for her role in the devastating war, no matter how small.

Although this historical fiction is a WWII-based story, it takes place a couple of years after the war ended, thus bringing two characters from different worlds together as they worked towards a common goal. In fact, this is the first book in a new series so I am eager to see Hanni going forward as the series continues.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I enjoyed that through this book, I read a different perspective to my usual WW2 reads.

The characters and there relationships were interesting, I was especially intrigued by that of Hanni and her father.

The book was very well written and I was drawn in from the first page to the last. I’m looking forward to reading more about Hanni and Freddy

The Commandant's Daughter is a historical fiction and mystery/thriller set after World War II in Germany. The story revolves around the a series of murders happening in Berlin and has brought together two unlikely partners between Freddy Schlussel, the lead investigator and Hanni Winter, a photographer as they search for the killer while dealing with the aftermath of the Holocaust and World War II. This is a completed story but also the first in a series of four, all following the story of Hanni and Freddy.

World War II is one of my favorite era when it comes to historical fiction so I was very excited to dive into this book. I went into this only knowing that this would be about World War II and the title indicated that the story would be in a different perspective - not from the eyes of the victims, but that of someone from the inside of the Reich's circle. The premise was so interesting and new. I was looking forward to reading a book based on this perspective but unfortunately, this book wasn't what I expected it to be.

My biggest issue with the book was that it was confusing. There were a lot of time skipped and sometimes there were flashbacks that were hard to follow. There were also three different perspectives, which considering that the story is supposed to be about Hanni, was a little bit confusing. The addition of other's perspective moved the plot but Hanni's story was drowned out by everything else.

As the story progressed, it was getting frustrating because the premise of the story was getting muddied. Is this book a historical fiction? Is it a romance? Or is it a mystery/thriller? These were the questions going through my mind. I felt like the author couldn't decide where the story was heading. Was this Hanni's story? Or is this Freddy's or Gerhard?

The entire book, we follow Hanni and her father's relationship and how her father's involvement with the Reich caused a rift between them. We also follow how Hanni continually vows that she will expose her father and his sins. But honestly, that's the most we got. For all of Hanni's hatred towards her father, it's clear that she lacked the action or even the courage to fight him. I spent a lot of my time frustrated and unsympathetic to Hanni's cause. Though noble, her inaction made it hard to like her. Maybe we'll see more of it in the other books?

I feel like this book was better off if it was a mystery rather trying to be a historical fiction. I honestly would have liked it more if it was. As a WWII piece, this fell completely flat and underwhelming. The book heavily focused more on the mystery rather than the potential it had as a war story.

“In that moment, she knows that taking pictures is not enough, she has to help these people…”


My heart did sink a little when I read a letter from author Catherine Hokin, featured at the end of the book, in which she confirms that The Commandant’s Daughter is the first book in a planned four part series; as I am notoriously lax at keeping on top of my series reading and I have already invested in so many other series reads, that I’m not sure how I am going to cope. She did, thankfully, add the caveat that all the books would work as stand alone novels, which this one undoubtedly did, although of course, having now worked out where the series is heading I have decided that I very much want to be part of that journey, even though I know that will involve many more tears before it is over!

The story begins in 1933, in Berlin when Hitler has just come to power and where ten-year-old Hannelore Fosse lives with her parents, sister and grandmother. Hannelore’s father, Reiner, as a very zealous recent recruit to the SS, is sent in 1943, to oversee the ‘new town’ of Theresienstadt, a Concentration Camp in all but title, relocating his family with him. There Hannelore, who has become obsessed with photography, sees and hears more than one so young should, although she is remarkably mature and determinedly stoic enough to catalogue the horrendous images and events through her pictures. She is appalled by the huge change in her father, who appears to relish his duties, rather than show any repugnance for them, which puts them very much at odds and irrevocably divides them. When he knows that the game is up and defeat is staring his country in the face, Reiner sends his family back to Berlin, where one devastating event follows another and Hannelore is left alone. When Germany is finally beaten and the concentration camps are liberated, she assumes that Reiner must be either dead or awaiting trial somewhere for the heinous crimes he has committed against humanity.

Fast forward to 1946, in a post-war Berlin, which has recently been carved up by the four allied countries and Hannelore Fosse has become Hanni Winter. She realises that her father has managed to evade capture and along with so many of his fellow SS officers, has reinvented himself as his non-existent younger brother and now works for the Allies, who have picked out those Germans they feel pose least risk, to assist them in the capture of the hardcore SS for trial and to play their part in the rebuilding of a devastated city. Hanni herself, is now a skilled forensics photographer, attached to the police and working with Inspector Freddy Schlussel and his team. They are assigned to solve the case of a recent spate of assassination murders, where all the victims are former ‘whitewashed’ SS officers, who have become ‘respectable’ members of Berlin society. Hanni is still determined to bring her father to justice, although having discovered her whereabouts and made himself known to her, he makes it clear what will happen to her if she tries to turn him over to the authorities. Hanni and Freddy have a growing attraction between them, although with their disparate cultural backgrounds, is there any hope that a mutual understanding can be reached to put the past to rest and move forwards!

Those are just the very bare bones of a bold and daring, well structured, multi-layered storyline; although this doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of the tense, highly charged and claustrophobic atmosphere, which looms large and hangs like a cloud over both Hanni and Freddy. Author Catherine Hokin has written a wonderfully rendered, mature work of cultural and societal fiction, compassionately written from the heart, unique and unconventional, often disturbing, brutally and heartbreakingly honest; yet desperately compelling, powerful and completely immersive. Fluently seamless, slowly unfolding and evolving, the story is evocative, intensely textured, rich in detail, whilst totally and utterly emotionally draining. The visual depth to the descriptive narrative and dialogue makes this a truly three dimensional reading experience, which offers a perceptive and compelling sense of time and place, albeit a most disturbing, profoundly touching and troubling journey.

Not only can war unite a people against a common enemy, it also has the power to divide. At a family level, this can cause total and overwhelming devastation, but to a nation threatened with its very existence and survival, events of the past can have such a huge and lasting influence over the present, as Hanni the daughter of an SS officer and Freddy a displaced Jew, know to their personal cost. Can their common mutual belief in justice and retribution be enough to bind them together and help them put events of the past to one side. It might, if only they were able to talk to one another, but although Freddy has begun to open up to Hanni, she in turn, is still unable to confide in him the terrible truth about her past, at least not whilst her father still walks the same streets and breathes the same air as her. At times, their individual memories and emotions are so painfully strong and raw, they have the power to silence and paralyse them, rendering them temporarily frozen in space and time, which these days would no doubt be labelled as PTSD. Their relationship is put under further strain when the vigilante murderer is tracked down and arrested, as for different reasons, they are both rather torn about the notion of stopping the murders of those who were so instrumental in ruining their lives and by default putting up barriers between them which might be beyond breaking down. Even I was astounded to learn that both Hanni and Freddy are mistaken about Herr Bayers motives for his selection of specific victims, which in reality are totally sickening and nauseating, even for the strongest of constitutions.

Catherine has developed a cast of well-drawn, multi-faceted characters, who, whether they are on the side of good or bad, are authentically realistic and genuinely believable in the individual roles which have been created for them. All were understandably complex, emotionally starved and vulnerable, with little or no synergy or dynamism between them, which really divided my feelings and emotions right down the middle. Many were raw and passionate, yet still authentic, genuine and believable. Others were unreliable, volatile, manipulative and duplicitous and I’m not sure that I really connected with, invested in, or identified with, any of them totally. In various guises and to differing degrees, they are all broken and damaged people, from a society which has torn itself asunder and has now been further decimated by the machinations of the victors. Hanni and Freddy will need time to rebuild their confidence, their lives, their trust, before there can be any meaningful steps towards reconciliation and a clear path forwards into the future. However Catherine has done an amazing job of giving all her characters a clear voice with which to begin telling their individual stories and I am already anticipating what she might have in store for them in the next step of their journey towards complete emotional freedom.

I found this to be a 3.5 star read but since none of the rating systems allow halves, I’m rounding up to 4. I can definitely see the potential in this book, so it deserves to be rounded higher rather than lower. The story was good, I just didn’t like the writing style – too many run-on sentences. Many times I’d get through one and have to go back and reread it to make sure I understood what I had just read. Unfortunately, that takes away from the flow of the story.

The novel takes place in Berlin at the end of WW II, during the trials against a handful of SS officers for their war crimes. The main character is the daughter of a high ranking Nazi officer who has avoided being brought to justice. She was appalled by his actions during the war and is now trying to make a new name for herself, literally. She has left her family behind, changed her name, and started a new career as a photographer. This in turn leads her to become a crime scene photographer for the police department, working with a Jewish officer who lost his entire family during the Holocaust. And what case are they working on? Someone is hunting down Nazi officers who haven’t been brought to justice and killing them. Should they try to stop him or let the killings continue? Is her father on his hitlist? Should she be honest and tell her partner about her and her father’s past, risking the loss of his friendship? These are the types of moral decisions she must make during the story.

Please know that this is the 1st in a new series. The 2nd book will be out in a few months so if you read and enjoy it, you won’t have to wait too long for the next one. Which is good because the way it ended made me feel like I’d just read half a book. I assume the unfinished storyline is picked back up in the 2nd book.

Thank you NetGalley and Boukouture for an advanced copy to read and provide an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Catherine Hokin for the privilege of reading this Advance Reader's Copy of The Commandant's Daughter.

Let's Begin
I love WWII fiction. I'm a sucker for it, actually, and it shows from the books I have reviewed on this blog and my Instagram (@kate.heinz.reads). When presented the chance to read and review The Commandant's Daughter, there was no question that I would.

The Commandant's Daughter surprised me. I did not expect the plot to twist and turn the way it did. I'll explain a bit, hopefully without giving too many spoilers.

The Commandant's Daughter does not read like your typical WWII novel. Rather, most of the storyline takes place in the two years following the end of the war. For me, this showed Ms. Hokin desired to look at the war from a different angle, to take a different approach. In today's book-world, where WWII fiction seems a dime a dozen, I must admit, this compelled me to read more.

A Little about the Main Character
The book's main character, Hannelore looks at life through the lens of a child in the first few chapters. The story begins in early 1933, just as Hitler is rising to power. Of course, there are very few suspicions of the terror that will be introduced to Europe and the world just 15 years later.

Hannelore discovers the power of the camera early on with the help of Herr Stein, someone she meets through only happenstance but definitely changes her destiny. On a side note, I felt a gravitational pull towards Herr Stein, something about the way he looked at life. So, it saddened me to learn about his fate.

Hannelore forces herself to become strong in this story. It's not something that comes naturally. Rather, through the course of the book, the situations she finds herself in and what she endures, she must find strength...and she does. At the same time, Ms. Hokin shows Hannelore's humanity through several mistakes she makes. These mistakes certainly make her more natural and more relatable.

A Word about History
Historically, I loved the imagery of the Adlon Hotel. I researched the Adlon in my former life as a travel planner. To me, there is nothing better than putting the pieces of history together through what we read. Although the stories we read might be fiction, we are drawn back to our stories and the stories of other through these authentic descriptions.

Throughout, there are a few scenes that are gruesome for the imagination. If you are sensitive to these or the subject of WWII, be aware.

If any criticism on the development of the story, I wish Ms. Hokin would have expounded more on her research. While fictional, the story certainly is wrapped around in the historical figures and events that took place before, during and right after WWII.

Bottom Line
The Commandant's Daughter reads as an introspective, psychological drama. A lot of time has been given to the development of each of the characters, creating great depth and readability. I did not expect this book to turn into a psychological thriller/mystery however and guess that threw me a little bit. I don't read a lot of mysteries or thrillers for the same reason I close my eyes during scary scenes in movies or tv shows. I'm a lightweight when it comes to that.

If I had to compare this book's pace to that of a tv drama, I would say it's along the lines of Blue Bloods, where there is some action, but greater emphasis and time are spent on developing the characters. For this reason, I felt like The Commandant's Daughter required a lot of time and attention.

Who Should Read this Book?
Lovers of WWII fiction will find a worthy heroine in Hannelore. Coupled with historical details and an action-worthy mystery, The Commandant's Daughter is sure to be a fan favorite.

The Commandant's Daughter releases January 26. Look out for this new read!

The Commandant's Daughter is half historical novel and half a murder mystery. Although, in some ways that description might be a little misleading. We follow Hanni Winter, daughter of an SS commandant during the second world war and her friendship with Jewish survivor and policeman Freddy. The story focuses on the rebuilding of German society after the war and how the various people came to terms with what had been before. At the same time, Hanni and Freddie find themselves investigating a series of murders, never sure that they actually want to discover who is behind them.
Both Hanni and Freddy have things to come to terms within this new world. Hanni's father has reinvented himself and this leaves her fearful for her own safety and longing to unmask him. Things, of course, are rarely so simple.
I enjoyed both the side of this where Hanni and Freddy must come to terms with what they have lived through and the way that life has changed and the murder side, although in many ways, both aspects are closely intertwined. This is the start of a series, of I believe, four books. I'm interested to see where Hanni and Freddie's stories will go and how they will come to terms with all that they have experienced.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

The Commandant’s Daughter is a story set mainly during Post WW 2. I love these type of books so when I read the blurb for this one I just had to read it. This story is slightly different to other ones I’ve read of this genre and I enjoyed that. The author has written a really good story with excellent descriptions of characters and the story flowed really well. This is the first book of a new series by this author and I look forward to reading the next one.

★★★ 3.5 stars

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Catherine Hokin's historical tale with a difference THE COMMANDANT'S DAUGHTER.

I have read and enjoyed Catherine Hokin's previous books although they are generally slowish to start in their build up. However, THE COMMANDANT'S DAUGHTER differs to her previous novels in the sense that it draws you in from the start, offers you a different tale and it is the first in a four book series featuring Hanni and Freddy. Hokin says herself she has not embarked on a series before so is finding it a refreshing challenge and for her readers it is something different...whilst still against the backdrop of the horrors of the Nazi regime and the Holocaust.

I liked the premise and was drawn to the fact that the main character being a photographer (as my dad was a photographer himself) who captured moments in time through her viewfinder and therefore documenting the atrocities of war. The fact that her father was one of those who issued such punishments in the camps made the story all the more compelling, wondering how such barbarity would pan out. And I was intrigued to find out...

1933: Ten year old Hannelore Foss is intrigued by the pomp and circumstance taking place on the streets below as Hitler rose to power as the new German chancellor, and yet she is baffled why no one else at this party is interested in watching the display as she stands alone on the balcony of the Aldon Hotel. Alone but for one person who sits in the shadows and opens up a whole new world to Hannelore that she never knew existed. The world as seen and captured through the eye of the camera's viewfinder. When Ezra Stein invited Hannelore to view the world through the camera, she never expected to see what she did. And from that moment on, she was intrigued by the world of photography.

1945: Twelve years later, Hanni Winter has shed her past as Reiner Foss' daughter Hannelore and has a job at Ezra Stein's studio with his nephew Natan. The war was not kind to people like Ezra, who was Jewish, and as his studio was destroyed he was taken in the night to a camp where he met his fate as did many other like him. Hanni never saw him again.

But the war was not kind to Hanni either as she moved from place to place and camp to camp with her father, a Nazi officer with the SS, and as she crept into places she was not meant to be she captured the sheer horror of the atrocities that were inflicted on these poor innocent people...simply for being Jewish. Hanni hated her father and all he stood for and by the war's end she had lost her mother, her sister and the father that she had once admired and loved...before he became one of Hitler's henchmen. Now she is Hanni Winter, photographer. Hannelore Foss is dead.

Then one day, whilst exploring the remains of the Aldon Hotel with her camera, she stumbles upon a man laid out as if he were on display and very obviously dead. Without disturbing the scene, she begins to capture everything about him in death, relaying her thoughts and observations to the police when they arrive. Almost at once she notices that the dead man is a former SS officer, his SS tattoo displayed for all to see and a sign strung around his neck accusing him of his crimes.

Inspector Freddy Schlussel is immediately taken with the photographer as she relays her observations of the scene. Her exceptional eye for detail and ability to read the scene only enamours him more. Then when another body is found, he calls on Hanni to accompany him to the scene where they discover that he too was a former SS officer. Hanni and Freddy work together to uncover the culprit and the purpose behind his crimes.

But herein lies the conundrum. Freddy is Jewish and this villain is killing off former SS officers who oversaw such atrocities against his people during the war. Does Freddy really want such a person caught? Or does he want to let him keep killing them off, one by one? Surely he is doing the good people of Germany a favour by eliminating them?

And Hanni...she has since discovered her father is not only alive but has reinvented himself and is threatening her future. While she cannot reveal her past Freddy as he will surely never understand that she played no part in the atrocities but stood by while her father inflicted them on his people, Hanni secretly hopes that this killer has her father on his list. Reiner is definitely a threat to her life now as she knows it should she try to denounce him publicly. But Freddy will never understand that or her hatred for the man. And so her past as the daughter of an SS officer must remain a secret.

THE COMMANDANT'S DAUGHTER is a very different read to those we are used to of this era. It combines the atrocities of the Holocaust with the murders of former SS officers as well as the secrets that both Hanni and Freddy keep. Whilst Freddy does eventually bare his soul to Hanni, she cannot in all honesty reciprocate...because as soon as he hears the truth of her past, he will hate her, of that she is sure. And yet Hanni was a victim as well. She was a girl when her father became a Nazi and was still living under his hand throughout much of the war. As a woman, she had no say and no power to speak out against such a man held in high regard. Hanni wanted nothing more than to escape him and when she did, she began a new life away from his rule. She hated everything the Nazis stood for...but would Freddy, as a Jew, understand that?

Much of the story is shrouded in her fear of her past being discovered and thus the sting of Freddy's rejection. I willed her to be upfront with him; the sooner the better, otherwise Freddy will accuse of her keeping it from him...which she is. But will he understand why? Given his own personal connection to the Holocaust and Nazis, probably not which is why Hanni has chosen to keep it secret. Will she reveal her past in the next book? Or will it be saved till the very last? Personally, I think the longer she leaves it the worse it will be. This, in turn, frustrated me.

Along with Hanni's conundrum about her past, THE COMMANDANT'S DAUGHTER is also a murder mystery which is something different. Although it is no mystery to the reader though it is to Hanni and Freddy who are hot on his trail to uncover him. But throughout the story we see the development of the killer and how his story plays out also, which is an interesting concept. At first, the reader sympathises with him for what is clearly an indifference to him throughout his entire life. We see how he selects his targets and I admit to hoping Reiner Foss is on the list too. The tale, as it is told, is a very different one to that which is described in the book's premise. Having said that, it is a pleasant surprise to have something different on offer.

I must say, I absolutely loathed Reiner and I can only hope he gets his comeuppance soon enough. But he won't be easy prey for anyone who seeks to denounce him. He is a bully who is nothing if not cruel and selfish, thinking of no one but himself. He doesn't even care one iota for his daughter but then she also hates him, or rather the man he became as a Nazi. But he is powerful with his little spies everywhere throughout the city.

The first in a series, THE COMMANDANT'S DAUGHTER is a powerful tale that is heartwrenching in part capturing a plethora of emotions throughout. It will be interesting to see how the relationship between Hanni and Freddy develops. And if she will ever reveal her past.

A very different WW2 story, I wouldn't say the plot is not fast moving but is steady throughout. However, it is very wordy in places with a lot of description that does tend to slow the pace a little.

Recommended for fans of historical fiction offering something a little different.

I would like to thank #CatherineHokin, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheCommandantsDaughter in exchange for an honest review.

The Commandant’s Daughter is not your typical historical fiction novel.
Let me start my explanation by saying that I am a big fan of this author (see: The Lost Mother, The Secretary, What Only We Know, The Fortunate Ones). I am always excited to see another book by her.
She has a talent for writing stories that make the reader think by exploring complicated situations and posing questions that bring a deeper understanding.
This story is no exception.
At the heart is the story of Hanni, a young woman who is trying to follow a dream given to her when she was a child. She loves photography, and she is good at it.
There are just a few problems.
It is 1947. She’s a woman. Her mentor was a Jew. And her father is the Commandant of the title. Plus, he is one of the nastiest villains I can remember. And when one is talking about people who run concentration camps, that is saying a lot.
But there is more to the story than just Hanni trying to do better than her father while pursuing her passion.
Because there also happens to be a killer loose in the city. And he is taking care of people overlooked by the Nuremberg Trials. The officer who receives the case (Freddy) recognizes Hanni’s eye (through her camera) and they work together to catch the killer.
It is a thrilling, complicated, and thought-provoking story that had me turning pages.
The descriptions of the casualness of some people even after the atrocities of the camps come to light are…well, illuminating. This was pure evil at work, and there were still people who tried to defend the actions of the men in charge.
Which begs the natural question that haunts Hanni and Freddy: should a killer be stopped if that killer is ridding the world of evil men who were about to escape justice?
It makes you think about the moral and ethical implications.
Additionally, the author reflects on the laws that were put in place to ostracize and marginalize Jews. As Freddy remembers it: “The measures were enshrined in the statutes…they were both just and justified.”
One can’t help but draw parallels to what is occurring in some countries even as I write this review. Staggering to think that the lessons of history have still not been learned.
That’s not to say that the book lectures or gets preachy, making connections between the past and present. It is solely in the past. And it is well-plotted and researched.
I liked everything about The Commandant’s Daughter. It is a unique entry in the historical fiction genre, and I highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed this book and i look forward to reading more in this series. I was hooked from the start.

would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this gripping novel....

a different perspective of the war years from the germans side, how a loving father became a ss soldier high ranking and then changed overnight and became something that the ss were known for...and this book is fiction but it could be based on truth

we first meet hanni as a young girl just before war is declared and hitler is just coming into power and trying to make germany known and its where she meets a photographer who introduces her to a camera. and to photography that will become a life line for her during the war...

overnight her father changes as he takes on more responsibility as an officer in the german army, what he does at home is nothing to what he does to prisoners and the like but for poor hanni and her mom and nan its devastating...

thoroughly enjoyed this book and seeing how hanni life progressed during and after the war, hope there is a second book as i thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all the characters in this book

will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works

The Commandant's Daughter is the first in a new series of four by Catherine Hokin following the story of Berlin residents Hanni and Freddy in the years following World War Two. This first book is an intense read, where we meet Hanni - photographer and daughter of a camp commandant - and Freddy, a Jewish Inspector in the German Police Force. They work together to solve a murder mystery whilst learning to navigate the new Germany they live in and work with the secrets of their past. The author doesn't shy away from the reality of the era whilst telling a unique, compelling story that I couldn't put down. - I very much look forward to the next instalment of Hanni and Freddy's story.
With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Hanni Foss witnesses for herself the atrocities that her own father is involved in during the war she makes a vow to herself that somehow she will ensure that he pays for his crimes. When the war is over she takes her mothers maiden name to distance herself from him and finds a quiet job working in a photographic studio. When she comes across the body of a murders SS officer she soon finds herself working closely with Freddy Schlussel, an Inspector in the reformed police force who is also hiding his true heritage. As more former SS officers are murdered they both have to decide if they really want the perpetrator to be captured or if their brand of vengeance would save everyone else the time and effort to bring them to justice.
I have to admit that at the start of this book I was unsure where it was going to lead, if the murders of the SS officers or Hanni bringing her father to justice was going to be the main thread and I think that it was this initial uncertainty that kept me turning page after page. In a time where it was still unsure who could be trusted and the country was being run by different authority, the politics of who was in charge where and how much co operation they would give was certainly at times a bit of a hinderance to the investigations.
I enjoyed watching both the personal and professional lives of Hanni and Freddy as they developed. With both of them trying to keep their past a secret but their connection very evident there were times that you wondered if their differences were just too much. Freddy’s anger at the victims and their families was understandable and you could feel him having to rein in his private thoughts in order to get the job done. Hanni frustrated me in as much for all her compassion for Freddy and her determination to see justice done, when it came to letting the world know about her father she is not as brave. Whilst I can understand that thanks to the stories her father has managed to tell she is concerned for her own safety I can only hope that she eventually manages to do the right thing.
As this is the first in a series of books featuring Hanni and Freddy it will be interesting to see how their relationship develops and if indeed Hanni will ever reveal her past to him and get the justice for her fathers’ victims.

Untold Secrets

A story of two people traumatized by WWII. Secrets held and deep hurts kept inside. This is a story of two people Hanni Foss a young girl growing up in Germany with a Father who is an SS Officer and a Jewish man named Freddy who loses everything in the war and becomes a police detective.

They meet by chance when Hanni comes upon a murdered man and takes pictures as she has grown up to become a photographer. Freddy is the detective that responds when she sends someone to find the police.

As they solve the crimes committed they have to each look inside to find if they can deal with their inner feelings in order to solve a crime they feel is justified but they know is unlawful. Hanni knows that Freddy can never find out her past, yet she must access that past in order to solve the crime which puts both herself and Freddy at great risk.

I did enjoy reading the story, and the almost romance between Freddy and Hanni. the ending left me a bit handing as to how their relationship develops and if Hanni ever follows through with her plans to seek closure from the war, also if she ever tells Freddy of her past and if he forgives her.

It was a different WWII story, yet it was a fast moving and good read. I do recommend it.

Thanks to Catherine Hokin for writing a great story, to Bookouture for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.

Hanni Winter is a photographer who came into her craft during her former life in World War II. In her former life, she is Hannahlore Foss, daughter of SS Commandant Reiner Foss, a man who oversaw the horrors of the Theresienstadt ghetto. When Hanni learned what kind of man he was and what he was capable of she made an oath that she would show the world who he was and what he had done.

Years later, Hanni is working as a photographer when she comes upon a dead body and ends up working with the police to determine what happened. This dead body was that of a former SS officer who was not held responsible for his actions. This begins the run of a serial killer set on holding these men responsible.

The beginning of this book had a lot of promise and kept my attention. Once we got to the second half of the book, it lost a lot of steam. The serial killer storyline could have been wrapped up in fewer chapters and I would have preferred that the Reiner storyline was wrapped up. It was a decent read but not something I would go out of my way to read again.

I love historical fiction, especially when it's set during WWII. This book was no exception. The book starts out with Hitler's rise to power. It then fast forwards to after the war ends. The main character, Hanni, is the daughter of an SS commandant. However, she does not share his anti-Semitic views. During the war, she took pictures of the camp in order to take her father down. She wanted the world to see what was really happening, and for the prisoners stories to be known. Her father was a scary man and did much to keep her from outting him.

I believe this is the first book I read of the days following the war. I enjoyed reading about what came after. It sickens me how many people supported the Nazis, even after the Nuremburg trials and the truth came out. It saddens me how the Jews were treated as other. This book gave us characters that fell all along the spectrum. We had a former commandant, a couple of Jews, the wives of high-ranking SS officers, everyday German citizens who were for and against Nazis. I found the entire story to be very interesting. It is the first in a four-part series, and I look forward to reading what comes next.

I would like to thank Netgally and the publisher for the ARC.

The book begins before World War II has begun and Hanni is excited for the parade that will be happening in Berlin celebrating Adolf Hitler as he is coming into power. Her father will become a leader in Hitler's regime and Hanni will see the inside of what that all entails.

As the story skips years, the reader doesn't have to see too much of the horrible truth that happened in Germany, but instead the reader gets to experience how hard it is to hold people to account for what they did during the war. This was what I loved about this book as there are few books that I have read that take place after World War II and talk about bringing justice to those who caused harm to innocent people during the war.

It was fun to have a mystery in the middle of a historical fiction. That happens, but not often and I enjoyed watching Hanni and Freddy track down the vigilante and tackle their feelings about what he was doing.

This book would be a great companion to The German Wife by Debbie Rix that I reviewed here. If you haven't read either, I would read The German Wife first and then read this one, they fit so well together.

I reviewed this book for Historical Novels Review, the magazine for the Historical Novel Society. Per their policy, I cannot post a review until after it is posted on their website on May 1, 2022. I will update my review after that date.