Code Name Edelweiss is a must-read for fans of historical fiction. Landsem's writing is professional and engaging, and the story is informative and entertaining. Whether you're a history buff or simply looking for a good read, this novel is sure to satisfy.

“Silence is oppression in itself…” Liesl Weiss, after being fired from her job as an MGM Studios stenographer, is confronted with a choice. Take a job as a spy and infiltrate the Nazi organization that has come to her town of Los Angeles or stay silent and ignore the antisemitic movement that seems to be sweeping the Nation. Struggling to support herself and her family after her husband walked out and never returned, Liesl realizes that as a woman during the Great Depression, her job choices are nearly nonexistent. She decides to work for the famous lawyer Leon Lewis, not really understanding what it is he is asking her to do. Mr. Lewis knows something is coming and is perhaps already here, and he is determined to stop it. Liesl is an ordinary citizen asked to do something extraordinary. However, it will all come with a cost. The deeper that Liesl goes into her new secretary job at the Friends of New Germany, the more she realizes that things are not as they seem. Danger is lurking around every corner, lies and gossip are being spread like wildfire, and love will come from the most unexpected place. She begins to realize that true courage is speaking out even when fear tells you to be silent. Long hidden secrets come to light that could destroy her and her family. When tragedy strikes those that she loves, Liesl realizes she must do all she can to wipe out the evil that has spread through her German community before it swallows the whole Nation. I honestly had no idea that a group of amateur spies, were able to root out a Nazi organization that had hopes of taking over America! I was enthralled by this story and did research after finishing the book. That is the mark of a great story- when the author writes something so vividly and in detail, that the reader wants to learn more. The internal conflict of Liesl as she tries to make sense of what is happening around her, was mesmerizing to watch unfold. She has a deep faith in God, family, and country and is conflicted on what she sees and what she believes to be true. I love historical fiction and this book did not disappoint. Historically accurate, the detailed descriptions of time, place, and characters, had me reading long into the night. From the mansions of Hollywood’s elite, and backlots of MGM Studios, to the tents of Hooverville, “Code Name Edelweiss” will have readers cheering for a group of unlikely Americans that work together to stop the Nazi war machine. I thank NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers for the ARC of this book. I am not required to leave a positive review. All opinions in this review are my own.

All the glamour of the Hollywood movie scene in the 1930’s; who knew what evil was lurking? An ocean away, Adolf Hitler was trying to reach his message to unsuspecting Americans by taking over the Hollywood Studio system. The idea is chilling, but to find out this story is based on true events and real people is just amazing. Leon Lewis was the spymaster, trying to thwart the takeover by hiring spies of his own to infiltrate the German-American social clubs. Liesl Weiss is hired to work as a secretary/spy at the New Germany headquarters. At first, she is skeptical; however, the evidence keeps mounting that all is not what it seems. She is also hesitant to get involved until she begins noticing the evil and hate that is mounting against her Jewish friends and neighbors. The theme of this book was “If not me, who? If not now, when? A good reminder in today’s turbulent times. Hoping there will be a sequel to the story of Leon Lewis, Liesl Weiss and Otto Wilhelm. The story was very compelling, and I enjoyed learning about little known history.

My thanks to the author and Tyndale House Publishers for an early copy of this book. The opinions here are entirely my own.

Questions. That is what inundates Code Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem. So many questions, sent out in many different directions. Within a world where Nazis are doing everything they can to infiltrate Hollywood with their anti-semitic propaganda, the biggest question that comes to light is, “Who can you trust?”

When Liesl Weiss lost her job at MGM Studios despite being the best at what she did, she desperately searched for a new job where she could continue to support her family. That desperate search led her to Leon Lewis. But as Leon explained what was going on in her own backyard, Liesl wasn’t completely buying it. It was the offer of a steady income that finally led her to accept the position.

When she volunteered for the Friends of New Germany, she questioned Leon even more. Those people had shown her nothing but kindness, and they wanted to create a better America. Who could’ve blamed them for that? Were they truly as bad as Liesl had been led to believe?

And then she realized the truth, and the next question arose: “Why would God let this happen?” Liesl questioned God throughout the story, yet she had to answer her own question when it was asked by her daughter, Tess. The answer? God can use evil for good. Another of Leon’s operatives, Thirteen, had also pondered this question. What he realized was that God could use good people to end the evil.

Silence was also prominent in this story. When to be silent, and when to speak up. Liesl regretted remaining silent when she could have spoken up for her friend, Miriam, a Jewish woman who lived next door with her husband and daughter. But when she worked under the guise of Edelweiss, silence was key. Say nothing that would bring suspicion to your true intentions. Anything else could have cost Liesl her life and the lives of her family.

I loved this story and did not want it to end. I wanted more and even wished for this book to be turned into a series as opposed to a stand-alone. Honestly, I’m still wishing that now and have every intention to revisit this book multiple times.

Landsem created a riveting world of fiction based on history that actually happened. The Jewish lawyer who employed spies was real. The Nazis did try to infiltrate Hollywood with their propaganda. Landsem took that and brought us on an emotional roller coaster filled with highs and lows. She did not disappoint. And she weaved God into the story beautifully, showing His true character despite all the confusion and questions the two main characters struggled with throughout.

If you love WWII-era novels with flawed characters who want to do the right thing, read this book. It will not disappoint.

Code Name Edelweiss piqued my interest from the moment I saw it was coming out; I couldn't put it down! Liesl's determination to press on and navigate the blurry line between truth and falsehood in spite of uncertainties and loss was admirable. Each chapter seemed to reveal a missing piece of the story while simultaneously bringing more questions to light. Amid high-stakes intrigue and the glamour of Hollywood, who do you trust?

The main story finished out very well; I sure hope there's a sequel, though!

I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley. A positive review was not required; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The author whisks readers into a time when everyone in our country was hurting, because of the great depression in 1933. When Hollywood and movie moguls were in their prime. Main character, Liesi worked at the movie studios for years, and then she didn’t. Her husband went to work one day and never came back. What was she going to do?

Liesl Weiss, is an American with a German heritage. She is fluent in speaking and writing German as well as English. She is responsible for her mother, two children and a brother. Not only that, but she also needs a job. Furthermore, she interviews with a Jewish Lawyer, Leon Lewis. Liesl can’t believe that Mr. Lewis has just asked her to be a spy. She thought it was crazy, but how else was she going to pay the bills. Thirty dollars a week was an amazing salary. Leon Lewis knew, Hitler had his eyes set on taking over Hollywood. He needed her help to prove it.

The story is well written, intense, and powerful given the times pre-WW2 when Hitler first was gaining power, popularity, and visibility in Germany as their leader. The organization called, The New Friends of Germany claimed to be friends of All Germans living in America, they were there to protect them as the motherland would, but in reality, they were driven by the same agenda Hitler pushed. This was news to me. I found it interesting that the story was based on an actual spy ring who uncovered plots and successfully derailed them.

I liked the author’s writing style and how she used the spy’s code names throughout most of the story, not revealing their identity to the reader and the main characters in the novel, until the end. Likewise I was intrigued at how the author showed real life trauma of the time and how negative and painful events influenced people’s abilities to trust others.

What’s not to love about this novel full of glamor, intrigue, relatable characters, with a splash of romance and mystery.

I enjoyed the natural spiritual thread that was genuine and real. I was sucked into this story hook, line, and sinker. Wow. It’s a book I couldn’t put down. This is a story you don’t’ want to miss.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

I love learning about new periods in history! In Germany, Hitler is chancellor of Germany. In Los Angeles in the 1930s, the Friends of New Germany is spreading anti-Semitic propaganda and planning something nefarious in Hollywood. Based on a true story, Jewish lawyer Leon Lewis employs ordinary people as spies to help take down the Friends and stop the spread of anti-Semitism in the United States. A great historical fiction book full of family, mystery, friendship, and faith.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Liesl sees and hates the anti-Jew sentiment that has thrust a wedge between her and her former best friend, but she has a family to care for and doesn't want to get involved. But when an attempt to get a secretary job sees her recruited to secretly spy on a supposedly Nazi organisation, she begins to see what this might all lead to. Though sceptical at first, the evidence becomes inescapable and points to even more than she'd ever imagined possible in her worst nightmares. Can she and the man who recruited her, plus a fellow spy in the organisation, manage to uncover and foil their plans in time?

I'd love to know how much or little of this story was true - it seems incredible and yet is described as based on a true story. I was disappointed not to find a historical note with more details (it seemed that sort of book), but that was my only disappointment. The author was new to me, but I definitely hope to read more by her in future. The characters and their struggles felt real, the setting was well done, the suspense kept me eagerly reading, and the ending was satisfying - despite strongly suggesting a lead into the next book (I don't think it's just wishful thinking!). It was also a thought-provoking read at times, as characters have to decide what to do in the face of evil - as well as showing how easily evil can take over if we just listen to the popular rhetoric rather than having a basis for our beliefs. All in all, highly recommended.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

I was really intrigued by this story when I first read the summary. It is set in LA in the early 1930s and talks about how a lawyer enlisted some everyday Americans to work undercover helping him find proof that the Nazi’s are trying to take over Hollywood. The story opens with introducing readers to Leisl and we learn that she has a lot of responsibilities with caring for her two young kids, her mother and brother. I quickly felt for her and the stress she was under. However I felt the story progressed really slow and I struggled to get into it. There are two points of views being told, Leisl and Agent 13. We don’t know much about Agent 13 and what his real identity is for most of the story, however I was able to figure it out long before it was revealed. Leisl needed to decide if she would stand up for what she believed was right. Could they stop the evil happening? The story had wonderful potential especially knowing that it was based on true events, however with the pacing and flow I struggled to get invested in the story and really debated about putting it down at the 40% mark, but I continued with hopes it would pick up. It did get a bit better with Leisl beginning to realize how the Jews around her were being treated just because they were Jewish not for what they had done. However, it was hard to believe that their plan would have actually worked out in real time the way it portrayed to have. I was high hopes for this story as the premise sounded really intriguing but I found it hard to really connect with the characters.

This is a fascinating insight into the Nazi incursion into Los Angeles during WWII. The movie studios were mostly run and owned by the Jewish and the Nazi's wanted to change this by bringing down those leaders and bring their own form of 'leadership' into the studio world.

Enter Leon Lewis, a Jewish man who wants to stop this Nazi incursion. Interestingly, it wasn't Nazis from Germany that would be the battalion but Americans who had become sympathisers to the New Friends from Germany cause. It was interesting reflecting on the naïvete of not just Americans but other Allied nations who completely underestimated the influence and all pervasive dictatorship that Hitler and his comrades desired.

Lewis engages an amateur spy network to bring this growing influence down. This is where our stars, Liesel Weiss and Wilhelm Otto, come into the story. They are employed by Lewis to infiltrate the New Friends organisation, to capture information that Lewis can take to the powers that be in Washington to stop the Nazi incursion.

I liked Liesel. Landsem does an excellent job in giving us a well developed character who grows through the story. Liesel is a mom with two children whose husband has mysteriously disappeared. Liesel, therefore, has to work to provide for her kids, mother and brother.

Wilhelm is already within the New Friends organisation and has done a convincing job becoming 'one of them'. I found Wilhelm a little too stiff. Some of this falls away towards the end of the story and I do wonder if there's a lot more Landsem could do with him in a follow-up story.

I liked that Landsem challenges us all with own prejudices and biases. We get to see the difficulty the Jewish had in these communities where they were restricted in where they could travel, shop and interact. I didn't appreciate how maligned the Jewish were in 1930/40s America.

The story bounds along with short sharp chapters hosted by Liesel and Wilhelm's POV. There is good tension throughout and it builds well for the ultimate confrontations. Landsem writes marvellously taking the reader into the LA of the time, the movie studio world and the homes of the era. It was very easy to flip pages as the story unfolds and the danger to Liesel and Wilhelm ratchets up.

If you enjoy historical fiction around the WWII ear, you will enjoy this tale especially as you discover at the end that many of the characters, incidents and threats were indeed factual and not just Landsems's clever imagination.

I was very fortunate to receive an early ebook copy from Tyndall via NetGalley with no expectation of a positive review.

Set in 1930s American during the Great Depression, Code Name Edelweiss is a spellbinding and riveting novel about family, courage in adversity, making choices, faith and hope. In Europe Adolf Hitler is up and coming, Nazi groups are growing and anti-Semitism is rife. Disturbing acts are sadly done in the name of God. Propaganda is spreading to America and spies are infiltrating to root out and expose Nazism.

In Los Angeles, lawyer Leon Lewis hires Christian operatives to gather information about Nazis. After her husband leaves, Liesl Weiss is the sole provider for her two small children, mother and brother. She loses her job at MGM and is desperate for work so reluctantly works as a spy. She agrees to do volunteer office work for The Friends of New Germany which she finds distasteful but important for the cause. Agents have code names, including the mysterious Thirteen. Layers of dark secrets are brought to light and Liesl's family is endangered.

Ordinary people can be used by God in extraordinary ways. The characters are realistically imperfect, the writing is superb and the story utterly enthralling. The thread of faith running through it is powerful in its constancy and subtlety.

So many reasons to adore this book.
I like that much of the story is based on true people and events. Do be sure to read author Stephanie Landsem's inspiration in the back.

My sincere thank you to Tyndale House Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this engrossing and inspirational novel.

#BookRevew: CODE NAME EDELWEISS by Stephanie Landsem

I wasn't invested at first in this story of courage until Liesl accepted the job offered by Leon Lewis. For thirty dollars a week, Liesl had to accept a job as a spy at the Friends of New Germany out of necessity. Agent 13 spied on the members of National Socialists.

This book was loosely based on the life of Leon Lewis with the emerging hatred on Jews during WWII. I was not familiar on how Adolf Hitler and his supporters carried the hatred on Jews in LA. The Nazi's wanting to takeover Hollywood and the US sounded bizarre.

Though the focus was on the amateur spies and what they went through, it brought to light the impact on the lives of Jews. Innocent lives were affected. The spies and their allies were brave people to stand up to the truth and oppressed. This made for a compelling story with good characters and writing style.

Rating: 4 stars
Pub date: 07 Mar 2023

Thank you Tyndale House Publishers and #netgalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Code Name Edelweiss was a compelling and exciting read set in 1930s America, surrounding a Nazi plot to infiltrate Hollywood and a spy network established by a Jewish banker to try and stop them. All is based on real events.

However, it is also a book which resonates today: showcasing the moral depravity and sexual politics which pervades the movie industry. (Leisel is sexually harassed on numerous occasions by her bosses), as well as how political inaction and casual prejudice can impact society.
It was also just an enjoyable story with flawed but relatable characters who were struggling to do the right thing whilst overcoming their own demons. Spies, as this shows, are not superhumans or Saints but normal – and often very troubled- people.

Leisel was very candid in saying that what caused her to work for Mr Lewis was just money and she did not believe in his cause, but as she saw how her brother was being influenced by extremists & the nature of what the groups, she was trying to infiltrate believed it gave her a new conviction & sense of purpose.

Thanks to Tyndale House for approving me for a PDF of this title on Netgalley. This didn't influence my review and all opinions expressed are my own & freely given.

I love WWII history especially from the perspective of average people who stepped up and did extraordinary things. This book is a very interesting fictional story based on true historical people and events. I couldn’t put it down. The spread of Nazis in Hollywood is a part of history I knew literally nothing about. It is amazing, scary and sad how easily hatred for a group of people can be bred and spread. The similarities between this story and current times leap off the page. Both the main and secondary characters in the book are rich and deep and the story full of page turning intrigue. I thoroughly enjoyed this engaging, thought provoking novel and will look to read more by Stephanie Landsem.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tyndale Publishing for the opportunity to read for honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Tyndale House Publishers for access to this arc.


Wow, this book was all that I hoped for and more. It’s not only a well crafted undercover spy novel but also uses religion to actually further the change in the two main characters but not in a preachy way. Instead, Liesl and Agent Thirteen have to come face to face with their fears, their doubts, their prejudices, and their questions about how a loving God could allow certain things to happen and then wrestle with their own consciences for answers.

When lawyer Leon Lewis tells Liesl why he wants her to pose as a secretary for the Friends of New Germany organization in Los Angeles, she thinks he’s nuts. Sure, things are happening in Germany and being done by fanatics but that couldn’t happen here, right? Some people might not like or associate with Jews but that doesn’t mean they’d do violence, would they? And her family have been loyal Americans since her parents immigrated. Why, her father insisted on signing up during the Great War to prove his patriotism and died. She, her mother and her younger brother had been called anti-German slurs. In the end, what gets her to accept the assignment isn’t any burning desire to for a cause – it’s the promise of $30 a week.

And so she starts working for people who seem to be ordinary, nice, and only trying to support the German-American heritage Liesl loves and is proud of. Yes, Mr. Schwinn eventually gets handsy but most male bosses do and Liesl knows how to duck and dodge. Thekla Schwinn on the other hand is delighted at Liesl’s competence. Liesl isn’t quite as thrilled about some of the other people there but the money she’s earning is helping to pay down the family bills that grew after her husband disappeared and because her brother shrugs off stepping up and being the man of the family.

When the light finally begins to dawn for Liesl, it’s not a bombshell but rather a slow and gradual, though spending a horrified night reading "Mein Kampf" might have speeded it up a little, realization. Along with this comes the knowledge that her own brother, a cadet policeman, is getting mixed up in it, too. Now Liesl is having to act better than a Hollywood actress to hide her true sympathies from the people at work, her own family, and sadly her neighbors who were formerly her friends. Liesl also faces the cowardly choices she’s made in the past to not stand up for someone when she knows she should have. Brava for this as it gives Liesl depth, forces her to deal with personal responsibility, and illustrates part of the old poem, “but I did not speak out.”

There is another undercover agent working with her but as their boss has decided to keep almost everyone’s identity secret from the others for reasons of safety, neither knows the true feelings of the other. This part is well done with viable reasons to continue for them to misjudge each other. They have both come from places of complacence and need to examine what they are willing to accept and where their line in the sand is. The other agent, already on board against the Nazis, is someone who manages to hold out hope for some of the young teens who have been caught up with this group as they merely look for a place to fit in, for father figures to replace those lost, as was Liesl’s and Fritz’s father, in the war. The agent, as I said earlier, doesn’t get preachy but talks to them, urges them to think about the men their fathers would have wanted them to be. It’s actually Liesl he eventually has to talk into giving Fritz another chance.

I think the real events of Leon Lewis and his spy ring’s efforts to counteract the attempt of Nazis to wreak havoc and to raise awareness of the rise of fascism are well woven into the plot. As I read the book, the similarity to current world divisions and events struck me. The end is a touch open so I’m holding out hope that this won’t be the last we’ll see of Liesl, her family, Agent Thirteen, and Leon Lewis. B+

A spy novel set in the 1930s?? Not something I normally would read, but I really did enjoy it. But if I’m honest, that cover really drew me in. It’s absolutely beautiful.

This is the story of Liesl Weiss and how she and some other amateur spies brought down Hitler’s attempt at taking over Hollywood in hopes of spreading anti-semitism propaganda.

The best part? This is based off of a true story, and I didn’t even know that before starting.

The beginning of this story was a bit slow for me, but the ending made me not want to put this book down. If you’re in need of a historical fiction, this is definitely a win for me (This one is not a historical romance).

This book was incredible. It was so distinct from any other novel I've ever read. I am so grateful for the chance to read it. I adored the characters; I adored how real and imperfect they were. I also liked how they were unlikely protagonists. I loved the plot and how clever it was. The growth of the characters (particularly Liesl) was really enjoyable to read. The setting of the novel was excellent as well.
This book has an impactful and important message, and the author does such a great job in sharing this message. I loved it so much!

Code Name Edelweiss brought events happening in Germany under Adolf Hitler close to home as the Nazis worked in America to try to eliminate the Jewish people.

I was a little familiar with Leon Lewis and his work to try to stop what was happening via people working undercover to provide him with information he could then take to the authorities. As more is known about his work, it is interesting to read it incorporated into a story.

Liesl and Agent 13, unknowingly at first, working together only added to the intrigue of this story. Working at great risk to themselves and for Liesl, also her family, they were determined to do what they could to thwart this evil. As they get to know each other, the work they were able to do only increased. It was captivating to watch unfold and left me filled with admiration for the work done to stop what was trying to take root in the United States.

I look forward to reading more of Stephanie Landsem’s work. Her research is thorough and her ability to weave a tale incorporating real events is so very well done I couldn’t help but be engrossed from the first page.

Thank you to Tyndale for the copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Code Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem is based on a true story, unknown until recent years. How a lone Jewish lawyer and a handful of amateur spies discovered and foiled Adolf Hitler’s plan to take over Hollywood. The story focuses on two of the amateur spies, Liesl who is a single mom with two kids and a mother to support. She takes on Leon’s request for a spy. She volunteers for an organization and collects information for Leon, the Jewish lawyer.

Another spy, Wilhelm, Agent 13 was an interesting character. You knew he was going to have a background which the author slowly revealed to keep your attention.

There were several secondary characters that added another dimension to the story. Her brother, Fritz who is a police officer and has gotten himself mixed up in the wrong group of people. Her Jewish friend, Miriam really helped you see the dilemma Liesl found herself in both before and after she became a spy.

If now me, then who? If not now, then when? - both of these quotes helped you understand why someone would be willing to risk so much to support human rights.

This is a historical fiction that kept my attention and had me telling my friends about it. I would highly recommend it. This is my first book by Stephanie but will not be my last. Her author notes in the back were an extra treat.

Sexual content – none
Violence – women are sexually harassed. Riots and beating people up

Leading up to WWII, California movie studios begin to lay off non-Jewish employees. When Liesl loses her job at MGM, she is desperate for work to feed her family. When an attorney offers her a job spying on the German American community, she reluctantly takes it. She slowly realizes that anti-Semitism is a real threat to American values and dedicates herself to the cause.

Although this book was well paced, the characters were a bit stereotypical. The characters lacked dimension and behaved exactly as expected. I was fascinated to find out that this story was based on real life events. I found myself googling the real actors late into the night. Not a bad book, but not one I would re-read.