Enjoyed this slight home Front WWII in France novel that also dealt with POWs. I don't think I've read read many WWII books with POWs in it.. So this one was a read that didn't feel like I had read it before.

The Escape Game tells the story of Prisoners of War (POWs) trying to escape from Germany in WWII with help and morale from their families and friends back home in England (and from a game of Monopoly). It is written with dual third-person points of view: Kenneth, an American pilot who fought for Britain and became a POW, and Beryl, a volunteer air raid warden in England.

The history in this novel is truly fascinating, and from what I can tell, it’s very accurate! I learned a lot about the air raids, POW camps, the Geneva Convention, and escape attempts.

Based on the title, I expected the game to have a bigger part in the story, but it took a long time for it to enter the picture. Because of that, the ending felt a bit rushed; I would have liked to see the game storyline played out a little more thoroughly.

For a war novel, it was more lighthearted. It was missing the gravitas I’ve come to expect from books about WWII. Also, the dialogue felt abrupt and unnatural at times.

Thankfully, there was no foul language, and the romance element was pure. I think this book would be perfect for someone who wants exposure to rich history without too many mature themes. In particular, I think younger readers (both boys and girls!) might really enjoy it.

THE ESCAPE GAME by MARILYN TURK is a must read for anyone who enjoys WW11 stories The novel is well researched and exciting with quite a few twists and turns as fighter pilots, James Clarke from Leeds and Kenneth Bordelon from Louisiana, do everything in their power to escape Stalag Luft 1, a priisoner of war camp in Barth, Germany. We also see the bravery and fortitude of the British, especially that of the women who are left behind to fill the gaps left by their menfolk.
Beryl Clarke works at Waddingtons, a printing company that manufactures games and playing cards, including a very special Monopoly game…….
I like to see the way Beryl cares for her mother and how she and her mother care for old Mrs Dowd.
I love the strong Christian message running through the book.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Barbour Publishing. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

I absolutely love this series Barbour Books has put out about the women of World War II, not just those who served in the Armed Forces, but those who supported the efforts of the Allies during the war. The Escape Game is the newest offering in the series and while Beryl's support isn't as overt as some of the other characters in the other books, her support is necessary, none-the-less. I appreciate that all of these books are based on actual happenings with a bit of artistic license to flesh out the story. The skill of the writers who put these novels together make them interesting to read and hard to put down.

Beryl is a secretary for the owner of a game manufacturing company by day, caretaker of her mum by night, and in between she's an Air Raid Patrol warden. James is Beryl's brother who is serving in Africa. Kenneth is a pilot from the United States flying for the Royal Air Force in the Eagle Squadron. Beryl, James, and Kenneth are friends from their days at Oxford.

When Kenneth's plane is hit and goes down, he becomes a prisoner of war. One of the things drilled into him during training is that if you are captured, make every effort to escape. When Beryl's company starts making games to aid the POWs to escape, Beryl writes to let her brother and Kenneth, who are POWs in the same camp, know to look for the game, and its significance. She has to couch it in terms that won't get noticed by the censors.

Marilyn Turk has woven this novel with twists and turns that keep the readers on the edges of their seats. While addressing the home-front issues of the war in Great Britain, she has pulled together a cohesive story that has such a satisfying outcome it leaves the readers wanting more. The prologue sets the stage for the narrative to play out, while the epilogue brings the plot full circle.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a Monopoly game to escape the cares of this world for a few minutes.

Barbour Books provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

The Escape Game
By Marilyn Turk
Publisher: Barbour Publishing
Series: Heroines of WW2
Rated: 4
Obtain: Borrow or buy
Back of the Book: “A Board Game Holds Keys to Prisoners’ Escape
Full of intrigue, adventure, and romance, this series celebrates the unsung heroes—the heroines of WWII.
After the Nazis started the bombing blitz of England, Beryl Clarke puts her college on hold to return to Leeds, care for her mother, and work as a secretary at the Waddington game company. While she endures the war at home, her brother James fights the enemy in the air. When he is shot down, injured, and captured, James reunites with a former college friend American POW Kenneth Bordelon, and they plan to escape the Nazi prison camp. Beryl knows there is a board game with escape plans being delivered to POWs by the Red Cross. But how can she let them know about the game's secret without revealing the information to the enemy?”

Impressions: What a lively adventure this book had going. I enjoyed the clever escape route plans that the prisoner’s of war had going. The characters were likable and easy to enjoy. I’m afraid the romance was a bit tired to me. There were too many other situations being worked out in the plot and the spark of romance was lacking. The ending was sweet however and I did enjoy the slow and steady suspense of escape while reading.

Quotes: “‘Just soldier on.’ That’s what we do while we’re waiting to hear from them. That, and pray. Anything that’s outside of my control, I hand over to God. He sees the whole picture, and I only see a little piece of it.”

“James’ faith was what propelled him to pursue the rest of what he did…”

I received an ARC of this book via the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here. For more book reviews go to: https://thebluestockingbooknook.wordpress.com

Barbour Publishing has a series of books about World War II. The topics in these books are often relatively unknown parts of WWII history. This is one of them. The book gave an interesting look inside POW camps, the morale of the men, their duty to escape and the fact that they were able to receive packages. I had no idea that a company in the U.K. produced Monopoly games with escape tools built in, which the Red Cross distributed. I was looking forward to a page turning suspense novel. It wasn’t a page turner, the story trotted on at a very leisurely pace. It was basically a description of life in Leeds and life in the POW camp. The Monopoly game doesn’t make an appearance until about 80% into the book, so be patient. However, I found the information in the book authentic, appropriate for the time, and mostly historically accurate. I’m not so sure about a RAF plane being shot down by the Nazis in France in 1939 since France wasn’t occupied until May 1940. The writing style is not one that makes my heart beat faster, but other readers might love it. I prefer the “show not tell'' approach and this author does a lot of telling. For example, “Mum stood and went to the kitchen and took a can of milk out of the pantry. Once she found the can opener, she pierced the can and poured some of the milk into a cup, mixed it with an equal amount of water, and then poured it into a saucer and set it on the floor.” For me, that’s an imagination killer and that’s the main reason for the 3 stars. The characters were o.k., with Elinor probably being the most unpredictable and lovable one of the bunch. Clean book, nothing gory.

Many thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. All opinions are my own.

I thought this book was just about the coolest world War 2 book ever because of how the Monopoly game was used.
I will never look at the Monopoly game quite the same again. I now find it interesting instead of long and boring.
Monopoly is the true hero of this novel.
I loved Grandma Beryl's story from beginning to end. Believe me, her story will keep you glued to the book. It did me.
For me, I loved the theme of hope. That's what life really is about. For without Jesus and hope we'd have nothing. Am empty soul.
The events that took place are interesting in themselves. Especially King George's speech of 1942. It reminds me of President FDR's speech for December 7, 1941 Day of Infamy.
Terrible Terrible! George's speech almost brought me to tears because we really do need to get along and need each other in hard times and in peace too.
Turk did an excellent job of writing this and I felt that each character was perfectly developed and well rounded out. I loved in getting to know them.
I didn't want the book to end.
5 stars for a job well done! I highly recommend
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was a good book about even when there was these two guys james and Kenneth they were in a war. They were prisoners of wR. They never gave up hope they fought there way back to the people that loved them it was. A lovely book. Of faith and determination. This book was approved by netgalley and the publisher for me to read and review.

The Escape Game by Marilyn Turk is a different, yet interesting take on World War II. For readers familiar with World War II novels, they have read tons of stories on the concentration camps during World War II. I, personally, have not read any stories that have to do with Nazi POW camps. This was interesting and fascinating how well the prisoners were actually treated. The plot does have two point of views that had a past before the war started. Monopoly played a huge part in the escape game, which I did not know. The characters, especially the hero, Kenneth Anderson, was brave and willing to do anything to escape the Nazi prison. Nicely crafted. The heroine, Beryl Clarke, worked at the war effort while trying to bring her mother out of her depression since her father died. The writing style was easy to follow and a nicely handled story with plenty of action and surprising moments that kept me glued to the story. I recommend this story to fans of World War II stories.

I received a complimentary copy of The Escape Game by Marilyn Turk from Barbour Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

I had to do a little research after reading this one, and found that a lot of the elements (including Monopoly) are drawn straight from history. Also, Hogan's Heroes must have done an awfully good job of portraying POW camps, as many of those scenes felt like an extension of the show. Our story follows Beryl, in Leeds, and her brother and friend, in a POW camp, during the very early days of the war. There are bombs, escape plans, and a heaping dose of daily life during wartime...all which help bring the era to life for the reader, simultaneously teaching a few of the lesser-known history lessons. An excellent addition to this remarkable series!