"Lines of Deception", by Steve Anderson

Kaspar Brothers book #4

West Germany, 1949

Munich nightclub owner Max Kaspar occasionally lends a hand to the newly formed CIA so when his brother Harry ventured beyond the Iron Curtain to rescue an American scientist, Max sets out to locate him.....he never expected the treacherous quest he would face....

Many moons ago I had read the prequel “Lost Kin” but my memory failed me I had a hard time placing what had happened to bring us to this stage. Luckily I had my notes and the synopsis helped a lot. We have a lot going on, this author has packed more information that I could absorb in the first third of the book but I gradually got the hang of it and I truly couldn’t put this story down from then on. The quest brings Max to Vienna, Prague, Soviet Est Germany and Communist Poland. Once Harry was located, joining in the pursuit was dangerous operators, Harry’s former lover Katarina, an Israelis agent and former Nazi Hartmut Dietz, now an East German Intelligence agent...and what about Stanley Samaras, the scientist? Was he really who he said he was.....food for thought and Mr. Anderson give us a mouth full. Along the way we are into an exciting saga. Hang on there, the pacing is relentless, not one minute of peace.

I appreciate the notes the author gives us at the end of the book it clarify so much and I understood and appreciated far more this fiction, By using actual events and characters to serve his story he introduces us to aspect little-know of history. The dramatization is well researched and is excellently and vividly said to give the “cold” atmosphere of place and time. Mr. Anderson definitely is a master when it comes to high adventure.

A big thank you Steve Anderson, do keep up giving us tit-bits of history

"The Royal Librarian", by Daisy Wood

This story has two timelines it goes back and forth between 1940 as the war rages and bombs rain down on Britain and present day Philadelphia with Lacey Turner digging into her great aunt’s family tree and coming across a book bearing the stamp of Windsor Castle’s royal bindery. Thus, begins a journey that will take Lacey from Buckingham palace in a quest to find out what is behind this mysterious book and the secrets Sophie Klein, her grandmother’s sister, has been hiding for so long.

The dual time line works seamlessly, the voices alternating between Sophie (1940) and Lacey (present day) as they tell us what is going on. It is a good story although the part in America was slightly boring and a bit too long. Once Lacey set foot in Britain and the two stories came together I was totally into it and flipping the pages to see what Sophie really was doing at the Palace. Escaping from Austria to take up a position in the Royal Library to translate letters written by the King to the Nazi regime...was she a spy? The past was definitely the more captivating story but the present brings closure.

This story is interesting we have no shortage of information of what was happening at the time. By featuring real people and their lives with fictional characters the author has giving us a tale that could be as true to life as possible. “The Royal Librarian” is an interesting recreation of a moment in time and is played out by wonderful and well-drawn characters. In whole this story is easy to stay with it, the pacing is steady and the narrative is quite engaging.

Most historical fiction enthusiast should love this one.

My thanks to Avon Books UK as well as Netgalley for this ARC

"Sandcastle Inn", by Irene Hannon

Hope Harbor book #10

This cute story of second chance brings warmth to the heart. Good people doing wonderful things to other without asking anything back. “Sandcastle Inn” will show us how this is possible.

Vienna Price returns for a passing visit home to Oregon after her career tanks she is there to nurse her wounds and chart a new course for the future. Matt Quinn on vacation takes a trip to Oregon to help his sister who has recently bought a dilapidated inn. Vienna and Matt cross path and luck is on his side, Vienna has just the skills to help him resuscitate the B&B....and find all the help they needed....and slowly they fall for each other....awe....

I enjoyed this fiction and how the characters matched so well. The atmosphere created is wonderful I wish this town wasn’t fictional I would like to meet the residents, of course these people are to idyllic to be real but one can dream. Through the pages we discover Matt’s tragic past and Vienna skills and how resourceful she is. The project brings in a wonderful couple Paige and Andrew who had lost everything and will do anything to start their lives again and getting a job as contractors at the Inn was a dream come true. For Vienna, Matt, Paige and Andrew all they needed was a second chance and Hope Harbor was there to help. This story keeps a slow and steady pace and is said with clean and active language.

And love is in the air......What a wonderful story, well- said and well-done.

Many thank you to the publisher Revell and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.