A Trace of Smoke

By Rebecca Cantrell

From the back of the book:

Hardened crime reporter Hannah Vogel knows all too well how tough it is to survive in 1931 Berlin. Still, she is devastated when she sees a photograph of her brother’s body in the Hall of the Unnamed Dead. Ernst, a cross-dressing lounge singer, had many secrets, a never-ending list of lovers, and plenty of opportunities to get into trouble. While attempting to maintain her budding romance with a handsome, upstanding backer, Hannah delves into the city’s dark underbelly to flush out her brother’s murderer.

Just my opinion:

As if Hannah doesn’t have enough trouble trying to survive on a paycheck that barely covers her own expenses, suddenly a 5-year-old boy appears on her doorstep with a birth certificate claiming she is his mother and her dead brother is the father. She knows, of course, that the papers are counterfeit, but now she must figure out how to care for Anton, who has managed to find a way into her heart, and who killed her brother. Her quest leads her down a path of danger and risk for both her and Anton.

This is definitely a book that is on my list of favorites. Written in a way that takes the reader right into the heart of Nazi Germany and the beginning of Hitler’s popularity as a party leader, the story weaves its way through a time when fear was a mainstay for those who disagreed with the political forces of the time. As you peruse the pages, you are taken back to a time that will make you appreciate where you are now.

As a bonus, the author does an excellent job of telling this tale and you soon find yourself caring deeply for Hannah and hoping she is able to survive for her sake and for the sake of the little boy she must now protect.

Well-written, this is a story you will want to add to your list of books to read. Plus, a few twists at the end make the story all that more intriguing.