BOOK REVIEW: The German Heiress by Anika Scott @tlcbooktours @wmmorrowbooks #thegermanheiress

Edgy, heat-pounding, gripping fiction… The German Heiress by Anika Scott isn’t the typical post-World War II historical fiction novel. It has bite and suspense that had me completely immersed in the story!

About the Book

Clara Falkenberg, once Germany’s most eligible and lauded heiress, earned the nickname “the Iron Fräulein” during World War II for her role operating her family’s ironworks empire. It’s been nearly two years since the war ended and she’s left with nothing but a false identification card and a series of burning questions about her family’s past. With nowhere else to run to, she decides to return home and take refuge with her dear friend, Elisa.

Narrowly escaping a near-disastrous interrogation by a British officer who’s hell-bent on arresting her for war crimes, she arrives home to discover the city in ruins, and Elisa missing. As Clara begins tracking down Elisa, she encounters Jakob, a charismatic young man working on the black market, who, for his own reasons, is also searching for Elisa. Clara and Jakob soon discover how they might help each other—if only they can stay ahead of the officer determined to make Clara answer for her actions during the war.

Propulsive, meticulously researched, and action-fueled, The German Heiress is a mesmerizing page-turner that questions the meaning of justice and morality, deftly shining the spotlight on the often-overlooked perspective of Germans who were caught in the crossfire of the Nazi regime and had nowhere to turn.

Reflection

Clara is not your average heroine from historical fiction. I always find the best characters to be enthralling but maybe a bit bad sometimes. Clara is certainly flawed which in my mind made her all the more compelling. This is my first Anika Scott book but I’d venture to call her a daring author in that she wrote a book that broke the mold in a way, and still made it beat with the heart of historical fiction. No small feat, if you ask me!

Since the War, Clara has been living under an assumed name. Though she is the heiress to her family’s ironworks empire, the war took all of that from her and left her with more questions than answers. Even as an heiress and privileged member of society, Clara always had a heart for those lose fortunate than her, sneaking extra food to the workers at the ironworks. This quality really endeared me to Clara. She is someone who may not always do everything the right way, but she does have morals and compassion.

When Clara hasn’t heard from her best friend, she disregards her own safety to try and return to Essex to look for them On her way, she is detained by a British officer accusing her of war crimes. After a daring escape, Clara continues  her journey meeting another person who may not be operating entirely within the law—Jakob. As the two realize they may be able to help one another, the two also try to keep a hold of their own secrets. Now, either could betray the other, but they also may be one another’s key to salvation.

This was a side of post-World War II Germany I hadn’t seen before. I loved the characters and the gritty yet refined feel to the story itself. A book that can take me into the highest and lowest parts of society will always grab my attention. Thought-provoking, suspenseful, and edgy. A story of good versus evil that you won’t want to stop reading.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for my copy. Opinions are my own.