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40x40

David McK (3843 KP) rated Blackout in Books

Nov 3, 2021  
Blackout
Blackout
Simon Scarrow | 2021 | Crime
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
To be honest, crime fiction is not my usual genre of choice.

I also tend to find 'book club picks' to be rather off-putting; generally finding those I have previously read to be rather tedious and just not generally all that interesting (while able to admire the literary sophistication of the works).

This is both a crime fiction novel, and a 'Richard and Judy book club pick', so that would - normally - have been 2 marks against picking it up, in my books.

However, I have read - and generally quite enjoyed - most, if not all, of Simon Scarrow's other works - in particular his Cato and Macro series - so, when I saw this on a Kindle deal for something like 99p, I thought to myself 'why not?'.

And, I have to admit, I did actually quite enjoy this.

Set in 1939 Berlin just at the start of WW2, I found this to be unusual in that it told the story from the Point of View of a German criminal inspector - most WW2 novels (that I am aware of) usually feature either American or Brits as their main protagonists - who is not a member of the Nazi party: a fact that, here, is usually held against him but is also the reason he got handed the assignment as he has no links to any factions within the party.

It's both a very different time and 'headspace' than modern sensibilities; interesting to see how the man-on-the-street could have viewed the headline events of the time. As someone from Northern Ireland, there's also aspects of the novel that hit frighteningly close to home for me ...
  
40x40

Merissa (14086 KP) rated Fables & Lies: A WWII Novel Based on a True Story in Books

Jul 3, 2026  
Fables & Lies: A WWII Novel Based on a True Story
Fables & Lies: A WWII Novel Based on a True Story
Elisabeth Storrs | 2026 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
FABLES & LIES tells a story of World War II from the perspective of Freyja, a Berliner who learns that not everything is as true as she is being told. It's a hard realisation for her when the newspapers, radio, etc., all tell the same story - that Germany is the one trying to hold peace together, and it is the rest of the world that is the aggressor. People she meets along the way, whether in the apartment block she lives in, at work, or even the underground Church movement to help Jews leave Berlin/Germany, help to open her eyes as to what's really going on. By that time, it is too late in one respect, but Freyja doesn't give up.

This was a gripping story that completely held my attention. It is sensitively written, while still showing the difficulties and horrors faced by the German people who didn't necessarily agree 100% with what they were being told.

I have lived in Germany for sixteen years, and I respect their attitude to the First and Second World Wars. They teach it in the schools as lessons to be learnt, to ensure it doesn't happen again. So reading a story from their perspective was really eye-opening.

If reading about the Second World War is something that fascinates you, then I can HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book.

** The same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
 
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
 
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 3, 2026