If you haven't read Ronald H Balson's historical fiction before, you should start with Once We Were Brothers, then read Finding Sophie, and then this one. Although the histories are all different, Liam and Catherine live in today's world, and their relationship builds through the series.
But let's talk about this one. Catherine Lockhart is an attorney and Liam is a private investigator, which is useful, when you are uncovering a mystery from the past.
This is a lovely mystery. Lena Woodward is an elderly woman, with a harrowing past in Nazi-occupied Poland. Just as she starts telling Catherine about it, her son Arthur brings a lawsuit to garner her estate, as she is unreliable. Can we believe Lena’s account of her past, including her best friend like a sister - Karolina?
I love the uncovering of an historical tale. And this author does it well. But heck, I'm bored with the "My name is Lena, I will pay you, Catherine Lockhart, renowned attorney, to listen to me for days while I recount it." This formula barely worked in the first novel, and it's even less forgivable now. It's just, well, not that creative.
At the very least, if I were Catherine, I would have said, "Please write it all down - I can read faster than you can speak." But I'm not. And this was a good story nevertheless. I do like how there is conflict in the current plot, as well as in the history, how the pace quickened towards the end. We listened to this on Audible, and the narration was great.
ISBN: 9781250098375
3 stars
You may also enjoy the other two books by the same author, Finding Sophie and Once We Were Brothers, but try The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah for a better told war saga.
Hi Bev, I've never heard of this series, but it does seem like something I would be interested in. The Nightingale! Yes, one of the best historical novels I've ever read.
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