​About The Second Midnight

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; Reprint edition (January 28, 2020)

From the international bestselling author comes a World War Two tale of one boy’s fight for survival in Nazi Europe
A secret mission…
1939. As Europe teeters on the brink of war, Alfred Kendall is tasked with carrying out a minor mission for the British Intelligence Service. Travelling to Prague, he takes his troubled young son, Hugh, as cover.
A terrible choice…
When Hitler invades Czechoslovakia, Alfred is given an ultimatum by the Czech Resistance. They will arrange for him to return to England, but only if he leaves his son Hugh behind as collateral.
A young boy stranded in Nazi terrain…
Hugh is soon taken under the wing of a Nazi colonel – Helmuth Scholl. But even though Scholl treats Hugh well, his son, Heinz, is suspicious of this foreigner. And as the war across the continent intensifies, they are set on a path that will ultimately lead towards destruction…

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Review: 
Hugh Kendall is a young boy in England, 1939.  Hugh is seen as a burden by his father and after Hugh is kicked out of school, Hugh's father is offered a mission through the British Intelligence Service. Alfred Kendall or Captain Kendall, as he prefers to be called is sent to Prague on a simple exchange mission and takes Hugh as a cover.  While in Prague, Hitler invades and Hugh is left behind.  Hugh is taken in by one of the Resistance contacts and is given a new identity as Rudi.  Hugh is eager to learn the language and picks up Czeh and German.  As the war progresses, Hugh's caretakers fall victim to the violence and Hugh ends up with Bela Juriga, a violent member of the resistance until Nazi Colonel Scholl come into Bela's shop and Hugh saves his life.  Scholl thanks Hugh with a place in his household. Hugh quickly adjusts to life at the Scholl's as a gardener.  The Scholl children, Magda and Heinz see Hugh in different ways, Magda is entranced while Heinz is filled with contempt.  When Hugh finally makes it back to England 10 years later, he is changed and wants to leave his ordeal in the past, except for Magda, that is.  Although, it seems that the past will continue to haunt him.


The Second Midnight is a historical spy thriller that begins at the start of World War II and continues throughout the 1950's.  There is a lot going on in the story with secret missions in England, Germany and Czechoslovakia, the political spread of Nazi's and Communism and changing allegiances.  At the heart of the story, however, is Hugh and his will for survival as well as his knack for continuously being able to adapt to new situations.  Through ten years in a strange place, Hugh was able to learn the languages and customs, maintain his cover as Rudi and earn the trust and friendship of Colonel Scholl and Magda. Hugh's is story the driving force in the book.  Through Hugh, I was able to see many faces of Nazi Germany and the Resistance.  However, the writing bounces back and forth between Hugh and his family in England.  The point of the focus on the rest of Hugh's family does not become apparent until the end of the book.  After Hugh escapes back to England, the pacing slowed down for me and I was just wondering when and how he would reconnect with Magda.  While I didn't quite know where all of the background espionage was leading, it was interesting to see all of the different players, their impact on the War and how Hugh fit into it all.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.


About Andrew Taylor
Andrew Taylor is the author of a number of crime novels, including the ground-breaking Roth Trilogy, which was adapted into the acclaimed TV drama Fallen Angel, and the historical crime novels The Ashes of London, The Silent Boy, The Scent of Death and The American Boy, a No.1 Sunday Times bestseller and a 2005 Richard & Judy Book Club Choice.
He has won many awards, including the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger, an Edgar Scroll from the Mystery Writers of America, the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Award (the only author to win it three times) and the CWA’s prestigious Diamond Dagger, awarded for sustained excellence in crime writing. He also writes for the Spectator and The Times.
He lives with his wife Caroline in the Forest of Dean.

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About the Book: 
Haskell Himself
Gary Seigel
Published by: Acorn Publishing

Publication date: January 19th 2020
Genres: Historical, LGBTQ+, Young Adult

Goodreads 

Meet Haskell Hodge. At sixteen he’s already garnered some fame as a former child actor and star of a popular cereal commercial. But that doesn’t do much for him when he’s dumped at his aunt’s house in the suburbs of Los Angeles to face an assortment of neighborhood bullies.
He thinks he might be gay. In fact, he could be the only gay person in the valley, maybe on the entire planet. Even if he does manage to find a boyfriend, their relationship would have to be secret and invisible.
After all it’s 1966. And though Time Magazine claims the sexual revolution is in full swing, the freedoms straight people are enjoying don’t seem to apply to everyone. And as much as Haskell attempts to hide his true self, carefully navigating the tricky and risky terrain of being queer, he’s still taunted and teased relentlessly.
Rather than give in to the irrationality of this hate, Haskell fights back, eventually finding an unlikely outlet to vent his frustration and angst—playing a bully in a screen test for a major motion picture. If he plays his cards right, it could catapult him into Hollywood stardom. 
Of course, like most things in life, it comes with a heavy price Haskell’s not certain he’s willing to pay.


Review: 
​Haskell Hodge is a sixteen year old from New York  who is focused on school and his acting career.  It's 1966 and Haskell is on his own a lot since his mother is a busy realtor who often works late into the night, he is also a loner without many friends.  Heading into his senior year, Haskell's mom drops a bomb, she is going overseas with her boyfriend and Haskell will be moving to L.A. with his aunt and uncle. Haskell absolutely does not want to uproot his life; however, after a strange going away party where Haskell kissed a boy and liked it, he decides it might be best to run away from the embarrassment.  Haskell finds it difficult to adjust to life with a family, but eventually makes it work.  In L.A. he also finds some friends, but he is still worried that he might be gay and the implications of what that might mean for his future.  

Haskell Himself is a unique view into the defining year for a young man in the 1960's. Haskell's character is complex and he is at a time in his life where he is changing and growing as well as living in a decade that is redefining lifestyle and freedom.  The writing truly made me feel for Haskell as he went on an emotional roller coaster.  The descriptions of the inner turmoil Haskell faced within his head were wonderfully done and I was amazed as Haskell went from confusion to denial and acceptance.  Along with his sexuality, Haskell also figures out how to be a friend and family member.  I thought these transitions were just as thoughtful. I enjoyed seeing 1960's L.A. through Haskell's eyes, especially since he was involved with acting. I would have loved to see how Haskell actually dealt with being on set for his movie and how he dealt with the possible fame it brought.  Overall, an important and insightful historical coming of age story.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gary Seigel was raised in Encino, California where his debut novel, Haskell Himself, takes place. After completing  a PhD in English at Rutgers University, Gary taught  at several colleges and universities, but his most memorable experience was a brief 12 week stint at the same high school he (and Haskell) graduated from, teaching side by side with some of the same teachers he once endured. Currently, Gary gives grammar and proofreading classes to business professionals eager to write error-free emails. He also has spent the past two decades helping employees control their inner jerk when texting  or holding conversations with an impossible boss. His book The Mouth Trap: Strategies, Tips and Secrets for Keeping Your Feet out of Your Mouth, published in 2008, has been translated into over a dozen languages. He is the father of three sons and currently lives in South Pasadena with his partner.


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About the Book: 
SALT THE SNOW 
BY CARRIE CALLAGHAN
Publication Date: February 4, 2020
Chicago Review Press
eBook & Hardcover; 304 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction


American journalist Milly Bennett has covered murders in San Francisco, fires in Hawaii, and a civil war in China, but 1930s Moscow presents her greatest challenge yet. When her young Russian husband is suddenly arrested by the secret police, Milly tries to get him released. But his arrest reveals both painful secrets about her marriage and hard truths about the Soviet state she has been working to serve. Disillusioned and pulled toward the front lines of a captivating new conflict, Milly must find a way to do the right thing for her husband, her conscience, and her heart. Salt the Snow is a vivid and impeccably researched tale of a woman ahead of her time, searching for her true calling in life and love.






Praise:
“The vivid prose of Salt the Snow sets the reader in the middle of socioeconomic upheavals and political unrest with the best possible tour guide, wisecracking American journalist Milly Bennett. Callaghan excels at bringing little-known real-life women out of the darkness of historical obscurity and into the light of recognition. From the first scene, the reader is plunged into a world of suspense and intrigue, led by an unforgettable protagonist. Milly is not so much a character as a fully realized, complex human being: her brilliance and self-sufficiency are admirable, and her loneliness and feelings of unworthiness are heartbreaking. A fascinating novel!” —Clarissa Harwood, author of Impossible Saints and Bear No Malice

“A vivid, well-researched story of a complex and ahead-of-her-time woman, an American journalist, who finds herself—head and heart—while living and working in an equally complex Russia.” —Jenni L. Walsh, author of Becoming Bonnie

“Salt the Snow is a vivid journey through the kaleidoscope of 1930s Europe with an irrepressible and all too human guide in Milly Bennett. Don’t miss this book and its unforgettable heroine!” —Linnea Hartsuyker, author of The Half-Drowned King and The Golden Wolf

“Honest, vivid, and bold in the face of historical truths, Salt the Snow is a captivating story of a woman whose vulnerability and hopeful idealism resonate even today.” —Jennifer Klepper, bestselling author of Unbroken Threads

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | INDIEBOUND

Review: 
Millie Bennett is a jet setting, free-spirited journalist in the 1930's.  Millie has covered events in San Francisco, Hawaii and war in China.  Now, she is in Moscow working for the Moscow Daily News.  Millie mostly covers fluff stories and works on translations.  However, Millie longs to write stories of the effects of socialism , stories that matter.  Millie is able to experience firsthand the issues that arise with the system of government when her Russian husband, Zhenya is arrested.  Millie assumes that his arrest is due to a story she wrote and desperately tries to get him out.  However, when it is revealed that Zhenya was arrested for lewd behavior, Millie reveals more secrets about her marriage as well as the government. 

Salt the Snow introduced me to the fascinating life of the first female war corespondent, Millie Bennett. I never would have imagined that there were female war corespondents in the 1930's, much less one like Millie!  I was pulled into her vivacious character in the very first scene with her arrival home from a party.  Carrie Callaghan's writing brings 1930's Moscow to life, as despondent as it may be.  Millie's spirit never seemed to fit in with the setting.  She always seemed to be a bright and animated character in a dreary and repressed place.  In the first half of the story, the writing bounces back and forth between before Zhenya was arrested and after before settling into a linear timeline.  I found the first half of the story interesting, but not exciting.  I was curious about Millie's interactions with the government, especially the police as well as the conditions for the rest of the population in Moscow.  I was also questioning whether or not Millie truly realized her husbands secret or was simply hiding it from herself.  The pace picked up a bit for me as Millie actions attracted the attention of the police and she decided that what had happened to Zhenya as well as herself needed to be documented, even if it could not be published for a while.  From Moscow, Millie escaped to Spain, I wish her story would have been continued there!  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

About the Author
Carrie Callaghan is a writer living in Maryland with her spouse, two young children, and two ridiculous cats. Her short fiction has appeared in Weave Magazine, The MacGuffin, Silk Road, Floodwall, and elsewhere. Carrie is also an editor and contributor with the Washington Independent Review of Books. She has a Master’s of Arts in International Affairs from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.



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For more information, please visit Carrie Callaghan’s website and blog. You can also connect with her on Facebook,  Twitter and Goodreads.

About the Book: 
JOSEPHINE: SINGER SOLDIER DANCER SPY
BY EILIDH MCGINNESS
Publication Date: December 1, 2019
eBook & Paperback
Genre: Historical Fiction

Josephine Baker is born into poverty in racially segregated America. Desperate to escape she flees to France where she embraces the hedonistic lifestyle on offer for those who dare, in the Paris of the Roaring Twenties.
​
Hitler’s rise to power in Germany forces her to face her true self. Determined to protect the Liberty Equality and Fraternity she has found in France, she becomes an ‘honorable correspondent’ for the French Secret Service. So, beginning a journey which will take her from the Red Cross Shelters in Paris to the cruel deserts of North Africa. She will find love and enduring friendship but she must also face dangers which will threaten not only her life but all she holds dear…..Can she find the courage to fight for what she believes in….no matter what the cost?


AVAILABLE ON AMAZON



Review: 
​From a young age, Josephine Baker knew that the world owed her more than what she was given.  Born into poverty and racial segregation in Missouri, 1906, Josephine finds joy in singing, dancing and making people laugh.  However, Josephine longs for freedom and equal rights.  When a opportunity arises to dance in France, Josephine grabs it.  Arriving in France, Josephine basks in the freedom to do as she pleases, go where she pleases and love who she pleases.  Josephine embraces France, learns the language and rises as a star and cultural icon.  When Hitler's influence threatens to destroy all that Josephine loves, she knows she must act and becomes a member of the Red Cross.  Then, she is recruited as an honorable correspondent by the French Intelligence Service by Jacques Abtey, fulfilling her need to help her adopted country in a way only Josephine Baker can.

I have been a long time admirer of Josephine Baker and have read several other books about her life and impact during the war.  Josephine: Singer, Dancer, Soldier Spy focuses mainly on her time serving as an honorable correspondent with Jacques Abtey.  Throughout the story, the theme of freedom and equal rights shines through.  The writing takes several large time hops before settling in World War II.  It does take a while to get to know Josephine's character.  Once Josephine arrives in France and begins her life as a spy, the story smooths out and I was pulled into the intrigue and suspense of her missions and I could feel the influence that Josephine held over people.  I was amazed at Josephine's bravery, fortitude and ability to fight for what she believed in.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

About the Author:

Eilidh was born and brought up in the Highlands of Scotland. She studied law at Aberdeen University. She practiced as a lawyer for twelve years, latterly specializing in criminal defense. Eilidh then moved to South West France with her then husband and four children. She established an independent estate agency business which she ran for twelve years before concentrating on writing- a long held dream. Eilidh has always been fascinated by history and ordinary people who achieve extraordinary things.

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