Title: The Girl from Berlin by Ronald H. Balson
Liam Taggart and Catherine Lockhart Series Book Five
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Contemporary, Historical (WW II), Fiction
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
In the newest novel from internationally-bestselling author Ronald. H. Balson, Liam and Catherine come to the aid of an old friend and are drawn into a property dispute in Tuscany that unearths long-buried secrets
An old friend calls Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggart to his famous Italian restaurant to enlist their help. His aunt is being evicted from her home in the Tuscan hills by a powerful corporation claiming they own the deeds, even though she can produce her own set of deeds to her land. Catherine and Liam’s only clue is a bound handwritten manuscript, entirely in German, and hidden in its pages is a story long-forgotten…
Ada Baumgarten was born in Berlin in 1918, at the end of the war. The daughter of an accomplished first-chair violinist in the prestigious Berlin Philharmonic, and herself a violin prodigy, Ada’s life was full of the rich culture of Berlin’s interwar society. She formed a deep attachment to her childhood friend Kurt, but they were torn apart by the growing unrest as her Jewish family came under suspicion. As the tides of history turned, it was her extraordinary talent that would carry her through an unraveling society turned to war, and make her a target even as it saved her, allowing her to move to Bologna—though Italy was not the haven her family had hoped, and further heartache awaited.
What became of Ada? How is she connected to the conflicting land deeds of a small Italian villa? As they dig through the layers of lies, corruption, and human evil, Catherine and Liam uncover an unfinished story of heart, redemption, and hope—the ending of which is yet to be written.
Don’t miss Liam and Catherine’s lastest adventures in The Girl from Berlin!
Review:
The Girl from Berlin by Ronald H. Balson is an engaging novel that weaves seamlessly back and forth in time. The events playing out in the present are directly linked to a young woman’s experiences during World War II and both story arcs are fascinating. Although this latest release is the fifth installment in the Liam Taggart and Catherine Lockhart series, it can be read as a standalone.
Gabriella “Gabi” Vincenzo has lived more than seventy years on her family’s vineyard in the Italian countryside. When a lawyer representing VinCo, the corporation which owns the land around her, hands her an eviction notice, Gabi’s nephew, Tony, who lives in the United States, asks his good friend, private investigator Liam Taggert for help. Liam, along with his attorney wife, Catherine Lockhart, agree to look into the case, but they are uncertain whether they can stop the eviction. Catherine immediately begins reading the engrossing manuscript Gabi sent to them. However, she is unsure what clues she will find in this heartwrenching memoir written by Ada Baumgarten, a Jewish violinist who lived in Nazi Germany before and during World War II.
Ada’s story details her life in Berlin both before and after Hitler’s rise to power. Her father is a concertmaster and violinist with the Berlin Philharmonic and he is delighted with his daughter’s impressive talent. Ada is a gifted violinist whose friendship with fellow violinist Kurt Koenig comes to a poignant end when his father forces him to join Hitler Youth. However, their lives remain intertwined despite the fact Ada is Jewish and Kurt is conscripted into military service. For much of the time before and during World War II, the Baumgarten family is protected by an acquaintance with powerful connections. When Hitler begins sending Jews to concentration camps, Ada and her mother go to Italy, but their future remains tenuous due to Mussolini’s alliance with Hitler.
Catherine and Liam must figure out how Ada’s history ties into Gabi’s predicament with VinCo. Their efforts to find answers are stymied by the powerful corporation, lost records and a dishonest lawyer. Aiding them in their quest is Italian lawyer Giulia Romano. Their discoveries take them back to Germany where a German lawyer assists them in uncovering the horrifying truth about Gabi’s parcel of land and the company trying to wrest it from her.
The Girl from Berlin is an utterly captivating novel that is rife with historical details. Ada is a vibrantly developed character and her experiences in Nazi Germany are heartrending. Some of her family’s decisions are inexplicable as Hitler’s policies regarding Jews grow more threatening over time. Liam and Catherine’s investigation in the present is quite compelling and the information they uncover is rather chilling. This newest addition to Ronald H. Balson’s Liam Taggart and Catherine Lockhart series is another well-researched novel that is as informative as it is interesting. I truly enjoyed this outstanding novel and I highly recommend it to readers of the genre.
