What do you think?
Rate this book
The Red Rooster
Of all the desperate women in German-occupied Paris, Gabriela Reyes is the least likely to scratch out her survival as a whore for a Gestapo agent. After fascists murdered her mother and brother and tortured her father in an insane asylum, she hates the Germans as much as she fears them. But when she discovers the man responsible for destroying her family, she decides to become his mistress to try to free her father and avenge her family.
Helmut von Cratz is a war profiteer using his wealth to undermine the Third Reich and is one meeting with an American agent away from ending the German occupation of France.
But Gabriela's sudden appearance as Colonel Hoekman's mistress jeopardizes Helmut's careful plans. Now he must will he abandon his plans, or will he sacrifice yet another woman to the German war machine?
Helmut von Cratz is a war profiteer using his wealth to undermine the Third Reich and is one meeting with an American agent away from ending the German occupation of France.
But Gabriela's sudden appearance as Colonel Hoekman's mistress jeopardizes Helmut's careful plans. Now he must will he abandon his plans, or will he sacrifice yet another woman to the German war machine?
282 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 26, 2011
157 people are currently reading
885 people want to read
About the author
Michael Wallace
73 books316 followersWould you like an alert when the next Michael Wallace book is published? Sign up for Michael's email list and receive a free Kindle copy of The Righteous novella "Trial by Fury." This list is used to announce new releases and occasional offers of free advance copies, not for any other purpose.
Michael also welcomes email from readers at m.wallace23(at)yahoo(dot)com.
Michael also welcomes email from readers at m.wallace23(at)yahoo(dot)com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
August 1, 2014
The Red Rooster is a special valuable coin chased after by many and amassed by some during WWII. As the cover image of the book suggests, the story line unfolds in German occupied Paris. Mr. Wallace's book is not so much a thriller, as it is an account of how profoundly war affects people of all walks of life and how the subsequent suffering takes on different shapes and forms. The main character Gabriela looses her mother. Her father is taken prisoner by the Gestapo and subjected to invasive medical experiments that leave him brain damaged. Gabriela, like so many, citizens at that time is experiencing extreme poverty and starvation due to tightly rationed resources. The war machine is hungry and has to be fed at all cost. While Gabriela tries to resist it, she too eventually becomes a prostitute to stay alive. Others just die of malnutrition and sheer cold inside their own houses. Yet others find ways to collaborate with military interests in order to avoid disaster. Somewhere in all this suffering a romance almost blooms but only 'almost'. The book's end is rather sad, but then, so was this entire time period, marked by individuals trying to survive in their own ways.
May 4, 2013
I just finished this book yesterday. I have mixed feelings about suggesting this one to others. I love WWII books so I was excited to read the summary. The boook was a slow start and sad because the heroine- Gabriela decides to sleep with a Nazi soldier to fight off hunger. Although this may be plausible when you consider the effects war has, she also decides to seduce the Nazi SS soldier who took her father 2 years ago. The book didn't really get going till more than half way through and Gabriela and Helmut ( a German business man wokring against the Nazis) are not easy to like. Once the real story started I did want to finish the book. Sadly the ending was not very good either, but in all honesty it was true to the characters' lives.
April 26, 2014
A riveting tale of pride, passion, and altruism.
Michael Wallace tells a moving story, at times too authentic for the comfort of the reader, but which leaves you hungry for more. Definitely adding his other novels to my wish list.
The Red Rooster is a powerful, thought provoking novel set in WWII. This story takes you through the events that shape the minds and characters of sadists, collaborators, heroes, and heroines. Everyone is a "simple soldat", just a simple soldier fighting his or her own individual war and finding a way to survive. Where victory comes to those who don't give in to self preservation or self aggrandizement, but who come together to help others in their own individual battles.
Michael Wallace tells a moving story, at times too authentic for the comfort of the reader, but which leaves you hungry for more. Definitely adding his other novels to my wish list.
The Red Rooster is a powerful, thought provoking novel set in WWII. This story takes you through the events that shape the minds and characters of sadists, collaborators, heroes, and heroines. Everyone is a "simple soldat", just a simple soldier fighting his or her own individual war and finding a way to survive. Where victory comes to those who don't give in to self preservation or self aggrandizement, but who come together to help others in their own individual battles.
August 7, 2017
Wallace touched on elements of the German occupation of France that I had never been aware of. Interesting scenario.
May 5, 2018
Really terrific!
This book had me on the seat of my pants. Changes in plots, twists and turns every minute all within the historical setting. Thanks for this truly exciting and engaging book.
This book had me on the seat of my pants. Changes in plots, twists and turns every minute all within the historical setting. Thanks for this truly exciting and engaging book.
May 15, 2018
Great book
Love the story wish there was a book two where we could follow up on Gabriela and Helmut Christine and David Mayer!! Please think about writing a sequel!! Let me know so I can buy it!!!
Love the story wish there was a book two where we could follow up on Gabriela and Helmut Christine and David Mayer!! Please think about writing a sequel!! Let me know so I can buy it!!!
July 28, 2017
Good read
Enjoyed the book different view of world war two, unbelievable in some situations, but remember it is entertainment and a work of fiction.
Enjoyed the book different view of world war two, unbelievable in some situations, but remember it is entertainment and a work of fiction.
April 27, 2019
Good book
This book could sure use a sequel, love to know what happens after the war. It was a great read. I will recommend.
This book could sure use a sequel, love to know what happens after the war. It was a great read. I will recommend.
November 28, 2020
Loved, Loved, Loved this book!
November 26, 2022
Good book that takes place during WWII.
October 30, 2012
The Red Rooster by Michael Wallace is a thrilling and suspenseful World War II tale of revenge, romance and intrigue that mostly takes place in German-occupied Paris following France's defeat and partition.
Gabriella Reyes and her intellectual father fled to France after Franco's victory in the Spanish Civil War, but when the Germans invade in 1940 they find it harder to escape. An exceptionally cruel Gestapo officer arrests Gabriella's father, leaving the young woman alone in a country reeling from the consequences of its complete defeat at the hands of the German army.
As the victors, the Germans take the best of everything, from food to raw materials, and they take men to serve as laborers in German factories and on farms. Although black markets spring up, many in Paris are dying a slow death from starvation and disease, unable to afford the prices.
A chance meeting offers Gabriella a way to escape such a grim fate by working as a "hostess" at Le Coq Rouge, the Red Rooster, but at what cost to her dignity? Still, her overwhelming desire is to find her father, and the clientele there includes many German officers. One night, the Gestapo officer who arrested her father shows up, just as she hoped.
But Gabriella isn't the only person hiding something that night at The Red Rooster.
No spoilers here, but I am happy to say I enjoyed reading The Red Rooster. The setting really hooked me; the daily life of post-defeat France is not likely to be something most Americans know much about, but the privations suffered by the people created situations where the choices made often resulted in compromised principles.
Starve, or ignore your ethics and do something you normally wouldn't? Collaborate with the enemy — a concept mostly unheard of in America since the Revolutionary War — or die from lack of basic medical help? Sell everything you hold dear at a fraction of its value, or hold onto possessions and your dignity?
Rest assured, Mr. Wallace's tale isn't a deep, slow-moving literary tome examining morality and ethics. Those questions are there if you want to look at them, but in the background, while up front The Red Rooster is very much a fast-paced thriller with plenty of twists and turns. The ending, while satisfying, made me wish Mr. Wallace had included a short paragraph updating the fate of each character.
I recommend The Red Rooster to anyone looking for a suspenseful and exciting story with a unique and, to me at least, very interesting setting.
Gabriella Reyes and her intellectual father fled to France after Franco's victory in the Spanish Civil War, but when the Germans invade in 1940 they find it harder to escape. An exceptionally cruel Gestapo officer arrests Gabriella's father, leaving the young woman alone in a country reeling from the consequences of its complete defeat at the hands of the German army.
As the victors, the Germans take the best of everything, from food to raw materials, and they take men to serve as laborers in German factories and on farms. Although black markets spring up, many in Paris are dying a slow death from starvation and disease, unable to afford the prices.
A chance meeting offers Gabriella a way to escape such a grim fate by working as a "hostess" at Le Coq Rouge, the Red Rooster, but at what cost to her dignity? Still, her overwhelming desire is to find her father, and the clientele there includes many German officers. One night, the Gestapo officer who arrested her father shows up, just as she hoped.
But Gabriella isn't the only person hiding something that night at The Red Rooster.
No spoilers here, but I am happy to say I enjoyed reading The Red Rooster. The setting really hooked me; the daily life of post-defeat France is not likely to be something most Americans know much about, but the privations suffered by the people created situations where the choices made often resulted in compromised principles.
Starve, or ignore your ethics and do something you normally wouldn't? Collaborate with the enemy — a concept mostly unheard of in America since the Revolutionary War — or die from lack of basic medical help? Sell everything you hold dear at a fraction of its value, or hold onto possessions and your dignity?
Rest assured, Mr. Wallace's tale isn't a deep, slow-moving literary tome examining morality and ethics. Those questions are there if you want to look at them, but in the background, while up front The Red Rooster is very much a fast-paced thriller with plenty of twists and turns. The ending, while satisfying, made me wish Mr. Wallace had included a short paragraph updating the fate of each character.
I recommend The Red Rooster to anyone looking for a suspenseful and exciting story with a unique and, to me at least, very interesting setting.
February 9, 2017
Of all the desperate women in German-occupied Paris, Gabriela Reyes is the least likely to scratch out her survival as a whore for a Gestapo agent. After fascists murdered her mother and brother and tortured her father in an insane asylum, she hates the Germans as much as she fears them. But when she discovers the man responsible for destroying her family, she decides to become his mistress to try to free her father and avenge her family. Helmut von Cratz is a war profiteer using his wealth to undermine the Third Reich and is one meeting with an American agent away from ending the German occupation of France. But Gabriela's sudden appearance as Colonel Hoekman's mistress jeopardizes Helmut's careful plans. Now he must decide: will he abandon his plans, or will he sacrifice yet another woman to the German war machine?
March 12, 2012
Gabriela Reyes has lost her family. She knows her father alone might still be alive, but she doesn't know where he is or how to find him in Occupied France. She's starving and running out of options.
Until a chance encounter with Christine, a French woman who is surviving The Occupation by catering to German officers offers Gaby a way out. Gaby is willing to wash dishes for the food left-over on the plate, but she is not willing to resort to entertaining the hated Germans... Until she sees the man who took her father. She will do anything to find her father - even pose as a collaborator. But she is only posing, and not all the Germans are what they seem to be.
Any book about collaborators in WWWII France is difficult to read at times. Surviving was not only difficult, but nearly impossible for many. The reasons for collaboration were never as cut-and-dried as a person being evil or weak. So it was for the characters in The Red Rooster. And Wallace does not stint at showing the emotional toll on the psyche of those who collaborated - the end is particularly poignant for some of the characters. I only wish that there had been an update on them after the war ended.
Wallace's writing is very well done, his descriptions are thorough without being overly wordy, and I think he excels at showing rather than telling readers the nuances of the story.
Until a chance encounter with Christine, a French woman who is surviving The Occupation by catering to German officers offers Gaby a way out. Gaby is willing to wash dishes for the food left-over on the plate, but she is not willing to resort to entertaining the hated Germans... Until she sees the man who took her father. She will do anything to find her father - even pose as a collaborator. But she is only posing, and not all the Germans are what they seem to be.
Any book about collaborators in WWWII France is difficult to read at times. Surviving was not only difficult, but nearly impossible for many. The reasons for collaboration were never as cut-and-dried as a person being evil or weak. So it was for the characters in The Red Rooster. And Wallace does not stint at showing the emotional toll on the psyche of those who collaborated - the end is particularly poignant for some of the characters. I only wish that there had been an update on them after the war ended.
Wallace's writing is very well done, his descriptions are thorough without being overly wordy, and I think he excels at showing rather than telling readers the nuances of the story.
January 5, 2014
The Red Rooster is a bar in Paris and also a French gold coin, much to be desired in occupied Paris during World War II. Gabriela Reyes is a young Spanish girl who came to Paris with her father, an artist, who has been imprisoned by the Gestapo. She vows to free him. She goes from poor to penniless, to homeless before coming to the Red Rooster where she becomes a hostess and then a whore. Enter Colonel Hoekman, a Gestapo colonel and Helmut von Cratz, a civilian industrialist and profiteer who both frequent the bar.
The plot revolves around Helmut Von Cratz' smuggling stolen French gold to the port of Marseille, for some purpose to be discovered, and Colonel Hoekman's malevolent snooping. There is lots of action toward the end. I enjoyed the setting of Paris occupied by the Germans and how the French were forced to accomodate. But, I think Wallace missed the ball on the financial plot. We are told Helmut is rich, and there are several situations where his money and power are used to advance the story, but no explanation of how he is so rich and has such useful connections. That should have been the story.
I read it to the finish and enjoyed the setting and the small characters and stories, which Wallace does well. I take stars off because he wrote a financial thriller with no finance.
The plot revolves around Helmut Von Cratz' smuggling stolen French gold to the port of Marseille, for some purpose to be discovered, and Colonel Hoekman's malevolent snooping. There is lots of action toward the end. I enjoyed the setting of Paris occupied by the Germans and how the French were forced to accomodate. But, I think Wallace missed the ball on the financial plot. We are told Helmut is rich, and there are several situations where his money and power are used to advance the story, but no explanation of how he is so rich and has such useful connections. That should have been the story.
I read it to the finish and enjoyed the setting and the small characters and stories, which Wallace does well. I take stars off because he wrote a financial thriller with no finance.
February 9, 2015
This book was a real page-turner for me once I got past the first chapters. I have to admit that I do not know a whole lot about WW II history. It sounded like the French were collaborating with the Germans and I didn't understand that at first. But then things were explained and I realized other things. Once I got into it, I could not put it down. I read it on my kindle in something like 4 days even though I work full time. It was fast-paced with a storyline that was just complex enough without making me have to work too hard. There was a lot of tension and some torture but it was not enough to really sicken me.
I love historical novels. I always hated history in school because it was so dry and boring with so many dates and places to memorize. So historical novels give a view into how actual people may have experienced the events and how nuanced things were. The Red Rooster helped me realize how torn people could have been given the choices before them and the kinds of things they had to do, and associations they had to make in order to survive, or not. Nothing is ever just black and white. There were so many different factions operating all with their own agendas; whereas I grew up with the idea that historical events were pretty straightforward. I'm enjoying the richness, never-ending material, and subtleties exposed in such a historical novel as The Red Rooster.
I love historical novels. I always hated history in school because it was so dry and boring with so many dates and places to memorize. So historical novels give a view into how actual people may have experienced the events and how nuanced things were. The Red Rooster helped me realize how torn people could have been given the choices before them and the kinds of things they had to do, and associations they had to make in order to survive, or not. Nothing is ever just black and white. There were so many different factions operating all with their own agendas; whereas I grew up with the idea that historical events were pretty straightforward. I'm enjoying the richness, never-ending material, and subtleties exposed in such a historical novel as The Red Rooster.
May 12, 2014
I listened to the Audible version of The Red Rooster, which is an engaging historical fiction novel about Gabriela Reyes, a young Spanish women who is a refugee in Nazi-occupied Paris during WWII. Gabriela's story is one of revenge and the search for the man responsible for destroying her family. It begins after fascists murdered Gabriela's mother and brother and tortured her father two and a half years ago. Struggling to stay alive, Gabriella finds herself entangled in a French resistance plot that involves the German Gestapo and the United States.
Even though this audio is over 11 hours long, it kept my interest the entire time and I found myself listening during my lunchtime instead of only during my commute to and from work. Michael Wallace does an excellent job describing scenes and his conversations were extremely realistic. The characters are well-developed and the plot is believable.
Rosemary Benson's narration was superb. Several characters had appropriate accents that were maintained throughout the story, and she had distinguishable voices for the men and women, as well as the young and elderly. Great job!
Even though this audio is over 11 hours long, it kept my interest the entire time and I found myself listening during my lunchtime instead of only during my commute to and from work. Michael Wallace does an excellent job describing scenes and his conversations were extremely realistic. The characters are well-developed and the plot is believable.
Rosemary Benson's narration was superb. Several characters had appropriate accents that were maintained throughout the story, and she had distinguishable voices for the men and women, as well as the young and elderly. Great job!
May 15, 2014
The Red Rooster by Michael Wallace and read by Rosemary Benson. During WWII occupied France you were either a collaborator or part of the resistance. Different people took on different roles.
Gabriella was another 20 something living in France trying to survive not only the war but the day to day poverty that was occupied France.
Living in a closet she rented from an elderly couple she tried to live with honor. Her father had been taken by the Nazi's and she assumed he was dead.
One day she met another young woman who bought her some food and told her about a job working in a kitchen. No pay but you could eat the left over food.
Gabby took the opportunity to work, eat and look for the German a Officer who had taken her father away. The drama of trying to survive, not becoming a prostitute and finding her fathers killer makes for an exciting wartime thriller.
The story comes alive due to the excellent vocal skills of the reader Rosemary Benson. This is a great book which takes you right into the streets of France during WWII. I highly suggest this audiobook. Perry Martin
PerryMartinBookReviews.wordpress.com
Gabriella was another 20 something living in France trying to survive not only the war but the day to day poverty that was occupied France.
Living in a closet she rented from an elderly couple she tried to live with honor. Her father had been taken by the Nazi's and she assumed he was dead.
One day she met another young woman who bought her some food and told her about a job working in a kitchen. No pay but you could eat the left over food.
Gabby took the opportunity to work, eat and look for the German a Officer who had taken her father away. The drama of trying to survive, not becoming a prostitute and finding her fathers killer makes for an exciting wartime thriller.
The story comes alive due to the excellent vocal skills of the reader Rosemary Benson. This is a great book which takes you right into the streets of France during WWII. I highly suggest this audiobook. Perry Martin
PerryMartinBookReviews.wordpress.com
December 7, 2017
3.5 stars
I rather enjoyed the first 3/4 of this book, but it bogged way down after . I listened on (audiobook) for another hour or so, then just put it away. I may skim the last few pages later to see where everybody ended up; but it's not a burning desire for me. The story is a fairly small, personal one that doesn't have any major implications. There is a side-plot about swaying the outcome of the war a bit, but it wasn't very well fleshed out. Just some talk about having enough money to pay people off and keeping secrets (as far as I could recollect, anyway).
I rounded up my review to 4 stars because it is very well written and engaging for the majority of the runtime. Also, if you have the chance to get the audiobook, the narrator does a remarkable job with the French and German accents. She maintains them throughout the entire runtime, yet is very clear and easy to understand.
I rather enjoyed the first 3/4 of this book, but it bogged way down after . I listened on (audiobook) for another hour or so, then just put it away. I may skim the last few pages later to see where everybody ended up; but it's not a burning desire for me. The story is a fairly small, personal one that doesn't have any major implications. There is a side-plot about swaying the outcome of the war a bit, but it wasn't very well fleshed out. Just some talk about having enough money to pay people off and keeping secrets (as far as I could recollect, anyway).
I rounded up my review to 4 stars because it is very well written and engaging for the majority of the runtime. Also, if you have the chance to get the audiobook, the narrator does a remarkable job with the French and German accents. She maintains them throughout the entire runtime, yet is very clear and easy to understand.
August 24, 2013
I began reading this book earlier in the year but gave up. Last week I decided to try again. I think its the kind of book that will appeal to people who would enjoy reading about occupied Paris during the war, with Nazis and Gestapo thugs all over the place. The story seemed to be over-burdened with night club life, prostitutes and the desperate struggle to survive under the jackboot. I don't think it captured the real essence of the threat that existed during the war in occupied countries, and I don't think there are too many people alive today who could challenge Wallace's interpretation. I thought there was too much dialogue in the book, but other readers might have a different view. It has received a huge amount of four and five stars on Amazon, so I would recommend potential readers to check the reviews there rather than rely on my relatively low grading.
June 24, 2012
A poor, unemployed girl in Nazi occupied Paris. Barely able to survive. Struggling to go on to search for her father and the German officer who took him. An okay storyline and for the most part a fast-paced read. To be honest, I didn’t really like it. I finished it mainly because I’d started it. It has more objectionable elements than I would prefer. The actual writing and the plot was okay, not awful but not great either. It’s a novel set in the midst of the Second World War and while it gave some insight into the hardships of life during the period I wouldn’t exactly classify it as a work of historical fiction. I don’t feel that I really learned all that much. So in short…though it’s free I’d recommend something else.
August 24, 2012
This book was OK. It was a little drawn out in parts and a little bland in others. Towards the end there was a twist that livened it up some but the actual result of that twist was expected before I even got to it. The ending, well, was fairly satisfying. Without giving the ending away I can't say what I didn't like about it. It wasn't a terrible book, but I wasn't really wanting for more when it was over.
April 18, 2013
This is a WW II & Holocaust book, but from a different perspective. Takes place mostly in occupied France with the main characters being a German citizen, who is a traitor to Germany, yet friends with a Nazi officer, an SS officer investigating these two men, and two young women - one a Spanish immigrant, the other a French girl doing what they "needed to do" to survive. Portrays these people as individuals, not the typical Nazi and SS stereotypes.
April 21, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a page turning thriller about France under Nazi control. Gabriella Reyes works in a speakeasy frequented by Nazi bigwigs. One is Gestapo Colonel Hoekman, a brutal and evil man who plays with snakes as a hobby-yea, some are poisonous. Helmut Von Cratz is a spy for the Allies and a war profiteer who wonders if he can see another woman sacrificed to the Nazi terror. A wll done book, a page turner, and an author to remember.
September 2, 2013
I really liked this book much more than I thought I would. I love The Righteous Series by Michael Wallace but this was a completely different subject. This is about World War II and that subject is pretty much hit or miss with me. This was a hit. I really liked the characters in this book and it reminded me of Wolf's Hour by Robert McCammon without, of course, the werewolf. There is a lot of action and excitement and is a very good read. I highly recommend this book.
March 7, 2015
What a page turner! I really like how the author highlighted that during war people fight their own individual battles within the war-stricken nations. I didn't expect this book to be so good, but I really couldn't put it down. I also appreciated the ending that was realistic, rather than happy. I enjoyed the exploitation of a Gestapo leader who is purely evil. I'd definitely recommend this to others, but I have to warn you: some of the torture scenes are real ball-busters! (Pun intended)
March 19, 2015
The nitty- gritty of living in Paris, France during the war with Germany. Told from a young single women's view. Explores the levels of degradation one might endure in order to survive &/or avoid being tortured by the German Gestapo. Other views are included from regular German soldiers, older & younger French people, Zazuz, & busisness men.
The Red Rooster was a coin. Collaborating or resisting were Key ideas.
The Red Rooster was a coin. Collaborating or resisting were Key ideas.
October 11, 2011
This is the third book of Michael's I've read and reviewed.
The Red Rooster is a great thriller, set in wartime France.
Great characterisation of one girl's struggle to survive in France, forced to 'sleep with the enemy' to ensure she has food in her belly.
A tragic tale of what people in France had to endure at the hands of the Nazis.
Great writing and storytelling as usual, Michael.
The Red Rooster is a great thriller, set in wartime France.
Great characterisation of one girl's struggle to survive in France, forced to 'sleep with the enemy' to ensure she has food in her belly.
A tragic tale of what people in France had to endure at the hands of the Nazis.
Great writing and storytelling as usual, Michael.
August 2, 2012
I enjoyed this book, and the plot, but at times it was a stretch to believe. But it is a thriller, and kept the action moving. What I liked most is that the many in the french resistance were lone wolves. They were not well connected, but individuals with very personal reasons for their sacrifice. In that sense, he nailed it with this character.
March 28, 2013
This was one I could not stick with, I had to force myself to go back to. However, I can't really figure out why; there is no particular reason I can cite as to why I couldn't engage with this espionage tale. I'll give it a while, perhaps go back and re-read it when I'm not distracted by other things and then I'll amend this review.
May 17, 2013
No. Just no. I did not really enjoy this book at all and I normally love WWII era, historical fiction. The character development was practically non-existant, so there was no reason for me to like or care about them. I completed it hoping it would get better, but it never did. I'm glad I only paid $.99 for it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews