The Hard Way

Monika Ritter #5

by Eoin Dempsey

Imprisoned in a prisoner-of-war camp in southwest Germany, Michael Ritter attempts a daring escape with two other downed American pilots. After being recaptured, Michael is transferred to Colditz, a medieval castle repurposed as a high-security prison camp for incorrigible Allied escapees. But when the Nazi commandant tries to paint him as an informant, Michael will find it’s not just the German guards he needs to be wary of.

Meanwhile, Oliver Strauss is holed up in a small German village after parachuting from the same plane Michael crashed in. When his host, a physically and psychologically damaged comrade from his time as a Wehrmacht soldier on the Eastern Front, begins to display signs of madness, Oliver realizes that his time in hiding may be coming to an abrupt end.

After setting up an escape route out of Germany through Berlin, Monika and Sarah find out Michael and Oliver's whereabouts. The women will part ways to take on separate daring missions to defy both the Gestapo and the prison camp the Nazis call inescapable.

Genres: Historical Fiction

254 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 24, 2025

About the author

Eoin Dempsey was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1977. He grew up in the beautiful Dublin suburb of Dalkey, where he and his friends would jump into the icy waters of the Irish Sea (during summertime) to prove their manliness. Eoin had a fantastic time attending Blackrock College, where he played rugby (poorly) and did his best to coast his way through. Eoin’s first ambition was to play rugby for Ireland. Due to a lack of talent, he soon abandoned that goal for the more reasoned path of the rock star. He played in bands through his teens and well into his twenties before harsh reality came calling, and his dreams of being the next Keith Moon faded.

Eoin made the ill-reasoned decision to study business in university and was accepted into University College Dublin to study Commerce in 1995. While Eoin did attend college, studying wasn’t his priority there.

He met his beautiful wife, Jill, while traveling to the USA in 1997, though it would be several years before he managed to break her down and they got together as a couple. It was during Eoin’s second stint in the USA, which he spent with his brother in New York City, that he decided to start writing a novel, for the express purpose of impressing women. This effort was met with mixed success. Eoin finished his first novel a year later. The over hundred and fifty rejections he received from publishers didn’t discourage him. He pinned them to his wall. After spending a year in Australia, where he was fired from many jobs, including picking red and green peppers and toiling for scallops miles out to sea on a fishing trawler, he returned home and decided to write again. Another novel followed while he phoned it in at a number of jobs in financial services in Dublin.

By this time Eoin had managed to convince Jill, the girl he’d met in the USA years before to move over to Dublin. She did so in 2004. It was the best negotiation he ever undertook. They were married in 2007. Jill’s more brilliant negotiating skills led Eoin to move to her hometown of Philadelphia in 2008, just in time for the economy to collapse. The plan to live with her parents for a few weeks turned into eighteen months, as Eoin struggled to retain employment in a fractured economy. It was during this time that he wrote FINDING REBECCA, which would go on to be his first published novel and be translated into fourteen different languages.

Eoin and Jill have three beautiful sons, Robbie, who was born in 2015, Sam, born in 2017, and Jack who came in 2019. Eoin enjoys playing with them and marveling at how much more talented they are at the sports that he loves, particularly golf.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book takes off like a rocket on the very first page and never eases back on the throttle until the epilogue. I didn't think Monika and Sarah could up their game from the previous books but they did. That's a good thing for the men they love as well as the men they work with, but it made my blood pressure rise. The author paints a grim picture of life in German cities now that the Allies are bombing them daily and the Soviet Army is advancing rapidly. The Nazis know that the Russians will enact revenge for atrocities they committed on Soviet soil during Operation Barbarossa. The Hard Way is a stellar achievement and I can't wait for the next book to be released.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 5th book in Monika and Michael’s series as well as Sarah and Oliver’s stories. It picks up where The Berlin Girls left off and provides a conclusion to the fate of Michael and Oliver. Michael is in a POW camp and tries to escape with two other men. Unfortunately, only one of the men makes it to safety. Michael and Baynard end up in another POW camp where there is a German mole. Oliver is holed up with an old friend, but the situation becomes dire when his friend commits suicide without ever sending Oliver’s letters. Monika and Sarah are determined to help their men, and the OSS provides them with the tools to do that. There is no cliffhanger in this book, but the work of Monika, Michael, Sarah and Oliver is not over. Although this is a work of fiction, the bravery of the young men and women in WW II is awe-inspiring.

[Ave Jeanne Ventresca · Rating 5 out of 5]

In search of a brilliant read in historical fiction? The fifth novel in The Maureen Ritter Series is THE HARD WAY, and it is by far the most impressive of this series!
The reader is embedded among the tormenting heartbeats of four patriotic characters during their horrific experiences during WW2. Action and suspense are a roller-coaster ride, abounding through every chapter.
Best-selling author Eoin Dempsey keeps the tone crisp and authentic. Plots interweave, from character to character, adding to tension and constant engagement.
The last chapter leads us to hope for more to come, so we’ll eagerly await the next in this series. This novel is highly recommended!
Thanks is extended to the author and BookFunnel for this review copy.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE HARD WAY was a really fun installment in the Monika and Michael Ritter spinoff series, set in wartime Germany. Michael is a prisoner of war and of course is not going to take that lying down. This was full of interesting escape attempts, evasion across the Germany countryside and more. Monika is our tough as nails spy who will stop at nothing to stop the Nazis, aid the Allies and save her husband. I really love her character and reading about her is a treat on every page. Sarah and Oliver have a good storyline here, too, and I’m interested to see what will be in store for everyone in the next installment. I always finish these books in a day or two and then have to wait for the next. I will be sad when this series is over. I’ve enjoyed it so much. 5/5 stars.

[Carey Mundy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 5 in this fabulous series was released this week and it was worth the wait! Monica co times her work for the OSS and helps get a Nazi scientist to freedom. But her husband michael is now a prisoner in the high security prison at Colditz. Getting him out will require some real skill. In the meantime her cousin Sarah deploys to Germany to rescue her lover who is in the hands of the Gestapo. This is an action packed read from start to finish! Looking forward to the next book and hope it will be released soon!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 5 in Monika Ritter series. A great read in this series. I love this author, Eoin Dempsey. I can feel myself getting anxious when I start these books because she is so daring. Not sure being a spy would be my calling but she does it with ease. She is one of the first spies inside Germany in 1940 and she is busy. Book 6 is underway so the series keeps expanding. WWII historical fiction is my favorite genre and this author knows his business. There are two other series about this same period so you can get started right away. I’ve read them all.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Determined bravery

Love the consistent professionalism of our characters as they struggle through the real setbacks of being in enemy hands and territory. The drama is made to feel overwhelming while being reassured by the professionalism of the SOS agents and the others helping them and Michael and Oliver. The hard things they are forced to endure and the effects on them are very realistic and easy to imagine with the descriptive and historical information provided by the author.

I look forward to the next book.

[Ash Laverty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Eoin Dempsey’s writing, and this book was no different!

After their plane crashed, Michael and Oliver are both trapped in enemy territory. When news finally reaches their wife and fiance, plans are put into place for Monika and Sarah to try and help their men escape the clutches of the Nazis once again.

Such an exciting book, I can’t wait to read the next instalment!

5 stars out of 5 ⭐️

[Michelle Schulten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book. Wow!!! He did it again. Eoin is a master storyteller of historical fiction. This one (because I have read all of them) is non-stop action. I read it in just over 24 hours. I really couldn't put it down! The characters and scenes are so real that you feel like you are part of the story/action. Thank goodness there will be more, I'm not ready to let go of my friends and family!

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another home run!
I've said it before and I'll say it again: aside from being a magnificent story tell, the authors is GENIUS in retellin/reminding the reader of what happened in previous books in the series. Many authors neglect to do that and mention a minor character three books later with no "reminder" about who the character is.
This book is great and I can't wait for the next one!!!

[Jean Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story and drama

Monica and Sarah are relentless when it comes to saving their men. The story points out that there were many heroes in Nazi Germany and the determination to bring the world back to balance was strong. Hopefully that same devotion to freedom continues to exist and endure. Well done!

[Mary O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story -So Many Typos

I love this author and the stories but this book had at least 6 errors in spelling, grammar and random words. I love the characters and speed read through the amazing stories but I get stopped short and fixated when I come across errors. Don't stop writing, great stories but more attention to the details in editing if you would like.

[Fiona Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eoin has a way of keeping you guessing to the end. His well rounded characters are very believable and the attention to detail excellent.

In this book we continue the story of Monica and Michael and without giving anything away this is another exciting episode in their journey!

[Judith Standing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

Another nail biting book for me to try and not read to quickly so I don’t have to wait to long for the next one , as good as all the books in this series that have just got better and better
Thoroughly recommend to read , you’ll be glad you did

[Arla Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The journeys of Monika, Michael, Sarah and Oliver as they try to be reunited and get out of Germany was a bit drawn out and not quite as interesting as the previous books. But it is still a good WWII book and I’ve pre ordered the next.

[Debbie Trammell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book/series

I have read almost all of Eoin's books and none of them disappoint. They are fast paced, interesting and can be heart breaking. The characters are suberb. Can't wait for the next book.

[Sue Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping Series

I love historical fiction, and these books are amazing. The main characters are heroic, flawed, stubborn, and driven to fight for what they believe in. I will definitely read other books by the author when when I have finished the series.

[Ina Tuscano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relationshipd

Great continuation of the previous novel. Love the relationships and the escapes. Shows brilliance of women. Very exciting ANF quite enthralling.

[Carol Giacoletto-Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting

The books in the Monika Ritter series just keep getting better. It will keep you reading late into the night to find out what happens next. It is non-stop action!

[Desney King · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series just gets better and better, with this novel the most gripping so far.
Very much looking forward to the next one.

[Jeannette E Seals · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this series.

[Margaret Wray · Rating 4 out of 5]

The suspense of this book is brilliant. So much drama and each one is enthralling. Mr Dempsey certainly knows how to get your attention in this series. Onto. Book 6

[catherine Riffice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read! A great historical WW2 book !