Where the Bones Lie

by Steve Haberman

A famed American woman journalist goes missing in post-war 1946 Berlin. Her equally famous American lover, an ex-Winston Churchill spy, goes searching for her in the destroyed rubble city.

222 pages, ebook

First published July 30, 2021

About the author

Steve earned a B. A. Degree from the University of Texas in Austin, majoring in political science and minoring in history. Afterwards he passed his stock broker's exam and worked for a time at a brokerage house before returning to school. Upon getting his legal assistant certification from UCLA, he worked at a law firm in Los Angeles. Successful stock market investments allowed him to retire early and to pursue two dreams: write and travel. He now divides his time between San Diego and European cities where he researches his stories. He speaks some French and Italian, four words in German, and hopes to expand his fluency in all three in his continuing trips abroad.

He enjoys the cosmopolitan bustle, sidewalk cafes, the museums of Berlin, Rome, Vienna, London, Budapest, and Paris. Many of these capitals and other cities find their way into his stories of intrigue..."Murder Without Pity" (Paris), "The Killing Ploy" (London, Berlin, Paris, and Lugano), "Darkness and Blood" (London and Paris), "Winston Churchill's Renegade Spy" (London and Zurich), “Where the Bones Lie" (Berlin), and his latest, "The Spy from Palestine" (Israel). This last thriller won the 2024 Literary Titan Silver Book Award.

Reviews

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It is a very interesting WWII story.

I love the suspense and the fast space of how it took us behind the scenes of the underground in Berlin. Additionally, the author does a fantastic job of researching the details that the story is set in.

Characters were fantastic. Well lay down and defined. Additionally, the side plots were easy to follow and did not distract from the book, it did enrich the story. .

Hi, highly recommend just spoke especially for World War II buffs.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where is Charly Lawrence? She is a famed
American journalist that has been missing
for about twelve hours in a post World War II
decimated city with death everywhere.
The year is 1946 and the setting is the city
of Berlin. Berlin has been ravaged. The
deft description places the reader among
the rubble with the atmosphere and smells
of death around every corner.
Jonas Shaw, an ex-Churchill spy and ex-
New York City detective is actively searching
for Charly when he finds himself kidnapped. He
is taken to an underground hiding place where
Charly is being held capture.
And so there adventures begin!!
A truly horrific, gripping and riveting story. It
is fulled with intrigue, suspense, dangerous
situations with drama, twists, turns, thrills
and chills as you travel along with the
characters. The reader sees what the
characters sees, feel what they feel plus
enter into the dangerous situations right
beside them.
All the characters whether sinister or on the
righteous are three dimensional, multifaceted,
in-depth and very well created for this story.
The subplots mix with the main plot make the
tension thick and well sustained.
Explosive, fast paced, realistic adventure from
the beginning throughout the total book.
I volunteered to read Where the Bones Lie.
Thanks to the Review Crew for the opportunity.
My opinion is voluntary and my own.
A Highly Recommended Read!!!

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Book Sirens and Steve Haberman. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read Where the Bones Lie of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. Where the Bones Lie is a gritty look at Berlin just following the end of WWII. I hadn't thought about how peace only comes to the warriors, though I did have in mind that to the victors go the spoils. Steven Haberman tells it like it is. If enough of us saw this side of peace, we would work a lot harder to avoid war.

His protagonists are realistic and sympathetic, and the harsh reality of a country without infrastructure is laid bare. I would highly recommend this historical look at Berlin, post-WWII, to friends and family. Though the background is at times horrific, the story is compelling and the ending is just too soon.
pub date July 30, 2021
Reviewed on September 17, 2021, at Goodreads, BookSirens, AmazonSmile, and BookBub.
received August 16, 2021

[Joyce D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Book Sirens and Steve Haberman for sending me this ebook for an honest review.
I had not read the previous book in this series (Winston Churchill's Renegade Spy); so I had no previous history with the characters of Jonas Shaw and Charlotte (Charly) Lawrence. This story can be still be read as a stand alone book. Enjoyed the immersive leap into Berlin immediately after WWII and the occupation by the Allies, although France is not a major player in this story. Gritty details of a ghost-like Berlin occupied by Allied troops, German survivors and anyone else thrown into this big stew-pot of a city. A dangerous place to be immediately after a war.
Enjoyed the relationship between Jonas and Charly although they are not as fully developed as I personally like in this (their second book) story. Beyond the overused "archaic" language, I would like to see more details (in classic English please) of their daily lives and feelings. Seemed underdeveloped to me - a few more layers please.
Lots and lots of acronyms to the point where I did have to look several up on my iPad to keep up with the story and many mis-spellings although that can be attributed to the early version (I think I had the early version?). Maybe less of the "hey Joe's) and other slang would make the story smoother for me.
The historical details seem to be "spot on"; although I confess I do not know as much about the post-war occupation as I thought I did. So many details (again I use the word) about occupied Berlin, Werewolves (no, not real wolves), White Russians, the VE Parade, and general everyday living for the vanquished German population.
The last chapters seem to have most of the action - you will enjoy the outcome of all of the intrigue and information that Charly received from her "sources". Was there really an attempt to drive the Americans out of post-war Berlin? The end left me "dangling" - is there another book in this series yet to come?
Note: this book does remind me of another wonderful series I have read by James Benn (Billy Boyle).

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the author's writing style. The detail of the surroundings and the history was woven into the story rather than being paragraphs of explaination and description which tends to slow down a story. The story is fast paced and dialogue driven, with enough character development and description to enable one to 'see' the events unfolding. I have read a lot of WWII fiction but this book gives a new perspective. Well worth a read.

[David Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of Where the Bones Lie by Steve Haberman

One of the best things books do for their readers is to carry them to places and times remote from their own. This is the most enjoyable aspect of Where the Bones Lie by Steve Haberman.

Set in immediate post-WWII Berlin, Haberman allows the city and its remaining survivors to become almost an additional protagonist in his story. Physically, it challenges his heroes, Jonas Shaw and Charly Lawrence, with broken streets, shattered buildings, unreliable utilities, and collapsed infrastructure. Politically it befuddles them with four separate sets of authority and language. Socially, it endangers them through lawlessness, predation, and rape culture that hangs over the city’s women, including Charly, like an oppressive fog.

But it also charms and encourages them through its people, their sources, who demonstrate some of the most profound survival instincts even when they, at that moment in the story, appear to be on an opposite side:

QUOTE:"Frau Charly has been in the countryside with us the last few days," Oskar said, "getting some fresh air and doing some most interesting sightseeing as well, Herr Shaw. She has quite a story to tell. Isn't that right, Frau Charly? But first," he continued, not caring to hear any response from her, "as your host, Herr Shaw, Willkommen to what's left of our once proud and mighty city. I apologize for this stupid quarters," he noted, gesturing with a showman's flair to the water dripping from the ceiling down a wall. "The Hotel Adlon isn’t available. Neither is any other luxury palace. We are left with this filthy war relic.” ENDQUOTE

Unfortunately, the rest of the novel is not quite as strong. It has echoes of John le’Carré’s Smiley’s People, in that sense of professionals trying to work in a world where nothing else appears to function. But the work lack’s le Carré’s smooth delivery and his tight storyline.

Part of the problem rests with the novel’s two somewhat dueling protagonists. The book is marketed as a Jonas Shaw and Charly Lawrence novel. Still, this reader wondered if it wouldn’t have been better to have given the protagonist role to one of them and let the other remain a critical secondary character. There is a romantic storyline between the two. Still, it often gets subsumed beneath other, more compelling narratives and leaves the reader wondering if the novel is Jonas’ story or Charly’s.

The novel also has an unfortunate propensity to get lost in the detail of disputes. Where le Carré used a sentence or two and an atmosphere of frustration to convey bureaucratic arguments and distrust to a reader, Haberman devoted two chapters to one dispute-filled meeting that this reader found discouraging and didn’t add to his understanding of the story at all.

Finally, except for the two chapters mentioned above, the novel does an excellent job of keeping the reader’s interest. As the story progresses, Haberman keeps raising the stakes (as he should). Something terrible is going to happen if our heroes fail. Something that will kill and wound many people. But then, it’s not that big a deal when it happens, so the reader is left feeling somewhat cheated and bewildered.

On the one hand, this reader understands Haberman’s dilemma. Since he’s writing about a real-time place with actual history, he can’t just introduce disasters even if they would make a good story. But he could have taught near-disasters that might have threatened but which we would never have known because our heroes prevented their taking place.

Overall, the book’s strengths outweigh the weaknesses, so I feel good giving four stars out of five.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where the Bones Lie is the second book that features Jonas Shaw and Charly Lawrence. Jonas has gained a formidable reputation as an authoritative man due to a past encounter with Winston Churchill. Charly is a well-respected journalist. The story takes place in 1946 in Berlin, a city ravaged during the second world war. Jonas has just arrived in Berlin and discovers his girlfriend Charly is missing. He hits stone walls in trying to locate her until Jonas is abducted by strangers, who used Charly as bait to kidnap Jonas. They want Jonas to impersonate an American officer and free a criminal from incarceration in exchange for information about an impending violent act of aggression. This encounter with villains puts Jonas and Charly in the middle of conflicts in war-damaged Berlin between occupying powers.

Steve Haberman does not shy away from bringing unpalatable matters to the forefront of readers’ minds. The vivid descriptions by Haberman make you feel as you are standing in Berlin getting a first-hand view of all the daily violent crimes and the devastation left behind after the war. The author pulls you into a gripping and unsettling fictional story of what the population experienced in the aftermath at the end of World War 2.

The author has done a great job with characterization. All the characters are believable, and they face realistic and difficult situations. Their behavioral reactions fit their personalities. The profanity in the story fits in with the characters who use it. Jonas and Charly put themselves into risky and life-threatening predicaments. Readers are kept on the edge of their seats wondering if they will escape and at what cost to them, either physically or emotionally.

Where the Bones lie can be read as a stand-alone as it is a self-contained story that feels complete within itself. However, anyone who wants more backstory about references to events that occurred in the first book will want to read Winston Churchill’s Renegade Spy.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The bones lie everywhere in post WW2 occupied Berlin, barely covered in the rubbish piles. Bones of citizens left behind by the losers of the war whether they supported that regime or opposed it, and abused by the winners, especially their old enemies the Russians. The remaining citizens are impoverished, homeless, hopeless, scavenging for anything to eat or barter. Except for the plotters and occupiers. And the rare American journalist, Charly, who is too determined to give in or give up in a time long before women got any recognition for anything they did outside the home. Jonas was a bodyguard for Churchill and is now more than a bodyguard to Charly. Together the get deeply and dangerously involved in the intrigue. Gripping, riveting tale about a time of disgrace.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy via NetGalley.

[Kara Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the first book, Winston Churchill’s Renegade Spy, featuring Jonas Shaw. This book grabbed me a bit more, set in post-WWII Berlin. I enjoyed his journalist girlfriend, Charly, also. There is plenty of excitement and it’s really interesting reading about Germany after the war. It’s really well-written and makes me feel like I’m reading something a little more challenging than some of the easily read (almost mindless sometimes) cozy mysteries I often choose. This is grittier and feels very real. I can recommend this book and look forward to reading more by this author. I was provided a copy of this book, but these opinions are my own.

[Todd Roseweir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent action/thriller with a different setting.

This is the first book from this author I've read after I received a review copy from Voracious Readers Only. It's a very good read with all the action and thriller aspects you would expect. What really stood out for me was the setting for the story. Most books in this setting would normally take place during the actual war with the usual events able to be incorporated into the story. This book was very different as it dealt with the immediate aftermath of the war, where hostilities have ended and the city is dealing with a whole other set of challenges, e.g. a city struggling to recover from the effects of the war and get back to some form or normality, and the attitudes of the inhabitants towards how the war ended. I'm definitely keen to read more of this author's books.

[Nicole Harmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review of Where the Bones Lie by Nicole Harmon

Title: Where the Bones Lie
Author: Steve Haberman
Publish Date: 2021
Publisher: Steve Haberman

Book blurb: “Mila reached over and again clutched her hand. ‘You are a very kind lady. I knew I was right about you.’ Charly felt herself blush. Mila’s nails were painted pink and manicured. Certainly better cared for than hers. She had to admit. Mila kept up her appearance no matter what. ‘It’s pretty hard to be in this town!’ She felt a warmth of connection with her. Two women confessing the difficulty, keeping their humanity amid the barbarism.”

Summary and Analysis:
Charly Lawrence, a news reporter and Jonas Shaw are a couple who have seen their way through many tight situations. Charly was in Berlin covering the war, rather than the end of World War II. But she had not been in touch with him nor had she been reachable. Concerned he went to Berlin to find out what happened to the love of his life. It turns out that Charly was very busy and sick. She was actually held captive by some unsavoury persons which Jonas helped her get out of only to have her find some more while chasing a story. In the midst of all of this the war effort was going on and the clean up in Berlin Germany was happening. There were three countries outside of Germany occupying Berlin: Russia, Great Britain, and the United States. Three distinct governments attempted to gather intel and prevent chaos after the suicide death of Adolf Hitler.
Living in the Press Haus quarters where the foreign news services were being housed all together, Charly has found out some intel that may be of use to their government. Apparently, an important operation was about to be carried out by the Soviets in Berlin Germany. This she gleaned from following another reporter, German, to his meeting. But on her way home, she was attacked and raped by another German. Luckily for her, her boyfriend, Jonas came to her and brought her back to the hotel housing her and the other reporters. Recuperating she got another idea to find out the information she needed to not only write a story but prove her supposition to Jonas. Not very happy with her, he reluctantly agreed to her plan.
He got her in touch with Willy Jaeger, who along with the help of another reporter Rudi, got his son to photograph important documents from a German/Russian war office. The documents spoke of a big operation, sort of like a false flag operation to create a new Berlin. Just as before when Hitler was alive. Running to the OMGUS office with the information only proved that the information although welcome wasn’t the smoking gun she thought it was. However, it did get them one of the country's biggest pains in the war business out of their way. He ran into the line of fire of Russians guarding their war office and was shot dead.
I gave this book four- and one-half stars. I did like it. I liked the history. I liked the description. The fact that one of the main characters was a woman war correspondent was excellent. I know that women had and have a hard fight to be seen as equal in many businesses but some of the first women war correspondents appeared during World War II. The character of Charly Lawrence was indicative of many of the lives women war correspondents lived. They used a man’s name as their moniker but were women in reality. Most people won’t pay attention if the name is a man’s name until you are already there in front of them. I am sure that the men who loved them had a hard time as well.
The setting of wartime Berlin following the death of Hitler and soon surrender of the Third Reich was a great story maker. The descriptions fit what you think a war-torn country near the end of the war would look like, especially the losing end.
The reason this read did not make it to a five-star rating was simply this: it took me a long time to read. I would have much rather blasted through the book as opposed to not doing so. Although I like historical reads even fiction based I find historical fiction does take me a while to finish. But I stop while reading it to catch up on the history I can get from it.
I do recommend this read for all who like historical fiction and reading about WW2 and the events following it.

[Nicole Harmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cross-post from Book Sirens.

Book Review of Where the Bones Lie by Nicole Harmon

Title: Where the Bones Lie

Author: Steve Haberman

Publish Date: 2021

Publisher: Steve Haberman

Book blurb: "Mila reached over and again clutched her hand. 'You are a very kind lady. I knew I was right about you.' Charly felt herself blush. Mila's nails were painted pink and manicured. Certainly better cared for than hers. She had to admit. Mila kept up her appearance no matter what. 'It's pretty hard to be in this town!' She felt a warmth of connection with her. Two women confessing the difficulty, keeping their humanity amid the barbarism."

Summary and Analysis:

Charly Lawrence, a news reporter, and Jonas Shaw are a couple who have seen their way through many tight situations. She was in Berlin covering the war rather than the end of World War II, but she had not been in touch with him, nor had she been reachable. Concerned, he went to Berlin to find out what happened to the love of his life. It turns out that Charly was very busy and sick. She was held captive by some unsavoury persons Jonas helped her get away from, only to have her find some more while chasing a story. Throughout all that happened to Charly, the war effort continued, and the clean-up in Berlin, Germany, was continuing. There were three countries outside of Germany occupying Berlin: Russia, Great Britain, and the United States. Three distinct governments attempted to gather intel and prevent chaos after the suicide death of Adolf Hitler.

Living in the Press Haus quarters where the foreign news services lived all together, Charly has found some intel that may be good to their government. A top-secret operation was about to be carried out by the Soviets in Berlin Germany; she gleaned from following another reporter, German, to his meeting. But on her way home, she was attacked and raped by another German. Luckily for her, Jonas came to pick her up after her rescuers stopped the assault-rape; and brought her back to the hotel housing her and the other reporters. Recuperating, Charly got another idea to find out the information she needed to write a story but prove her supposition to Jonas. Not very happy with her, he reluctantly agreed to her plan.

He got her in touch with Willy Jaeger, who, with the help of another reporter Rudi, had Rudi's son photograph some important documents from a German/Russian war office. The documents spoke of a top-secret operation, a false flag operation to create a new Berlin. Just as before when Hitler was alive. Running to the OMGUS office with the information only proved that the information, although welcome, was not the smoking gun she thought it was. However, it did get them one of the biggest war pains out of their way. He ran into the line of fire of Russians guarding their war office and was shot dead.

I gave this book 4 1/2 stars. I did like the history and description. The fact that one of the main characters was a woman war correspondent was excellent. I know that women had a hard fight to be seen as equal in many businesses, but some of the first women's war correspondents appeared during World War II. The character of Charly Lawrence was indicative of many of the lives women war correspondents lived. They used a man's name as their moniker but were women in reality. Most people won't pay attention if the name is a man's name until you are already there in front of them.

The setting of wartime Berlin following the death of Hitler and soon surrender of the Third Reich was a great story-maker. The descriptions fit what you think a war-torn country near the end of the war would look like, especially the losing end.

This read did not make it to a five-star rating was simply this: it took me a long time to read. I would have preferred to blast through the book. Although I like historical reads, even fiction-based, I find historical fiction does take me a while to finish.

I recommend this read for all who like historical fiction and reading about WW2 and the events following it.

[Ed Sheehan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ed Sheehan’s review of Where the Bones Lie by Steve Haberman
Where the Bones Lie, a novel by Steve Haberman, starts with Jonas Shaw, an American, in a bar in bombed-out Berlin in 1946; a city divided into four sections at the Potsdam Conference after the defeat of Germany in World War II. Jonas is overwrought because his girlfriend, Charlotte (Charly) Lawrence, an American war correspondent, wasn’t in the hotel when he arrived in the dangerous, chaotic city. All of her belongings are still in her room which was not occupied at all during the night. Jonas has only one picture of her in his wallet, and she is in a swimsuit. He feels guilty showing that picture around, but he was desperate to find her. A nice Berliner named Willy Jaeger offers to help and he takes Jonas to a Berlin black market. While showing her picture to people there, the illegal market is raided by the police and during the pandemonium of everyone fleeing, Jonas is kidnapped and forced down into a bomb shelter where Charly is being held. The kidnappers want Jonas to complete an assignment. As a caveat, the kidnappers offer Charly a big news story about a German Nazi group planning a devastating attack on Berlin to drive the Americans out. Jonas, a former New York detective, doesn’t trust them. Who would trust kidnappers? But Jonas agrees to help even though he expects the kidnappers to try to kill him even if he manages to succeed in the mission. But he agrees to help in the hopes that Charly will survive.
As a history buff, I found this story of the horrible situation in Berlin after the war fascinating and realistic. All of characters were well developed and the dialogue was good. The plot was developed skillfully. I received a free advanced reading copy of this novel. There are a lot of editing errors in the book, and I suggest the author does a more complete ending before it is published (perhaps my copy lacked the last chapter. There was no “THE END” after my last chapter—or perhaps the author is planning a sequel to continue the story. If a sequel is planned, there should be some kind of hook at the end to draw the reader to the sequel). In its present form, I rank this novel three stars out of five.

[Lynne Hannmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where the Bones Lie takes a well researched look at Berlin in the early stage of its division into sectors and occupation by the Allies. The war is supposedly over but there are still pockets of resistance, devastation is everywhere and any significant recovery is yet to begin. In short, the chaos of war is ever present. This is the world the main characters Charly Laurence, war correspondent, and Jonas Shaw, ex NY cop and now of the US Counter Ingelligence Corps, find themselves in. But the real star of the book is Berlin itself. I was fascinated by the view Steve Haberman provided and how it expanded my thinking on the outcome of war in this particular situation and in general. The military battles may end with a surrender and a peace treaty, but the fight continues into a new version of reality. In this case, a reality which is very focused on the conflict between the Russians and the Americans.
The storyline details Charly’s and Jonas’ attempts to uncover a plot by Nazi holdouts to stage a last stand. The reader is just dropped into the action at various points, so stylistically it was challenging to follow and figure out what was going on. This was my only issue with Mr. Haberman’s writing which otherwise held my interest and kept me in the moment. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in WWII historical fiction.
Thank you to the author and BookSirens for the opportunity to read and review a published copy.

[Vbloemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where the Bones Lie is a tale of life after World War II in Berlin. It’s full of spies, journalists, survivors, intrigue, and a touch of romance. Jonas Shaw arrives in Berlin to find his journalist girlfriend has gone missing. No one seems to know where she has gone. Jonas is worried that she is injured or has been arrested by one of the Soviet troops still in town. Jonas embarks on an adventure in Berlin to find her. He meets some interesting characters. Charlotte Lawrence, Charly, is a real go-getter journalist. Jonas knows that she may have gotten herself into trouble going to places that are not safe looking for that all-important story. Looking for her could be just as dangerous, but he is determined to find her. During his search, he ends up involved in a lot of spying. The intrigue is intense.

This story looks into what it was like in Germany after World War II ended. It paints a picture of people trying to pull things back together even with almost everything gone. There is also still that underlying tension from the war. Steve Haberman paints a heart-rending picture of the aftermath in this story. If you like history this is a great book to read and very enjoyable.

[D Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Where The Bones Lie’ was initially a promising read set in immediate post war Berlin. It buzzes with details that make it feel genuine but sometimes descriptions can feel a little too repetitive and unnecessary. I can speak some German so the inclusion of so many street names and other details purely added to the feeling of location for me but I have the feeling many non-German speakers will tend to find these are too numerous and make fluency of reading more difficult
Haberman’s characters are believable although in this thriller I felt the main character was sometimes a bit too slow off the mark, especially as he was supposed to have such an illustrious history.
The storyline wasn’t really strong enough for me for a while and I was kept wondering what exactly the challenge was supposed to be for the central characters. It did gather pace after the first 60% and was then quite thrilling but I didn’t enjoy this as much as ‘Winston Churchill’s Renegade Spy’.
Thank you to Booksirens. I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Abantika(hiltonjenkin) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where the Bones Lie is the second instalment to Jonas Shaw and Charly Lawrence series and follows Winston Churchill's Renegade Spy by Steve Haberman. It is a WWII conspiracy mystery that similar to the previous book amalgamates the components of action, adventure and thrill. Providing a perfect hook, it opens with Jonas searching for Charlotte through Berlin who has been missing for 12 hours and then quickly builds the plot tight suspense. Written in Haberman's trademark style of lucid and gripping writing, Where the Bones Lie gives you an absolute adrenaline rush. I literally found myself holding my breath at times trying to pace to a scene to try to get answers. The characters have distinct voice and the dialogues are organically done. The setting is explosive and vivid like the previous book. This is my second book by Steve Haberman and I'm definitely turned into a fan.

[Lee Cottam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where the Bones Lie is a story about an American journalist who goes missing in post war Berlin. Her lover Jonas Shaw searches for her in a devastated and dangerous city.
This novel is well paced and exciting. It captures the chaos of post war, specifically the violence, danger and hunger of Berlin.
I felt transported into the post apocalyptic world. The sense of danger and decay is everywhere.
Charlotte Lawrence, Jonas' girlfriend is a journalist who is looking for the big story. She is determined to tough it out in Berlin so she can write about something that will make everyone sit up & notice.
There are some parts of the story that are over long but all in all the reader's interest is held right until the end.
Definitely for lovers of war and spy stories.
I received a copy of the book through Voracious Readers Only.

[Rosemary Spark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received through Voaracious Readers. This novel is set in postwar Berlin while the Allies divide the city into zones. Charly, a war correspondent is missing. Her friend Jonas asks for help, but the various governments are overwhelmed by aftermath of war: poverty, famine, violence, rape, revenge, the building animosity between the Brits, the US and Russia. There is no capacity or willingness to look for a single woman who had gone looking for trouble. While Jonas and Charly find each other they also become embroiled in espionage and dangerous convoluted plots and counterplots. The complexity of the plot is perhaps a little entangled and the characters, other than moving closer, don’t develop very far. We don’t really know them very well. A very visceral picture of postwar Berlin.

[Carol Ball · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book hard to get into at first. Some of the language used was weird but once I got past that I quite enjoyed some of the story. Some very graphic descriptions of the situation but not always obvious why. I could visualise being there at times with all the terror, hunger and violence.

Storyline was sometimes a little vague (or implied) and difficult to follow, the ending was bland and left somethings unanswered. I don’t really understand why the author chose the title. Maybe it’s just not my cup of tea - not bad but not great either.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where the Bones Lie by Steve Haberman begins right after WWII in Berlin. Although this book is right after the war, I feel that it is a war story with tons of action and excitement. This fast paced thriller has several themes woven through out the story. The “River Killer” is killing German soldiers in Berlin, there is a plot to kill US military personnel, for awhile Charly is missing and of course, our hero Jonas is in the middle of everything. Where the Bones Lie is an exciting book. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a little longer to get into this book. Taken place post war, a journalist named Charly and an American soldier, Jonas team together. Charly , as a female, has to fight to be recognized as a legitimate source. Jonas is tricked into helping a SS prisoner escape and the role of this escapee is not explained until much later in the book. Charly faces many scary challenges and at times I wanted to say “go home, it’s not worth the risk” An overall good historical fiction read.
I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast paced story in the aftermath of WWII Berlin. Lots of intrigue amidst chaos and very interesting characters. While I had trouble feeling any chemistry between the main couple, I did like the characters as themselves. I especially appreciated the trouble Charly had with being believed by the those in charge due to her gender.

There were some distracting typos and misspellings but that could be fixed in the next edition easily.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Overall, a good read.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where the Bones Lie gives readers a glimpse of what Berlin, immediately after World War Two must have been like. At times disturbing to read, Mr. Haberman paints a vivid picture of how things must have been. The twists and turns the story takes will have readers guessing until the end. At times confusing, and heartbreaking of man's treatment of man the mystery unravels and answers are found. Charly and Jonas combine to be a formidable pair. Using her talents as a journalist and his as a former detective nothing is unsolvable.

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better)]

I really enjoyed this book. It is a very interesting WWII story.

I love the suspense and the fast space of how it took us behind the scenes of the underground in Berlin. Additionally, the author does a fantastic job of researching the details that the story is set in.

Characters were fantastic. Well lay down and defined. Additionally, the side plots were easy to follow and did not distract from the book, it did enrich the story. .

Hi, highly recommend just spoke especially for World War II buffs.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Vicki May · Rating 4 out of 5]

A female journalist is missing in post-war Berlin. A former spy, now private detective is searching for her. Plenty of intrigue and suspense follow in this novel full of details and description that take the reader on an immersive trip through the city and factions of that tumultuous time.

A very well written novel full of twists that keep the pages turning. The characters were well developed and complex. It was a slow starter for me but once I got past the first chapter I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend Where the Bones Lie.

[Ngoni Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a properly executed post WW1 novel. The plot is rich and the sub-plots fits in like a glove enriching the story even more. I got the taste of how Berlin was in that year after the war. The volatility and unpredictability of the situation made the reading even more thrilling.

This was a property written novel, you won't regret reading it.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Mrs LIR Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A historic novel that at first I found difficult to get into. However after the first couple of chapters the story based in post WW11 Berlin gripped me.

Charly is an interesting female journalist and her lover an Ex-British spy is endearing.

The mystery is compelling but the best bits are the descriptions of war ravaged Berlin and its inhabitants.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Shae Godfrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written well. The story was great. I'm a huge fan on anything Holocaust or WW2 related. I could almost feel being there. Written almost like an old detective novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Keep up the great work!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Renee Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this ARC, and I am providing my honest opinion of it. I really tried to like this book, because it deals with alternate history. However, not sure if it was the era that it covered or the writing, I did not find it to be gripping or a page turner. If you are a fan of post-war Berlin in 1946, you might find it more appealing than I did.