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Hanni Winter #2
The Pilot's Girl
‘Smile, nod, and don’t breathe a word of what happens here. Or I’ll put you on the next train to Auschwitz myself.’
Four years later. Hanni Winter shivers in her thin coat as she hurries through the empty Berlin streets to her job. Despite the freezing winter and poverty all around, her cheeks flush when she meets the man she is photographing today, charismatic Tony Miller, the American pilot risking his life to bring food and provisions to the starving people of the city. But her rush of joy turns to ash as she sees the man behind him…
It’s been years since Hanni fled her terrible past, but seeing Reiner Foss now brings back harrowing memories of the man they called The Showman, and of the concentration camp he commanded. The last time she tried to expose him, Hanni almost died, can she dare to try again? Or should she seize the chance she sees in Tony’s sparkling eyes to leave the horrors of the war behind?
Hanni is no longer the frightened child she was when the Nazis devastated her life beyond repair. She vows to avenge every person who suffered at Reiner’s hands. But does her attraction to Tony leave her vulnerable? Can Hanni protect her loved ones from her past, or will the cost of fighting her demons ultimately prove more than she can pay?
Four years later. Hanni Winter shivers in her thin coat as she hurries through the empty Berlin streets to her job. Despite the freezing winter and poverty all around, her cheeks flush when she meets the man she is photographing today, charismatic Tony Miller, the American pilot risking his life to bring food and provisions to the starving people of the city. But her rush of joy turns to ash as she sees the man behind him…
It’s been years since Hanni fled her terrible past, but seeing Reiner Foss now brings back harrowing memories of the man they called The Showman, and of the concentration camp he commanded. The last time she tried to expose him, Hanni almost died, can she dare to try again? Or should she seize the chance she sees in Tony’s sparkling eyes to leave the horrors of the war behind?
Hanni is no longer the frightened child she was when the Nazis devastated her life beyond repair. She vows to avenge every person who suffered at Reiner’s hands. But does her attraction to Tony leave her vulnerable? Can Hanni protect her loved ones from her past, or will the cost of fighting her demons ultimately prove more than she can pay?
232 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 4, 2022
1274 people are currently reading
474 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Hokin
36 books238 followersWelcome to my author page and my novels, including the Hanni Winter series which is the newest of the pack. I write books set primarily in Berlin, covering the period from 1933 up to the fall of the Berlin Wall and dealing with the long shadows left by war. I am a story lover as well as a story writer and this period really fascinates me. Writing about it also means that I get to spend a lot of time in Berlin, which is my second favourite city - my favourite is Buenos Aires.
I am from the North of England but now live very happily in Glasgow with my American husband. If I'm not at my desk you'll most probably find me in the cinema, or just follow the sound of very loud music.
I'd love to hear from you and there are lots of ways you can find me, so jump in via my website https://www.catherinehokin.com/ or on my Cat Hokin FB page or on twitter @cathokin
I am from the North of England but now live very happily in Glasgow with my American husband. If I'm not at my desk you'll most probably find me in the cinema, or just follow the sound of very loud music.
I'd love to hear from you and there are lots of ways you can find me, so jump in via my website https://www.catherinehokin.com/ or on my Cat Hokin FB page or on twitter @cathokin
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
September 19, 2022
The Pilot's Girl is the second book in the Hanni Winter series, which takes place during world war 2.
The first book, The Commandant's Daughter gives us a great start to the series and the second book keeps the thrill going.
You can read the second book without reading the first as it gives a good background but I'd suggest going in series to know the characters and the story in depth.
It is a murder mystery with suspense and a bit of romance. The amount of details included suggests good research and it makes the story interesting.
It's an entertaining read with twists and turns that will keep you hooked. A strong and determined female protagonist makes it a great read. If you like historical fiction, get you hands on this series now!
Thank you netgalley publisher bookouture and author Catherine Hokin for the ARC.
The first book, The Commandant's Daughter gives us a great start to the series and the second book keeps the thrill going.
You can read the second book without reading the first as it gives a good background but I'd suggest going in series to know the characters and the story in depth.
It is a murder mystery with suspense and a bit of romance. The amount of details included suggests good research and it makes the story interesting.
It's an entertaining read with twists and turns that will keep you hooked. A strong and determined female protagonist makes it a great read. If you like historical fiction, get you hands on this series now!
Thank you netgalley publisher bookouture and author Catherine Hokin for the ARC.
April 8, 2022
“Smile, nod, and don’t breathe a word of what happens here. Or I’ll put you on the next train to Auschwitz myself”
Okay! So this is the second book in a planned series of four and whilst I wholeheartedly agree with the author that each works extremely well as a stand alone story, reading them as a set is definitely the best way to go for me personally. The backstory from book #1 is fleshed out in more than enough detail so as not to make the reader feel ‘cheated’ in any way, however there are some subtle nuances in the narrative and dialogue, which really get under the skin of the principal characters, Freddy and Hanni, bringing them to life with all their strengths and vulnerabilities, making theirs a journey well worth following from the very beginning. It really becomes obvious in this episode, that alongside Freddy and Hanni’s personal journeys and relationships, the books are also developing into a really excellent WWII historical murder/mystery series, with a deeply disturbed serial killer in this episode, stacking up the bodies almost quicker than they can be counted.
…
As ever, not wishing to offer too many ‘spoilers’, here is a very cut-down synopsis of events, which I hope will whet the appetite. We are in Berlin during the 1948/49 period, when a defeated and broken city is being divided up and occupied by the western allies of Britain, France and the USA in the west, with the Soviet Union in the east. Life for the average Berliner is still a struggle, with fear, corruption, despair and deprivation being very much the norm. Freddy is a police inspector and Hanni works as a part time forensic photographer for his department, alongside freelancing on her private commissions and personal portfolio of pictures, which she hopes to display in her own studio when she has the funds to acquire suitable premises. The problem is that Freddy and Hanni, despite being instantly attracted to one another, both have secrets which once revealed, have the power to completely break them emotionally, tear them apart irrevocably and toss their fledgling relationship asunder.
Hanni Winter, is formerly Hannelore Foss, daughter of Nazi Reiner Foss, a dedicated ‘showman’ of The Reich, whose iron command of the concentration camp he was assigned to oversee and the relish with which he executed the task, was renowned and feared. Hanni has denounced her father, who by some trickery has managed to survive the war, reinvent himself as an upstanding German citizen and is now working for the British to help rebuild the city. She is dedicated to bringing about either his capture or death, whichever opportunity presents itself first, however Reiner, who has now adopted the name Emil, is aware of her plans and is scheming one more ‘cleansing’ act of his own. Freddy is a German Jew, who has survived the brutality of the concentration camps, although he was unable to save the rest of his family who were not quite so fortunate, for which he can never forgive himself and which tortures his every waking hour and is the cause of the constant nightmares when he closes his eyes.
Eventually, little by little, Hanni manages to get Freddy to open up to her and his story and turmoil is laid bare. Although cathartic to a point, it is obvious from his telling, that the scars will never heal and neither will his hatred of the Nazi masters of the concentration camp, who sent his family to their deaths and almost broke him both physically and mentally. Hanni has so far kept Freddy in the dark about her past, although he is aware that there is something or someone, keeping her at an arm’s length distance from him. Hanni hopes that one day she will have the courage to reveal her own secret to Freddy, although she has it firmly fixated in her mind that she has to put an end to her father’s freedom and hold him to public account for his actions, before she will feel vindicated in revealing her true identity to Freddy, in the hope that he will be able to forgive the deception surrounding her past; although she fears that his reaction may not be one of reconciliation, but of hatred and denial.
For now however, they work together on keeping order in a disturbingly lawless society of gang culture, although their latest assignment may prove to be their downfall, if they can’t stem the flow of bodies, solve the clues and crack the case, as Freddy’s boss, Chief Inspector Brack, is unashamedly racist and out to get Freddy discredited and off the force at the earliest opportunity. The perpetrator of the crimes cannot be mentioned here, as their identity becomes obvious to readers fairly early on in the story , although Freddy and Hanni have some investigating of their own to do before they are in a position to name their suspect. That we know exactly the whys and wherefores of the criminal’s heinous acts, really pales into insignificance when compared to their state of mind and motives, which makes them eminently more dangerous and devious, than either Freddy, Hanni, or any of their departmental colleagues can possibly begin to imagine or plan for.
…
This gripping, highly textured, intense and fast paced, multi-layered storyline, is well structured in short, seamless and easy to navigate chapters, with fluently rendered, crisp narrative and dialogue. Whilst the murders themselves are obviously of paramount importance, equal focus is afforded in the storytelling, to both the emotional fragility of the characters, and the brutally claustrophobic and highly toxic theatre of operations in which they live and work. Some immersive societal and cultural research really drew me into the story and shone a spotlight on the spectres and ghosts of the past, as they continue to loom large and fearsomely frightening over everyday life, in a city which is now in the unenviable position of being divided up as the spoils of war. Racial tensions still run high between the Jewish and minority groups who survived the ‘cleansing’ and the Nazi’s who have successfully insinuated themselves, unobserved and unchallenged, into prominent positions of a post war German society. Corruption, gang warfare, poverty and homelessness are all too visible on almost every street corner and the mixed caretaker governments can’t agree on just about anything, yet more proof if it were really needed, that not only can war be a great leveller and help unite people against a common enemy, but it also has the power to divide, especially for a city set to lose its very identity.
Similarly, Catherine’s portrayal of the fragility and frailty of the human mind is carried out sensitively, sympathetically and compassionately, in her well developed cast of multi-faceted characters, who, whether they are on the side of good or bad, are authentically realistic and genuinely believable to the individual roles which have been created for them. All are understandably complex, emotionally starved and vulnerable, with little or no synergy or dynamism between them, which really divided my feelings and emotions right down the middle. Many were raw and passionate, yet still authentic, genuine and believable. Others were unreliable, volatile, manipulative and duplicitous and I’m not sure that I really connected with, invested in, or identified with, any of them totally. In various guises and to differing degrees, they are all broken and damaged people, from a society which has torn itself asunder and they now need time to rebuild their confidence and trust in the possibilities of a new life going forward. However Catherine has done an amazing job of giving all her cast a clear voice with which to begin telling their individual stories, with combat exhaustion (PTSD) featuring strongly, not only amongst the military population, but also within the wider civilian society, whose lives have been irrevocably changed by forces completely beyond their control by atrocities they have been forced to witness and the heinous acts they have been coerced into committing. For some, like our murderer, those demons are ever present, even though the persona they project to the outside world can appear totally normal and at complete odds with their inner turmoil. They are definitely a very ‘Walter Mitty’ character, making them unpredictable and prone to uncontrolled moments of dangerous and deadly rage, alongside the very controlled and planned schedule of murder which consumes their every waking moment.
When it transpires that having new ‘caretakers’ of their beloved city, makes little difference to the old prejudices and corruption in high places, and having already walked away from a personal relationship with Freddie once before, when the dust has settled on this particular case, and with both of them only making it out alive to fight another day by the skin of their teeth, will Hanni summon her reserves of emotional energy and courage to come clean with Freddy about her past, thus marking a new and honest beginning for them both? What always makes reading such a wonderful experience for me, is that with each and every book, I am taken on a unique and individual journey, by authors who can fire my imagination, stimulate my senses and stir my emotions. So far for me this journey has been totally heart-breaking in just about every sense of the word, so it would be great to discover where your experience leads you.
To connect with the author, or to share my own personal favourite memorable lines and extracts from the book, visit...
https://www.fiction-books.biz/reviews...
Okay! So this is the second book in a planned series of four and whilst I wholeheartedly agree with the author that each works extremely well as a stand alone story, reading them as a set is definitely the best way to go for me personally. The backstory from book #1 is fleshed out in more than enough detail so as not to make the reader feel ‘cheated’ in any way, however there are some subtle nuances in the narrative and dialogue, which really get under the skin of the principal characters, Freddy and Hanni, bringing them to life with all their strengths and vulnerabilities, making theirs a journey well worth following from the very beginning. It really becomes obvious in this episode, that alongside Freddy and Hanni’s personal journeys and relationships, the books are also developing into a really excellent WWII historical murder/mystery series, with a deeply disturbed serial killer in this episode, stacking up the bodies almost quicker than they can be counted.
…
As ever, not wishing to offer too many ‘spoilers’, here is a very cut-down synopsis of events, which I hope will whet the appetite. We are in Berlin during the 1948/49 period, when a defeated and broken city is being divided up and occupied by the western allies of Britain, France and the USA in the west, with the Soviet Union in the east. Life for the average Berliner is still a struggle, with fear, corruption, despair and deprivation being very much the norm. Freddy is a police inspector and Hanni works as a part time forensic photographer for his department, alongside freelancing on her private commissions and personal portfolio of pictures, which she hopes to display in her own studio when she has the funds to acquire suitable premises. The problem is that Freddy and Hanni, despite being instantly attracted to one another, both have secrets which once revealed, have the power to completely break them emotionally, tear them apart irrevocably and toss their fledgling relationship asunder.
Hanni Winter, is formerly Hannelore Foss, daughter of Nazi Reiner Foss, a dedicated ‘showman’ of The Reich, whose iron command of the concentration camp he was assigned to oversee and the relish with which he executed the task, was renowned and feared. Hanni has denounced her father, who by some trickery has managed to survive the war, reinvent himself as an upstanding German citizen and is now working for the British to help rebuild the city. She is dedicated to bringing about either his capture or death, whichever opportunity presents itself first, however Reiner, who has now adopted the name Emil, is aware of her plans and is scheming one more ‘cleansing’ act of his own. Freddy is a German Jew, who has survived the brutality of the concentration camps, although he was unable to save the rest of his family who were not quite so fortunate, for which he can never forgive himself and which tortures his every waking hour and is the cause of the constant nightmares when he closes his eyes.
Eventually, little by little, Hanni manages to get Freddy to open up to her and his story and turmoil is laid bare. Although cathartic to a point, it is obvious from his telling, that the scars will never heal and neither will his hatred of the Nazi masters of the concentration camp, who sent his family to their deaths and almost broke him both physically and mentally. Hanni has so far kept Freddy in the dark about her past, although he is aware that there is something or someone, keeping her at an arm’s length distance from him. Hanni hopes that one day she will have the courage to reveal her own secret to Freddy, although she has it firmly fixated in her mind that she has to put an end to her father’s freedom and hold him to public account for his actions, before she will feel vindicated in revealing her true identity to Freddy, in the hope that he will be able to forgive the deception surrounding her past; although she fears that his reaction may not be one of reconciliation, but of hatred and denial.
For now however, they work together on keeping order in a disturbingly lawless society of gang culture, although their latest assignment may prove to be their downfall, if they can’t stem the flow of bodies, solve the clues and crack the case, as Freddy’s boss, Chief Inspector Brack, is unashamedly racist and out to get Freddy discredited and off the force at the earliest opportunity. The perpetrator of the crimes cannot be mentioned here, as their identity becomes obvious to readers fairly early on in the story , although Freddy and Hanni have some investigating of their own to do before they are in a position to name their suspect. That we know exactly the whys and wherefores of the criminal’s heinous acts, really pales into insignificance when compared to their state of mind and motives, which makes them eminently more dangerous and devious, than either Freddy, Hanni, or any of their departmental colleagues can possibly begin to imagine or plan for.
…
This gripping, highly textured, intense and fast paced, multi-layered storyline, is well structured in short, seamless and easy to navigate chapters, with fluently rendered, crisp narrative and dialogue. Whilst the murders themselves are obviously of paramount importance, equal focus is afforded in the storytelling, to both the emotional fragility of the characters, and the brutally claustrophobic and highly toxic theatre of operations in which they live and work. Some immersive societal and cultural research really drew me into the story and shone a spotlight on the spectres and ghosts of the past, as they continue to loom large and fearsomely frightening over everyday life, in a city which is now in the unenviable position of being divided up as the spoils of war. Racial tensions still run high between the Jewish and minority groups who survived the ‘cleansing’ and the Nazi’s who have successfully insinuated themselves, unobserved and unchallenged, into prominent positions of a post war German society. Corruption, gang warfare, poverty and homelessness are all too visible on almost every street corner and the mixed caretaker governments can’t agree on just about anything, yet more proof if it were really needed, that not only can war be a great leveller and help unite people against a common enemy, but it also has the power to divide, especially for a city set to lose its very identity.
Similarly, Catherine’s portrayal of the fragility and frailty of the human mind is carried out sensitively, sympathetically and compassionately, in her well developed cast of multi-faceted characters, who, whether they are on the side of good or bad, are authentically realistic and genuinely believable to the individual roles which have been created for them. All are understandably complex, emotionally starved and vulnerable, with little or no synergy or dynamism between them, which really divided my feelings and emotions right down the middle. Many were raw and passionate, yet still authentic, genuine and believable. Others were unreliable, volatile, manipulative and duplicitous and I’m not sure that I really connected with, invested in, or identified with, any of them totally. In various guises and to differing degrees, they are all broken and damaged people, from a society which has torn itself asunder and they now need time to rebuild their confidence and trust in the possibilities of a new life going forward. However Catherine has done an amazing job of giving all her cast a clear voice with which to begin telling their individual stories, with combat exhaustion (PTSD) featuring strongly, not only amongst the military population, but also within the wider civilian society, whose lives have been irrevocably changed by forces completely beyond their control by atrocities they have been forced to witness and the heinous acts they have been coerced into committing. For some, like our murderer, those demons are ever present, even though the persona they project to the outside world can appear totally normal and at complete odds with their inner turmoil. They are definitely a very ‘Walter Mitty’ character, making them unpredictable and prone to uncontrolled moments of dangerous and deadly rage, alongside the very controlled and planned schedule of murder which consumes their every waking moment.
When it transpires that having new ‘caretakers’ of their beloved city, makes little difference to the old prejudices and corruption in high places, and having already walked away from a personal relationship with Freddie once before, when the dust has settled on this particular case, and with both of them only making it out alive to fight another day by the skin of their teeth, will Hanni summon her reserves of emotional energy and courage to come clean with Freddy about her past, thus marking a new and honest beginning for them both? What always makes reading such a wonderful experience for me, is that with each and every book, I am taken on a unique and individual journey, by authors who can fire my imagination, stimulate my senses and stir my emotions. So far for me this journey has been totally heart-breaking in just about every sense of the word, so it would be great to discover where your experience leads you.
To connect with the author, or to share my own personal favourite memorable lines and extracts from the book, visit...
https://www.fiction-books.biz/reviews...
April 4, 2022
4.5 stars, rounded up. This is the second book in the Hanni Winter series and I do recommend you read The Commandant's Daughter before this book. This story is set in 1948 in the Berlin. Berlin has been blockaded by the Soviets as they are fighting with the Americans for control of the city. Hanni is still working for the police as a crime photographer, but has also been hired by the US to take pictures to promote the work the allies are doing for the German civilians. She has been teamed up with an American pilot, Tony Miller on several goodwill visits and activities. Tony has a secret, which you will learn about shortly into the book, that puts Hanni and several Germans in danger. As the police find more and more people strangled, Hanni, Detective Inspector Freddy Schlussel and his team are against the clock trying to find the strangler. Meanwhile, Hanni's father, Reiner Foss, rears his ugly head again, working with the British Education Team. He once again warns Hanni that if she reveals his true identity, he will also reveal hers complete with lies to implicate her as well. Will the strangler be caught and captured? Will Hanni survive? Will Reiner finally be arrested and have to answer for his war crimes?
Hanni is a great character who is very realistic. She has a lot of secrets and is hiding in plain sight, but is scared for herself, those she works with and her informants (children). She hates her father so much, but she is also very afraid of him. She uses her photography to try and make amends. Freddy is a police officer, who was a survivor of Buchenwald. The rest of his family all disappeared, presumed dead. He changed his name to make is sound non-Jewish and works for the police. Unfortunately, his boss is a hidden Nazi and hates him, especially when he finds out he is Jewish. He is a man of high morals, and puts both his life and job on the line to do what is right. Freddy and Hanni work well together. They are both very observant and have great skills of reasoning, listening and deduction. They also have feelings for one another, but Hanni is fighting it due to her secrets. Although the reader knows who the strangler is and why, the story of the investigation, proving their suspect is guilty and catching him is an interesting storyline. I was invested in this story wanting to know what would happen with the strangler as well as to Hanni and Freddy.
One of the things I like about this series is what I am learning about Germany, specifically Berlin, that happened in the years following the end of WWII. It is interesting to learn about the country being divided between the allies, and how the USSR began its formation. Life was definitely not easy for the German people. It was also terrible to read about how so many Nazis escaped the trials etc. using new names or by giving up some people to save themselves. The gangs, the homeless, the starvation and politics are all part of the background in this historical fiction story. I definitely recommend The Pilot's Girl to those who enjoy Historical Fiction as well as to learn more about life in Berlin during those years following the end of the war. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.
Hanni is a great character who is very realistic. She has a lot of secrets and is hiding in plain sight, but is scared for herself, those she works with and her informants (children). She hates her father so much, but she is also very afraid of him. She uses her photography to try and make amends. Freddy is a police officer, who was a survivor of Buchenwald. The rest of his family all disappeared, presumed dead. He changed his name to make is sound non-Jewish and works for the police. Unfortunately, his boss is a hidden Nazi and hates him, especially when he finds out he is Jewish. He is a man of high morals, and puts both his life and job on the line to do what is right. Freddy and Hanni work well together. They are both very observant and have great skills of reasoning, listening and deduction. They also have feelings for one another, but Hanni is fighting it due to her secrets. Although the reader knows who the strangler is and why, the story of the investigation, proving their suspect is guilty and catching him is an interesting storyline. I was invested in this story wanting to know what would happen with the strangler as well as to Hanni and Freddy.
One of the things I like about this series is what I am learning about Germany, specifically Berlin, that happened in the years following the end of WWII. It is interesting to learn about the country being divided between the allies, and how the USSR began its formation. Life was definitely not easy for the German people. It was also terrible to read about how so many Nazis escaped the trials etc. using new names or by giving up some people to save themselves. The gangs, the homeless, the starvation and politics are all part of the background in this historical fiction story. I definitely recommend The Pilot's Girl to those who enjoy Historical Fiction as well as to learn more about life in Berlin during those years following the end of the war. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.
April 8, 2022
It is six years since World War II ended and Hanni Winter is still working hard as a photographer. In the first book of this series, The Commandant's Daughter, Hanni's focus was to try and bring her father, an SS officer, to justice. Now, with the city of Berlin in various stages of recovery after the devastating forces, Hanni is among those in line for the Allied Forces to bring needed food and supplies to the many in need.
Hanni has been given the assignment of photographing one of the American pilots. However, with more than one murder happening at the same time, Hanni changes direction. In fact, she works alongside Freddy, a detective she met and became close to in the first book on the series. Focused on solving the murders, both Hanni and Freddy are relentless.
This historical fiction is a book that crosses genres as it is also a book of mystery and intrigue. With evidence being sparse, Hanni and Freddy turn over every stone in their quest for answers.
I loved this twist on historical fiction as well as the fact that it it continued events that Hanni experienced after the war, as well as to see how others were recovering and trying to rebuild their lives.
Hanni is a remarkable heroine, a strong woman and one who did amazing things at a very difficult time in history. This sensitive story touched my heart as much as the first book did.
Please also enjoy this video book review - https://youtu.be/rrY2c5VZ710
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Hanni has been given the assignment of photographing one of the American pilots. However, with more than one murder happening at the same time, Hanni changes direction. In fact, she works alongside Freddy, a detective she met and became close to in the first book on the series. Focused on solving the murders, both Hanni and Freddy are relentless.
This historical fiction is a book that crosses genres as it is also a book of mystery and intrigue. With evidence being sparse, Hanni and Freddy turn over every stone in their quest for answers.
I loved this twist on historical fiction as well as the fact that it it continued events that Hanni experienced after the war, as well as to see how others were recovering and trying to rebuild their lives.
Hanni is a remarkable heroine, a strong woman and one who did amazing things at a very difficult time in history. This sensitive story touched my heart as much as the first book did.
Please also enjoy this video book review - https://youtu.be/rrY2c5VZ710
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
April 4, 2022
The Pilot’s Girl is book 2 in the Hanni Winter’s series. Though it can definitely be read as a stand alone, it would help to read book 1 first so that Hanni’s background at the start of the book can be better understood.
Hanni carries a secret that is too much to share with the one person she’d love to share it with the most. In fact, there are several characters in this story that carry heavy and tragic secrets, which makes the story extremely interesting and will have you page-turning and finding this book to be a hard one to put down.
Catherine Hokin definitely has a wonderful historical fiction story that will keep you guessing as to how things will end. A truly enjoyable and unputdownable story.
Thank you to #netgalley and #bookouture for allowing me to read the eARC of this story. All opinions expressed above are my own.
Hanni carries a secret that is too much to share with the one person she’d love to share it with the most. In fact, there are several characters in this story that carry heavy and tragic secrets, which makes the story extremely interesting and will have you page-turning and finding this book to be a hard one to put down.
Catherine Hokin definitely has a wonderful historical fiction story that will keep you guessing as to how things will end. A truly enjoyable and unputdownable story.
Thank you to #netgalley and #bookouture for allowing me to read the eARC of this story. All opinions expressed above are my own.
March 12, 2022
Unlikely Murderer
In a city recovering from WWII, occupied by the American's and blockaded by the Soviets, the people of Berlin rely on the Allied Forces planes to bring food and supplies to Berlin. The American's, especially the pilots flying in the supplies are their heroes.
Hanni is a photographer working free lance and also with the police department as a police photographer. When a string of murders happen Freddy and Hanni must work together to solve the case. With a city of secrets and both holding secret pasts of their own it is a daunting task. What they find will surprise both of them, but will they live to tell.
This is a story of people touched to their souls by the war. People lost and pasts they wish to forget, but cannot. It seems that everyone in this city has been touch by the war in one way or another. It is very sad how far the destruction reigns in body, mind and souls.
It is another great detective story featuring Hanni Winter and I did enjoy reading it. I would recommend this book.
Thanks to Catherine Hokin for writing another great book, Bookouture for publishing it and NetGalley for making it available to me.
In a city recovering from WWII, occupied by the American's and blockaded by the Soviets, the people of Berlin rely on the Allied Forces planes to bring food and supplies to Berlin. The American's, especially the pilots flying in the supplies are their heroes.
Hanni is a photographer working free lance and also with the police department as a police photographer. When a string of murders happen Freddy and Hanni must work together to solve the case. With a city of secrets and both holding secret pasts of their own it is a daunting task. What they find will surprise both of them, but will they live to tell.
This is a story of people touched to their souls by the war. People lost and pasts they wish to forget, but cannot. It seems that everyone in this city has been touch by the war in one way or another. It is very sad how far the destruction reigns in body, mind and souls.
It is another great detective story featuring Hanni Winter and I did enjoy reading it. I would recommend this book.
Thanks to Catherine Hokin for writing another great book, Bookouture for publishing it and NetGalley for making it available to me.
April 18, 2022
Good Historical Fiction
This sequel was well written. It is about occupied Berlin after the war is over. A series of murders are committed by a serial killer. Freddie and Hanni are working to find the killer. This is a tense and frustrating search.
This sequel was well written. It is about occupied Berlin after the war is over. A series of murders are committed by a serial killer. Freddie and Hanni are working to find the killer. This is a tense and frustrating search.
April 29, 2023
Two days ago I thought this second book in Catherine Hokin’s Trilogy was definitely not my proverbial “cup of tea”. I literally forced myself to speed read through the murderer’s thoughts and actions. Full disclosure - I don’t like horror novels and, I sure as h*ll don’t like living a full third of the time in a Serial Killer’s mind. I am actually more invested in the relationship between the female and male lead characters.
The couple are in a line of work that, I’m sure, is going to continue on into the 3rd book. So, another day - another killer. This isn’t a murder mystery type of historical fiction work. You know early on who the unlikely killer is.
I’m not sure 🤔 if any of this review actually contains true “spoilers”. However, just in case, I’ll mark it as such.
P.S. I wrote an update 2 days ago when I was 80% finished
The couple are in a line of work that, I’m sure, is going to continue on into the 3rd book. So, another day - another killer. This isn’t a murder mystery type of historical fiction work. You know early on who the unlikely killer is.
I’m not sure 🤔 if any of this review actually contains true “spoilers”. However, just in case, I’ll mark it as such.
P.S. I wrote an update 2 days ago when I was 80% finished
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2022
THE PILOT’S WIFE by Catherine Hokin is the second book in the Hanni Winter series. It can be read as a stand-alone, but if you can fit it into your reading time, I recommend the full experience of starting with book one.
It’s 1948 in a divided Berlin. We are introduced to the alluring (and fictitious) American pilot, Tony Miller. He is one of the many helping Berlin residents by flying in to the Western zones the much needed food and supplies that the city residents have been cut off from. Miller is definitely there to help but he also has his own personal reasons for wanting to be in Berlin.
Hanni Winter is a photographer with the police department. She also freelances, and it’s at a public relations event that she meets the charismatic Miller, and like many others is drawn into his captivating sphere. But a spate of seemingly unrelated murders finds Hanni again working closely with Detective Inspector Freddy Schlüssel. The same Freddy that Hanni has feelings for but knows she cannot be with because of past secrets.
Hokin deftly weaves into her story real historical events (the Berlin Blockade and the Berlin Airlift), a compelling mystery and an, albeit, unrequited (for now) romance. This is a book filled with secrets and a story about the lengths people will make to keep those secrets hidden. I enjoy these looks into post-WWII life in Germany that Hokin is giving us. I especially like that while every character is a singular being, their souls are not; they carry the weight of their family and ancestors, be they perpetrators or victims. Such burdens can inspire great things in people, but they can also bring out the opposite. There is definitely no shortage of people willing to take advantage, especially when even the ‘good guys’ make choices in their own interests and not in the interest of victims.
The story is well paced and kept my interest from start to finish. Many loose ends are tied up but there are a few major ones that clearly form a larger story arc for the series. I am unsure how many books the author plans for this series, but there has got to be at least one more. Please tell me there’s at least one more! And make sure to read the Acknowledgements. Hokin has listed several of the sources used in this book if you would like to read further about the historical events mentioned in The Pilot’s Wife.
Review copy courtesy of Bookouture and Netgalley
It’s 1948 in a divided Berlin. We are introduced to the alluring (and fictitious) American pilot, Tony Miller. He is one of the many helping Berlin residents by flying in to the Western zones the much needed food and supplies that the city residents have been cut off from. Miller is definitely there to help but he also has his own personal reasons for wanting to be in Berlin.
Hanni Winter is a photographer with the police department. She also freelances, and it’s at a public relations event that she meets the charismatic Miller, and like many others is drawn into his captivating sphere. But a spate of seemingly unrelated murders finds Hanni again working closely with Detective Inspector Freddy Schlüssel. The same Freddy that Hanni has feelings for but knows she cannot be with because of past secrets.
Hokin deftly weaves into her story real historical events (the Berlin Blockade and the Berlin Airlift), a compelling mystery and an, albeit, unrequited (for now) romance. This is a book filled with secrets and a story about the lengths people will make to keep those secrets hidden. I enjoy these looks into post-WWII life in Germany that Hokin is giving us. I especially like that while every character is a singular being, their souls are not; they carry the weight of their family and ancestors, be they perpetrators or victims. Such burdens can inspire great things in people, but they can also bring out the opposite. There is definitely no shortage of people willing to take advantage, especially when even the ‘good guys’ make choices in their own interests and not in the interest of victims.
The story is well paced and kept my interest from start to finish. Many loose ends are tied up but there are a few major ones that clearly form a larger story arc for the series. I am unsure how many books the author plans for this series, but there has got to be at least one more. Please tell me there’s at least one more! And make sure to read the Acknowledgements. Hokin has listed several of the sources used in this book if you would like to read further about the historical events mentioned in The Pilot’s Wife.
Review copy courtesy of Bookouture and Netgalley
April 7, 2022
Hanni Winter is assigned to photograph Tony Miller an American pilot. He is one of the good guys, risking his life to smuggle in food and necessities to the starving people in Berlin. There are so many in need and so little help. But when Hanni sees a man Reiner Foss from her past, horrific memories immediately come flooding back. Reiner was a commander in a concentration camp. When Hanni previously tried to expose Renier, she almost died. She’s a different person now, one of courage, strength and resilience. After surviving the horrible things the Nazi’s did, she knows that now is the time to concur. Now is the time avenge the lives of the prisoners and their families that suffered under the hands of the Nazi’s. But with her attraction to Tony, the American Pilot, she wonders if it really is the right time to expose Reiner Foss, once and for all. This story was so heartbreaking, and brilliantly written. The strength and determination of Hanni is admirable. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this story. It was so well written and the author makes you feel as if you are walking through the streets of Berlin, holding Hanni’s camera bag as she takes photographs. The sights and sounds of Berlin seem to be at your fingertips as you rapidly flip the pages. This, read in one sitting, is a must, but make sure you keep the tissues nearby because you are sure to need them.
Thank you Catherine Hokin for such a wonderful addition to the Hanni Winter series. This story was captivating and so moving. I was totally absorbed. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you Catherine Hokin for such a wonderful addition to the Hanni Winter series. This story was captivating and so moving. I was totally absorbed. I highly recommend this book.
March 12, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.
This is the second book in the Hanni Winter series and after reading the previous book I had high hopes. Did this book live up to my expectations - yes - and I think this series is shaping up to being a very good one. Freddy and Hanni investigate a number of murders with very little evidence being left behind and struggle to find clues to who the murderer is. The main characters are very likeable, believable and flawed with good background histories. It’s a lovely change to read a book set just after the end of World War 2 with a crime element in it. I thought this was a very engaging and absorbing read that grabbed my attention right from the start and held it all the way through. I was drawn quickly into the story which flowed well and I loved the separate threads which came together beautifully at the end with most loose ends tied up nicely. It was nice to see glimpses of Freddy's past and how it shapes him. I like the continuing thread from the first book and can’t wait for a certain character who I loathe to get their come uppance. Overall an entertaining read that I really enjoyed and had everything I liked - great writing, believable characters and a good plot line. I’d recommend this is you like historical fiction that is just a bit different and I look forward to the next book in this series.
This is the second book in the Hanni Winter series and after reading the previous book I had high hopes. Did this book live up to my expectations - yes - and I think this series is shaping up to being a very good one. Freddy and Hanni investigate a number of murders with very little evidence being left behind and struggle to find clues to who the murderer is. The main characters are very likeable, believable and flawed with good background histories. It’s a lovely change to read a book set just after the end of World War 2 with a crime element in it. I thought this was a very engaging and absorbing read that grabbed my attention right from the start and held it all the way through. I was drawn quickly into the story which flowed well and I loved the separate threads which came together beautifully at the end with most loose ends tied up nicely. It was nice to see glimpses of Freddy's past and how it shapes him. I like the continuing thread from the first book and can’t wait for a certain character who I loathe to get their come uppance. Overall an entertaining read that I really enjoyed and had everything I liked - great writing, believable characters and a good plot line. I’d recommend this is you like historical fiction that is just a bit different and I look forward to the next book in this series.
March 1, 2022
Hanni is now a photographer in Berlin after the war. She is trying to put the past horrors behind her and save for her own photographic studio. Through work she meets Tony who is a PR for the American airforce but has his own demons. Her friend Freddy who is now a DI and she works with, has his own horrors as he is jewish and barely escaped with his life. Hanni is the photographer at crime scenes and the latest one is a young boy apparently strangled with no apparent motive. There are then more murders but the police headed by Freddy are struggling to find a connection between the victims or anything that might lead to the perpetrator. It's as if he is a friendly face who can open doors but who is doing this and why? Will Hanni fall for Tony or make amends with Freddy?
This is a different read from the first one in the series as this one is more of a crime read amongst the fall out of war and the division of Berlin at the time. It would stand alone however Hanni and Freddys backgrounds would make more sense if the first one has already been read.
. A little romance, a mystery, several murders and much more. A different read, an interesting one which gives a perspective of post war Germany.
This is a different read from the first one in the series as this one is more of a crime read amongst the fall out of war and the division of Berlin at the time. It would stand alone however Hanni and Freddys backgrounds would make more sense if the first one has already been read.
. A little romance, a mystery, several murders and much more. A different read, an interesting one which gives a perspective of post war Germany.
March 26, 2022
Another great installment from the Hanni Winter series!
This book picks up not far from where we left off in book 1. Set in Post WW2 we follow Hanni, a photographer working with the police, as she wrestles with her inner demons to focus on catching another serial killer, whilst dealing with her complicated relationship with her partner, Freddie.
This book just has a bit of everything and will touch your heart, whilst it is a heartbreaking read, to think about not only what people went through in WW2 but those that were left to try and put the world back together, it is an important read.
I do feel there were some unresolved issues left so I am hoping there is a book 3!
This book picks up not far from where we left off in book 1. Set in Post WW2 we follow Hanni, a photographer working with the police, as she wrestles with her inner demons to focus on catching another serial killer, whilst dealing with her complicated relationship with her partner, Freddie.
This book just has a bit of everything and will touch your heart, whilst it is a heartbreaking read, to think about not only what people went through in WW2 but those that were left to try and put the world back together, it is an important read.
I do feel there were some unresolved issues left so I am hoping there is a book 3!
April 11, 2022
Loved it. Couldn't put it down. Could easily be a stand alone book but would highly recommend reading the first. So sad to loose not one but two beautiful characters. Can't wait for the next Hanni chapter
April 9, 2022
I have loved Catherine Hokin’s earlier books but with this recent Hanni Winter series I feel she has really come into her own and I can’t get enough of it. The gap between publication of the first two books in the series hasn’t been long but I’d love to be able to read one after the other as they really are unputdownable, gripping and fantastic reads. The Pilot’s Girl picks up soon after where The Commandant’s Daughter left off and once again we are straight into the action with no messing around with unnecessary detail or scene fillers. Instead we get straight down to business, the scene is set and there after the plot moves forward at a great pace. Any information needed for new readers is supplied fairly on in a recap paragraph or two and in no way have you missed out if you are coming to this book as a stand alone story. In fact, it will just make you want to go back and meet Hanni and Freddy for the first time to discover where it all began.
What I really love about this series is that from the outset we know who the culprit is behind a series of gruesome murders throughout Berlin in 1948. You’d think that would ruin the entire plot of the book but far from it because the writing from Catherine is just brilliant and she weaves such an interesting and twisted tale that you are so eager to know will the culprit be caught? Will Hanni and Freddy have the wherewithal to figure out how to pin them down considering how clever the killer is and how the complex the case is that unfolds? It’s edge of your seat stuff that has you rapidly racing through the chapters and again, as with the previous book, I was initially in two minds as to whether I thought the killer was justified in his motives. Such plausible and realistic motives are presented to the reader and you almost understand and agree with what they are doing and why but then you step back and look at the bigger picture and it’s as if you come to your senses and wake up and think , no there can be no justification for the unlawful killing of anyone no matter the perceived slight and injustice you have.
Tony Miller is welcomed to Berlin as part of the American side bringing supplies to the city which has been blockaded by the Russians. He is admired and appreciated everywhere he goes as the people are enduring such hardships with supplies of everything practically non-existent and it’s like the conditions experienced during the war years have returned. But the Americans are doing their best to ensure supplies reach those who need it and it’s when Hanni, as part of her job as a photographer, meets Tony that he really catches her attention. She follows him around as he visits areas and is welcomed by many. Dare she think that she feels a spark of attraction to him even thought the reader has long known that it's Freddy, a Jewish detective, who has held a firm place in her heart. You hope Hanni doesn’t venture down a path with Tony because truly she is destined to be with Freddy but with such suave and charm Tony might just pull the wool over her eyes.
Freddy and Hanni are both very complex characters with a history between them but both have family history that affects how they exist on a day to day basis. Hanni has been keeping her true heritage and background a secret from Freddy. She couldn’t let herself truly love him even though she deeply does and the tug and pull between them is at times excruciating because you just want them together. She has kept her silence for too long and Freddy would certainly view it as a betrayal if the truth came to light. The hold her father Reiner still has over her is very strong even though she has become very independent. But Reiner was an evil man during the war and this cruelty still exists within him. He wields a very tight hand over her and she dares not step out of line and expose him for what he really is as she fears the repercussions if she does so. Hanni is fierce, clever and ambitious as is shown by both her photography and detective skills. She can see clues to the murders when Freddy draws a blank and she has become a valuable asset to police investigations when needed. You just want her to use these skills to outwit Reiner and allow her to find true happiness but as things stand the mountain she has to climb seems almost insurmountable even more so following the events in this book.
I loved how we got to learn a lot more about Freddy, how terrible the war was for him, what happened to his family and how the guilt he feels seems to grow rather than diminish. As Hanni too learns more about him she feels that she doesn’t have much choice in that she must keep her own secrets close to her chest. For too reveal them now would prove too detrimental to the friendship she has built with Freddy. Staying silent gnaws at her soul and I really don’t know how she does it and I question whether she is doing too much long term damage rather than getting everything out in the open and facing the repercussions? I feel now is the time for Hanni to be brave and make a strong move and I hope that will come in the next book. Freddi has revealed himself to a certain extent and has shown what harrowing circumstances he has been through and how his guilt still eats at him. The two share a common thread but at the moment it seems they come together briefly and then move apart again. That cliff-hanger ending left me desperate for more as I sense we are edging ever closer to everything coming to an epic climax.
The Hanni/Freddy plot is very strong throughout The Pilot’s Girl but so also is the crime/thriller aspect regarding the seemingly unconnected murders of people both old and young and male and female. The killer has one thing on his mind - vengeance and achieves this through strangling his victims. As the body count grows and one murder in particular hits very close to home, can Hanni and Freddy work together to solve the case or is this one that will be destined to slip through their fingers? Alongside the plot regarding the murders Catherine Hokin has done a fantastic job of showing how Berlin dealt with the aftermath of the war and the subsequent blockades by the Russians. Lives continued to be lost and broken and amongst the destroyed city and displaced people, political leaders pursued aggression rather than peace and we often forget all this as so many historical fiction books are based on the war itself. I hope Catherine is hard at work on book number three as I can’t get these characters out of my mind and my impatience is growing to discover what happens next which is always the sign of a very good book.
What I really love about this series is that from the outset we know who the culprit is behind a series of gruesome murders throughout Berlin in 1948. You’d think that would ruin the entire plot of the book but far from it because the writing from Catherine is just brilliant and she weaves such an interesting and twisted tale that you are so eager to know will the culprit be caught? Will Hanni and Freddy have the wherewithal to figure out how to pin them down considering how clever the killer is and how the complex the case is that unfolds? It’s edge of your seat stuff that has you rapidly racing through the chapters and again, as with the previous book, I was initially in two minds as to whether I thought the killer was justified in his motives. Such plausible and realistic motives are presented to the reader and you almost understand and agree with what they are doing and why but then you step back and look at the bigger picture and it’s as if you come to your senses and wake up and think , no there can be no justification for the unlawful killing of anyone no matter the perceived slight and injustice you have.
Tony Miller is welcomed to Berlin as part of the American side bringing supplies to the city which has been blockaded by the Russians. He is admired and appreciated everywhere he goes as the people are enduring such hardships with supplies of everything practically non-existent and it’s like the conditions experienced during the war years have returned. But the Americans are doing their best to ensure supplies reach those who need it and it’s when Hanni, as part of her job as a photographer, meets Tony that he really catches her attention. She follows him around as he visits areas and is welcomed by many. Dare she think that she feels a spark of attraction to him even thought the reader has long known that it's Freddy, a Jewish detective, who has held a firm place in her heart. You hope Hanni doesn’t venture down a path with Tony because truly she is destined to be with Freddy but with such suave and charm Tony might just pull the wool over her eyes.
Freddy and Hanni are both very complex characters with a history between them but both have family history that affects how they exist on a day to day basis. Hanni has been keeping her true heritage and background a secret from Freddy. She couldn’t let herself truly love him even though she deeply does and the tug and pull between them is at times excruciating because you just want them together. She has kept her silence for too long and Freddy would certainly view it as a betrayal if the truth came to light. The hold her father Reiner still has over her is very strong even though she has become very independent. But Reiner was an evil man during the war and this cruelty still exists within him. He wields a very tight hand over her and she dares not step out of line and expose him for what he really is as she fears the repercussions if she does so. Hanni is fierce, clever and ambitious as is shown by both her photography and detective skills. She can see clues to the murders when Freddy draws a blank and she has become a valuable asset to police investigations when needed. You just want her to use these skills to outwit Reiner and allow her to find true happiness but as things stand the mountain she has to climb seems almost insurmountable even more so following the events in this book.
I loved how we got to learn a lot more about Freddy, how terrible the war was for him, what happened to his family and how the guilt he feels seems to grow rather than diminish. As Hanni too learns more about him she feels that she doesn’t have much choice in that she must keep her own secrets close to her chest. For too reveal them now would prove too detrimental to the friendship she has built with Freddy. Staying silent gnaws at her soul and I really don’t know how she does it and I question whether she is doing too much long term damage rather than getting everything out in the open and facing the repercussions? I feel now is the time for Hanni to be brave and make a strong move and I hope that will come in the next book. Freddi has revealed himself to a certain extent and has shown what harrowing circumstances he has been through and how his guilt still eats at him. The two share a common thread but at the moment it seems they come together briefly and then move apart again. That cliff-hanger ending left me desperate for more as I sense we are edging ever closer to everything coming to an epic climax.
The Hanni/Freddy plot is very strong throughout The Pilot’s Girl but so also is the crime/thriller aspect regarding the seemingly unconnected murders of people both old and young and male and female. The killer has one thing on his mind - vengeance and achieves this through strangling his victims. As the body count grows and one murder in particular hits very close to home, can Hanni and Freddy work together to solve the case or is this one that will be destined to slip through their fingers? Alongside the plot regarding the murders Catherine Hokin has done a fantastic job of showing how Berlin dealt with the aftermath of the war and the subsequent blockades by the Russians. Lives continued to be lost and broken and amongst the destroyed city and displaced people, political leaders pursued aggression rather than peace and we often forget all this as so many historical fiction books are based on the war itself. I hope Catherine is hard at work on book number three as I can’t get these characters out of my mind and my impatience is growing to discover what happens next which is always the sign of a very good book.
March 29, 2022
Enjoyed it and would give the book 2.5 stars, almost three. I liked this one so much more than the first book in the series. I usually love historical fiction books about WWII, but this series has been a bit of a struggle. I think it's the characters. I don't love Freddy or Hanni. Hanni has the proof about the atrocities her father was involved in, but refuses to put it out to the world. The longer she waits, the more people will think she agreed with him. I'm pretty sure when Hanni finally tells Freddy the truth, there will be problems and he will not trust her, but eventually they will get back together. I had a hard time getting into the story. The storyline seemed similar to the last one, especially with the killer.
Recommend giving the book a try. I loved the author's previous book, but this series hasn't been my favorite. I will read the next one in the series, because I need to know how everything ends. I foresee the next book will be about Hanni and Freddy as they try to take down the evil Reiner Foss and bring him to justice. Look forward to reading more books by the author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Recommend giving the book a try. I loved the author's previous book, but this series hasn't been my favorite. I will read the next one in the series, because I need to know how everything ends. I foresee the next book will be about Hanni and Freddy as they try to take down the evil Reiner Foss and bring him to justice. Look forward to reading more books by the author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
April 4, 2022
This is the second book in the Hanni Winter series and was just as enjoyable as the first one. Hanni and Freddy are still working together in post war Berlin however with Russia now forming a blockade around the city things are more uncertain than ever before. When the body of a young boy is found strangled with no signs of who committed the crime or even why it may have been just a wrong place wrong time crime. When more people are killed in a similar fashion but in their own homes, they soon realise they are dealing with a serial killer that apparently kills at random but is known to the victims. What they can’t work out is the connection between them all.
Things are still tense between Hanni and Freddy as they fight both their past demons and their attraction to each other. Hanni is still afraid to admit to her past and is worried that her father will bring her new life crashing down around her. She is also trying to find a way to bring him to justice and thinks she may have finally found a way to make him pay and get him out of her life once and for all. Freddy is confronting his past head on as he contacts someone he was close to in the concentration camp. Whilst they have gone different ways their shared experiences will always make them feel like family.
This book is slightly different from the previous one in as much we know right from the start who is committing the crimes and even their reasoning behind it. Tony is charming on the surface, having fully adopted the persona he created when he was shipped out to America at the start of the war, but he has a dark soul bent on revenge for his family. Knowing who is committing the crimes in no way detracts from the book as it is intriguing to watch the killer move around Berlin, getting close to Hanni and even using her profession to further his goals. Due to the media attention surrounding him thanks to the American charm offensive he is as Freddy puts it “a stranger who you think you know” making it easy for him to get close to those he kills.
Once again Hanni and Freddy put their lives in danger as they try to prove their theories and also ensure that Tony pays for his crimes and things are not swept under the carpet. Unfortunately, their determination and unwillingness to keep Freddy’s boss in the loop means that people close to them pay for it with their lives.
I am looking forward to seeing if there is more for Hanni as she still has not really dealt with the spectre that is her father and I would love to know if she and Freddy can build on their relationship and overcome the past once and for all
Things are still tense between Hanni and Freddy as they fight both their past demons and their attraction to each other. Hanni is still afraid to admit to her past and is worried that her father will bring her new life crashing down around her. She is also trying to find a way to bring him to justice and thinks she may have finally found a way to make him pay and get him out of her life once and for all. Freddy is confronting his past head on as he contacts someone he was close to in the concentration camp. Whilst they have gone different ways their shared experiences will always make them feel like family.
This book is slightly different from the previous one in as much we know right from the start who is committing the crimes and even their reasoning behind it. Tony is charming on the surface, having fully adopted the persona he created when he was shipped out to America at the start of the war, but he has a dark soul bent on revenge for his family. Knowing who is committing the crimes in no way detracts from the book as it is intriguing to watch the killer move around Berlin, getting close to Hanni and even using her profession to further his goals. Due to the media attention surrounding him thanks to the American charm offensive he is as Freddy puts it “a stranger who you think you know” making it easy for him to get close to those he kills.
Once again Hanni and Freddy put their lives in danger as they try to prove their theories and also ensure that Tony pays for his crimes and things are not swept under the carpet. Unfortunately, their determination and unwillingness to keep Freddy’s boss in the loop means that people close to them pay for it with their lives.
I am looking forward to seeing if there is more for Hanni as she still has not really dealt with the spectre that is her father and I would love to know if she and Freddy can build on their relationship and overcome the past once and for all
June 3, 2022
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Catherine Hokin’s heart-wrenching and dramatic new novel, The Pilot’s Girl, continues to cement her standing as one of the most talented writers of historical fiction writing today.
Hanni Winter had thought that she had fled her horrible past for good and had managed to build a life for herself where she is no longer haunted by old ghosts and terrifying demons. As she finds herself rushing through the streets of Berlin to photograph charismatic American pilot Tony Miller, who is risking life and limb to bring food and provisions to the starving populace, she sees somebody behind him who stops her in her tracks and who propels her back in time to that terrified little girl with a bleak future: Reiner Foss.
All of Hanni’s harrowing memories of the atrocities Reiner Foss had carried out in the concentration camp he commanded come rushing back with a vengeance. The last time Hanni had tried to expose him, she had almost lost everything. Yet, despite of the hope shining in Tony’s eyes that they can unshackle themselves from the past, Hanni’s conscience will not let her seize her fresh start when she knows that Reiner Foss had caused so much suffering and anguish. Dare she try to expose him again?
Hanni wants to see Reiner Foss pay for all that he’s done, but she needs to tread carefully because she has even more to lose this time around. Will her love for Tony end up compromising her mission? Will she manage to protect the people she loves from her past? Or is Hanni about to pay the dearest price of all?
Catherine Hokin’s The Pilot’s Girl is a wholly absorbing and mesmerizing tale about courage, determination, loyalty and love that will bring a tear to the eye of even the most cynical of readers. As always, Catherine Hokin captures the time period she is writing about so vividly and brilliantly that readers can feel the devastation, terror and resilience of the people living through this most turbulent era in our history.
Hanni is a heroine readers cannot help but admire. She is valiant, brave, selfless and awe-inspiring. Her courage in the face of great adversity and her vow to avenge those who had suffered at the hands of the Nazis will ensure that she will live on in the reader’s mind long after they’ve finished the book.
Poignant, evocative and enthralling, Catherine Hokin’s The Pilot’s Girl is historical fiction of the highest order.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Catherine Hokin’s heart-wrenching and dramatic new novel, The Pilot’s Girl, continues to cement her standing as one of the most talented writers of historical fiction writing today.
Hanni Winter had thought that she had fled her horrible past for good and had managed to build a life for herself where she is no longer haunted by old ghosts and terrifying demons. As she finds herself rushing through the streets of Berlin to photograph charismatic American pilot Tony Miller, who is risking life and limb to bring food and provisions to the starving populace, she sees somebody behind him who stops her in her tracks and who propels her back in time to that terrified little girl with a bleak future: Reiner Foss.
All of Hanni’s harrowing memories of the atrocities Reiner Foss had carried out in the concentration camp he commanded come rushing back with a vengeance. The last time Hanni had tried to expose him, she had almost lost everything. Yet, despite of the hope shining in Tony’s eyes that they can unshackle themselves from the past, Hanni’s conscience will not let her seize her fresh start when she knows that Reiner Foss had caused so much suffering and anguish. Dare she try to expose him again?
Hanni wants to see Reiner Foss pay for all that he’s done, but she needs to tread carefully because she has even more to lose this time around. Will her love for Tony end up compromising her mission? Will she manage to protect the people she loves from her past? Or is Hanni about to pay the dearest price of all?
Catherine Hokin’s The Pilot’s Girl is a wholly absorbing and mesmerizing tale about courage, determination, loyalty and love that will bring a tear to the eye of even the most cynical of readers. As always, Catherine Hokin captures the time period she is writing about so vividly and brilliantly that readers can feel the devastation, terror and resilience of the people living through this most turbulent era in our history.
Hanni is a heroine readers cannot help but admire. She is valiant, brave, selfless and awe-inspiring. Her courage in the face of great adversity and her vow to avenge those who had suffered at the hands of the Nazis will ensure that she will live on in the reader’s mind long after they’ve finished the book.
Poignant, evocative and enthralling, Catherine Hokin’s The Pilot’s Girl is historical fiction of the highest order.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 2, 2022
Hanni and Freddy find themselves facing another serial killer on the streets of Germany in the mid 1940s. A seemingly random selection of people are killed: what could connect them in the mind of the killer? And can Hanni and Freddy escape the shadows of their pasts?
The Pilot's Girl is the sequel to The Commandant's Daughter. It is set a few months after the events of the first book but there are no spoilers.
Hanni is the daughter of a high ranking SS officer who has evaded capture and has reinvented himself. She is keeping this a secret from Freddy who is Jewish and whose family was wiped out by the Nazis. This adds a strain and distance to their relationship which they need to overcome in order to work together and catch the killer. However, they cannot deny their romantic feelings for each other.
I really liked the descriptions of life in the immediate aftermath of the war as the Germans struggled to adjust to the changes. Holocaust details are interspersed across the book to show the motive fot he killer and the expereince of the main characters. The author has done considerable research to get the historical tone and context realistic which then makes the characters seem more real.
We know the identity of the killer quite early on and his motives are understandable, creating a moral dilemma similar to the first book. It becomes a cat and mouse game as Hanni and Freddy try to work out the killer's identity and then struggle to find evidence against him. There is plenty of drama and danger for the detective duo as they deal with the combination of the killer, police politics, the aftermath of the war and their family circumstances.
The Pilot's Girl is an enjoyable mix of historical drama and murder mystery.
The Pilot's Girl is the sequel to The Commandant's Daughter. It is set a few months after the events of the first book but there are no spoilers.
Hanni is the daughter of a high ranking SS officer who has evaded capture and has reinvented himself. She is keeping this a secret from Freddy who is Jewish and whose family was wiped out by the Nazis. This adds a strain and distance to their relationship which they need to overcome in order to work together and catch the killer. However, they cannot deny their romantic feelings for each other.
I really liked the descriptions of life in the immediate aftermath of the war as the Germans struggled to adjust to the changes. Holocaust details are interspersed across the book to show the motive fot he killer and the expereince of the main characters. The author has done considerable research to get the historical tone and context realistic which then makes the characters seem more real.
We know the identity of the killer quite early on and his motives are understandable, creating a moral dilemma similar to the first book. It becomes a cat and mouse game as Hanni and Freddy try to work out the killer's identity and then struggle to find evidence against him. There is plenty of drama and danger for the detective duo as they deal with the combination of the killer, police politics, the aftermath of the war and their family circumstances.
The Pilot's Girl is an enjoyable mix of historical drama and murder mystery.
April 13, 2022
I loved the first book in this series, The Commandant's Daughter so I was really excited to read The Pilot's Girl when I got the chance. I'm pleased to report that my anticipation was not misplaced and I really enjoyed this second book too.
We join Hanni and Freddy a year or so after the events of the first book. Hanni is still working for the police as a photographer when she is able and she is still looking over her shoulder with fear that her father may at any moment move against her and bring her world crashing down. Freddy is of course, still coming to terms with all that he lost during the war and how he lives on with his family all gone. The two of them are still very much in love, but unable to act on that or take things further. Thrown into this is another murder, this one praying on seemingly unconnected people, strangling them and leaving them as though laid out peacefully. Together Hanni and Freddy must try and work out who is behind all of this death and put an end to it.
I love historical murder mysteries, particularly if, like this one there is a romantic element, especially one that just simmers beneath the surface. The story here is gripping and post-war Berlin is not something I've given a great deal of thought to. Following the lives of the people who inhabit it though, in the pages of this book, you can't help but be drawn into their world.
I loved this book and found both the murder mystery and the elements of the story that had more to do with our characters' ongoing struggles and hopes gripping. A fantastic read.
We join Hanni and Freddy a year or so after the events of the first book. Hanni is still working for the police as a photographer when she is able and she is still looking over her shoulder with fear that her father may at any moment move against her and bring her world crashing down. Freddy is of course, still coming to terms with all that he lost during the war and how he lives on with his family all gone. The two of them are still very much in love, but unable to act on that or take things further. Thrown into this is another murder, this one praying on seemingly unconnected people, strangling them and leaving them as though laid out peacefully. Together Hanni and Freddy must try and work out who is behind all of this death and put an end to it.
I love historical murder mysteries, particularly if, like this one there is a romantic element, especially one that just simmers beneath the surface. The story here is gripping and post-war Berlin is not something I've given a great deal of thought to. Following the lives of the people who inhabit it though, in the pages of this book, you can't help but be drawn into their world.
I loved this book and found both the murder mystery and the elements of the story that had more to do with our characters' ongoing struggles and hopes gripping. A fantastic read.
April 18, 2022
The Pilot's Girl byCatherine Hokin is the second book in the brilliant Hanni Winter series and I really enjoyed reading it especially as I have not read the first book. Plus, Catherine is a new author to me and I like the way she writes. She writes with passion and from the heart.
The Pilot's girl is set after world war 2, in 1948 in the Berlin. Hanni Winter is still working hard as a photographer. and also with the police department as a police photographer. When a string of murders happen Hanni has to work closely with Freddy to solve this case. They both have secrets from their past But Hanni has a big secret that is too much to share with the one person and she’d would love to share it with him. But, the pain is too much to bare. Plus, she needs to protect everyone around her.
Can Hanni keep this secret to herself before it destroys her.
Will he judge her if she tell's him her secret?
This book just pulled me in and I was hooked from the beginning till the end.
I do recommend you read The Commandant's Daughter before this book as I got lost in places but can be read as a standalone. This book is now on my to read list.
Big thank you to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion
The Pilot's girl is set after world war 2, in 1948 in the Berlin. Hanni Winter is still working hard as a photographer. and also with the police department as a police photographer. When a string of murders happen Hanni has to work closely with Freddy to solve this case. They both have secrets from their past But Hanni has a big secret that is too much to share with the one person and she’d would love to share it with him. But, the pain is too much to bare. Plus, she needs to protect everyone around her.
Can Hanni keep this secret to herself before it destroys her.
Will he judge her if she tell's him her secret?
This book just pulled me in and I was hooked from the beginning till the end.
I do recommend you read The Commandant's Daughter before this book as I got lost in places but can be read as a standalone. This book is now on my to read list.
Big thank you to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion
February 27, 2022
THE PILOT"S GIRL (HANNI WINTER BOOK 2):
Synopsis:
Hanni Winter shivers in her thin coat as she hurries through the empty Berlin streets to her job. Despite the freezing winter and poverty all around, her cheeks flush when she meets the man she is photographing today, charismatic Tony Miller, the American pilot risking his life to bring food and provisions to the starving people of the city. But her rush of joy turns to ash as she sees the man behind him…
It’s been years since Hanni fled her terrible past, but seeing Reiner Foss now brings back harrowing memories of the man they called The Showman, and of the concentration camp he commanded. The last time she tried to expose him, Hanni almost died, can she dare to try again? Or should she seize the chance she sees in Tony’s sparkling eyes to leave the horrors of the war behind?
Review:
WOW! What a read!
You will be sucked into this great read from the first page. Suspense, romance, and history collide in this novel as Hanni returns to her past. Set during World War 2, this novel focuses on the history and the lives of those affected by the war. This is both heartbreaking and beautifully written.
Synopsis:
Hanni Winter shivers in her thin coat as she hurries through the empty Berlin streets to her job. Despite the freezing winter and poverty all around, her cheeks flush when she meets the man she is photographing today, charismatic Tony Miller, the American pilot risking his life to bring food and provisions to the starving people of the city. But her rush of joy turns to ash as she sees the man behind him…
It’s been years since Hanni fled her terrible past, but seeing Reiner Foss now brings back harrowing memories of the man they called The Showman, and of the concentration camp he commanded. The last time she tried to expose him, Hanni almost died, can she dare to try again? Or should she seize the chance she sees in Tony’s sparkling eyes to leave the horrors of the war behind?
Review:
WOW! What a read!
You will be sucked into this great read from the first page. Suspense, romance, and history collide in this novel as Hanni returns to her past. Set during World War 2, this novel focuses on the history and the lives of those affected by the war. This is both heartbreaking and beautifully written.
February 27, 2022
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.
“The Pilot’s Girl” by Catherine Hokin is a sequel to “The Commandant’s Daughter,” part of the Hanni Winter series. This book, the second in the series, is a stand-alone and Ms. Hokin does a good job filling the reader in on people and situations. This story, like the first, takes place in Berlin after WWII, around the time of the Berlin Airlift. In this story the reader follows Hanni Winter (photographer) and Freddy Schlussel (detective) as they try to solve the mystery of the Berlin Strangler. While some old characters return, there’s also the addition of handsome American Tony Miller (pilot). This book, once again, had a mystery, some hidden secrets, and how the after affects of the horrors of WWII are still haunting the main characters. I think this book, for me, was about a 3.5 read - it moved more quickly than the first book. I also liked seeing, again, Ms. Hokin’s list of sources - just in case one would like to read more about Berlin after WWII.
“The Pilot’s Girl” by Catherine Hokin is a sequel to “The Commandant’s Daughter,” part of the Hanni Winter series. This book, the second in the series, is a stand-alone and Ms. Hokin does a good job filling the reader in on people and situations. This story, like the first, takes place in Berlin after WWII, around the time of the Berlin Airlift. In this story the reader follows Hanni Winter (photographer) and Freddy Schlussel (detective) as they try to solve the mystery of the Berlin Strangler. While some old characters return, there’s also the addition of handsome American Tony Miller (pilot). This book, once again, had a mystery, some hidden secrets, and how the after affects of the horrors of WWII are still haunting the main characters. I think this book, for me, was about a 3.5 read - it moved more quickly than the first book. I also liked seeing, again, Ms. Hokin’s list of sources - just in case one would like to read more about Berlin after WWII.
April 5, 2022
First, thank you so very much to Bookouture, NetGalley and Catherine for the review copy! This is the second book in the Hanni Winter book series and it did not disappoint!
The Berlin Strangler is who the focus of this story and his story is dark, deep and scary. Born a Jew, his family died in the war and now he’s out for revenge. However, that revenge is misguided and many people die before he is discovered. Hanni and Freddy work together again to find the strangler and capture him. Will they be too late?
I LOVED this story. I love Hanni Winter. I love her strength and determination, I love that she’s a tough woman working as a photographer for the police and helping to solve murders. She exudes confidence and yet, she’s real. Her secret is still a secret, should she tell Freddy and ruin everything?
Absolutely five stars without a doubt. I couldn’t put it down. If you enjoy historical fiction, you will love this one! And today is pub day, so grab it from Amazon!! Let me know your thoughts! Happy PUB Day Catherine!!!
The Berlin Strangler is who the focus of this story and his story is dark, deep and scary. Born a Jew, his family died in the war and now he’s out for revenge. However, that revenge is misguided and many people die before he is discovered. Hanni and Freddy work together again to find the strangler and capture him. Will they be too late?
I LOVED this story. I love Hanni Winter. I love her strength and determination, I love that she’s a tough woman working as a photographer for the police and helping to solve murders. She exudes confidence and yet, she’s real. Her secret is still a secret, should she tell Freddy and ruin everything?
Absolutely five stars without a doubt. I couldn’t put it down. If you enjoy historical fiction, you will love this one! And today is pub day, so grab it from Amazon!! Let me know your thoughts! Happy PUB Day Catherine!!!
June 19, 2022
What a great book this is to read. The characters were interesting. The story is as good as the first book. Some love to be found and hate as well. The cruelty of WW11 was so far reaching and still holds today with the way people treat each other. Would recommend. Well done Ms Hokin on another great read.
March 6, 2022
I was knocked sideways by the plot, what I had originally anticipated what this book was about was completely blown. Also one of the “good” guys is evil to the core. The book is also about secrets. Each of the main characters has major past secrets that are unearthed for the reader, but not necessarily to each other.
When I was certain what I was reading was an actuality, my jaw dropped. I understood the rationale behind it, but it still shocked me.
Set against the Berlin Airlift, the uncertainty of the times comes alive as a divided Germany and Berlin struggle to grapple with post WWII life.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the early read.
When I was certain what I was reading was an actuality, my jaw dropped. I understood the rationale behind it, but it still shocked me.
Set against the Berlin Airlift, the uncertainty of the times comes alive as a divided Germany and Berlin struggle to grapple with post WWII life.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the early read.
April 4, 2022
The Pilots Girl is the second in novel in the Hanni Winter series, however I didn't read the first book. This didn't matter though as Catherine told us all we needed to know about the previous one. I love reading stories of a historical nature and this one had a bit of everything: murder, mystery, suspense and a hint of romance. Lovely read
May 1, 2022
A sideload on the path toward ultimate justice.
An interesting follow-on to "The Commandant's Daughter. Of the two main characters, I like Hanni but I am still trying to like Freddy. There's something lacking in his character... I find him weak. ( personal opinion ) Opinions aside, the storyline was interesting throughout and I will be awaiting the finale.
An interesting follow-on to "The Commandant's Daughter. Of the two main characters, I like Hanni but I am still trying to like Freddy. There's something lacking in his character... I find him weak. ( personal opinion ) Opinions aside, the storyline was interesting throughout and I will be awaiting the finale.
June 14, 2022
The Pilots Girl
Interesting, spell binding, suspensful. All the better as we readers of a certain age can certainly remember this time in history ! I would recommend it to anyone over age 12 so they would not forget the world' s actual history, something they are missing out on today. Excellent writing!
Interesting, spell binding, suspensful. All the better as we readers of a certain age can certainly remember this time in history ! I would recommend it to anyone over age 12 so they would not forget the world' s actual history, something they are missing out on today. Excellent writing!
March 27, 2023
The Pilot’s Girl by Catherine Hokin is a gripping historical suspense that I could not put down. It is the second book in the Hanni Winter series. I recommend reading book one first to follow the storyline and character progression.
The action is set in Berlin in the late 1940’s. The city is divided as the Soviets try to starve the population and the Americans drop food supplies. Roaming the streets are gangs and individuals seeking revenge for some of the most heinous crimes – but the lengths to which some will go is horrifying.
Photographer, Hanni Winters once more teams up with Freddy, the police inspector as they set about trying to solve the brutal murders that are occurring in Berlin. What they uncover is shocking – but will anyone believe them?
During World War II the Nazis reigned with brutality and terror. Jewish citizens lost their livelihoods and their lives. Few were brave enough to stand up. What would you do if you found out your father was a high-ranking Nazi official? The reader applauds the actions of one brave youngster but the father always seems to be one step ahead and controlling a life with terror. The dreadful secret of one’s roots needs to be kept until justice is served.
Many remaining Jewish people are alone as their families perished in the Holocaust. Guilt and grief remain but “he had a duty to the lost to keep on living.” Survivor’s guilt follows them down the years. “I couldn’t unsee my mother and my sister being marched away. And I couldn’t forgive myself for being alive.”
As well as the action in the late 1940’s, there are also snippets back to the camps. It is heart breaking. It is horrifying. Catherine Hokin says so much about the plight of surviving Jewish children in one sentence as the camps are occupied by the allies. “Where… starving children sat and watched their rescuers through eyes that had seen far worse than any of them had learned language to express.” We can never begin to imagine what those poor souls went through.
The Pilot’s Girl was a fast-paced post war thriller that I could not put down. I read with heart racing to the end. Hani and Freddy are a likable pairing, each fighting their own demons, but determined that justice will be served.
The action is set in Berlin in the late 1940’s. The city is divided as the Soviets try to starve the population and the Americans drop food supplies. Roaming the streets are gangs and individuals seeking revenge for some of the most heinous crimes – but the lengths to which some will go is horrifying.
Photographer, Hanni Winters once more teams up with Freddy, the police inspector as they set about trying to solve the brutal murders that are occurring in Berlin. What they uncover is shocking – but will anyone believe them?
During World War II the Nazis reigned with brutality and terror. Jewish citizens lost their livelihoods and their lives. Few were brave enough to stand up. What would you do if you found out your father was a high-ranking Nazi official? The reader applauds the actions of one brave youngster but the father always seems to be one step ahead and controlling a life with terror. The dreadful secret of one’s roots needs to be kept until justice is served.
Many remaining Jewish people are alone as their families perished in the Holocaust. Guilt and grief remain but “he had a duty to the lost to keep on living.” Survivor’s guilt follows them down the years. “I couldn’t unsee my mother and my sister being marched away. And I couldn’t forgive myself for being alive.”
As well as the action in the late 1940’s, there are also snippets back to the camps. It is heart breaking. It is horrifying. Catherine Hokin says so much about the plight of surviving Jewish children in one sentence as the camps are occupied by the allies. “Where… starving children sat and watched their rescuers through eyes that had seen far worse than any of them had learned language to express.” We can never begin to imagine what those poor souls went through.
The Pilot’s Girl was a fast-paced post war thriller that I could not put down. I read with heart racing to the end. Hani and Freddy are a likable pairing, each fighting their own demons, but determined that justice will be served.
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