The Commandant's Daughter

Hanni Winter #1

by Catherine Hokin

1933, Berlin. Ten-year-old Hanni Foss stands by her father’s side watching the torchlit procession to celebrate Adolf Hitler as Germany’s new leader. As the lights fade, she knows her safe and happy childhood is about to change forever. Practically overnight, the father she adores becomes unrecognisable, lost to his ruthless ambition to oversee an infamous concentration camp…

Twelve years later. As the Nazi regime crumbles, Hanni hides on the fringes of Berlin society in the small lodging house she’s been living in since running away from her father’s home. In stolen moments, she develops the photographs she took to record the atrocities in the camp – the empty food bowls and hungry eyes – and vows to get some measure of justice for the innocent people she couldn’t help as a child.

But on the day she plans to deliver these damning photographs to the Allies, Hanni comes face to face with her father again. Reiner Foss is now working with the British forces, his past safely hidden behind a new identity, and he makes it clear that he will go to deadly lengths to protect his secret. In that moment Hanni hatches a dangerous plan to bring her father down, but how far she is willing to go for revenge? And at what cost?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, World War II, Ebooks, Holocaust, War

312 pages, Paperback

Published January 21, 2022

About the author

Welcome 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

Reviews

[Shirley McAllister · Rating 4 out of 5]

Untold Secrets

A story of two people traumatized by WWII. Secrets held and deep hurts kept inside. This is a story of two people Hanni Foss a young girl growing up in Germany with a Father who is an SS Officer and a Jewish man named Freddy who loses everything in the war and becomes a police detective.

They meet by chance when Hanni comes upon a murdered man and takes pictures as she has grown up to become a photographer. Freddy is the detective that responds when she sends someone to find the police.

As they solve the crimes committed they have to each look inside to find if they can deal with their inner feelings in order to solve a crime they feel is justified but they know is unlawful. Hanni knows that Freddy can never find out her past, yet she must access that past in order to solve the crime which puts both herself and Freddy at great risk.

I did enjoy reading the story, and the almost romance between Freddy and Hanni. the ending left me a bit handing as to how their relationship develops and if Hanni ever follows through with her plans to seek closure from the war, also if she ever tells Freddy of her past and if he forgives her.

It was a different WWII story, yet it was a fast moving and good read. I do recommend it.

Thanks to Catherine Hokin for writing a great story, to Bookouture for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.

[Yvonne G · Rating 5 out of 5]

“In that moment, she knows that taking pictures is not enough, she has to help these people…”


My heart did sink a little when I read a letter from author Catherine Hokin, featured at the end of the book, in which she confirms that The Commandant’s Daughter is the first book in a planned four part series; as I am notoriously lax at keeping on top of my series reading and I have already invested in so many other series reads, that I’m not sure how I am going to cope. She did, thankfully, add the caveat that all the books would work as stand alone novels, which this one undoubtedly did, although of course, having now worked out where the series is heading I have decided that I very much want to be part of that journey, even though I know that will involve many more tears before it is over!

The story begins in 1933, in Berlin when Hitler has just come to power and where ten-year-old Hannelore Fosse lives with her parents, sister and grandmother. Hannelore’s father, Reiner, as a very zealous recent recruit to the SS, is sent in 1943, to oversee the ‘new town’ of Theresienstadt, a Concentration Camp in all but title, relocating his family with him. There Hannelore, who has become obsessed with photography, sees and hears more than one so young should, although she is remarkably mature and determinedly stoic enough to catalogue the horrendous images and events through her pictures. She is appalled by the huge change in her father, who appears to relish his duties, rather than show any repugnance for them, which puts them very much at odds and irrevocably divides them. When he knows that the game is up and defeat is staring his country in the face, Reiner sends his family back to Berlin, where one devastating event follows another and Hannelore is left alone. When Germany is finally beaten and the concentration camps are liberated, she assumes that Reiner must be either dead or awaiting trial somewhere for the heinous crimes he has committed against humanity.

Fast forward to 1946, in a post-war Berlin, which has recently been carved up by the four allied countries and Hannelore Fosse has become Hanni Winter. She realises that her father has managed to evade capture and along with so many of his fellow SS officers, has reinvented himself as his non-existent younger brother and now works for the Allies, who have picked out those Germans they feel pose least risk, to assist them in the capture of the hardcore SS for trial and to play their part in the rebuilding of a devastated city. Hanni herself, is now a skilled forensics photographer, attached to the police and working with Inspector Freddy Schlussel and his team. They are assigned to solve the case of a recent spate of assassination murders, where all the victims are former ‘whitewashed’ SS officers, who have become ‘respectable’ members of Berlin society. Hanni is still determined to bring her father to justice, although having discovered her whereabouts and made himself known to her, he makes it clear what will happen to her if she tries to turn him over to the authorities. Hanni and Freddy have a growing attraction between them, although with their disparate cultural backgrounds, is there any hope that a mutual understanding can be reached to put the past to rest and move forwards!

Those are just the very bare bones of a bold and daring, well structured, multi-layered storyline; although this doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of the tense, highly charged and claustrophobic atmosphere, which looms large and hangs like a cloud over both Hanni and Freddy. Author Catherine Hokin has written a wonderfully rendered, mature work of cultural and societal fiction, compassionately written from the heart, unique and unconventional, often disturbing, brutally and heartbreakingly honest; yet desperately compelling, powerful and completely immersive. Fluently seamless, slowly unfolding and evolving, the story is evocative, intensely textured, rich in detail, whilst totally and utterly emotionally draining. The visual depth to the descriptive narrative and dialogue makes this a truly three dimensional reading experience, which offers a perceptive and compelling sense of time and place, albeit a most disturbing, profoundly touching and troubling journey.

Not only can war unite a people against a common enemy, it also has the power to divide. At a family level, this can cause total and overwhelming devastation, but to a nation threatened with its very existence and survival, events of the past can have such a huge and lasting influence over the present, as Hanni the daughter of an SS officer and Freddy a displaced Jew, know to their personal cost. Can their common mutual belief in justice and retribution be enough to bind them together and help them put events of the past to one side. It might, if only they were able to talk to one another, but although Freddy has begun to open up to Hanni, she in turn, is still unable to confide in him the terrible truth about her past, at least not whilst her father still walks the same streets and breathes the same air as her. At times, their individual memories and emotions are so painfully strong and raw, they have the power to silence and paralyse them, rendering them temporarily frozen in space and time, which these days would no doubt be labelled as PTSD. Their relationship is put under further strain when the vigilante murderer is tracked down and arrested, as for different reasons, they are both rather torn about the notion of stopping the murders of those who were so instrumental in ruining their lives and by default putting up barriers between them which might be beyond breaking down. Even I was astounded to learn that both Hanni and Freddy are mistaken about Herr Bayers motives for his selection of specific victims, which in reality are totally sickening and nauseating, even for the strongest of constitutions.

Catherine has developed a cast of well-drawn, multi-faceted characters, who, whether they are on the side of good or bad, are authentically realistic and genuinely believable in the individual roles which have been created for them. All were 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 has now been further decimated by the machinations of the victors. Hanni and Freddy will need time to rebuild their confidence, their lives, their trust, before there can be any meaningful steps towards reconciliation and a clear path forwards into the future. However Catherine has done an amazing job of giving all her characters a clear voice with which to begin telling their individual stories and I am already anticipating what she might have in store for them in the next step of their journey towards complete emotional freedom.

To check out the author and share my own personal memorable extracts from the book, visit...
https://www.fiction-books.biz/reviews...

[StinaStaffymum · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★ 3.5 stars

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Catherine Hokin's historical tale with a difference THE COMMANDANT'S DAUGHTER.

I have read and enjoyed Catherine Hokin's previous books although they are generally slowish to start in their build up. However, THE COMMANDANT'S DAUGHTER differs to her previous novels in the sense that it draws you in from the start, offers you a different tale and it is the first in a four book series featuring Hanni and Freddy. Hokin says herself she has not embarked on a series before so is finding it a refreshing challenge and for her readers it is something different...whilst still against the backdrop of the horrors of the Nazi regime and the Holocaust.

I liked the premise and was drawn to the fact that the main character being a photographer (as my dad was a photographer himself) who captured moments in time through her viewfinder and therefore documenting the atrocities of war. The fact that her father was one of those who issued such punishments in the camps made the story all the more compelling, wondering how such barbarity would pan out. And I was intrigued to find out...

1933: Ten year old Hannelore Foss is intrigued by the pomp and circumstance taking place on the streets below as Hitler rose to power as the new German chancellor, and yet she is baffled why no one else at this party is interested in watching the display as she stands alone on the balcony of the Aldon Hotel. Alone but for one person who sits in the shadows and opens up a whole new world to Hannelore that she never knew existed. The world as seen and captured through the eye of the camera's viewfinder. When Ezra Stein invited Hannelore to view the world through the camera, she never expected to see what she did. And from that moment on, she was intrigued by the world of photography.

1945: Twelve years later, Hanni Winter has shed her past as Reiner Foss' daughter Hannelore and has a job at Ezra Stein's studio with his nephew Natan. The war was not kind to people like Ezra, who was Jewish, and as his studio was destroyed he was taken in the night to a camp where he met his fate as did many other like him. Hanni never saw him again.

But the war was not kind to Hanni either as she moved from place to place and camp to camp with her father, a Nazi officer with the SS, and as she crept into places she was not meant to be she captured the sheer horror of the atrocities that were inflicted on these poor innocent people...simply for being Jewish. Hanni hated her father and all he stood for and by the war's end she had lost her mother, her sister and the father that she had once admired and loved...before he became one of Hitler's henchmen. Now she is Hanni Winter, photographer. Hannelore Foss is dead.

Then one day, whilst exploring the remains of the Aldon Hotel with her camera, she stumbles upon a man laid out as if he were on display and very obviously dead. Without disturbing the scene, she begins to capture everything about him in death, relaying her thoughts and observations to the police when they arrive. Almost at once she notices that the dead man is a former SS officer, his SS tattoo displayed for all to see and a sign strung around his neck accusing him of his crimes.

Inspector Freddy Schlussel is immediately taken with the photographer as she relays her observations of the scene. Her exceptional eye for detail and ability to read the scene only enamours him more. Then when another body is found, he calls on Hanni to accompany him to the scene where they discover that he too was a former SS officer. Hanni and Freddy work together to uncover the culprit and the purpose behind his crimes.

But herein lies the conundrum. Freddy is Jewish and this villain is killing off former SS officers who oversaw such atrocities against his people during the war. Does Freddy really want such a person caught? Or does he want to let him keep killing them off, one by one? Surely he is doing the good people of Germany a favour by eliminating them?

And Hanni...she has since discovered her father is not only alive but has reinvented himself and is threatening her future. While she cannot reveal her past Freddy as he will surely never understand that she played no part in the atrocities but stood by while her father inflicted them on his people, Hanni secretly hopes that this killer has her father on his list. Reiner is definitely a threat to her life now as she knows it should she try to denounce him publicly. But Freddy will never understand that or her hatred for the man. And so her past as the daughter of an SS officer must remain a secret.

THE COMMANDANT'S DAUGHTER is a very different read to those we are used to of this era. It combines the atrocities of the Holocaust with the murders of former SS officers as well as the secrets that both Hanni and Freddy keep. Whilst Freddy does eventually bare his soul to Hanni, she cannot in all honesty reciprocate...because as soon as he hears the truth of her past, he will hate her, of that she is sure. And yet Hanni was a victim as well. She was a girl when her father became a Nazi and was still living under his hand throughout much of the war. As a woman, she had no say and no power to speak out against such a man held in high regard. Hanni wanted nothing more than to escape him and when she did, she began a new life away from his rule. She hated everything the Nazis stood for...but would Freddy, as a Jew, understand that?

Much of the story is shrouded in her fear of her past being discovered and thus the sting of Freddy's rejection. I willed her to be upfront with him; the sooner the better, otherwise Freddy will accuse of her keeping it from him...which she is. But will he understand why? Given his own personal connection to the Holocaust and Nazis, probably not which is why Hanni has chosen to keep it secret. Will she reveal her past in the next book? Or will it be saved till the very last? Personally, I think the longer she leaves it the worse it will be. This, in turn, frustrated me.

Along with Hanni's conundrum about her past, THE COMMANDANT'S DAUGHTER is also a murder mystery which is something different. Although it is no mystery to the reader though it is to Hanni and Freddy who are hot on his trail to uncover him. But throughout the story we see the development of the killer and how his story plays out also, which is an interesting concept. At first, the reader sympathises with him for what is clearly an indifference to him throughout his entire life. We see how he selects his targets and I admit to hoping Reiner Foss is on the list too. The tale, as it is told, is a very different one to that which is described in the book's premise. Having said that, it is a pleasant surprise to have something different on offer.

I must say, I absolutely loathed Reiner and I can only hope he gets his comeuppance soon enough. But he won't be easy prey for anyone who seeks to denounce him. He is a bully who is nothing if not cruel and selfish, thinking of no one but himself. He doesn't even care one iota for his daughter but then she also hates him, or rather the man he became as a Nazi. But he is powerful with his little spies everywhere throughout the city.

The first in a series, THE COMMANDANT'S DAUGHTER is a powerful tale that is heartwrenching in part capturing a plethora of emotions throughout. It will be interesting to see how the relationship between Hanni and Freddy develops. And if she will ever reveal her past.

A very different WW2 story, I wouldn't say the plot is not fast moving but is steady throughout. However, it is very wordy in places with a lot of description that does tend to slow the pace a little.

Recommended for fans of historical fiction offering something a little different.

I would like to thank #CatherineHokin, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheCommandantsDaughter in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

[theliterateleprechaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Commandant’s Daughter is the first of four WW2 inspired Berlin set novels spanning 1933 to mid-1950s featuring the same two characters, a photographer, Hanni Winter, and a detective, Freddy Schlussel. It can be enjoyed as a stand-alone, but the character arcs will run across all four books.

My husband thought Scooby-Doo was sitting next to him on the couch because every so often I’d make the classic ‘huh?’ (wait, what?) sound from the cartoon. I struggled with the disconnect in this book several times and found myself going back to re-read passages searching for context clues that weren’t there. Frustrated, I put the book down and had to make a concerted effort to pick it up again. I wonder if it has been trimmed too much in some parts and not enough in other parts? Perhaps too much has been stuffed in book 1 so that it can be fleshed out in sequels?

Despite these structural issues, I did enjoy the book. It was like the waitress bringing you a slice of pizza and it isn’t until you bite into the crust that you discover it’s a stuffed crust - an added layer of deliciousness. The synopsis reads like it’s one thing, but when you get into it, you discover it’s also a mystery blended in with a romance. You get more than you bargained for!

I understood Hokin’s aim to send readers off with hope and could see that characters reinvented themselves to try and keep hope alive or maintain an avenue to survival. I appreciated the unique perspective; post-war Germany through the eyes of an ordinary German girl who struggled to make sense of the horrors her countrymen inflicted on each other. Hokin highlighted the chaos and uncertainty of the time, showed us the gaps in society where people could escape through rather than face the truth, and gave her readers lots to ponder as they anticipate book 2.

I was given this advance copy by Catherine Hokin, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

[Richard Derus · Rating 3 out of 5]

First in a series, flawed, and still...something in here honestly made me think twice about the eternal eyeroll I've developed for plucky spying heroines. I concur with the sales bunf, if you liked The Alice Network you'll do well to give this one a shot.

Not that it's quite up to the same literary standard...the plot wanders a bit midway through...but it has that compelling quality that is so frequently missing in other WWII fiction I've read.

[Sue Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this gripping novel....

a different perspective of the war years from the germans side, how a loving father became a ss soldier high ranking and then changed overnight and became something that the ss were known for...and this book is fiction but it could be based on truth

we first meet hanni as a young girl just before war is declared and hitler is just coming into power and trying to make germany known and its where she meets a photographer who introduces her to a camera. and to photography that will become a life line for her during the war...

overnight her father changes as he takes on more responsibility as an officer in the german army, what he does at home is nothing to what he does to prisoners and the like but for poor hanni and her mom and nan its devastating...

thoroughly enjoyed this book and seeing how hanni life progressed during and after the war, hope there is a second book as i thoroughly enjoyed getting to know all the characters in this book

will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works

[Lynn H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a 3.5 star read but since none of the rating systems allow halves, I’m rounding up to 4. I can definitely see the potential in this book, so it deserves to be rounded higher rather than lower. The story was good, I just didn’t like the writing style – too many run-on sentences. Many times I’d get through one and have to go back and reread it to make sure I understood what I had just read. Unfortunately, that takes away from the flow of the story.

The novel takes place in Berlin at the end of WW II, during the trials against a handful of SS officers for their war crimes. The main character is the daughter of a high ranking Nazi officer who has avoided being brought to justice. She was appalled by his actions during the war and is now trying to make a new name for herself, literally. She has left her family behind, changed her name, and started a new career as a photographer. This in turn leads her to become a crime scene photographer for the police department, working with a Jewish officer who lost his entire family during the Holocaust. And what case are they working on? Someone is hunting down Nazi officers who haven’t been brought to justice and killing them. Should they try to stop him or let the killings continue? Is her father on his hitlist? Should she be honest and tell her partner about her and her father’s past, risking the loss of his friendship? These are the types of moral decisions she must make during the story.

Please know that this is the 1st in a new series. The 2nd book will be out in a few months so if you read and enjoy it, you won’t have to wait too long for the next one. Which is good because the way it ended made me feel like I’d just read half a book. I assume the unfinished storyline is picked back up in the 2nd book.

Thank you NetGalley and Boukouture for an advanced copy to read and provide an honest review.

[Teresa “Teri” · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve just finished listening/reading this book on my Kindle app. It deserves more than a cursory “great WWII historical fiction”.
This author, Catherine Hokin, brings excellent writing with her depth and, tough questions that are still pertinent today.
What is “justice”? What is getting acceptable “justice” under the law and, who’s law? A country that is supposed to be fair and democratic to all of its citizens? What is justice under the law” in a country who’s led by a corrupt Tyrant? Both “Justice” and “Law” are not as easily defined as I thought before reading this author’s work.
This is the first book in a 4 book series and, I’m eager to start on the next one.
Hoping it gets even better and, doesn’t stop asking challenging questions that unfortunately, in this world that is still fighting, needs the right answers.

[Rachel Wesson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Catherines books and this one was even better than her others. It highlights the war from the German perspective. Those who suffered under the Nazis as they were against their ideals. Absolutely gripping and cannot wait for book 2. Highly recommended.

[Misfits farm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hanni Winter is now a photographer, a love borne from a kindness when she was small. She has changed her name and fled from the father who did such terrible things during the war era. She meets a detective, Freddy, and works with him as she has an eye for detail and her pictures record the crimes. The crimes being that someone appears to be after SS officers who somehow have escaped Nuremberg and gone back into society. When Hanni discovers that her father is not only alive but has reinvented himself as his own brother, whilst painting her and her “ father” as horrific Nazis she quickly has to think on her feet in order to survive. She can't reveal her past to Freddy as he feels that anyone not doing anything about the criminals of war is as bad as the criminals themselves. Hanni wishes she could give the murderer a certain name to save her own skin and should he really be caught when he is possibly doing the good people of Germany a favour?
I really enjoyed this- it's a very different “ war” read. It tells of the hardships of life after the event and of how not every criminal was caught or tried as it was a very chaotic time. I liked both Hanni and Freddy and look forward to the next in the series (this is the first one). A wonderful, informative,enjoyable read.

For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog
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[Jay’s Nerdy Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Commandant's Daughter is a historical fiction and mystery/thriller set after World War II in Germany. The story revolves around the a series of murders happening in Berlin and has brought together two unlikely partners between Freddy Schlussel, the lead investigator and Hanni Winter, a photographer as they search for the killer while dealing with the aftermath of the Holocaust and World War II. This is a completed story but also the first in a series of four, all following the story of Hanni and Freddy.

World War II is one of my favorite era when it comes to historical fiction so I was very excited to dive into this book. I went into this only knowing that this would be about World War II and the title indicated that the story would be in a different perspective - not from the eyes of the victims, but that of someone from the inside of the Reich's circle. The premise was so interesting and new. I was looking forward to reading a book based on this perspective but unfortunately, this book wasn't what I expected it to be.

My biggest issue with the book was that it was confusing. There were a lot of time skipped and sometimes there were flashbacks that were hard to follow. There were also three different perspectives, which considering that the story is supposed to be about Hanni, was a little bit confusing. The addition of other's perspective moved the plot but Hanni's story was drowned out by everything else.

As the story progressed, it was getting frustrating because the premise of the story was getting muddied. Is this book a historical fiction? Is it a romance? Or is it a mystery/thriller? These were the questions going through my mind. I felt like the author couldn't decide where the story was heading. Was this Hanni's story? Or is this Freddy's or Gerhard?

The entire book, we follow Hanni and her father's relationship and how her father's involvement with the Reich caused a rift between them. We also follow how Hanni continually vows that she will expose her father and his sins. But honestly, that's the most we got. For all of Hanni's hatred towards her father, it's clear that she lacked the action or even the courage to fight him. She kept underestimating her father despite the amount of times he had contradicted her plans. I spent a lot of my time frustrated and unsympathetic to Hanni's cause. Though noble, her inaction made it hard to like her. Maybe we'll see more of it in the other books?

I feel like this book was better off if it was a mystery rather trying to be a historical fiction. I honestly would have liked it more if it was. As a WWII piece, this fell completely flat and underwhelming. The book heavily focused more on the mystery rather than the potential it had as a war story.

Thank you so much for NetGalley, Catherine Hokin, and the publishers for giving me a free copy in exchange of an honest review.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the story opens it is 1933 and we meet ten year old Hannilore Foss on the balcony of room at the Aldon Hotel. It is the night of Hitler's grand entrance and march from the Brandenburg Gate to the Nazi headquarters. Hanni meets Ezra Stein, a Jewish photographer who spends a short with her and changes her life. She wants to become a photographer and show people the truth. Fast forward a few years until her father is running the ghetto/transit camp, Theresienstadt. Hanni sees and photographs things that she hopes will get her father arrested when the allies come. Fast forward to 1947 and Hanni is now living under the alias Hanni Winter. Her father has a new identity and she is scared of him. She runs to Stein Photography, where she meets Natan, Ezra's son. She works with him and lives a simple, hidden life. Meanwhile, someone is murdering SS men who have gotten away with their crimes and she finds one of the bodies. She meets Freddy Schlussel, a local German Police Detective. He hires her as a freelance photographer, but it doesn't take long for her to become an integral part of the team. What only Hanni know is that Freddy is Jewish and hiding it. Does he really want to solve this case?

THE COMMANDANT'S DAUGHTER is a very different story from those I have read during this time and setting. It combines the lead up to the war, the atrocities of the Holocaust and the murders of former SS officers as well as the secrets that both Hanni and Freddy keep during the reconstruction period and arrests of war criminals. I had some interesting questions as I was reading such as: How did they round up all the war criminals? Why were so many given new roles and identities? Meeting some of the wives of these so-called honorable men was terrible and they still held some strong Nazi beliefs, yet many of the everyday, ordinary German citizens did not. Both Hanni and Freddy are scarred by what happened during the war and are living a life hiding for various reasons. Freddy is angry and full of hatred, while Hanni tries to be compassionate and get him to understand that people did what they had to do to survive. There are several secondary characters who add to the story and then there is Reiner Foss, Hanni's father, a character that is easy to loathe.

This is a well structured, multi-layered story that touches on so many things. Societal issues and following the masses, family divides and loyalty, moral issues, survival, vengeance, pardoning those who can help others make money, love, secrets, and more. Within all this runs a mystery of the murders. I enjoyed this book and learned a lot from it. I didn't realize this was going to be a series when I started it, but hopefully, I will be able to continue and learn more about life after WWII. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.

[Larmie Fahrendorff · Rating 3 out of 5]

And she's STILL The Commandant's Daughter!

The story was interesting, but also a bit frustrating. First of all, I do not share the author's enthusiasm for her character Freddy. He seems weak emotionally ... I understand the circumstances but still. Secondly, I don't know if I can sustain interest through three additional books in order to finally see justice for the diabolical Reiner. I do an to download book two, and then will judge the future.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was extremely disappointed with this book especially when I found out that it's the first in a series of 4 books. The summary states that Hanni wants to bring her father to justice to pay for his crimes as the Commandant of Theresienstadt concentration camp and that didn't happen! So that story line is ongoing. Very disappointed with this book and probably won't read the other 3.

[Sarah Festa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers an interesting perspective, in that our protagonist is the daughter of a Nazi Commander, which is a perspective I haven't read before.

It was a hard and tough read and though it had a slow start, it drew me in.

It is set at an interesting time, the war had just ended and we are in Berlin, which is currently governed by other countries.

There is also crime in this book, as Hanni, our MC discovers a body and is thrown into the investigation when Freddie, a policeman with demons of his own, asks for her help in solving it.

Hokin did such a great job creating real characters that really tug at your heart strings and a storyline that has a bit of everything.

I will say that I almost threw the book at how it ended but then after reading the author notes at the end, I realised she was making it a series.

I will definitely look to read book 2.

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hokin captures a myriad of emotions and scenarios in this first book in a series. Set mostly in postwar Germany, Hanni is a struggling photographer who grapples with many images she took and how to move forward. The shadow of her father, Reiner, also looms large. I thought the plot was good and the characters were relatable. I absolutely loathed Reiner and I hope in the subsequent books, he is tracked down and dealt with accordingly. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the early read.

[KIRIAKI(Dominica Amat) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Βαθμολογία 3.5/5

Πρώτη δημοσίευση εδώ: https://www.dominicamat.gr/2024/06/bl...

Έχετε αναρωτηθεί ποτέ το τι είναι αυτό που πραγματικά μας ελκύει τόσο πολύ στην ιστορία και κατ'επέκταση στα ιστορικά μυθιστορήματα; Μήπως η ανάγκη μας για να προβλέψουμε το μέλλον, παρατηρώντας και επεξεργαζόμενοι/ες όσες πληροφορίες λαμβάνουμε σχετικά με το παρελθόν; Ναι, αγαπώ την ιστορία και ειδικά τα μυθιστορήματα εκείνα που αναφέρονται στην περίοδο του Β' παγκοσμίου πολέμου. Έχω την αίσθηση πως ενώ μας χωρίζουν τόσα χρόνια από εκείνη την εποχή, φαντάζει να την πλησιάζουμε όλο και πιο γρήγορα. Αρκεί να ρίξουμε μία ματιά γύρω μας για να δούμε την τάση εσωστρέφειας, φανατισμού, του ακμάζοντος ρατσισμού, αλλά και την ενδελεχή κι εσκεμμένη προσπάθεια για καταπάτηση των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων. Κι όλα αυτά εξαιτίας του φόβου που καλλιεργείται εντέχνως στο μυαλό και στις ψυχές των ανθρώπων -τους οποίους θέλουν να μετατρέψουν σε άβουλες μάζες- γύρω από καθετί ξένο και διαφορετικό...

Συνεχίζοντας τις αναγνώσεις, επέλεξα το νέο ιστορικό μυθιστόρημα της συγγραφέως Catherine Hokin (Κάθριν Χόκιν), με τίτλο ''Η κόρη του διοικητή'' (The Commandant's Daughter), το οποίο ''ανοίγει'' τη σειρά βιβλίων με τίτλο ''Χάνι Βίντερ'', το οποίο κυκλοφορεί στη χώρα μας από τις εκδόσεις Μίνωας, σε μετάφραση της κυρίας Αναστασίας Δεληγιάννη. Ένα βιβλίο που όπως αναφέρει και η δημιουργός του είναι ολοκληρωμένο και μπορεί να διαβαστεί και μόνο του, εγώ μελλοντικά επιθυμώ να διαβάσω κι άλλα βιβλία της σειράς, καθώς θεωρώ ότι υπάρχουν ακόμη κάποια ''ανοιχτά'' ζητήματα, που πρέπει να ολοκληρωθούν. Μα ας τα πιάσω, καλύτερα, από την αρχή...

Από τον τίτλο ''Η κόρη του διοικητή'', κιόλας, η συγγραφέας επιλέγει να οριοθετήσει το πλαίσιο μέσα στο οποίο θα κινηθεί η ιστορία της. Ναι, αν και θα μας μιλήσει για πρόσωπα που δεν υπήρξαν στην πραγματικότητα, δεν παύει να πιάνει ένα κομμάτι που ίσως να μην το είχαμε σκεφτεί έως σήμερα. Ποιο είναι αυτό; Μα φυσικά η παρουσία, η στάση και οι επιλογές όλων αυτών των ανθρώπων που έφεραν στρατιωτικές θέσεις και ήταν υπεύθυνοι για πολλές από τις κτηνωδίες του τότε. Πρέπει οι δικές τους κακές πράξεις να επιβαρύνουν και τα άτομα των οικογενειών τους; Φυσικά και όχι! Δε σημαίνει πως επειδή κάποιος/οι ήταν ναζί και εκτελούσε/αν διαταγές των Ες Ες, συμφωνούσαν και είχαν τα ίδια πιστεύω και οι συγγενείς τους. Άραγε, πόση ντροπή, μίσος, αηδία, αποτροπιασμό μπορεί να ένιωθαν βλέποντας τους δικούς τους να μετατρέπονται σε τέτοια κτήνη που στερούσαν τη ζωή τόσων αθώων ανθρώπων; Με ποιο τρόπο επέλεξαν να αποστασιοποιηθούν και να αντισταθούν;

''Βερολίνο, 1933: Η δεκάχρονη Χάνι Φος στέκεται δίπλα στον πατέρα της Ράινερ, παρακολουθώντας τους εορτασμούς που σηματοδοτούν την άνοδο του Αδόλφου Χίτλερ στην εξουσία. Καθώς οι αναμμένοι πυρσοί χάνονται στο βάθος του δρόμου, τα ευτυχισμένα παιδικά της χρόνια αλλάζουν για πάντα. Ο πολυαγαπημένος της πατέρας διαφθείρεται μέσα από τη νέα του θέση ως διοικητής ενός διαβόητου στρατοπέδου συγκέντρωσης.
1945: Η Χάνι, με νέα ταυτότητα πλέον, κρύβεται από τον πατέρα της στα προάστια του Βερολίνου. Μυστικά εμφανίζει τις φωτογραφίες που είχε τραβήξει για να δημοσιοποιήσει τα εγκλήματά του και τη φρίκη που επικρατούσε στο στρατόπεδο συγκέντρωσης. Όμως, το σχέδιό της απειλείται όταν ανακαλύπτει ένα πτώμα κρυμμένο σε κάποιο βομβαρδισμένο κτίριο και γνωρίζει τον Φρέντι, τον νεαρό ντετέκτιβ που έχει αναλάβει την υπόθεση. Θα μπορέσει η ένταση στα μάτια του να αποσπάσει τη Χάνι από τον αγώνα της για εξιλέωση; Ή θα τη σταματήσει ο πατέρας της την ημέρα που σχεδιάζει να παραδώσει τις ενοχοποιητικές φωτογρα­φίες στους Συμμάχους; Ο Ράινερ Φος έχει υιοθετήσει πλέον μια καινούρια, πανίσχυρη ταυτότητα και την απειλεί πως η ζωή της κινδυνεύει αν αποκαλύψει ποιος στ’ αλήθεια είναι. Η Χάνι βρίσκεται μπροστά σε ένα τρομερό δίλημμα, ανάμεσα στο παρελθόν που την κατατρύχει και σε μια καινούρια ζωή δίπλα στον Φρέντι…" (Περίληψη οπισθοφύλλου)

Άραγε, περνάει κάποια στιγμή, οριστικά, ο όποιος κίνδυνος; Κι αν ναι, πότε; Ποια θα είναι η στιγμή που θα έχουμε την αίσθηση ότι είμαστε πλήρως ελεύθεροι/ες από τα όποια δεσμά του παρελθόντος; Και τί ακριβώς θα συνεπάγεται αυτή η ελευθερία; Λύτρωση; Δικαίωση; Ελπίδα; Κάτι άλλο; Ή όλα αυτά μαζί; Σε αυτά, λοιπόν, τα ερωτήματα μαζί με κάποια άλλα θα κληθούν να απαντήσουν τα πρόσωπα της υπόθεσης σε ένα ταξίδι διαρκούς αναζήτησης της θέσης τους μέσα σε έναν κόσμο που δείχνει να μην έχει βρει την πορεία του προς το μέλλον και που δεν έχει αποτινάξει τα κακώς κείμενα του παρελθόντος που το βαραίνουν σαν άλλα απομεινάρια μίας σκοτεινής περιόδου...

Αφιέρωσα αρκετές ώρες συγκέντρωσης στην ανάγνωση του βιβλίου. Άν και θα ήθελα να είναι κάπως πιο γρήγορο -αναφορικά με τον τρόπο που ξεδιπλώνεται η υπόθεση μέσα στις σελίδες του- δεν το βρήκα κουραστικό. Μου άρεσε η πένα της συγγραφέως, αλλά περισσότερο η ιδέα γύρω από την ιστορία που μας παρουσιάζει. Βαθειά αντιπολεμικό, αντιρατσιστικό, καλογραμμένο κι ευνόητο, αν και πιστεύω ότι υπάρχει περιθώριο για να ξεδιπλωθούν ακόμη παραπάνω οι χαρακτήρες των προσώπων, το βιβλίο με έβαλε σε πολλές σκέψεις και μου γέννησε ανάλογα συναισθήματα. Ναι, κάτι κρατά τα πρόσωπα της πλοκής πίσω. Κάτι που πιθανότατα θα μας αποκαλυφθεί σε επόμενο βιβλίο. Οπότε κι εγώ αναμένω τη συνέχεια...
Αναζητήστε το! Καλή ανάγνωση.

Κυκλοφορεί από τις εκδόσεις Μίνωας.

https://vivliovamon.blogspot.com/2024...

[Bookish Bluestocking · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 αστεράκια για το συγκεκριμένο που είναι το πρώτο τετραλογίας! Μας μεταφέρει στην μεταπολεμική Γερμανία με οπτική γωνία των ίδιων των Γερμανών και την κατάσταση που επικρατούσε τότε. Θα ψάξω και τα υπόλοιπα γιατί το διάβασα με τεράστιο ενδιαφέρον

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Heart breaking. Thought provoking. One to savour and reread. A beautifully written gem of a book. Read this one. You will come away moved and changed.

[Konstantinatz · Rating 3 out of 5]

κάποια σημεία ήταν αρκετά ενδιαφέροντα όσον αφορά το κομμάτι της ιστορίας, ομως η πλοκή με κούρασε, θα προτιμούσα να ολοκληρωθεί η ιστορία στο πρώτο βιβλίο ώστε κάπως να υπάρχει μια πιο γρήγορη εξέλιξη στην υπόθεση. θα το σκεφτώ αν θα αγοράσω το επόμενο 🫤
3,5/5

[Starboookk Athina]

Το 1933 ο Χίτλερ ανακηρύσσεται καγκελάριος, το Ναζιστικό κόμμα βρίσκεται στην εξουσία και μεγάλη μερίδα του γερμανικού λαού προβαίνει σε πανηγυρισμούς. Ανάμεσα στους ένθερμους υποστηρικτές και υπέρμαχους του Χίτλερ είναι και ο μπαμπάς της δεκάχρονης Χάνελορ η οποία τον βλέπει να διαφθείρεται και να αλλάζει όντας διοικητής ενός στρατοπέδου συγκέντρωσης. Σε κάποια δεξίωση, στα πλαίσια ενός εορτασμού, η Χάνελορ θα γνωρίσει τον Έζρα, έναν Εβραίο φωτογράφο ο οποίος θα της δείξει τη δύναμη που κρύβουν οι φωτογραφίες. Λίγες μέρες αργότερα θα λάβει ένα πακέτο, μια φωτογραφική μηχανή. Όταν με τη βοήθεια της γιαγιάς της θα προσπαθήσει να εντοπίσει τον Έζρα, θα διαπιστώσει ότι το μαγαζί του καταστράφηκε από το μίσος των Ναζιστών.

Δώδεκα χρόνια μετά, η Χάνελορ αλλάζει το όνομα της γιατί δε θέλει να έχει καμία σύνδεση με το τέρας στο οποίο εξελίχθηκε ο πατέρας της. Πλέον οι Ρώσοι έχουν καταλάβει το Βερολίνο και η ίδια εργάζεται ως φωτογράφος. Μέσα από τον φωτογραφικό της φακό απαθανατίζει τις φρικαλεότητες των Ναζί. Κάποια στιγμή θα εντοπίσει ένα πτώμα σε ένα βομβαρδισμένο κτήριο και αυτό θα σταθεί αφορμή να γνωρίσει τον Φρέντι, έναν Εβραίο που δουλεύει στη γερμανική αστυνομία. Σύντομα θα διαπιστώσουν ότι κάποιος εκεί έξω δολοφονεί πρώην μέλη των Ες Ες. Επρόκειτο για υπαίτιους εγκλημάτων που δεν τιμωρήθηκαν ποτέ όπως τους άξιζε. Τώρα κάποιος ζητάει δικαίωση. Θα καταφέρει η Χάνι με τον Φρέντι να φτάσουν στον δολοφόνο; Θα καταφέρει η Χάνι να ξεσκεπάσει τον πατέρα της που πλέον κυκλοφορήσει στο Βερολίνο ανενόχλητος έχοντας αλλάξει την ταυτότητά του;

Πρόκειται για ένα καθηλωτικό βιβλίο. Η συγγραφέας μας μεταφέρει την ντροπή και το μίσος που ένιωθε η Χάνι για τα αποτρόπαια εγκλήματα του πατέρα της και τον αγώνα της για δικαίωση. Μας μιλάει για Γερμανούς που ντράπηκαν για τις φρικαλεότητες που προκάλεσε η ίδια τους η χώρα και που πήραν το νόμο στα χέρια τους προκειμένου να αποκαταστήσουν το όνομα της Γερμανίας. Είναι το πρώτο από τα 4 βιβλία με κεντρικούς χαρακτήρες την Χάνι και τον Φρέντι οπότε ανυπομονώ και για τα επόμενα.

[Emma Crowley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read everything that Catherine Hokin has written and have always enjoyed her books so it was a no brainer for me to read The Commandant’s Daughter. I was expecting another historical fiction book set during World War Two, of which I have read so many books of this nature and yes I got that but so much more. I was really pleasantly surprised with the direction this book took and it has gotten me excited about this genre again when I fear I was in danger of having gone overboard and read just too much about this topic.

I thought that this was a complete novel in itself but I only discovered as I read the end notes that this is the first book in a planned series of four following Hanni and Freddy as they navigate through the shadows of World War Two into a more hopeful future. What set this book apart from all the rest out there was that the story took on a totally different direction which I had not been expecting in the slightest. It became a mystery/crime thriller detailing a series of murders that occur in the devastated city of Berlin in the year proceeding the war. I’ll admit crime/mystery wouldn’t really be my genre of choice, It’s only on the very rare occasion that I dip into this sort of book. Had I known The Commandant’s Daughter was like this I dare say I perhaps wouldn’t have chosen to read it but I would have missed out on a intriguing and gripping read packed full of mystery but also some romance. But it’s also about how two characters deal with the fallout from the war but as they come from opposing sides the connection they feel can’t be acted upon.

The Commandant’s Daughter really gets you thinking; Can people change sides given their heritage is so entrenched with what occurred during the war? Is it fair to tarnish everyone with the same brush? Can love blossom against the tide of opposition and strong held opinions and beliefs? Can revenge be enacted in a just way? The answers to these questions are not given in this book but I am sure they will be explored over the course of the books that are to follow in this series. I feel this is perhaps Catherine Hokin’s most ambitious book yet and the fact the story will stretch over four books makes me keen to see how the central storyline will be developed and managed in the future. This book provided the reader with a really strong start and the themes explored were dealt with and crafted well. I feel there has to be another storyline running concurrently alongside the main plot but will it be another murder mystery again? Who knows but I will certainly be reading the next instalment as soon as it is published.

The book took quite some time to find i’s rhythm as I felt it jumped around a lot before settling and we got down to the real nitty gritty of the story. I had thought I would be reading about Hanni’s experiences as the daughter of an SS officer during the war who also sent so many innocent people to the extermination camps and the so called ideal that was Theresienstadt which turned out to be the place from hell. Instead we are introduced to Hannelore, who later changes her name to Hanni, as she is a young girl attending a party hosted by her father as Hitler has just been announced as leader of the Nationalist Socialist Party in 1933. Hanni doesn’t like the changes in her father. She can’t break any rules as someone is always watching you and the tight unit she has with her mother and grandmother is all that she can cling too given her father Reiner is now a stern officer who will not hear a bad word said about what is unfolding and how Germany is changing. A chance meeting with Jewish photographer Ezra Stein as he waits to take pictures of a parade from the balcony of where the party is taking pace changes Hanni’s life forever. A love for photography is inspired although her future subject matter will haunt her forever. She knows the face being presented to the German people is very different from the truth and the horrific realities on the ground.

The book jumps forward and at first I found this disconcerting as I was prepared to read of Hanni’s experiences in the war but when I came to realise the focus would be on the aftermath of the war and how the city of Berlin was divided up between the Soviets, British and American’s I was able to settle down and get to grips with the main body of the story. Hanni had promised herself that when the war was finally over and if she was still standing that she would find her voice and share the stories that needed to be told, she would no longer be quiet. Instead she would share that she was opposed to the war and she would try and bring those who carried out such atrocities to justice. Primarily, her father is her target. One would think how can you go against your flesh and blood especially as you yourself would be viewed as being on the German side and aware of everything that went on? But this shows what a remarkable character she was, that she was willing to bare the wrath of Reiner and expose him. This would not be easy and danger lurked at every corner. The tension oozed from every page as you never knew what was around the corner for Hanni. You felt every bit of her fear and anguish but you were desperate for her to right so many wrongs in any way she could. Resolution was not found in this first book and I doubt it will be until the very end but I would love to be proven wrong in regard to this stance.

I’ve mentioned Freddy several times so where does he come into the story? It’s when Hani is in an abandoned building and discovers a body left in an unusual way and marked that she meets him. He is the detective that will investigate the case and the others that follow. Freddy is Jewish but changed his second name. He is still grappling with what happened to his family during the war and the fact that he comes into close contact with many SS officers and their families makes you really appreciate the genius of his character. He wrestles with his emotions and can’t keep them contained especially when the motives for the murders become clear. Is there actually a good reason for what is happening? How can Freddy push his own emotions to the side and solve the case?

You feel an instant connection between Freddy and Hanni but know it can’t be acted upon given their backgrounds. As Hanni is employed by the police for her photographic skills she is drawn ever closer working side by side with Freddy. She longs desperately to tell him who exactly she is given he has been so open with where he has come from and what he has been through. They truly are so near but so very far apart and you just wish that two people who have feelings for each other could act on them and see in what direction things may go in but given all the recent history you are wary whether this will happen. Hanni wants more than a working relationship with Freddy but will the burden of keeping secrets whilst at the same time trying to seek revenge on her father prove all too much?

The synopsis for The Commandant’s Duaghter read like it was one book but in fact delving between the pages it proved to be a totally different read. Despite the tough subject matter and all the descriptions of what happened at Theresienstadt and what Freddy had experienced too I found this to be a brilliant read. Yes, we may have known who the murderer was and the reasons for his actions and normally this would spoil a book but Catherine Hokin really made this work. Her writing and the carefully constructed plot and the motivations and reasons for everything were there for a well selected reason. Every point she made, every scene and all the brilliant characters present were so well formed and backed up and made for a read with assured tension and plenty of crafty twists. I hope we won’t be left waiting too long for book two as things were left on a cliff hanger and I can’t wait to get back and read more about Hanni and Freddy and what is ahead for them.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I Loved "The Lost Secretary" and "The Lost Mother," so I was excited to read this book. Unfortunately, I found it hard to get into the story and at times found it very slow moving. I would give it 2.5 stars. I didn't love any of the characters. Hanni grew up extremely privileged during WWII and never experienced the suffering that most felt during the war. She knew what was happening to other people due to her constant picture taking. She took all those photos and they sit collecting dust. She doesn't publish them so the world can see the truth of what was happening. Hanni just lets them sit there to collect dust. Her father is pure evil and such a horrible man. There's so many questions about Freddy. How did her survive? It's obvious that Freddy and Hanni like each other but neither of them want to admit it to the other. Plus, Hanni refuses to tell Freddy the truth about her identity. I have a feeling Freddy might be related to Jannick or maybe knew who he was. Then he will blame Hanni for Jannick's death. It's just a guess, so it might be a farfetched idea. I hated the ending. Hopefully this is a series so that that truth can come out about Hanni's dad. Even though I didn't love this book, I would read the next one in the series to see how everything ends.

Recommend giving the book a try, especially if you are a fan of the author's previous books. This one just wasn't for me. 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.

[S.P. Moss · Rating 2 out of 5]

“The Commandant’s Daughter” is a bit of everything - murder mystery, revenge story, love story - all set against an historical background. This historical background is what drew me to the book: it’s set in Berlin in 1946/7 in the post-WW2 and pre-DDR period of chaos and confusion. The theme of the Allies occasionally turning a blind eye to ex-Nazis’ pasts if they had useful talents is an interesting one as the backdrop for the plot.

I enjoyed the start of the book, but it soon became rather bogged-down in over-exposition and repetition of the characters’ emotions and moral dilemmas. For me, the characters themselves felt rather stereotyped: the feisty heroine, the angsty Jewish hero, the nasty Nazi. And the story seemed to be written through a 21st century lens regarding the characters’ thought processes (“Germany is going to need a brave new breed of storytellers in the years to come” - there is lots of talk of voices, stories and narratives having to be heard, which feels very contemporary).

Although the novel is well-researched in many aspects, some things just didn’t feel authentic. I may be over-critical as I’ve lived in Germany for many years. For example, the formal address (and not using the first name) is still very much in evidence today, 75 years later. And what happened to the Umlaut on Fräulein?

I did appreciate the unusual historical setting, the use of three characters’ points of view and the time shifts, which gave the novel more depth. However, it does feel more like a murder mystery first and historical novel second.

[Mica's Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Catherine Hokin, Bookouture, and Netgalley for the chance to review this advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Hanni Winter is a photographer who came into her craft during her former life in World War II. In her former life, she is Hannahlore Foss, daughter of SS Commandant Reiner Foss, a man who oversaw the horrors of the Theresienstadt ghetto. When Hanni learned what kind of man he was and what he was capable of she made an oath that she would show the world who he was and what he had done.

Years later, Hanni is working as a photographer when she comes upon a dead body and ends up working with the police to determine what happened. This dead body was that of a former SS officer who was not held responsible for his actions. This begins the run of a serial killer set on holding these men responsible.

The beginning of this book had a lot of promise and kept my attention. Once we got to the second half of the book, it lost a lot of steam. The serial killer storyline could have been wrapped up in fewer chapters and I would have preferred that the Reiner storyline was wrapped up. It was a decent read but not something I would go out of my way to read again.

[Lee Husemann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a totally different storyline from any of the many WWII HF books that I have read. I did enjoy it but the book did not grab me like I would have liked it too. I did not connect with any of the characters and really did not like any of them. I understand this is the first in a series.

[dorothy cannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very average read!

The premise of this book is that Hannilore is the daughter of an Ss Commandant and cannot tell anyone for fear of recriminations.
She falls in love with a Jewish police inspector and sets about to catch a murderer
The book was different but not very interesting.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Heart-breaking, intensely emotional and wholly mesmerizing, The Commandant’s Daughter is the latest historical tale of courage, hope and love from talented historical novelist Catherine Hokin.

It’s 1933 and Adolf Hitler is Germany’s newest leader. Ten year old Hanni is watching the celebrations unfold alongside her father, unaware of the devastation and tragedy that will unfold in the coming years. Hanni watches as her father Reiner falls under Hitler’s spell and loses every single shred of humanity as he becomes the commandant of a concentration camp. Her father, once so kind and loving, is now a corrupt and heartless man who allows the people in the camps to suffer dreadful deprivation, cruel assaults and all manner of torture, all in the name of power. Hanni cannot sit by and watch these poor people suffer and, when nobody is looking, takes photographs which she intends to develop when the time is right in order to tell the world the truth about her father’s reign of terror.

Twelve years later and Hanni has escaped her father’s house and is hiding in Berlin. Still haunted by the cruelty and despair she had witnessed at the concentration camp, Hanni is determined to get justice for the people she couldn’t help as a child. As a plan is put into motion to expose him, a body is discovered in a bombed-out building that could jeopardise her brand new life. With the police looking into this case, Hanni crosses paths with a young detective called Freddy who awakens feelings deep within her she had never experienced before…

As the day to publish her photographs finally arrives, Hanni is shocked to her very core when Reiner Foss comes back into her life. With a powerful new identity that makes him more dangerous than ever, Hanni finds herself torn between her quest for justice and her future with Freddy.

Can Hanni right old wrongs? Or will malevolent forces from the past succeed in destroying her life once and for all?

High quality historical fiction does not get any better than this. The Commandant’s Daughter tells the story of a brave and courageous heroine who is so inspirational. Hanni is a young woman who never lets the odds that are stacked against her or the many difficulties she faces get in the way of her objectives. Strong, resilient and compassionate, she is a wonderful heroine who will linger in the mind and heart long after the last page is turned.

Skillfully evoking the horrors and terrors of Nazi Germany without resorting to melodrama or sensationalism, The Commandant’s Daughter is a dramatic, poignant and heart-wrenching historical novel from the talented Catherine Hokin readers will certainly never forget.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Greta Mewing · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d give this 3.5 stars. It is a whodunnit with an interesting storyline set directly after WWII and capturing the mixed reactions of a nation who’d just emerged from Nazi dictatorship into a world where those who’d followed hitler were either punished or in hiding.

The main character Hanni annoyed me though. I found the relationship she had with her father really strange - there didn’t seem to be any love lost between the two, and she was an obvious threat to him, yet neither made a move to get rid of the other. I found her character very untethered - she seemed to float along without any friends or family (which even after surviving WWII as a German seems strange), she sympathised with Jews yet couldn’t be honest about her past or future with her love interest, and was really secretive and closed - pushing anyone who got close away without explanation.

Hanni’s father was also a bit of an enigma. Supposedly really senior within the Nazi regime but still managed to evade justice or anyone recognising and denouncing him in post-war Berlin. I just don’t buy it that someone with the profile and power he had would be able to blend back into life so easily and still wield the type of power and connections he supposedly had. Even with the fake persona he created for himself as an explanation of who he was - I find it impossible no one who’d encountered him or survived the camps would recognise him. There were holes all through this.

I also found the growing love interest between herself and Freddy super frustrating. Apart from a few short lived and mistaken kisses, the two seemed to orbit around each other like opposing magnets. Freddy has suppressed and unresolved trauma from his time surviving the war while Hanni was secretive and closed off to him every time they started to forge a connection - I don’t even think I was that invested in them finally acting upon their “chemistry” because I really felt like there was any spark. They were two diametrically opposed good looking people stuck together trying to solve a case - but does that necessarily make a match made in heaven?

While I appreciate the narrative covers a period in time that was somewhat forgotten after the war, and puts to play an interesting moral dilemma, I didn’t love the book. It was hard to finish and to follow, and I found the characters all fairly unlikeable.

[Mandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Hanni Foss witnesses for herself the atrocities that her own father is involved in during the war she makes a vow to herself that somehow she will ensure that he pays for his crimes. When the war is over she takes her mothers maiden name to distance herself from him and finds a quiet job working in a photographic studio. When she comes across the body of a murders SS officer she soon finds herself working closely with Freddy Schlussel, an Inspector in the reformed police force who is also hiding his true heritage. As more former SS officers are murdered they both have to decide if they really want the perpetrator to be captured or if their brand of vengeance would save everyone else the time and effort to bring them to justice.
I have to admit that at the start of this book I was unsure where it was going to lead, if the murders of the SS officers or Hanni bringing her father to justice was going to be the main thread and I think that it was this initial uncertainty that kept me turning page after page. In a time where it was still unsure who could be trusted and the country was being run by different authority, the politics of who was in charge where and how much co operation they would give was certainly at times a bit of a hinderance to the investigations.
I enjoyed watching both the personal and professional lives of Hanni and Freddy as they developed. With both of them trying to keep their past a secret but their connection very evident there were times that you wondered if their differences were just too much. Freddy’s anger at the victims and their families was understandable and you could feel him having to rein in his private thoughts in order to get the job done. Hanni frustrated me in as much for all her compassion for Freddy and her determination to see justice done, when it came to letting the world know about her father she is not as brave. Whilst I can understand that thanks to the stories her father has managed to tell she is concerned for her own safety I can only hope that she eventually manages to do the right thing.
As this is the first in a series of books featuring Hanni and Freddy it will be interesting to see how their relationship develops and if indeed Hanni will ever reveal her past to him and get the justice for her fathers’ victims.