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Fast-paced, blood-pumping read. This book did a better job than most telling the story of traumatic amnesia, and the character's battle with herself, her mind and her memory is done well. The end was a bit rushed, and didn't have time to flesh out the impact of her experience. There was a bit too much exposition toward the finish, like the author wanted to wrap up the book quickly. Otherwise, great thrilling story!

This book was WILD. It picked up the tone so quickly, so fast I was not ready. Jamie's flagrant disregard for his own safety & willingness to go to the extreme to save his sister touches my heart. The ending was unexpected and I like how Phoebe ended up bringing the whole nightmare to a close by using game theory herself. I wish the book was longer and gave Jamie more time to show his own skill, but I still loved it!

Wow, this story just got so much more intense. The way the author describes the degradation of the Delaware family members after Phoebe's disappearance one by one is deep and cuts to the bone. In particular, I find the way Jamie slowly and steadily falls apart, not eating or sleeping, constantly on edge, so heart-wrenching. We can feel his guilt emanating on every pg, but also the fierce love he has for his sister.

This book's intro is what drew me in: sitting in the middle of the night, gripping a gun and contemplating what it would be like to shoot someone. The author grabs us with a vice-like grip, and then steps back to set the stage for the story. The narrator's voice is simple, contemporary, and contemplative, but it charmed me from the start.

The new character introduced in these recent chapters is intriguing. A man named Dimitri living alone in a dusty, broken down home with a bunch of ragtag dogs he picked up from all over the place. I wonder what role he will play in the upcoming chapters...

Testing

Things are becoming more and more intense, especially as Mycroft implores Sherlock to stop the investigation. I wonder what this enigmatic House of Silk organization is...?

Fantastic. I greatly enjoyed this book. It packs a powerful punch, even though it's a relatively brief read. The cruelty and horror of war is encapsulated in a unique dual perspective, and stays true to the history of the time. I loved the last line: "She explained to me the reasons why she believed it had to be done [write a book], and why this strange--and sometimes ugly--story had to be told."

That identity reveal was so pulse-racing! The scene was very realistic and introduced a dramatic obstacle to the picture, making his two identities finally at odds with one another. I also find it interesting how when he is discovered, he doesn't care what happens to him. Really demonstrates the sense of loss and defeatism German soldiers felt at the time.

The plot thickens. Erik's time in the Russian ward is an important time for his character development. He gains empathy for the enemy and sees the ppl behind the uniform. The suffering and neglect the patients go through is harrowing. The scene that got me was when the paralyzed man screamed at the general to take off the award he bestowed on him, as well as Nikolai quietly crying to himself after losing both legs.

Very struck by this turn of events. Now his identity as half Russian is at odds with his identity as a German soldier. The sudden shift is enough to give readers a whiplash. The evolution of scared foot soldier to fast-thinking survivor is very powerful, and the story continually builds intensity. My favorite line : "I was caught in the middle of a lie, pretending to be unable to remember things I wished to forget."

The horror of this novel's perspective is absolutely gripping. The way it's told from beginning to end the journey a young German soldier must take at the end of a losing war is razor sharp and flatly brutal. The devastating attitude of traumatized veterans is heart-wrenching and painful. I also find the dual identity conflict intriguing and am curious to see how that plays out in the rest of the story.

This book is fantastic. The writing stays true to the time period, adding descriptive details and illustrations to the story. Dialogue is clever and the characters sharp. I also love how the author builds the care and friendship the two partners have for each other, which is not always evident in other variations of this story. This book is much easier to understand than Conan Doyle's version, which can be complex.