Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Complete their mission or lose everything.

Berlin, 1943

An encounter with an old friend leaves German physicist Dr Kristopher Lehrer with doubts about his work. But when he confronts his superior, everything goes horribly wrong. Suddenly Kristopher and Michel, a member of the Resistance, are on the run, hunted for treason and a murder they did not commit. If they’re caught, Kristopher’s knowledge could be used to build a terrible weapon that could win the war.

For the team sent by the Allies—led by Captain Bryant, Sergeant Lowe, and Dr Zhou—a simple mission escalates into a deadly game against the Gestapo, with Dr Lehrer as the ultimate prize. But in enemy territory, surviving and completing their mission will test their strengths and loyalties and prove more complex than they ever imagined.

 

 

First edition published by Dreamspinner Press, January 2012.

Second edition published by DSP Publications, May 2016. This story has been re-edited, and uses UK spelling to reflect its setting.

 

Book Review

The Berlin of 1943, looked at from today’s perspective, is part of a very different world than the one we live in today. ‘Shadowboxing’ is set in a time I only know from history books and the stories told by my parents, who were teenagers when the war ended. It is a tale of love and betrayal, survival and revenge. It has a whole group of fascinating characters some of whom are linked through family and past events, several complicated subplots, and is clearly the beginning of what looks like a very promising series. It isn’t often that I read historicals, but I was curious about this one – what with the scientist struggling with his conscience and lots of action and suspense. Anne Barwell has done lots of excellent world building to let this historic time come alive, and it felt eerily realistic to me.

Kristopher is the son of one of the richest men in Berlin, and has grown up in luxury. His mother died when he was born, and he doesn’t have an easy relationship with his father – in fact he hates the man’s right-wing politics. Kristopher is also a brilliant scientist who, like many of his calling, is all about the numbers and less about the consequences of what he is working on. His focus is making the world a better place, and discovering how to produce enormous amounts of energy would do that. The fact that what he is working on can also be used as a weapon of mass destruction is something he tries to ignore. Until he can no longer do that because he finds conclusive proof that his boss intends to hand over the results of their research to the Nazi leadership. That is not something Kristopher can support, but from the moment he decides to do something about it, his life changes. Yes, he starts out very naïve, but he is not stupid, and a lot more stubborn and resilient than he would have thought before his life unravels and he ends up hunted by the Gestapo.

Michel is a member of the Resistance determined to help as many people as possible escape the terrors of the Nazi regime. His latest assignment is to keep an eye on Kristopher – who surprises him with his readiness to abandon everything he ever knew once he finds out what the Nazi’s were planning to do with his work. But Michel has begun to get to know Kristopher for the kind of man he really is and is determined to keep him safe. His feelings are way more than professional, not something that anyone can find out about, whether they are Nazis, Germans, or Allies. Through all the danger, the risky escapes, and the hiding when possible, Michel gets closer to Kristopher than he ever hoped – and even though they can’t show their feelings to anyone else, they can confide in each other.

Be warned: nothing is solved by the end of this first book. There is no real cliff-hanger such as an interrupted scene, but the “somewhat peaceful ending” is temporary and the story of Kristopher and Michel is by no means over. Neither is that of most of the other characters in this book. There are open questions, remaining riddles, nobody is truly safe, and much has still to happen before I can sigh in relief and relax.

If you like your historicals to be realistic and gritty, if you want to know more about two men who are hunted for more than one reason while discovering their feelings for each other, and if you’re looking for a read that is suspenseful, thought-provoking, and will keep you on the edge of your seat, then you will probably like this novel.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 308 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	08-November-2020
Price	$4.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Shadowboxing-Echoes-Rising-Book-1-ebook/dp/B08LCRT1ZZ