Book Review – Life Under Nazi Occupation

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Paul Roland is the author of more than 40 books. Life Under Nazi Occupation: The Struggle to Survive During World War II was published in 2020. It is the 17th book I completed reading in 2023.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! I categorize this book as G.

After the German Army had swept over Europe, what was it like to live under their domination? That is what author Paul Roland tries to answer in this book. He looks at how the people in the occupied countries responded.

Some young women chose to fraternize with their enemies. Young Aryan (or Aryan-looking) women were encouraged to have sex with Germans, to grow the Aryan population. On the other hand, Germans having sex with Jews or undesirables were subject to severe punishment.

Many men and women in the occupied lands took incredible risks seeking to strike back through participation in Resistance groups. The Germans offered the locals inducements to cooperate, to betray their countrymen. Those that failed to toe the Nazi line were subject to intimidation and brutality. The Nazis were especially harsh on the Jews and others they considered undesirable.

I enjoyed the 6.5 hours I spent reading this 261-page WWII-era history. The book was dry but informative. I think that the chosen cover art is both interesting and eye-catching. I give this book a rating of 3.8 (rounded to 4) out of 5.

Similar Books

1. Hitler’s Court: The Inner Circle of The Third Reich and After
2. Hitler and His Women
3. Nazi Sex Spies: True Stories of Seduction, Subterfuge and State Secrets
4. Sex Under the Swastika: Erotica, Scandal and the Occult in Hitler’s Third Reich
5. Nazi Wives: The Women at the Top of Hitler’s Germany
6. Hitler’s Housewives: German Women on the Home Front – reflections on the German homefront by young women

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

If you have an interest in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest.

• The “World War II Resources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 600 links to museums, memorials, websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and other sources with information on the World War II era in history.
• The “World War II Timeline” page expands frequently and shows events leading up to WWII, as well as during the war. Events are broken down into the Pacific and European Theaters by date.
• The “About WWII” page is a collection of links to posts that I have made over the years that are relevant to WWII. Included are links to many fiction and non-fiction books on WWII that I have read and reviewed. There are also links to WWII oriented podcasts.

Book Review – Star Quest: All That Remains

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Patricia Lee Macomber is the author of a dozen novels. Star Quest: All That Remains was published in 2020 and is the second in her Star Quest series. It is the 16th book I completed reading in 2023.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! I categorize this novella as G. The main character is Captain Steve Hunter of the starship Endeavor.

The Endeavor comes across an alien spacecraft. It is adrift, and they investigate. They find the entire crew dead. The Endeavor’s physician, Dr. Klein, has ruled out a virus or other biological cause. The only unusual thing noticed was the dust that permeated the alien ship. After the team investigating the alien spacecraft returns to the Endeavor, strange things begin happening.

Crew members act differently, and Endeavor’s course is changed. The dust is seen on the Endeavor as well. The crew comes to the conclusion that it is a unique life form. After arriving at the alien home world, Hunter and Commander Bishop travel to the surface. They are welcomed at first, but then both are imprisoned.

Will the crew of the Endeavor regain control and be able to save Hunter and Bishop?

I enjoyed the 4.5+ hours I spent reading this 155-page science fiction novella. I thought long and hard about calling a Rule of 50 on this, but because of its short length I persisted to the end. It reminded me a lot of the Original Star Trek TV episode, but it felt like a satire of them. The chosen cover art is engaging. I give this novel a rating of 3 out of 5

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review – Assault by Fire

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – H. Ripley Rawlings https://riprawlings.com is the author of three novels. Assault by Fire was published in 2020 and it is the first volume in his Tyce Asher series. It is the 15th book I completed reading in 2023.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence and mature language, I categorize this novel as R. The primary character is 26-year-old U.S. Marine Major Tyce Asher.

Asher is still on active duty even though he lost part of his leg in Iraq. He is on an exercise with the National Guard and a group of Marines when the unthinkable happens. The US is attacked. A Russian computer expert has developed a sophisticated simulator and planned a sneak attack. Troops are landed and aircraft attack critical facilities.

Asher takes his remaining men into the West Virginia mountains and forms a resistance unit. They are able to merge with a special forces unit that was in the field for training. He leads his men in attacks on Russian patrols and becomes a major irritant to the invaders. Among the way the remains of a Navy medical until joins the rebels. It is led by the surgeon Commander Victoria Remington. As they spend time together and suffer through combat with the Russians, a romantic connection develops with Asher.

I enjoyed the 8 hours I spent reading this 370-page thriller. The plot is full of action. The author brings experience from his extensive military background to the plot. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.5 (rounded to 5) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review – A Hole in the Universe

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – J. H. Wear https://www.jhwear.com is the author of more than a dozen novels. A Hole in the Universe was published in 2020. It is the 14th book I completed reading in 2023.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to some mature language, I categorize this novel as PG. The primary character is spacecraft captain Jaret McLeod.

McLeod had been an asteroid miner aboard the ship Gladiator until an accident put him on sick leave. As he nears medical release, he is offered the opportunity to captain a mining vessel, the Nebula. While on a mining run, they save another mining ship.

McLeod becomes captain of the cargo ship McKenzie King. Later he is offered the chance to captain an experimental ship with FTL capabilities. It is the Hendrik A. Lorentz, and McLeod will take it on its maiden voyage.

Many spacers claim to have encountered USOs, Unidentified Space Objects. They move at incredible speed and have been sighted for years, but no one knows what or who they are. On Mars, fossil hunters discover alien stonework. Are the two connected?

I enjoyed the 8 hours I spent reading this 276-page science fiction novel. It took a bit of reading (44% of the book) before the plot began to kick in. Before that, the book focused on everyday life in space and on Mars. The chosen cover art is eye-catching. I give this novel a rating of 3.3 (rounded to 3) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review – The Luna Missile Crisis

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Rhett C. Bruno http://rhettbruno.com/ and Jaime Castle http://www.jaimecastle.com have together published more than 50 novels. The Luna Missile Crisis was published in 2020. It is the 13th book I completed reading in 2023.

I received an ARC of this book through ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.

The Russians are launching Yuri Gagarin in 1961 when an alien spacecraft suddenly appears in orbit. Unfortunately, a collision between the two craft ensues. The Russians at first see it as an attack. They fire nuclear weapons toward the West. While the missiles are destroyed, a radioactive ‘dead curtain’ in Eastern Europe results.

The aliens, the Vurbathi, need assistance repairing their ship. They offer technology in exchange for Earth’s help.

In the dead curtain, Sergeant Kyle McCoy and his team confront Russian troops. In the midst of the resulting skirmish, a Vurbathi appears. With it, secrets are exposed.

Three years later, Kyle McCoy’s twin brother Connor is trying to sell counterfeit Vurbathi technology. The deal goes sideways, and Connor must go on the run. He takes refuge with his brother, then betrays him by stealing his Department of Alien Relations ID. Using it Connor impersonates his brother and travels to the Moon for a diplomatic conference with the Vurbathi.

As the conference is beginning, an unknown group launches a sneak attack. Connor escapes with a beautiful KBG agent. They find themselves drawn into a conspiracy. It looks like only Connor can save the day.

I enjoyed the 12.5+ hours I spent reading this 488-page science fiction and alternate history novel. The plot is full of twists, and it is full of action. It was a refreshing read. I have read and enjoyed a few of Bruno’s other publications. They are Titanborn, From Ice to Ashes, and The Circuit: Executor Rising. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.5 (rounded to 5) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review – Back from 44

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – This is the only publication of author Nick Cressy. Back from 44 – the Sacrifice and Courage of a Few: A Story of Heroism in the Skies over Western Europe was published in 2014.The author is the nephew of the airman who wrote the source journal. This is the 12th book I completed reading in 2023.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! I categorize this book as G.

This is the journal of Nick Bentas, Staff Sergeant US Army Air Force. During WWII, he was part of the 320th Bomb Group based at Dijon- Longvic airfield in France. In the journal, he reminisces about his months in training as a Flight Engineer on a B-26. He talks about deployment to Sardinia, Corsica, and finally, France. He describes some of their missions. He also talks about how the crew became a tight group of friends. All of them were missing family back in the States.

I enjoyed the 7.5 hours I spent reading this 220-page WWII-era history. The book provides a first-hand look at the lives of a B-26 crew. There were moments of joy and sorrow. I like the chosen cover art. I give this book a rating of 4.3 (rounded to 4) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

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If you have an interest in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest.

• The “World War II Resources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 600 links to museums, memorials, websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and other sources with information on the World War II era in history.
• The “World War II Timeline” page expands almost daily and shows events leading up to WWII, as well as during the war. Events are broken down into the Pacific and European Theaters by date.
• The About WWII page is a collection of links to posts that I have made over the years that are relevant to WWII. Included are links to many fiction and non-fiction books on WWII that I have read and reviewed. There are also links to WWII oriented podcasts.

Book Review – Little Lost Souls

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Stacy Green https://stacygreenauthor.com/ is the author of more than two dozen novels. Little Lost Souls was published in 2023 and is the second book in her Lucy Kendall Crime Thriller series. This is the 11th book I completed reading in 2023.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence and mature situations, I categorize this novel as R. The primary character is Private Investigator Lucy Kendall.

Kendall started her career in Child Protective Services. The system made her burn out quickly. That was when she became a Private Investigator. The rules didn’t constrain her as much.

Over the past 18-months, Kendall had found five different pedophiles. They are all dead now. The system would have let them slip through its fingers. Kendall carried out the justice she knew they deserved. Now she is focusing on a child trafficking ring.

Kendall has gone undercover at a salon she believes is connected to the ring. When Sarah, the salon owner, is found murdered, evidence left at the scene implicates Kendall. This forces her into the precarious position of having to avoid the police while pursuing her investigation.

She does have other leads. There is the fifteen-year-old prostitute Riley. Kendall has approached her, but Riley is scared and not telling all she knows. Senator Mark Coleman is running a trafficking task force. But are his motives as humanitarian as they seem on the surface.

The leaders of the trafficking ring know Kendall is pursuing them. Can she save the children before the police catch up to her, or worse, the trafficking ring does.

I enjoyed the 7.5 hours I spent reading this 335-page mystery. I have had the opportunity to read The Girl in the Pink Shoes, the first novel in this series. It is every bit as good as this one. To enjoy this book, you should read it after Pink Shoes. The plot has many twists and turns, leading to an unexpected outcome. I do think that this novel ended abruptly. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.5 (rounded to 5) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review – The Journey of Atlantis

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Jeff Knoblauch https://www.jeffknoblauch.com has published two novels. The Journey of Atlantis was published in 2017 and is the first book in his Atlantis series. This is the 10th book I completed reading in 2023.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! I categorize this book/novel as G.

Astronomers at the Keck Observatory discover a new neutron star. After some calculations, they determine that the star is on a trajectory that will take it through the Solar System. In just 84 years, life will be extinguished.

If humanity is to survive, the people of Earth must put aside their differences and cooperate. A ship must be built and launched that will carry the seeds of humanity to a new home. Most get behind the effort, but some dissenters protest and take action against the project. Compared to Earth’s population, only a hand full will be saved on the starship Atlantis.

The novel gives a series of snapshots of progress and problems as the project progresses. These are spaced about ten years apart. As the years pass, old characters die, and new ones are introduced. They struggle with science and engineering problems. The looming deadline of the neutron star’s catastrophic arrival drives them to complete the project.

I enjoyed the 8 hours I spent reading this 301-page science fiction novel. This novel is different. It deals with many different people over almost 100 years. The story is more of a high-level summary of the project than a detailed plot. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4 out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Book Review – The Ultra Betrayal

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Glenn Dyer https://www.glenndyer.net is the author of three novels. The Ultra Betrayal was published in 2020 and is the second book in his Conor Thorn series. This is the 9th book I completed reading in 2023.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as ROSS agent Connor Thorn and MI6 Agent Emily Bright Are on a mission.

It is the fall of 1942. Swedish cryptographer Gunnar Lind has disappeared from Bletchley Park. What Lind knows about British code-breaking would harm the Allied war efforts if the Germans discovered what he knew. Thorn and Bright have been assigned the task of finding Lind. Double agent Kim Philly hears about the disappearance and secretly initiates a search for Lind by Russian agents.

Lind has managed to flee to Sweden. He works through his father-in-law to contact German intelligence. He wants to sell them what he knows. Bright has pursued Lind in Sweden, but is taken by the Germans. By this time, Thorn has also arrived in Sweden. He is trying to find both Lind and partner Bright. It becomes a three-way race between Thorn, the Russians, and the Germans as to who will get to Lind.

I enjoyed the 9 hours I spent reading this 380-page WWII-era thriller. The author includes several famous people of the time as minor characters. The novel has a good plot that is full of action. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.5 (rounded to 5) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

If you have an interest in the WWII era of history, you may find these three pages of interest.

• The “World War II Resources” page is a constantly growing collection of more than 600 links to museums, memorials, websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and other sources with information on the World War II era in history.
• The “World War II Timeline” page expands almost daily and shows events leading up to WWII, as well as during the war. Events are broken down into the Pacific and European Theaters by date.
• The “About WWII” page is a collection of links to posts that I have made over the years that are relevant to WWII. Included are links to many fiction and non-fiction books on WWII that I have read and reviewed. There are also links to WWII oriented podcasts.

Book Review – Battle for Earth: Journal One

(See all my Book Reviews and Author Interviews) – Hammer Trollkin https://hammertrollkin.com/ is the author of five novels. Battle for Earth: Journal One was published in 2020 and is the first in his Shockwave series. This is the 8th book I completed reading in 2023.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.

A group of teens is visiting a secret DARPA laboratory when explosions cover them in unique nanites. The explosions are caused by an alien attack. The bug-like invaders have technological superiority, but the teens become a force to be reckoned with as each develops unique powers.

The team, which comes to be known as Shockwave, is made up of an odd collection of characters. The leader, referred to as Mr. T, is a DARPA scientist. 17-year-old Elizabeth ‘Viz’ is Mr. T’s granddaughter. Her special skill is invisibility. Also part of the team is 16-year-old Mia, Viz’s younger sister. Known to the team as ‘Para’, her special skill is becoming super dense.

The 16-year-old identical twin boys Tom and Bill are known as ‘Rock’ and ‘Roll’. Their ability is nonlocality – they can transport. There is also Muncle. He is a spider monkey. But he is an exceptionally smart monkey with enhanced eyesight. Lastly is Mr. T, who can read a person’s mind if he can touch them. Lastly is Communal, a sentient artificial intelligence.

The Shockwave team strikes out against the invaders at every opportunity.

I thought that the 10.5 hours I spent reading this 265-page young adult science fiction novel were interesting. The plot and writing are tailored to young adult readers. The book is full of action. I do like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 3 out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).