The Girl from Berlin explores the partnership between Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggart in trying to solve the mystery of missing Ada Baumgarten from Berlin in 1918 in an attempt to help Taggart's aunt in an eviction process from her Tuscany villa.

Balson's complexly rich storytelling blends two unlikely settings into a wonderful story of deceit and hope, love and redemption, family and support in an ugly period of human history when a talent could mean the difference between life and death.

I enjoyed the explorations of the Berlin Philharmonic and musicianship featuring in Ada's story, as a classical violinist myself, and appreciated the little mercies of some of the Nazi's recognition and appreciation of talent, in the midst of the horrific atrocities they committed in the name of the pursuit of perfection.

This was the first Lockhart and Taggart novel I have read and I am sure I will seek others.

Didn’t love this like I thought I would. I read a lot of duel timeline WWII books but the storyline just didn’t keep my attention. I think because it’s the 5th book in a series (which I didn’t know) the main characters didn’t feel fully developed to me.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Love the characters Liam and Catherine. There are lots of twists and turns in a story that will keep you guessing until the end. War time is full of horrific things that happened to the people in World War II. Highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of this book in return for an honest opinion.

There is always another captivating story about WWII and the evils and horrors of the Nazis. This is one of them. The Girl from Berlin is the 5th book in a series but it is fine as a stand-alone novel. I had not read or even heard of the earlier books. The drawback is that the author assumes the reader has read the preceding books and doesn't do much to develop the two main characters of Liam, a private investigator, and his wife Catherine, a Chicago attorney. I was well into the book before reading that they were married.

The book tells two stories. The first, and contemporary story, is that Catherine and Liam are asked to go to Tuscany to help their friend Tony's aunt from losing her land to a huge million-dollar conglomerate. The second story begins in 1932. The aunt has asked Catherine to please read a memoir in preparation for helping her. It is the story of Ada, a brilliant violinist and a Jew. The two stories are told every other chapter and we learn at the end how they are connected.

The two stories are well thought out and I guess it doesn't matter how many heartbreaking stories one reads of the Jews and WWII. There are no happy endings. It is always horrifying to be reminded of the depth of hatred and fear spread by the Nazis. And the total corruption of almost everyone connected with that kind of power. We are witnessing it again today in many places in the world. These stories are important reminders.

Ada's story is compelling and it is an easy reading book. I wanted to know how it would all end. There were a few surprises.

This isn't great literature but a very good story.

This was an enjoyable historical fiction novel taking place in two time periods, past (WWII era) and present. As is often the case, the story of Ada in the past is the stronger one. Although there were times the story dragged, I still thought this was a good read and the story reminds us of the very heart wrenching times in history.

I absolutely love it when authors combine modern-day storylines with historical mysteries. It makes everything come alive for me, and that's what happened with The Girl from Berlin. I learned a lot while reading this book, but the writing wasn't flowing and lush, like I enjoy. It was more factual, which is fine, but not as enjoyable to read. Also, I felt like the historic dialogue felt way too modern and pulled me away a bit. Interesting, but forgettable.

My September read didn't disappoint. Although it took me a while to read it - I have absolutely enjoyed the story and the twists it came with.

Ada Baumgarten who was basically born, raised and made her name in the prestigious Berlin Philharmonic found herself in a difficult position. As WWII approached, her religious background put her whole family in a dangerous position. Luckily, her phenomenal talent opened the door and gave her an opportunity to escape. No matter how far she ran, and how hard she worked on her future, Jewish shadow followed Ada everywhere. During a tragic time, Ada never gave up hope.

Ada's story of determination, strong will, and selflessness was meant to be shared and inspired. And that's when Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggart come to the main stage. Ada's story helps them to uncover Nazi crimes and at last, bring them to justice.

I know, there are a million and one Jewish stories out there. And every story is special and worth being heard, inspired, and most importantly learned from.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This story is a mixture of history and present day. It was beautifully written and is about love and war spanning two continents. This was the first book that I have read by Ronald Balson and I hope that I have the opportunity to read others. The Girl from Berlin is number 4 in the series of his characters Liam and Catherine however, I felt that I did not need to read the others to understand what was happening. Catherine Lockhart a prominent attorney and Liam Taggart a PI are called upon to help a dear friends aunt who is trying not to lose her Italian villa to a huge and powerful Corporation. They claim to have the deed to her home and land but so does she.. The legal system in Italy is different than expected and going up against corporate giants is harder than expected. A diary o a young Ava Baumgarten is placed in their hands in hopes that it will solidify what is being said. At this point in the book we are reading from alternating time frames and characters. This is where the writer excels and truly captives the reader. I felt as though I was there rooting for them in every way. This truly is a story equal to David and Goliath. The story is very gripping and will keep your interest throughout.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Another one of the popular WWII stories set in two time periods, the current day and WWII.

Ada Baumgardner, main character and accomplished Jewish violinist, presented an unrealistic life view. “With my violin under my chin, I was never nervous, I was totally at ease.” I don’t want to give away spoilers, so I’ll just say, she never had to deal with failure as opportunities continuously came her way. Despite her musical abilities, she writes in the simplest way. “I was seated next to an older man, Gustav. I met him in practice. He was nice.” (Here I wondered if the book should be considered a young adult one because of the simple language and explanations, its young protagonist and the very clean sexual allusions.)

The second half of the book moved slightly quicker than the first in which the dialog was often stilted. After a performance for Nazi elite, Ada wrote, “I had mixed emotions. On the one hand, I was peeved. We deserved compliments! On the other hand, I was relieved. I would not have to smile and pretend to be flattered by such evil people.” The Girl from Berlin has a cold, organized Jewish mother who decides to argue with SS guards. Not too many people lived to tell that tale.

The modern-day characters, female lawyer and tough guy husband were also shallow. I did get momentarily confused when numerous Italian characters were added.

Much to the dismay of this reader-musician, the descriptions of Ada playing music were lackluster and didn’t convey the magic that can happen. This reader’s opinion is that the book was predictable, with adequate writing and characters.

I have read all of Ronald Balson's books and I knew this one would be great. It goes back and forth in history and deals with both the Holocaust and present day. It is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it.

Thank you for the opportunity to read The Girl From Berlin. Unfortunately, I did not download the book before it was archived in October 2018. I do not plan to finish the book.

The Girl from Berlin by Ron Balson

Brief Summary: Catherine Lockhardt and Liam Taggart agree to help the aunt of their friend Tony. Aunt Gabby is about to lose her Italian villa to a powerful corporation. She gives them the diary of Ada Baumgartner, a Jewish girl growing up in pre-WWII Berlin. Told in alternating storylines, the past and present collide. Ron Balson is one of my favorite authors. I have read the previous three books in this series, though this could certainly be read as a stand alone novel.

Highlights: I loved learning about the role of the orchestra in pre-WWII Berlin. It was also really interesting to learn about the climate in Berlin leading up to the war through both the experiences of Ada, who was of course Jewish and Kurt, who joined the ranks of Hitler’s youth groups. I love seeing Catherine and Liam work together; they are a great team. I also found the angles of international property law fascinating; Balson’s legal background shines through.

Explanation of Rating: 4/5; This book was certainly engrossing and thought provoking; but it’s not Once We Were Brothers or Karolina’s Twins.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review

This is a very solid book that I'm glad I got the chance to read. I've never read any of Ronald H. Balson's books before but this one will definitely lead me to read more.

Ronald Balson being one of my all-time favourite authors, I was so excited to hear about this book! The Girl From Berlin is Balson’s fourth book in the “Catherine and Liam Saga” as I like to call it. Taking place in pre-war Europe (mainly Germany, but also Italy), Balson explores the persecution of the Jewish people prior to the start of WWII and throughout the war years. Told in alternating time periods (present and past), Balson incorporates the legal battle over a vineyard property in Italy to his historical story of the Jewish people during the second world war.

Once We Were Brothers, Balson’s first book, had some striking similarities to The Girl From Berlin. I really enjoyed the characters and “watching” their story unfold. Balson is a master at historical legal battles and I find that he explains the “legal stuff” really well so that anyone can understand. While I did find there were some rushed parts to this story, and some too drawn out parts of this story, I really enjoyed this “new” view of the Second World War, focusing on the pre-war years in Germany vs the actual war years.

Balson does a great job of tying the two stories together, although I would have loved if it happened maybe 20 pages sooner to give the book a little more of a conclusion. While Once We Were Brothers will forever be my favourite Ronald Balson book, and one of my favourite books of all time, this book comes in a close second. Fans of historical fiction, historical legal thrillers and Ronald Balson himself should definitely read this book!

I enjoyed every minute of this book! I loved how the story blended with the present and the past in order to know the back story and what we're reading. I hope to see more by this author!

This was such a good book! This is book 5 in the Liam Taggart & Catherine Lockhart series and my first one to read. This book is easily a stand alone. I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not reading the first four books. This book went back and forth between 2017 and the life of Ada Baumgarten and her family during World War II as Jews in Berlin. I found both storylines fascinating. I've read before in a memoir that the legal system in Italy is a little hard to navigate with some lawyers not caring and some who can be paid off. I was frustrated with Ada and her father where were both professional violinists. They kept saying they would leave Berlin and Germany after the season was done or with one more performance left. They also kept thinking Hitler wasn't going to last, people wouldn't believe him, people wouldn't get behind him. Of course behind on this side of the Holocaust it's easy to yell RUN every time I read they were going to wait a few months or a few days. Or Ada saying she could easily go back into Berlin after moving to Italy. Balson does a great time showing how naive the Jews were until it was too late. He does a great job in showing just how bad conditions became and how slowly people became such racist people. Best friends shunning their Jewish friends and neighbors. There were a lot of parallels from how Hitler and the Nazis grew and changed the way people thought, the way hate grew to some of what is happening here. Balson showed how easy people got complacent and things changed before people even knew what was going on. I would highly recommend this book. It was so well written, and the characters were so well rounded that I cared for the many of them and didn't like some of them.

The fifth book in the Catherine and Liam series, this brilliantly written novel is a story within a story, both historical fiction and mystery.


Catherine Lockhart, a lawyer, and her husband, Liam Taggert, a private investigator, are tasked with saving their friend's elderly aunt, Gabriella Vincenzo, from eviction of her Italian villa and vineyard property by a giant corporation with countless corrupt lawyers. In their effort to help Signora Vincenzo, Catherine and Liam soon discover that nothing is as it seems and just how difficult to navigate the Italian legal system can be.

Signora Vincenzo hands Catherine and Liam the memoir of a young girl, written during the Nazi regime, in the hopes that it will solidify her claim to the property. Together with Catherine and Liam, we discover the moving and heartbreaking story of Ada, a young Jewish violin prodigy, who tries to become the first woman to hold a permanent position with an orchestra, all the while trying to survive as a Jew in 1930s Nazi Germany. Ada’s father, himself a gifted musician and the first chair violinist of the Berlin philharmonic Orchestra, and Ada both remain committed musicians despite the deepening crisis for Jews in Nazi Germany. Often, their commitment highlights that at the time, no one thought possible the atrocities that were to come, the systematic incarceration and murder of millions of people across most of Europe. The two plot lines alternate between present day Italy and 1930s Germany and Italy.



Balson’s strong characters grippingly tell the beautiful and tragic story. I was hooked instantly and the plot is very interesting legally, as well as historically. It made me think about the restitution of art stolen by the Nazis that is still a problem today. The descriptions of the gorgeous Italian landscape and delicious Italian food made me want to go straight back to Italy and to immediately eat lots of delicious Italian food.

This was the first Balson book for me and I will definitely read more of the series. Highly recommended.



I would like to thank NetGalley, Ronald H. Balson and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

I also want to mention that the eBook formatting was great, which often isn't the case with ARCs.

Catherine Lockhart, one of Chicago's top lawyers, and her husband, Liam, travel to a little town of Pienza, Italy. Tony, the owner of their favorite restaurant, Cafe Sorrento, has an aunt there in desperate need of Catherine's help. Tony's Aunt Gabi is being forced out of her beloved home, and the 70 acres of land it sits on, by a billion dollar corporation named VinCo. VinCo claims that Gabi's deed is invalid, and that they have the rights to the land. She has 60 days to leave. Gabi's lawyers in Italy have been no help and have given up on her case. Catherine does not know a lot about Italian law and has no license to practice in the country, but agrees to help and steps up to the challenge.

As Catherine and Liam are leaving for Italy, Tony shows up with a package he is to hand directly to Catherine from Gabi. It is a book titled "My Meditation: A Work For Solo Violin" and Aunt Gabi wants her to read it. Confused as to what the book has to do with the case, Catherine begins to read.

It is a memoir, written by a woman named Ava Baumgartin, a Jewish violin prodigy, starting in prewar Berlin in 1918, when she is 11 years old. What does a famous Jewish musician from Germany have to do with Gabi's property? According to Gabi, The information Catherine needs, is all in the book somewhere. Catherine just has to discover it.

I loved reading Ava's story along with Catherine, piecing everything together, bit by bit as the investigation continued. Searching for any clues Ava's story could provide. "The Girl From Berlin" is heartbreaking, yet beautiful. A reminder that even in the darkest times, love survives.