The Girl from Berlin is the first book I have read by Ronald H Balson. I enjoyed this fifth installment from the Liam Taggart & Catherine Lockhart series. I give it five stars.

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.

#TheGirlFromBerlin #NetGalley, written by Ronald Balson, is basically written like a diary. It traces. The rise and fall of Hitler through the second world war.and returning property to it’s rightful owners. Two stories eventually connect. We begin in the present with Catherine and Liam who go to Italy to try to save property from being taken away. And the other story reveals itself in a memoir. Although the characters are ficticious, the history of the arrests and confinement and atrocities in the concentration camps throughout Europe are real.
The characters are so well developed. Much of the story takes place in Berlin and then continues on in Italy.
Ronald Balson continues to remind us that we must not be complacent. “Never forget”.
This book will publish in October of this year..

Crossing over between current day and pre-Nazi Germany, the author takes you on an amazing musical and historical journey!!! Based on the life of Ada and her friends and family through the struggles of being Jewish in an ever changing Berlin and Italy, not to mention being a young women violin prodigy trying to break into a man's world, you also are involved in the struggle of current day Gabrielle, trying not to lose her family vineyard in Italy. Beautifully written, interesting history, and memorable characters. Highly recommend!!!

This was exceptional! I could not put it down from the outset - except I had to, in order to digest that which I had read. The novel did a wonderful job of putting me in the heads of the characters during some incredibly difficult times of World War II. I love to learn as I read, and this was enlightening. I was particularly happy to learn more about Italy during WWII, as I've read less about it than other countries. Music was an important part of this book, and it was well researched and authentic.

Among the topics covered: the rise of the Nazi party to power during its early years; the life of musicians during the era; the horrific treatment of the Jewish people; the distress of those Germans who did not accept the Nazi beliefs; Italy during WWII. (I'll not add more as I fear I might give away too much information.)

I am so grateful to have read this! This was the fifth volume in a series, however I loved it as a stand alone novel. I've not read the other books, but I had no difficulty at all.

This was an advance readers copy given by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

There were several errors I saw, that I trust will be corrected in the final copy.

It is rare, I think, to find a story that tells it all, the good and the bad, eloquently. Also rare is the ability to alternate chapters and have them fit naturally, as hand-in-glove. The Girl from Berlin accomplishes both and does so beautifully.
We are swept into the lives of the residents of Berlin, Bologna, Rome, and the Tuscan countryside before and during the nazification of those and other areas. The culture, the historical sites, the patterns and habits of daily life are described with details that provide us with specific mental and emotional pictures. Taking us into the beautiful, vibrant lives of the settings of the story helps us to feel even more poignantly their demise under Nazi rule.
An indispensable component of the story itself and the cultural lives of the cities is the music. Ada is a prodigy, the daughter of Jacob Baumgarten, a renowned violin virtuoso. Both musicians are privileged to travel, hence the various locations and the vivid descriptions of life in each.
There are several stories within the title, each one well constructed and compelling on its own. The characters are convincing, contributing purpose and interest. The Girl from Berlin is an excellent story, one that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the privilege.

Another great read from Ronald Balson who has become one of my favorite authors. I adore his two main characters, Catherine, an attorney and Liam, a private investigator. They are a great team and compliment each other well! Mr. Balson's books are always page turners and this new novel does not disappoint. This novel focuses on World War II and involves a property dispute about some land in Italy. The story takes place mostly in Italy and gives insight about how Hitler impacted Italy during World War II. Along with a fantastic mystery, the author always develops strong female characters in his books. Ada,a young Jewish violinist is the strong female in this book and has a captivating story to tell. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or a great mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I cannot say enough good things about this book. I could not put it down and the characters remain with me. The plot is pitch-perfect describing the horrors of the Nazi regime. The story is interestingly told through the diary of Ada, a German Jew, who is an accomplished violinist. Her story intertwines with a modern day legal drama in Italy.
The characters draw you in and you experience both the best and the worst in humanity.

The Girl From Berlin is an engaging, pleasurable read. I was immediately drawn into the storyline. The story begins in modern day Italy. We meet Gabriella Vincenzo is an elderly woman caught in a legal battle over property rights to a plot is land she has lived on for decades. Vinco, a multi billion dollar wine company, has come forward with a deed to the plot of land that Gabriella lives on. The Vinco deed conflicts the deed that Gabriella has had for years. Despite Gabriella’s best efforts, a judge rules that Vinco holds the legal deed, and Gabriella is given 60 days to leave her property.

With no options left, Gabriella’s American nephew Tony asks his lawyer friend Catherine Lockheart and her private investigator husband Liam to fly to Italy to and offer their expertise to Gabriella. Catherine and Liam know up front that the odds are against them, but they feel obligated to help their friend Tony. Before Christina and Liam leave for Italy, Gabriella overnights them a manuscript. The manuscript details the memoir of a woman named Ada Baumgarten. Christina and Liam do not initially understand why Gabriella would send them this manuscript, and they cannot figure out what it has to do with Gabriella’s current situation. Gabriella encourages them to finish reading the manuscript.

The manuscript details the life of Ada Baumgarten, a Jewish woman from Germany, who has a gift for playing the violin. The manuscript follows Ada’s journey from her birth, through childhood, and into womanhood. Ada’s story is even more complicated as she grows up in the shadow of WW11 Germany and the horrors of Hitler. The memoir offers a unique, vulnerable, first person account of the trials of growing up Jewish at a time in history when it was deadly to be Jewish.

The story is emotional, and raw. I was completely drawn into Ada’s life story. The author depicts a depth and complexity to all the characters we meet. Christina and Liam allow Ada’s story to direct them in their current predicament to save Gabriella’s land. The storyline is very engaging and I found myself wrapped up in Learning the fate of both Ada and Gabriella, and how these two women are connected. A wonderful read that highlights the determination and strength of the human spirit.

Posted this to Goodreads. A wonderful story, thanks for sharing

I so,so much enjoyed this book and so will you! It has mystery in it,who done it and a really good story line to it that will warm your heart. During WWII you will follow two stories! Hate to tell everything in the book,cause if you do then why read the story? Written so well you will feel like you are in the story with them!! You won't regret reading this book!!

If you like a mystery within historical fiction,, you'll love this book. Alternating between 2017 and 1938, this book
delivers two engaging stories that intertwine for a satisfying read. Well drawn and sympathetic characters.
Highly recommended read.

On the surface this is a legal drama that is part of a larger series, but at its core this is a heart-breaking personal story about a gifted Jewish violinist's journey from Berlin to Italy. Told in both current day narrative and through a memoir, this story captures her struggle to survive the Nazis. It is also an education on various operas and a legal eagle mystery. All in all it was a wonderful book that both educated me and hit me in the feels.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martins press for review copy.
I love me a WW II era novel and this fit the bill.It is told in different time periods but is easy to follow..
This book has everything you want in a novel beautiful setting in Italy, engaging characters. History and intrigue.
Loved it and will read more by this author

I was immediately attracted by the title of the book and the cover, we see Catherine looking at the window.

It all starts when Catherine is called by an old friend Liam to help her. Her aunt having been expelled from her home for the Tuscan hills. They find an old German-bound manuscript that will lead them into an almost forgotten era the First World War.

At this time we find Ada who attached to his friend Kurt who will be targets because of this war.

Catherine and Liam are going to ask questions about her.

I loved the context of the story which was captivating, moving and filled with suspense and twists. The characters in each era were endearing.

What a beautiful story about the very best of humanity in the very worst of possible circumstances. There are many survivors of the Holocaust that are getting to the age where their story will become lost due to time and age …so this was a powerful story worth telling. You have two story lines were almost parallel in plot. ...you have Ada and her family trying to survive living in Germany and Gabi fighting to save her lands against a greedy corporation and their seedy lawyer. I loved the fact that this story was rich in historical detail …you could almost step into that era and go “yes” this was exactly how I pictured it!! This novel had an excellent story line …the characters were believable …and I liked the added harsh reality that life likes to throw in. I have huge respect for an author who is able to entertain us with their imagination …to put their creativity into such story telling …I am quite envious! I will be looking for more of Mr. Balson’s work in the future. I would rate this novel a solid 4-1/2 stars!

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

I truly was engrossed with this book from beginning to end. I am not a fan of the opera but I truly felt like I was there and in every city Ronald Balson wrote in this book. His descriptions just blew me away. I think this is truly my favorite book my him so far considering they are all incredible! Every book I read on the Holocaust whether true or not gives me a whole new look on such a sad war.. Thank you netgalley for letting me give an honest review of this book

Power couple Catherine and Liam are off to Italy to aid a friend needing urgent legal assistance. Their mission is t to solve the mystery of why VinCo, a massive wine corporation, is vying for a small plot of land where Gabriella Vincenzo, an elderly woman, resides. She has deep emotional attachments to her home and refuses to heed to VinCo's persistence.
Gabriella gives Catherine a document that she stresses is essential for her to read in order to understand why VinCo's wants her land so badly and why they must be fought.
Readers are taken to prewar Germany in the story of Ada Baumgarten, a young woman with a passion for playing the violin.
The book then switches between Catherine and Liam's legal mission and Ada's painful journey throughout World War II. Readers do not learn of the connection between Ada's story and Gabriella's land until the end of the book when it all seams together.

If I were to read this story a few years ago, I would have been appalled by what humans were capable of during World War II but also grateful that we had learned from Nazi Germany and could never fall for another megalomaniac like Hitler.
Today, I read this book with a deep feeling of dread. The current situation in the USA bears striking similarities to prewar Germany. Ada's father believes there is no way the Nazi party will gain enough supporters to have any impact on the country-

"...my father, like most of his friends, showed little concern. Hitler was a blowhard. Hidenburg would crush him in the election. This whole SA thing would go away."

Within a few years, Hitler had the ability to override the commonsense and humaneness of a large swath of people. Hitler wanted to "make Germany great again", This sent chills down my spine. 80 years into the future, will there be stories based on the horror to come that began with the promise to make America great again?

Even though I have not yet read the first books in the Catherine and Liam series, it did not matter very much. Ada's story was poignant and the mystery of how she connects to VinCo and Gariella made it difficult to put the book down. I am looking forward to reading more by Ronald H. Balson.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

The Girl from Berlin by Robert H. Balson is a wonderful book. It is the story about a brave Jewish family living in Berlin before and during and after WW 11. Ada, the central character is devoted to her music and a wonderful violin player. Her family is Jewish and they continually put off trying to leave Germany and move to the United States. Finally its to late for them. They seem not to be aware of the danger they are in because they are Jewish..For me reading the book was a tense experience.I never went to the end to see what happened to them but was very tempted. At that time Jews all over Europe were rounded up and sent to the camps where they would die.

This is the fourth of Ronald Balson's novels featuring Chicago attorney Catherine Lockhart and her private investigator husband Liam Taggart. The couple receive a request from a friend of Liam's to look into a situation in Italy where the friend's elderly aunt Gabi is being forced off her property by a large conglomerate claiming Gabi's deed to the property is invalid.

The book is written in two different time periods: the present and the 1930's and 1940's when the point of view is from a Jewish girl, Ada Baumgarten, who lives through the rise and takeover of the Nazis in Europe. Ada is a violinist who has grown up in Berlin, but relocates to Italy when the German Nazi's begin rounding up Jewish families and sending them to concentration camps. The author makes the points of view very clear, so there is no confusion for the reader.

Liam and Catherine are given Ada's diary which she wrote about her experiences during the 1930's and 1940's, and pursue the case of Gabi's land problems with its help. There is nothing predictable about this story. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was wrong.

Ronald Balson continues to amaze me with the original stories he comes up with regarding the Holocaust and the treatment of Jews during Hitler's reign. Each of his novels elicit all kinds of emotions from the reader: frustration, anger, pity, and empathy. I've learned to read his books with a box of tissues nearby.

"The Girl from Berlin" is a stand-alone novel, but once you get to know the Catherine/Liam team, you'll want to read their other stories, too. Balson presents a believable, compelling story that you won't want to put down.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing. Mr Balson is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. The way that he combines history and modern day is just remarkable. I love historical fiction and he writes about WWII like no other. Strong, moving characters. Liam and Catherine are just an amazing team, and it is wonderful that their story progresses more in every book with every new gripping case that they take on, The way Ada’s memoir led right up to the conclusion of the book made it a page turner. Reading about her character’s bravery and selflessness is something that stays with you once the story is finished. I already can not wait for his next book!