Courtesy of NetGalley, I received an ARC of Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook by Celia Rees. This post WWII era historical fiction has many references to the atrocities of Nazi Germany,revealed as the heroines of this engrossing novel search for war criminals..The recipes and their alterations from that era, used as a unique tool to transmit intelligence information, served to connect the timeline. The themes of intrigue, danger and betrayal kept me turning the page! I definitely enjoyed this story of strong women, their intelligence and friendship.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Miss Graham’s Cold War Cookbook is an engrossing historical novel set in post-World War II, with an impeccable sense of the time period, including, as the title implies, some wonderful recipes that represent both Edith’s proficiency at cooking and the code woven into them.

The story also delves into post-World War II Germany, something that tended to get glossed over in history classes I took, so I enjoyed getting insight into the complex political climate of that time and place in history.

While the story takes a little bit to get into, however, once I did, I enjoyed the ride, and especially the two determined women, Edith and Dori, at the center of the narrative.

Some aspects require a bit of suspension of disbelief, like how she goes from her ordinary life to being a spy without much training. And I wanted a bit more with the alter ego aspect, and I didn’t feel that was delved into enough.

This was a pretty good book, and one I would recommend to fans of World War II related historical fiction.

I really really really enjoyed this book!! There was something so endearing about Edith. this book takes place in post WW2 Europe. Edith gets recruited by the OSS to be a spy and send back her messages via recipes which i thought was such a cool way to stay covert. There was an element of suspense within this book, because once Edith is in Germany around the people noone is who they seem to be. I think Rees did a great job showing what it was like in Germany post WW2, the devastation of the towns and cities, the attempted resurgence of the Nazi party who had gone underground and were even angrier now than they were before the war. There were a few issues I wish that the author had dealt with prior to publishing such as a lack of proper training for the main character, the fact that she didn't really work to maintain her cover. However overall the writing kind of made me forgive these but not completely.

With Miss Graham’s Cold War Cookbook, Celia Rees adds a new angle to World War II historical fiction. The story opens on November 10, 1989, at the Grand Hotel Mirabeau in Lausanne, Switzerland. Aging Stella Snelling has recently laid four roses “in the black maw of the rusting oven” at Natzweiler-Struthof, a former concentration camp, and has arrived in Lausanne with drugs and hypodermic syringes to be used the next morning at a local clinic when she keeps the prepaid appointment for her own death.

Stella recalls people captured in a series of old photos, starting with American Adeline Curtis Croft Parnell, who had planned to die with her tomorrow, but had passed away a few months too soon after an illustrious career as a war correspondent in Germany, Korea, Vietnam, and El Salvador. She thinks of handsome Jewish soldier Harry Hirsch, “slippery and deceitful” American Tom McHale, British Leo Chase, who came to a bad end, and the von Stavenows—Elizabeth, “lovely as a Nordic film star,” and husband Kurt, “handsome as a viper,” in his Nazi uniform.

The clock then turns back nearly four and a half decades to December 1945. Edith Graham, a thirty-something modern language teacher in a girl’s school, is hired for a job with the Control Commission, Education Branch, and assigned to Lubeck just after the war’s end. Her mission is to organize and supervise the reopening of German public schools.

To Edith’s surprise, she is asked to take on a second mission. The nature of that mission and her evolving relationships with the people Stella recalls at the opening of the book and with the assortment of others Edith meets in Germany make up the rest of story.

Rather than a story of war-time Germany, Rees gives us a story of post-war Germany—of Edith Graham and Stella Snelling, of food eaten and uneaten, of devastation and attempted reconstruction, of poverty and abundance, of Germans and displaced Eastern Europeans, of conflicting motives governing the actions of occupying forces, of reckonings to be made and debts to be paid.

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Celia Rees for the Advance Reader Copy of this novel sure to captivate historical fiction lovers.

The premise of the book was good. It was interesting to read about how former Nazis were hunted by different countries to see how they could be put to "use". These books are always uncomfortable to read and it is upsetting to know that so many evil people were never brought to justice.
Overall, the book was too long. I think it could have been edited a little better. There were a few lengthy descriptions of what went on in the prison camps that I skipped over.

I loved this book. The women were so brave. I wish I could be one like them! I loved reading the recipes and how they were tied to relief, what an amazing thing to think of when in the midst of a savage war!

World War II is done. Edith Graham is single and decides to join the Control Commission for Germany where she will help rebuild the education system from buildings to furniture to teachers to books. This will be a cover as she will be hunting for a doctor who was high in the Nazi regime who she has quite a history with, but what side does she work for and what is the future for this doctor who is accused of doing many horrible things during the war.

For me this book was hard to read. I had such a difficult time figuring out who worked for who when everyone was about to double cross. I wish there had been a map and some chart of who was who or at least their titles because this really stunted my reading of the book.

I wanted more from Edith and Dori and their letters in code. There were only just a few chapters where Dori interrupted the recipes and gave the information - I wanted so much more than what was in the book. I felt as though it was the title and the heart of the book, but as the reader we just didn't get enough.

I would read more historical fiction from this author. I think her character development was great and I was connected with Edith and Dori and loved following their journey to find their Nazi doctor.

I enjoyed this book for many reasons. There was a use of recipes being used as a code for info being sent. Interesting storyline with Miss Graham going to work on the schools being rebuilt and she becomes a spy.

The one thing that I did not like was that I thought there were too many characters and at times it was hard to follow.

It is a book that I will recommend to friends.

After the end of WWII, Edith has applied and been accepted for a job with the Control Commission for Germany. The Commission oversees the occupation zone. Edith is recruited by several different groups to spy and report back. In particular, she is tasked with finding Count Kurt von Stavenow, a former lover.

This book was extremely slow moving and tedious. At times it felt like a sequel, and that important information was missing, or not dealt with sufficiently. The ending was surprising, but otherwise this book was a bust.

Loved this book and the fact that it mixed two of my favorite things: historical fiction and food. The clever way the food in the story advances the characters’ missions makes it all the more fun. Several twists at the end, both large and small, were so vital in making this book as memorable as I know it’s going to be!

A striking historical novel about an ordinary young British woman sent to uncover a network of spies and war criminals in post-war Germany.
I really enjoyed Edith’s character, she was relatable and likable. She really cared about helping others. The codes are transmitted in recipes so I like how each chapter began with a recipe.
This was historical fiction done right. Well researched and the details made you feel like you could really imagine the time and place. The story will stay with me for awhile.

Just finished this digital ARC of Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook by Celia Rees. This was an interesting historical fiction novel set in post WWII about a British lady, Edith, who has been sent to spy on and find prominent members of the Nazi party, specifically, scientists. The Americans and Russians want them found for their knowledge, basically giving them a get out of jail free card. Others want them found and tried for war crimes. Edith has found herself in the position of spying for both, which creates layer upon layer of subterfuge. She uses recipes to send coded messages to those she's spying for. There is a large cast of characters from various backgrounds which initially was hard to keep straight, but quickly became more clear and helped to weave the story together and show just how far reaching the effects of the war was on so very many people. This book did a good job of showing that just because a war has ended doesn't mean the battles are over. #missgrahamscoldwarcookbook #netgalley

Historical fiction is definitely my go-to genre so I was very excited to dive into this book! Reading this during these difficult times definitely helped keep things in perspective. I love a strong female protagonist and that precisely describes Edith. She sets off on a journey to take down a former Nazi doctor that gave me The Huntress vibes (definitely a good thing)! I highly recommend this book!

Edith Graham has gotten a job with the Commission formed to help rebuild Germany after World War II. She'll be working with the department charged with rebuilding the German schools. However, Edith has also been recruited to work as a spy to track a high ranking Nazi doctor, Count Kurt von Stabenow, who has gone into hiding. Edith, Kurt and Kurt's wife Elisabeth share a history, so Edith seems to be the perfect person to go undercover to track him down. Edith goes to Germany and begins sending coded messages back to her friend in England by embedding crucial information in recipes.

This novel was a wild ride, with twists and turns and characters with conflicting motives and loyalties. Seemingly every chapter had a new development that made me question all of the characters and what I thought about where this story was eventually heading. I was definitely surprised by the directions this story took. Reading this novel felt like watching a thrilling spy movie. I also particularly loved the focus on female friendships and loyalty. I loved every minute of it, and couldn't put it down. Very highly recommend!

This is a very well-written, easy to read book about friendship and espionage. I say that in all honesty, but I will add that I wanted to stop reading it after the first chapter. That introductory chapter is nothing like the rest of the book. Once you get past it, the book flies along. So, I’m delighted that I didn’t stop. The book follows a young English woman sent to post WWII Germany to teach English to children, but she’s recruited into doing a bit of espionage along the way. She hooks up with two other women, an American photojournalist and a European woman who served the allies as a spy. The book follows these brave young woman into hostile territory.

These are characters that it will be hard to forget. This is not some cozy mystery about cooking, these woman figure out how to share secret messages disguised as recipes. The author does a great job recreating the atmosphere in Germany during the late 1940s. She shows how the arrival of ally social services is not always well accepted, how many Germans were still quietly fighting the war. It covers some delightful things, but also some dark and disturbing instances of what the Nazis did to innocent people. There are definitely some unexpected surprises, one that I’d call major. The book is also filled with many German words and phrases, so I was often on Google looking up definitions and translations.

I thought this was a wonderful book, one I won’t soon forget. If you enjoy WWII tales and what happened after the war, you’ll likely enjoy this novel.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I thank them for their generosity in sharing this book with me, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.

Wow! Okay, this one really got me. This is the hardest review to write,. I loved so many things about this book: the recipes, the differing countries/departments all vying for Edith’s information, Edith herself, the deception, spies, political intrigue! I especially loved the deception element in this book, you can’t trust anyone.

I am a huge historical fiction fan, especially about WWII. However, post-WWII reconstruction isn’t something I have read much about. This book really brings to life the chaos, lawlessness, and intrigue following the war.

As much as I loved this book, there are some things that could have been better, especially a description of how exactly the recipes functioned as a code. Also, I didn’t think it was necessary to go into the details about the education reconstruction part of the story because it wasn’t fully developed.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of spy novels or historical fiction novels. This book has some twists and turns that will make you dizzy. 4.5/5

Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and author Celia Rees for the Advance Reader Copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Received this ARC from William Morrow and Net Galley in exchange for an honest opinion. At the start, I found this story to be reminiscent of the many other WWII spy stories I’ve read in the last two years. However, what made this one interesting is that it takes place after the war and during the beginnings of the Cold War. Crazy how so many Nazis were able to get away with the crimes they committed. I wish the author would have included a note that talks about the true story of the spies after the war. Would love the real history that inspired this book. If you like WWII fiction, I definitely recommend this book.

Women and WWII.
Survival.
Courage.
Love for one another.
Read it, and you will experience a good plot and message here.
We all have to learn something from this book.
It has that potential.

“A murky business, getting murkier by the minute. Ratlines. That’s what the Americans call them. Aptly named. Stretching from here to South America, a conduit for Nazi vermin, organized either by the SS old comrades or the Americans.”

Miss Graham’s Cold War Cookbook is a book I knew I was going to read from the minute I read the synopsis several months ago. Lucky for me, I received an advanced reader copy and was able to dive into this courageous tale of a two strong women looking to make a difference in post-World War II, and I wasn’t able to put it down!

In 1945 the war has ended and the rebuilding in Europe has begun along with the secret tug-or-war for high ranking Nazi commanders, doctors, scientists, engineers, etc. Mainly the Americans, Soviets and British are looking to advance their own ambitions and look to further capitalize from the gains made during Hitler’s rule and through the despicable programs set forth by his regime. In America it was known as “Operation Paperclip.” Rather than bringing those to justice in the courts for the heinous crimes they committed, the American government (and other governments) secreted these individuals into their country under false identifications and put them to work as just another ordinary citizen.
“There’s less and less appetite for bringing these people to justice. Too time-consuming and expensive. The new policy seems to be to use them against the Russians or let them slither away. All the War Crimes stuff is being ‘discouraged.’”

This is were we meet Edith in post war London. Edith is a school teacher who is looking to contribute to the reconstruction of the world around her, and, on the side, likes to collect recipes and share them in local publications under the name Stella Shelling. Because Edith is fluent in German and a school teacher, she is quickly hired as part of a program to help bring schools back online in Germany, and this is where the twists and turns begin. Before Edith can even leave London she is asked by two divisions of British Intelligence to help find her past lover, Kurt Von Stavenow, former Nazi doctor who headed horrific scientific experiments involving euthanasia on human beings throughout Germany’s reign.

Now, Edith’s spying job is not easy, simple or even straightforward. One division of British Intelligence headed by Edith’s cousin Leo wants Kurt and other Nazi members for their own devices. The other division, helped out by Edith’s long time friend, Dori (spy and ex-resistance leader) are looking for Kurt, because he holds the keys to information Dori needs in order to find out what happened to the girls she sent into occupied France as part of a spy ring during the war. Then, the Americans enter the arena and complicate things even more for Edith. She must decide what information to share with whom, and the twists and turns in her journey are just still just beginning.

The storyline moves on at a constant clip and keeps you drawn into the lives of both Edith and Dori as they search for their own truths. Both characters are two of the most memorable historical fiction characters I’ve come across in a while: feisty, damaged, tough, vulnerable and heroic. I fell in love with the purity of Edith, and cool, inscrutable Dori. I became entangled in their lives as they were forced to deal with several harsh realities and heartbreaks. Rees further pulled me into the story with feeling and description of the true destruction, hopelessness and depravity during this time throughout Europe, but specifically in Germany. She did a wonderful job capturing a period in time not often written about in literature.

I’m so glad that I got a chance to read this eye opening story. I’m a fan of well-written and atmospheric stories of espionage, particularly set during World War II. The dual timeline between Edith and Dori’s past and present worked well and I was equally invested in both women's stories. It was one of those books that I didn’t want to end. The research, time and energy Rees put into the narrative and its extraordinary characters had me up reading this book late into the night and rushing home from work so I could dive back into the suspense and lives of Edith and Dori. The author’s notes at the back were also particularly interesting, giving a little more insight into the true events of the time. Celia Rees is an author I’m going to be looking out for from now on.

If you love historical fiction and loved The Alice Network, A Woman of No Importance and/or The Nightingale, you will truly love this book.

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love historical fiction, especially set during the WWII era, and I'll never get tired of reading heart pounding stories about the brave women who put themselves in unthinkable danger to help defeat the Nazis.