World War II has just ended, and Britain has established the Control Commission for Germany, which oversees their zone of occupation. The Control Commission hires British civilians to work in Germany, rebuild the shattered nation and prosecute war crimes. Somewhat aimless, bored with her job as a provincial schoolteacher, and unwilling to live with her stuffy genteel parents any longer, twentysomething Edith Graham applies for a job with the Commission—but is instead recruited by the OSS. To them, Edith is perfect spy material…single, ordinary-looking, with a college degree in German. And there’s another thing—the OSS knows that Edith’s brother went to Oxford with one of their most hunted war criminals, Count Kurt von Stabenow, who Edith remembers all too well from before the war. Intrigued by the challenge, Edith heads to Germany armed with a convincing cover story: she’s an unassuming schoolteacher sent to help resurrect German primary schools. To send information back to her OSS handlers in London, Edith has crafted the perfect alter ego, cookbook author Stella Snelling, who writes a popular magazine cookery column that embeds crucial intelligence within the recipes she collects. But occupied Germany is filled with other spies, collaborators, and opportunists, and as she’s pulled into their world, Edith soon discovers that no one is who they seem to be. The closer she gets to uncovering von Stabenow’s whereabouts—and the network of German civilians who still support him—the greater the danger.

I read a lot of historical fiction, mainly about WWII, but this one caught my attention by the description and the fact that is was close to my favorite era to read about. This is the first book I have read by this author, and she draws you in to the story and the characters to the point that you feel that you are there. She also throws in some twists in the plot that I definitely did not see coming! I highly recommend and thank NetGalley and the publisher, HarperCollins, for the ARC.


READING PROGRESS

I usually really love historical fiction, especially about WW2, but this book fell a bit short for me. It was so confusing, everyone was acting as a double agent. After I finished, I had to go back and read the beginning again. Did I want to know how it all ended? Yes, but I found myself putting off my reading time and eventually just skimming the last to figure out the ending. Not my favorite, just ok.

Miss Graham’s Cold War Cookbook
Celia Rees
7-20-20
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’m a very big fan of historical fiction and this book blew me away. This is a look of post WW2 in Germany. Edith my favorite character of the book, decides to leave England and heads to Germany to put her teaching language and teaching skills were they are needed. She’s a brave, reliable and clever women. She slips into a new role- because of the distrust with America after the war, Germans are looking for spies.... this is a job Edith will do well in. She becomes Stella Snelling who is a cookbook author. She is also looking for a former lover of hers he is a Nazi Dr who has committed some of the most heinous crimes imaginable. Sadly we learns of the many evil horrors he as committed to many people living in the concentration camps. It becomes Ediths focus to take him down and I rooted for her every second of the way. This is also a very suspenseful read as and had many twists I was not expecting . This story has it all heartbreak, bravery and hope. Reading this during the quarantine also put life into perspective. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you so much to Book Club Girl, NetGalley, William Morrow and Celia Rees for an early edition of this fabulous book!

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Great story taking place right after the end of WWII. Dive into the world of an ordinary British woman sent undercover in post war German.y. This book was different than the usual WWII books in that the main story takes place after war. Gives a glimpse into the spy activities after the war. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️💫

I received an advance e-book of Miss Graham’s Cold War Cookbook by Celia Rees. My review reflects my opinions only. Edith Graham has taught in a girls’ school throughout the war. After the war, Edith has an opportunity to go to Germany to help set up schools in the aftermath of the war. Being fluent in German gives Edith an edge in doing her job.

The job of helping set up schools is legitimate enough, but Edith also has a dangerous undercover job of helping locate Nazi criminals who are hiding to avoid prosecution. As with any spy or undercover operation, knowing whom to trust becomes an important issue.

Before the war, too, Edith had had a romantic relationship with Kurt von Stavenow, a physician, who turned out to be a horrible Nazi criminal who conducted unspeakable experiments on other human beings, including children. Their relationship had ended badly when Edith learned Kurt was engaged to Elisabeth, a beautiful German woman from a wealthy family. The three even met again before the war at a country home, much to Edith’s surprise and dismay..

Now, under the guise of setting up the schools, Edith is supposed to use her past to help her locate Kurt and other criminals.

Edith is no stranger to covert operations. She has been writing food reviews and cookbooks as Stella Snelling. This name and occupation will also figure heavily in the story and return to readers in a surprising way.
Before she leaves for post-war Germany, Edith meets for what she thinks is an innocent going away dinner with two friends Dori and Vera. They inform Edith that they want her to spy for them and send news back about the criminals she can locate. The three decide to use The Radiation Cookery Book and letters about recipes and ingredients as the cover for their messages. They know the letters will be censored, but the censors will be men who will not suspect any secret messages to be passed along through recipes.
The three decide “what could be more natural or more innocent” than women exchanging recipes and cooking tips. Then Dori says, “But I can’t cook.” Edith reassures Dori that it won’t matter because the fact that Dori cannot cook becomes the perfect reason for Edith to be coaching her and sending her not only recipes but also tips about the cooking of the dishes.

Although Edith sees the opportunity to work in Germany after the war and help with the locating of Nazi criminals, she does not fully grasp the dangers she faces. Again, knowing whom to trust becomes one of the most complex issues.

To go along with the cover of the cooking and recipes, Edith does ask for recipes from a wide variety of people she meets. Too, each chapter begins with a menu of a meal, often with substitutions since many ingredients are not readily available after the war.

One of the things I liked most about the story includes the menus at the beginning of each chapter. For example, as Edith takes the train in chapter 6, we have the following menu:
Blue Train Picnic: Broodje kroket, rookwurst (smoked sausage), mustard, hard-boiled eggs, and Genever. This explanation follows the menu:

“Broodje korket: not unlike a rissole, flecked with parsley. Made with leftover meat, minced or chopped, mixed with onion but bound with a bechamel then formed into a fat sausage, crumbed and deep-fried. Eaten in a bridge roll with mild Dutch mustard.”

How the women use the recipes to send their secret messages is not exactly clear. Occasionally, Edith will murmur to herself that by using certain words from the recipes in the letter that Dori or Vera will understand the code.

The story is gripping and readers recognize that even though the war is over and the Allies have won, much danger still exists. Edith manages to find Kurt von Stavenow and his wife Elisabeth. I was not prepared for the shock that comes near the end of the story. Readers will have to read the whole story themselves. Also, the very end of the story involves revenge and readers will be glad to learn of that revenge, a dish best served cold.

Celia Rees has written books for children and teens; Miss Graham’s Cold War Cookbook is her first adult novel. It will be published in July 2020. Learn more about Rees at her Web site: www.celiarees.com.

I was happy to see that the book was about post WWII. I wanted to like this book, but I found it difficult to comprehend in the beginning. The story contains many plot lines and characters that are confusing to follow. I almost gave up on the book about 25% of the way, but I’m glad I stuck with it. I enjoyed the second half of the book. I did go back and reread the beginning of the book after I finished it.

I have read a number of historical fiction books based on World War II. I enjoyed that this book provided a different perspective. Instead of focusing on the atrocities that occurred during the war, this book focused on the aftermath of the war. Miss Graham, an English woman, is sent to German to help supervise the rebuilding of the German schools. She is also asked to help locate a former boyfriend who was an SS officer responsible for the deaths of many innocent people during the war. Miss Graham is caught up with a group of international spies all looking for this same officer. Some want him dead as retribution for his sins. Some want him alive to bring to their countries to share his knowledge. Who can Miss Graham trust? And who are her enemies? This book keeps the reader guessing right up to the end.

Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook
A Novel
by Celia Rees
HarperCollins Publishers
William Morrow Paperbacks
Historical Fiction | Women's Fiction
Pub Date 07 Jul 2020 | Archive Date 07 Jul 2020

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the ARC of this book. I wanted to like this book. I read a lot of historical fiction but I think I am just burned out on the era covered by this book. Too long and too many twists to the plot.
The book may be well-liked by others. Just not the book for me.

I really wanted to like this book. The premise was good but there was just too much. Too many plot twists, too many characters with hidden agendas, and too much cruelty. Set is post WWII Germany, Edith is enlisted to help find German bad guys. She is good at that but much too innocent and sweet to be doing this job.

I always enjoy historical fiction from the female perspective and this book delivers. Especially enjoyed the post WWII setting because this is new territory for me.

In 1946, Germany and most of Europe is in chaos. The Americans, British and Russians are all seeking "former" Nazis, each country for it's own purposes. Edith Graham decides that it's time for her to make a contribution and volunteers to go to Germany to help establish schools for both German and displaced children. Because of her knowledge of the German language and pre-war friendship with a high-ranking Nazi, Edith is recruited by several spy organizations to uncover a Nazi network. Celia Rees clearly illuminates the tragedy and triumph of post-war Germany in this this exhilarating story.

This is a story about a woman who gets involved with the tracking down of Nazi war criminals after WWII. I had a little trouble in the beginning keeping all the characters straight, but as the story progressed, it all became quite clear. The spies, intrigue and mysteries all made for a great read.

If you’re seeking a Cold War spy novel starring a female protagonist and devoid of the female objectification that has become a Bond movie staple, that you’ve hit upon the right book.

Edith Graham is a thirty-something single woman seeking adventure. At the end of the second World War the British have established the Control Commission for Germany, an organization that employs British civilians to rebuild the defeated nation. Initially Edith applies to work as an Education Officer, tasked with restoring the German schools. But when her cousin Leo, a member of the Secret Service, discovers her application he recruits her to help him find her former lover, Kurt von Stavenow, a war criminal who is also wanted by the Russians and the Americans.

Edith is a natural, secreting the intelligence she discovers in recipes attached to her letters. However, Germany is full of spies and many intent on protecting her target. The closer Edith gets to finding von Stavenow, the greater danger she is in.

Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook deftly combines a slow-burn spy novel with historical fiction. Set in post-war Germany, the book concerns a young teacher who travels to Lubeck, Germany to rehabilitate and de-Nazify the local schools. However, she quickly becomes embroiled in efforts to capture Nazi war criminals and uses "recipe code" to pass information to her Britain-based friend and contact. While the suspense aspect is compelling and features at least one shocking twist, the author, Celia Rees, excels particularly at conveying the atmosphere of Germany in 1946, from the chaotic devastation on the streets to the endless games of spy vs. spy conducted by American, British, and Russian powers in their quest to secure the intellectual remains of the Nazi regime. While changes of perspective, time, and focus often fail in this genre, Rees manages to make each narrative equally interesting, including flashbacks and the modern capping at each end of the novel. The book seems ripe for a sequel--the author notes that the protagonist has another espionage story to tell--and I, for one, hope Rees opts to write it. Certain to please fans of The Huntress and The Aftermath.

Wow! What a book! I really enjoyed reading the story of Edith and of how she was working with several different military operations to help track down someone from her past. It was a suspenseful read that kept moving at a perfect pace.
I was concerned going in to reading this, with the word cookbook going in...yes there were recipes and talks of food... but it made perfect sense once I was involved in the story.
Definitely check this book out!

I’d like to thank Book Club Girls, Net Galley and the publisher for early access to this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Fantastic!

I very much enjoyed this complex and detailed historical fiction novel by Celia Rees. If you like undercover spy novels, you will most certainly like this one. What I enjoyed most about this novel was that the undercover spy was a woman. I thought that was unique and special. She was just an ordinary woman sent to do extraordinary things.

I very much enjoyed the protagonist, Edith Graham. She is a character that I wanted to spend time with and loved reading about.

I'd highly recommend this novel to historical fiction fans and lovers of spy novels. I think this story would appeal to diverse audiences. An easy handsell!

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book! A page-turner with suspense, intrigue, and plot twists at every turn. Taking place in the immediate aftermath of World War II, the historical aspects of the book were interesting and eye-opening. There were heartbreaking moments throughout the story. The characters are well-developed; I especially liked Edith and Dori and their clever use of the cookbook. I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the Book Club Girls for this advanced reader’s copy.

I love historical fiction but have a hard time enjoying a book that’s detailed about the Holocaust. But this book was incredibly well written and I was absolutely pulled into the story despite some very graphic, heartbreaking descriptions.
Also, this book is long but there is not one moment where it is boring. There was even a twist with less than a hundred pages left that I would absolutely never have seen coming.

Edith is a fantastic character, she’s so strong and interesting. She takes a job in Germany as a school teacher but she’s also working under cover as a spy. She decided to use recipes to hide secrets.

This isn’t a book that will make you hungry though, it’s a book that should make you appreciate the food in your house even more. I read this during the quarantine when we’re all going to the grocery store less, when we’re all trying to make do with what we find at the store. So, reading a recipe where the only ingredients are hot water and potato skins definitely makes one appreciate that we aren’t living through that type of hard times.

Edith is to try to catch her former love Kurt. They had a sweet relationship at one time. He married someone else and years passed. Then Edith learns that Kurt is a Nazi Doctor, they really couldn’t have made Kurt a much more horrible character. I’ve never wanted a book character to get their dues quite like I wanted to see an end to Kurt.
Hearing about the things he did, it was really hard to read, but if certainly made me understand why Edith wanted to turn him in so badly.

I was absolutely shocked by a twist late in the book and it made me wonder how it would all end.

I thought this was an incredibly well written book and I enjoyed it. I won’t mind moving on to something lighter next though :) I’m going to need it!

I got to read an early ebook edition from Book Club Girl which was sent through NetGalley. Thanks!

Thank you to The Bookclub Girls for the advance copy of Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook.. Enjoyable book. Will definitely read more from this author.

Lot's of spying and espionage in this novel that begins just after WWII, the British and the Americans are going to Germany to help them with the transition of losing the war. The British and Americans are also taking action to arrest Nazi's that committed hellacious crimes and are still alive. The Nuremberg trials were beginning. I found this story interesting as I did not know much of what happened after the war with Germany. The research was well done. The descriptions of the timeframe, very well written. Good story line to keep you interacted in the situations taking place. I highly recommend this novel and recommend looking at pictures of Germany after the war.