Listening to FDR's declaration of war the day after Pearl Harbor is a Nazi assassin in Los Angeles. He plans to shoot FDR as he lights the national Christmas tree.

This 'World War II Thriller' by William Martin accompanies a young Hollywood script reader as he takes a train east from LA (the same one the killer is on) hoping to stop an assassinations that would change world history.

A gripping read!

For a book that clocks in at just a smidge over 300 pages, “December ‘41” manages to pack a whole lot of story in. Believe me, I kind of can’t believe William Harris managed to pack that much story into that page count. I feel like I just ingested a whole lot more pages than I actually did. Maybe I should save intense WWII historical thrillers for earlier in the day?

I’m not complaining, not really. I’m actually thrilled that Harris packed all that story into 304 pages, because that means “December ‘41” is all substance and no air. There’s not an ounce of fat to trim off of this book. Once that 10% mark hits and all the chess pieces are on the board, the light turns green and it’s go go go go all the way until the checkered flag comes down (forgive my mixed metaphors). When our players aren’t moving they’re busy either playing a fretful game of spy vs spy or they’re stuck in a state of suspended animation, waiting for the next shoe to drop. It seems there are no good decisions to be had, only necessary ones, and the only thing anyone can truly trust is instinct.

I won’t lie: One of the reasons I like historical fiction of any sort is because I like to see what kind of research the author had to do to be as accurate as possible in their characterizations and worldbuilding. Harris has done a spectacular job of building fictional characters and possible scenarios based on existing knowledge and a little-known memoir of a former secret service agent that gave him the plot bunny for this book.

It was interesting and terrifying on its face for how possible it could have been in 1941. That’s truly what makes it work. That’s what makes it a thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley, MacMillan/Tor-Forge, and Forge Books for granting me early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A historical combined with a bit of mystery. I hadn't recalled reading William Martin before but looking at the list of his titles, I had read Back Bay when it first came out. After reading this book, I won't let so much time pass between books.

The story centers around the beginning of WW2. There is a large contingent of German loyalists in Southern California. One includes the master of disguises and names that we're going to call Harold (Martin)since that is the name he has for most of the book. He may be able to subletly disguise his looks but he will always look like Leslie Howard. Then we have Vivian who went to LA to become a star. Things didn't work out. One night Vivian is in danger and Harold rescues her which impacts the rest of the book. Then there is Kevin Cusack, a reader for Warner Brothers and a spy for the Jewish league in LA that keeps an eye on potential nazi's in LA. There is FBI agent Carter and his sorta girlfriend Stella. Harold, Vivian, Kevin and the girl of his dreams all end up on a train together. Vivian wants to go home, Kevin wants to go home and Harold wants to kill Roosevelt.

The thing about historicals of this type, we know how they are going to end. That does not take away from the plot or the action. Highly recommended.

Fast paced and suspenseful, this novel is about a German plot to assassinate FDR at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in December '41. Tension grows as all characters make their ways to Washington, DC some to carry out the mission, some to prevent it.

It took me awhile to get a handle on the many characters (especially one who kept changing his name throughout the book!), but once I settled in, the book took off like a roller-coaster ride. Though this book is WWII based, anyone liking intrigue and/or thrillers would enjoy this read.

My thanks to Forge Books for allowing me to access an ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

December '41 is a fast paced, historical fiction story about a planned assignation of the President after Pearl Harbor. The book moves quickly and the characters have alias' as others have said. I personally found it difficult to figure out who was who until well into the story. Tension builds as the plot thickens. A very good book, I enjoyed it, and plan to re-read to see if I can better keep the characters straight! Thanks to NetGalley & Mr Martin for the pre-read in exchange for an honest review

As the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor, a group of Nazi sympathizers in Los Angeles begin mobilizing as Germany declares war on the United States. Amongst those sympathizers is a German assassin who plans to kill President Roosevelt at the tree lighting ceremony in Washington. December ‘41 reads like a 40’s black and white movie, as seemingly unrelated characters are introduced and richly developed, and the plot is interspersed with familiar movie stars sprinkled throughout the story, which all adds to the noir feel of the book. The tension builds and builds as the plot develops, as the assassin stays one step ahead of his pursuers. Thoroughly enjoyed this one, with great characters and an intriguing plot that keeps your interest. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a minute to get into this book. There are several characters we're following and one has multiple aliases so it was a battle to keep up. But once I had everyone straight in my head, I was all in. The plot is complex and clever. It seemed like a long read but I couldn't wait to get find out what happens. The tension builds until the very end. Very enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

December ’41 by William Martin
This was a surprisingly good read. I found the story, the pace and the mixture of fiction and non-fiction led to a compelling read. The story takes place starting on December 8th 1941 in Los Angelis/Hollywood the day after the Pearl Harbor attack and reaches its competition on Christmas Eve in Washington DC. Three couples in some cases pulled together by good, evil and deception travel across America by train, car and plane hoping to assassination FDR or stop his assassination while lighting the White House Christmas tree. This plot to kill FDR is by American Nazis as well as home grown Nazis as well. There is a real Film Noir to the book and yes there are a few evil women. The characters were believable and not stereotypical cartoonish villains. I don’t want to give away too much but suffice to say we do not know how it ends. If you are looking for a book to read while traveling or snuggling in a comfy chair this might hit the spot.

This is a book about a plot to assassinate Roosevelt during the war years. The time frame is immediately after Pear Harbour when the USA reluctantly was getting involved not only in the European events taking shape, but also the threat from Japan.
These events are clearly woven into a background of the Hollywood film industry. You get a real flavour of he times and the long distance train journey was especially interesting - A United States Orient Express.
Good characters and well researched.
A good read.

I stumbled across a copy of 'Back Bay' a few years back, and fell in love with Martin's writing style. This newest release uses that same style -- fast-paced, intelligent, and thrilling -- to keep the reader involved in a race to Christmas Eve. Will the Nazis succeed, or will their plot be thwarted? With a long cast of characters, and aliases, it takes a few chapters to get everyone straight in your head, but it's worth putting in the effort so you can easily follow the action. Written in a style very reminiscent of the film noir / 1940s spy mysteries, the tone of this book is perfect for setting the stage!

An excellent, fast-paced WWII thriller. Great attention to period detail and a complicated plot. Harkens back to the days of classic spy novels I grew up reading. Highly recommended!

December '41 doesn't hit the ground running. In fact, the beginning is probably the weakest part of the book - William Martin is not the smoothest of writers at introducing characters to a convoluted setup, but once the foundation of the plot has been laid, the book starts to flow better.

There is an inherent attractiveness to the characters, no matter how shady their doings might be, and the suspense Martin brings to the page is well-crafted - he accounts not just for plot in moving things along but also character, something that is often forgotten in genre fiction.

I love a good historical fiction book where I can immerse myself into a satisfying story while being surrounded by the times it is written in. This was such a book with a plot line of a political assassination at the beginning of our country’s involvement in World War II

Ordinary characters are caught up in extraordinary circumstances as they all converge on the one horrible act that will devastate the war effort. Who will succeed and who will fail?

If I have one criticism it would be the numerous character names and false names scattered throughout the story. I found myself stopping and wondering which one was which.

Still a good read with a heck of an ending! Enjoy!