The Commandant’s Daughter by Catherine Hokin is a powerful and heart wrenching historical novel that is set in Berlin.
The story opens in 1933 with “the new hope of Hitler.” Even at that time there are those who can already see the dangerous character that lies within. The story then jumps to post war Berlin, continuing on to 1947.
Post war Berlin is a place of unrest. It is already divided into various sectors. The Jewish people are trying to pick up the pieces of their lives. Whilst former SS are trying to blend in and carve out new identities for themselves. The commandant’s daughter has spent the war trying to document the horrors of her father’s life as she “learned that he [her father] was far worse than a liar.”
There are many hiding behind secrets. For some, it is to protect others, and for some it is self-preservation.
There is a moral conflict too – does one hide the truth and let vigilante justice prevail? Or work within the law to catch the perpetrator? This dilemma plays out in several minds.
During World War II there were terrible atrocities. Many blindly obeyed orders, just a few stood up for what was right, and suffered the consequences. Terrible things were seen that could not be unseen as black hearts ruled. “She was a little girl, but they didn’t see that – they saw a Jew… They saw… not people but vermin.” People were brain-washed. And just as bad were “people who knew and did nothing.”
The Commandant’s Daughter is a powerful read. It is a thought-provoking read. And it is a read that kept me awake at night as I could not unsee the horrors of Catherine Hokin’s powerful descriptions.
Catherine Hokin has produced a brilliant novel that must be read in memory of the six million innocents who perished.
I received a free copy via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

The Commandant’s Daughter is the first of four WW2 inspired Berlin set novels spanning 1933 to mid-1950s featuring the same two characters, a photographer, Hanni Winter, and a detective, Freddy Schlussel. It can be enjoyed as a stand-alone, but the character arcs will run across all four books.

My husband thought Scooby-Doo was sitting next to him on the couch because every so often I’d make the classic ‘huh?’ (wait, what?) sound from the cartoon. I struggled with the disconnect in this book several times and found myself going back to re-read passages searching for context clues that weren’t there. Frustrated, I put the book down and had to make a concerted effort to pick it up again. I wonder if it has been trimmed too much in some parts and not enough in other parts? Perhaps too much has been stuffed in book 1 so that it can be fleshed out in sequels?

Despite these structural issues, I did enjoy the book. It was like the waitress bringing you a slice of pizza and it isn’t until you bite into the crust that you discover it’s a stuffed crust - an added layer of deliciousness. The synopsis reads like it’s one thing, but when you get into it, you discover it’s also a mystery blended in with a romance. You get more than you bargained for!

I understood Hokin’s aim to send readers off with hope and could see that characters reinvented themselves to try and keep hope alive or maintain an avenue to survival. I appreciated the unique perspective; post-war Germany through the eyes of an ordinary German girl who struggled to make sense of the horrors her countrymen inflicted on each other. Hokin highlighted the chaos and uncertainty of the time, showed us the gaps in society where people could escape through rather than face the truth, and gave her readers lots to ponder as they anticipate book 2.

I was given this advance copy by Catherine Hokin, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

2.5✩ The Commandant’s Daughter started with much potential but happened to be a little confusing and underwhelming.

I liked the premise, the main character being a photographer who documented stories of the atrocities in the camps to report her father’s past activities and ambitions were incredibly compelling. But then, the narrative changes course to follow a murder mystery, which was not hinted at in the book summary (a positive surprise as I love such mysteries). This said case is led by a young, inexperienced inspector helped by the main character Hanni, both extremely unprofessional, emotionally impulsive and childish in their unspoken romance personal/professional relationship.

The story lost its credibility and gripping characteristics when Hanni would constantly underestimate her father, an ex-SS commander with a vast web of contacts. The character's dilemmas were too repetitive, being mentioned an incredible amount of time during the book, and without having them act accordingly to overcome them. I could not relate or empathize with any of them and had to push through reading to finish the book.

Hanni’s character is more of a ‘passive’ hero, her vows and thoughts being stronger than her actual words and actions. With all the stories and pictures taken during the multiple events between 1939 and 1945, she never shared nor published the stories that could incriminate her father and other SS members. Only at the end of the book, which is an open ending, does she hint at having a plan and finishing her fight alone - leading me to believe that other novels will come to actually address and close the main narrative highlighted in the summary
I heard many great reviews about Catherine Hokin's books, and I look forward to reading her other books. This novel and possibly series were unfortunately not for me.

You don't tend to see a lot of WWII fiction from the point of view from the German side so this was a different take on it. Hanni is a German Commandant's daughter who has seen the horror's of what the German's have done. And she wants to help. This one was an emotional read but worth the read.

Although I do believe this book is well written, and I think that Hokin has an ultimately beautiful way with words, with some imagery being very visceral and real, this book unfortunately did not grab me in the way I expected it to. I think partially that is the fault not of the writing, but of the way in which it was described, which I don't think properly illustrates what this book is actually about. This book very much focuses on post-war Germany, which is an interesting scene to read about, but not what it looks to be from the title and description, and I think it would fare better being properly advertised in this way.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this review copy!

I Loved "The Lost Secretary" and "The Lost Mother," so I was excited to read this book. Unfortunately, I found it hard to get into the story and at times found it very slow moving. I would give it 2.5 stars. I didn't love any of the characters. Hanni grew up extremely privileged during WWII and never experienced the suffering that most felt during the war. She knew what was happening to other people due to her constant picture taking. She took all those photos and they sit collecting dust. She doesn't publish them so the world can see the truth of what was happening. Hanni just lets them sit there to collect dust. Her father is pure evil and such a horrible man. There's so many questions about Freddy. How did her survive? It's obvious that Freddy and Hanni like each other but neither of them want to admit it to the other. Plus, Hanni refuses to tell Freddy the truth about her identity. I have a feeling Freddy might be related to Jannick or maybe knew who he was. Then he will blame Hanni for Jannick's death. It's just a guess, so it might be a farfetched idea. I hated the ending. Hopefully this is a series so that that truth can come out about Hanni's dad. Even though I didn't love this book, I would read the next one in the series to see how everything ends.

Recommend giving the book a try, especially if you are a fan of the author's previous books. This one just wasn't for me. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I enjoy historical fiction and thought the premise of this book looked like my kind of read.

The story takes place nearly 2 years after the war has ended and for me was an enjoyable read that had a very different perspective to other historical WW2 books I have read. I really liked the two main characters Hanni and Freddy. They are both believable with good background histories and have their own secrets. Freddy, who is a Police Inspector, asks for Hanni’s help when SS officers are murdered and she takes crime scene photos for the police investigation, I thought the book was very well written and engaging. It flowed really well and I was drawn in from the first page to the last although it didn’t wow me or have me desperate to know what was coming next. When Freddy struggles with his conscience that the SS officers deserved what happened to them given their actions during the war, can he overlook this and bring the killer to justice? The book is fairly fast paced and races to a good ending with most loose ends tied up and, I hope, a hint of another book to follow on from this one. I would definitely want to read the next book to see how the two main characters develop.

This book had a totally different storyline from any of the many WWII HF books that I have read. I did enjoy it but the book did not grab me like I would have liked it too. I did not connect with any of the characters and really did not like any of them. I understand this is the first in a series.

Hokin captures a myriad of emotions and scenarios in this first book in a series. Set mostly in postwar Germany, Hanni is a struggling photographer who grapples with many images she took and how to move forward. The shadow of her father, Reiner, also looms large. I thought the plot was good and the characters were relatable. I absolutely loathed Reiner and I hope in the subsequent books, he is tracked down and dealt with accordingly.

As it turned out, this the first book of a series, is a murder mystery. A book about a daughter of a Nazi officer wanting to expose her father's secret after the WWII in 1947. While this book is different from most WWII novels, it just wasn't my cup of tea. There are so many novels about WWII now that most of them sound alike (not this one). I will say while you can't tell a book about its cover, you can't tell a book about its summary either. My thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review

This is a story we rarely get to hear about. Life after WWII. Life as someone on the other side of the literal fence. Our story is about Hanni and Freddy. One is Jewish and the other just a person trying to right wrongs done by a “loved” one. It’s also about murder and our moral obligation to do what’s right even if it’s easier to do nothing at all.

I truly enjoyed this story. It’s beautifully written and had me on the edge of my seat at times. I liked that it made you question what you would do in that situation. Definitely recommend.

A heartbreaking novel about the incredible courage of ordinary people during the Second World War. The word building was phenomenal in this book. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book without hesitation.

Hanni Winter is now a photographer, a love borne from a kindness when she was small. She has changed her name and fled from the father who did such terrible things during the war era. She meets a detective, Freddy, and works with him as she has an eye for detail and her pictures record the crimes. The crimes being that someone appears to be after SS officers who somehow have escaped Nuremberg and gone back into society. When Hanni discovers that her father is not only alive but has reinvented himself as his own brother, whilst painting her and her “ father” as horrific Nazis she quickly has to think on her feet in order to survive. She can't reveal her past to Freddy as he feels that anyone not doing anything about the criminals of war is as bad as the criminals themselves. Hanni wishes she could give the murderer a certain name to save her own skin and should he really be caught when he is possibly doing the good people of Germany a favour?
I really enjoyed this- it's a very different “ war” read. It tells of the hardships of life after the event and of how not every criminal was caught or tried as it was a very chaotic time. I liked both Hanni and Freddy and look forward to the next in the series(this is the first one). A wonderful, informative,enjoyable read.
# blogtour

Incredible book, loved every second. Once I started, I couldn't stop reading. I really felt like I was in Germany. The author is incredibly talented and I cant wait for book 2.

This was a great piece of historical fiction. It was well written with great characters and a great storyline and I loved that there was also a mystery surrounding a murder weaved into the historical aspects. I really enjoyed this book, it was raw, emotive, unpredictable and heartwrenching and I couldnt put it down.

“The Commandant’s Daughter” by Catherine Hokin is the first of a four-book series following photographer Hanni Winter and inspector Freddy Schlussel. Per the author’s note, each book will be a stand-alone book.

The description of this book makes it sound like this is a book about the daughter of a Nazi officer trying to expose her father’s secret after WWII. However, this book is about that - and it isn’t. There’s a murder mystery that makes up a huge part of this book. In fact, that’s the overwhelming focus of the book. So, to say that this wasn’t what I expected (based upon the book summary) is accurate. This book did explore a bit of Hanni’s past, so we do cover some time during WWII, but most of the book takes place post-war, around 1947.

I found this book interesting in trying to answer the chestnuts about life - what moral obligations does one have to society, how can one escape the past. However, I didn’t find this book engaging until about the 60% mark, when the murder mystery began building steam and puzzle pieces began fitting together. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

THE COMMANDANT’S DAUGHTER by CATHERINE HOKIN is a heartbreaking WW11 novel in which the horrors and injustices meted out to anyone who opposed Hitler, especially those inflicted on the Jews, are very well described. The characters are well portrayed and I like the way the author takes us right into their conflicting emotions and the reasons for the decisions they make.
Hannelore Foss notices a change in her father when he becomes an Obergruppenfuhrer and ardent supporter of the Reich when she is ten years old. Something else of importance happens to her at that age - her love of photography is born.
Inspector Freddy Schlussel has joined the Berlin police force in order to try to bring some kind of normality into the country he loves. He has been badly affected by losing his Jewish family to the concentration camps.
Because of her keen eye for detail, Hanni is seconded to the police department as a photographer and member of Freddy’s team to help catch the man who is murdering SS men. These men’s war crimes have been overlooked due to their useful qualifications and the lack of man power in the war torn country.
Hanni’s father Reiner is one such man who has reinvented himself……
The story is very well written, exciting, and full of suspense. I could not put it down and highly recommend the novel. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
I waa given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bookouture.The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Hanni has grown up in the shadow of Adolph Hitler’s Germany, her own father taking over the reigns of a death camp. Now an adult, Hanni has distanced herself from her father, horrified at the things she’s seen him do. She’s been taking photographs of the atrocities going on under the guise of Hitler’s Final Solution. She plans to hand the photos over to the Allies to prove to the world what’s really happening at Nazi “work camps”; but to her shock she encounters her father. Now, a British ally, he has been given a new identity; one he will kill to keep. No one is safe, not even his own daughter. Eighty years later, the Holocaust is still something that shocks and horrifies us at our very core. This book was so engrossing; it depicts a German citizen who was appalled and sickened by what was happening to her homeland, as I’m sure so many Germans were.