I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Marion Kummerow's emotional tale THE GIRL IN THE SHADOWS.

“Living a lie has become second nature for me.” -Annegret Huber

When the German family of a high ranking SS officer were killed in a bombing raid, their Jewish maid Margarete Rosenbaum assumed the identity of their daughter Annegret, thereby ridding herself of the yellow star sewn into her clothes branding her as a Jew. Following the subsequent deaths of Annegret's brothers, she then became the sole heiress to the Huber family fortune. As was Wilhelm's wish...that she utilise that fortune for good.

For two years now she has been hiding in plain sight in the rural Huber family estate Gut Plaun where she overseers an ammunitions factory that utilises the slave labour of five hundred Jewish prisoners. In the time she has lived on the estate Margarete has worked hard to improve the conditions for all those that live and work there. Only two other people know her true identity but for safety's sake, and each other's, they continue to refer to her as Fraulein Annegret both in public and private. For who knows who may be listening.

When a new SS officer, Thomas Kallfass, is transferred to take over as district leader he is determined to make a name for himself, garner a promotion and hopefully marry the lovely Annegret Huber in the process who would surely pave his way into the elite. He woos her for her name, money and status all the while making your skin crawl. Unlike his predecessor, Thomas is shrewd and sharp and nothing gets by him, so when news reaches him that exemptions have been granted for some of the Jews marked for deportation, Thomas takes it upon himself to ensure that they will indeed be eradicated from his district by the Fuhrer's birthday.

The news reaches Annegret/Margarete of his plans and she seeks help from a fisherman friend she made by chance at the harbour, Stefan, who she soon learns is not only sympathetic to the cause but is at the heart of it. A chance trip to neutral Sweden brings documents into her possession that will aid the escape of at least fifty Jews in her care. Not enough, but it's a start. But this chance comes with great risk in which Margarete does not hesitate. She continues to be resourceful with but a few on her side. But is it enough? This is the most dangerous and difficult mission Margarete has has to undertake since becoming Annegret. After two years living a lie, is Margarete's luck about to run out?

I have to say, I thought Reiner was a despicable character in the first book but he has nothing on Thomas! He is truly vile and reprehensible. And I perished the thought of he and Margarete together. Kummerow has drawn him perfectly as readers will loathe him instantly. His belittling manner towards Jews and women in general to his condescending presence in general just made me cringe. I had this deep sense of foreboding whenever he appeared.

The remaining cast of characters are a delight. From Oliver and Dora to the housekeeper and quiet manager...and then to Stefan, who was a pure delight. I loved him! I loved Wilhelm and was devastated when he perished at the end of the first book but in meeting Stefan I just know there is story and a future there. And I can't wait to find out what!

And then there was that ending! I did not expect that to happen. Wow! It was a definite surprise and superbly played. I cannot wait to see what awaits Margarete and her friends in the next book.

A truly heartwrenching tale of survival against all odds, THE GIRL IN THE SHADOWS is the emotional continuation of Magarete's journey that you don't want to miss.

I would like to thank #MarionKummerow, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheGirlInTheShadows in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

The third book in a series that I highly recommend starting at the beginning as these book build on each other. And in that note - spoilers for book one and two could be below.

In this book Margarete is still living in the country and hiding as a German heiress. She feels responsible for the lives of those who work at her family's factory and while the Nazis are getting more obsessed about getting rid of the Jews, she employs quite a few and is hoping to save each and every one of them. Margarete can't hide in this book and instead has to put on a brave face and host events and act like the German heiress she is trying to be.

Marion Kummerow has created such a great series that shares some interesting perspectives on World War II and for those who are faint of heart, I appreciate that this book doesn't show some of the more harsh realities of this war. Instead she concentrates on the small towns and how they tried to make an impact on the war effort in any way they can.

While this is book three and most series end here, I hope that Marion has more about this character as I love to follow her efforts in this time and place.

The Girl in The Shadows will have you holding your breath for Margarete as she continues her subterfuge as Annegrete Huber the daughter of a dead Nazi .

Margarete's secret is know by a very few and every day she lives a lie and does what she can to help the Jewish.

This series gets better and better and I am so excited to hear that the trilogy will now have a fourth book.

I can't wait and will be first in line again to read the next in the series.

Marion Kummerow is a great story teller that has you mesmerized from the first page to the last page.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a great read that is hard to put down.

The Girl in the Shadows is the third instalment in the story of Margarete Rosenbaum. Still living a lie as Annegret Huber, she is trying to do the best she can for the Jewish prisoners that are currently working in the ammunitions factory that she owns, whilst trying to remain undetected. With an instruction that all Jewish prisoners must be sent to concentration camps she hopes to obtain an exemption for the people in her care, including her uncle. When a new SS officer is put in charge locally he not only takes a shine to Annegret thinking that their union would enhance his career, but he also puts a stop to any such hopes that she may have of helping her “employees” escape.
Margarete is still constantly having to look over her shoulder, but she does still have two trusted friends she can rely on and who are doing everything they can to assist her in her quest to keep people safe despite what it could mean for them. The arrival of Thomas Kallfass with his designs on Annegret and the status he believes she can provide him add a new danger to her. He is truly a character you can’t help but despise. His attitude to Jewish prisoners is to be expected considering his rank and job, but it is his attitude towards Annegret that just makes your skin crawl. Whilst some of the SS officers that she has encountered in the past have at their heart wanted to ensure that she survived the war even if their attitudes towards women were not the best, Thomas is determined to control her and her money whilst ignoring her wishes or feelings. His constant attention also puts an added strain on what she is trying to do, and he gets a little too close for comfort.
This is not to say that this book is all doom and gloom, the continued relationship between Dora and Oliver and their impending marriage highlights the fact that despite war raging around them all, life still continued on for many people. Margarete’s blossoming relationship with Stefan gives hope that one day she will be able to reclaim her true identity and live a life no longer in fear.
Once again Marion Kummerow has produced a book that is steeped in both fact and fiction, bringing to life characters that you want to see succeed and those that you don’t. She does not shy away from the harsh realities of the war but handles them sensitively whilst weaving a truly compelling story. I can’t wait for book four in the series to see what is in store for Margarete.

The Fisherman's Secret

Margarete continues to masquerade as Annegrete Huber the daughter of a dead Nazi officer in this third book of the series. She is secretly working to help the Jewish workers at the ammunitions plant she owns to disappear. She must find a better way to help them as the new Nazi officer in command , Thomas, is expediting the order to deport all the Jewish from the plant to camps.

Thomas is taken with Annegrete and has hopes of a future for them together. Margarete cannot trust Thomas but she goes along with him on engagements to keep suspicion away from her home and herself.

Margarete meets a young fisherman named Stephan. She finds out he hates the Nazi's as much as she does. She has heard about an escape route for the Jewish through Sweden. She goes to Stephen to ask if he can help.

It is a tough time, and Margarete knows if the truth of her identity is found out by Thomas than all will be lost and it will cost not only her life, but the lives of those she is trying so hard to save.

This is a great series, and I can't wait for the next book to find out what happens next with Margarete and Stephan.

I am enjoying this series and the courage and adaptability of Margarete posing as Annegrete. The compassion she feels for others and the almost romance between her and Stephan.

Thanks to Marion Kummerow for writing a great story, to Bookouture for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.

When the German family Margarete worked as a maid for was killed in a bombing, Margarete assumes the identity of her employers daughter, ths ridding herself of the star sewn on her clothes branding her as a Jew and sentencing her to a fate worse than death.
As Annagret, Margarete is privy to the family's vast fortune, including a armaments factory that utilizes Jewish prisoners. Margarete tries to ease the prisoners daily anguish by giving them better food and living conditions but always being careful not to give too much and reveal herself as the imposter she is.
When SS officer Thomas Kallfass takes over as district leader he is determined to make a name for himself among Hitler's elite. And to do this he sets out to eliminate all the Jews in his district at te same time setting his sights on the beautiful German heiress, Annegret/Margarete, whom he feels will make the perfect German wife for an SS officer. With her social standing to help propel his career upwards he will be unstoppable. Naturally his unwanted interest and attention only make Margarete's mission to help save her Jewish workers all that more dangerous and difficult, bringing new hurdles for her to overcome.
This book is exceptionally well developed, the third in a series, it can be read as a standalone but much better if you have read the previous novels for Margarete's background and the full story of how she came to be where she is.
The characters are perfect, Thomas, the SS officer out to make a name for himself is down-right despicable, you will instantly loathe him. His manner of speaking, belittling Jews, and putting women in their place in their "little world" of home and child bearing, while men go out and handle real things in their " big world" that holds no place for women just makes me want to gag! The character's personalities and actions, mannerisms fit perfectly to their assigned roles, bringing animated life to Margarete's story. Don't miss it, grab the whole series and look forward to #4 coming soon. I know I am!
Thank you to the publishers at Bookouture and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

Germany, 1943: Margarete-Annegret is walking a fine line between concealing her true identity and using her resources to help victims of the Nazis. One can feel the terror she lives with day in and day out. Living as Annegret, a wealthy heiress with SS connections, she is working with the resistance to help Jews escape Germany. Just when she thinks she's making progress, something happens to put her in greater peril. She is trying to stay one step ahead of the Gestapo and the SS while maintaining her convictions to help as many people as possible. I am in awe of the selflessness and courage exhibited by those trying to break free of their oppressors, knowing any moment could be their last.
I hope Book 4 is coming in the near future. If you like WWII historical fiction, put Books 1-3 on your list.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the chance to read an advance copy. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Title: The Woman In the Shadows by Marion Kummerow
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Verdict:
WOW! Marion did not disappoint me with this third instalment. I loved these brave characters and how far they are willing to go to save thousands of lives and the nazi regime. Not only does it have cat and mouse like espionage much like in a film, it’s rooted with brutal honesty and truth. I absolutely love this series and want to thank Netgalley for introducing me to Marion. It’s such a heartbreaking read especially in our current political climate and the parallels are startling! It just goes to show humanity still hasn’t learned it’s lesson. Whilst I am grateful for the element of romance being entered into the narrative but, I can’t say I was too happy about the emotional cliffhanger… But I suppose that’s what a good author does, they should truly immerse you into the world of the book and always leave you wanting more which Marion certainly did. I can’t wait for the finale with book number four. No pressure, but I can’t handle the lip-biting suspense we have been left with!

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Another excellent book in this series. I've become very fond of all the characters and held my breath several times while turning the pages of this fast paced book. Some of the Nazis are frightening as they appear so human! What I love about Marion's books is that she sheds light on the turmoil some Germans went through not just those who became unwilling Nazis but those who risked everything to help bring down Hitler and his cronies. Can't wait until book four comes out. Better to read the whole series in order but that being said, each book can stand alone. Marion does a good job of reminding you who is who and how they became connected.

A thrilling continuation of Margarete's story. The story keeps captivating and drowning the reader into not being able to stop turning to the next page. The complications that the new characters bring into the plot are perfect. A really good recommendation to anyone interested in fiction related to the Germany of the war, or the holocaust. I look forward to being able to read how this adventure might continue.

“Living a lie has become second nature for me.” -Annegret Huber

Another 5-star book in the Margarete’s Journey series!

When fate allowed Margarete Rosenbaum, a Jew, to live as Annegret Huber, an heiress to the Huber fortune, she eagerly took the opportunity. For two years she’s been hiding in plain sight in a beautiful rural mansion, Gut Plaun, and overseeing her ammunitions factory on Nazi prison camp land. She’s worked hard to improve the living conditions for the 1000 Jews who live and work there.

When a new SS officer, Unterscharführer Thomas Kallfass, is transferred to the district he thwarts Annegret’s plans to relieve suffering at the factory. Kummerow has crafted this official with all the qualities that you’d expect from a paramilitary ranking Nazi. He’s despicable and his ulterior motives will make readers cringe. Eager to move up in the ranks and command a regiment of his own, he woos Annegret for her surname, her money and her social status. His views about women filling small places at home so that men can be free to fill the big places in society will disgust readers. He’s the perfect villain.

When the Wehrmacht logistics division confirmed that they couldn’t supply the steel ball bearings needed for the production lines in the factory and plans are put in place to get rid of the Jewish workers, Annegret’s fisherman friend comes to the rescue and soon Annegret finds herself in possession of documents that will aid in their escape. Kummerow uses this opportunity to make readers aware of the Schutz-Pass, the Swedish protective passport, and the ‘German glance’, the act of checking over one’s shoulder to make sure nobody was within earshot. I had previously watched the movie with Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat in Hungary who used the passes to save Hungarian Jews, so it was interesting to learn that they’d been used in Germany, too.

The cast of characters surrounding Annegret is superbly crafted and represent the many factions within Germany; the anti-Semitic industrialists who used the ideology to their profit, the Nazi corrupt bureaucrats who used their authority to arrange extermination, and those hiding in plain sight who appeared to withhold the Nazi ideals but who were busy helping the Jews escape.

I can still imagine the SS officer’s sly and haunting question “We never really know the people close to us, now do we?” and the aftermath around Plau Am See even several days after finishing the book.

Kummerow deftly explores whether a sleazy greedy thug and corrupt Nazi may actually be the better choice over an honest one with convictions who believes in what he does and supports every order from Hitler. You’ll have to read to find out! The twists crept up on me and left me gasping as I frantically turned pages.

I was excited to hear that there’s a book 4 in the works and an updated prologue, Turning Point, available to download on all retail sites.

I was gifted this advance copy by Marion Kummerow, Bookouture, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

When it comes to this series,even though they read as a stand alone , it's better to read them in order , this one showed how much Margarete has growing and how far she is willing to go to help her people , but there is also betrayal that comes out from nowhere , and from a person that Margarete loves. Plus it's even more emotional then the last two was. Can't wait to read book 4 when it comes out

“The Girl in the Shadows” by Marion Kummerow is book three in what was to be a trilogy, now a four-book series (per the Author’s note). I was glad to read that because this book didn’t quite feel finished at the end.

This book, like the previous two, are fully stand-alone books. You might miss some details, but Ms. Kummerow does a fine job explaining (briefly) things that happened in the past so one is quickly caught up on past references. In this story, Margarete / Annegret continues to try to make life for the POWs and Jews working in her factory better - to the extent that she can. However, the Nazis decide to further tighten their grip of the Jews and further want to rid the race from existing. Along with this, an old enemy (well, maybe more a person Margarete really doesn’t like) comes to call - wanting to recommence his wooing of Annegret for his own gains. Additionally, the factory where the POWs and Jews are working is running out of material - possibly forcing the closure of the factory, which means that the workers will most likely be put into “working camps” - which Margarete knows is probable death. Not giving too much of the plot away, let’s just say that Margarete is her usual resourceful self, but there were some moments there where I was wondering how Ms. Kummerow was going to get this all worked out. I do like Ms. Kummerow’s Author’s Notes at the end, where she explains what parts were based upon true locations/events and which were a bit imagined. Another gripping book in this series - and I cannot wait for the fourth book.

1943, Germany: Two years ago, fate gave a beautiful young Jewish woman named Margarete Rosenbaum the chance to survive the Nazis, by pretending to be one of them, hiding in plain sight. Now she must make a terrifying decision… A perfectly paced and beautifully observed story... I really did race through it. Expertly plotted with exceptional writing.

A great installment in Maragrete’s story that makes me wish for more! I am so glad she triumphed over the SS and found someone to love and friends to trust. I hope her story will continue until the Allies win and she can have a happy ending.

THE GIRL IN THE SHADOWS is the third novel in the Margarete’s Journey series by MARION KUMMEROW and it continues with the story of the beautiful and incredibly brave young Jewish woman, Margarete Rosenbaum, who is living as Annegret Huber at Plau am See in Germany, running the vast Huber estate and ammunitions factory. This book can easily be read as a stand alone, but the whole series is well worth reading
It is 1943 and we see Margarete, with the help of her estate manager Oliver and maid Dora, who are the only ones to know her secret which could get them all killed, willing to do anything to help those who cannot help,themselves. We are made aware of the horrors of the Nazi regime’s cruelty, particularly towards the Jews, as opposed to the courage and compassion of those who are willing to fight against this evil.
The characters are very well portrayed and the plot is exciting. I found The Girl in the Shadows a really inspirational read and highly recommend this excellent WW11 novel to anyone who enjoys this genre.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bookouture. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

I’ve become quite attached to this series and I’m delighted to know there is one more after this one. I was on the edge of my seat while I declared this book. I could feel the tension increasing as the lies Margrete has spun tighten around her. Once character was absolutely so vile I could barely read those pages.
It’s an exciting read, replete with suspense and fear and the knowledge that time is running out for her and the people she is protecting.
Shine some light on The Girl in the Shadows.