Joseph O'Connor's "The Ghosts of Rome" is a haunting and atmospheric novel that delves into the mysteries and histories of the Eternal City. While the book has its strengths, it also has some areas that may leave readers wanting more.

Plot and Characters: The story follows a diverse group of characters, each with their own connection to Rome's past and present. O'Connor's ability to create vivid and memorable characters is evident, but at times, the sheer number of them can make the narrative feel a bit scattered. Some characters are deeply compelling, while others may not resonate as strongly with readers.

Writing Style: O'Connor's prose is rich and evocative, painting a detailed picture of Rome's streets, architecture, and ambiance. His descriptive writing is one of the book's highlights, immersing readers in the city's beauty and history. However, the pacing can be uneven, with some sections feeling slow and meandering.

Themes: "The Ghosts of Rome" explores themes of memory, loss, and the passage of time. O'Connor delves into how the past continues to influence the present, and the ways in which history can haunt us. These themes are thought-provoking, but the execution can sometimes feel heavy-handed.

Overall Impression: While "The Ghosts of Rome" has moments of brilliance, it may not fully satisfy all readers. The book's atmospheric setting and rich descriptions are its strongest points, but the pacing and character development can be inconsistent. If you're interested in a novel that captures the essence of Rome and its ghosts, this book is worth a read, but it may not be as gripping as some of O'Connor's other works.

For those who appreciate detailed settings and reflective themes, "The Ghosts of Rome" offers a unique perspective on one of the world's most iconic cities. However, it might not be the best choice for readers seeking a fast-paced or tightly woven narrative.

Joseph O’Connor has managed to surpass his previous novel about Monsignor Hugh O’ Flaherty with a superb follow up. O’Flaherty is part of the Vatican household during WW2. He leads a group named The Choir who help Allied servicemen to escape occupied Rome at huge risk to themselves. The risks intensify as the war draws on, with O’Flaherty increasingly under suspicion from a Gestapo officer. Well paced this is one of those books you cannot put down.

Towards the end of WWII, the Escape Line works to remove thousands of Allies from Rome. The Choir acts under the leadership of an Irish Monsignor at the Vatican. One of their greatest challenges is to save the life of an injured Polish airman. Well written thriller.

Italy 1944, a few months before Rome was liberated. A motley group based in the Vatican works to help hide fugitives from the Nazi soldiers. They’re not perfect, but they are doing what they can in impossible conditions Lots of suspense! More importantly, proof that even in times of utter tragedy, there are always people that are working to do the right thing..

Joseph O'Connor is one of my favorite authors and this book explains why. Not one word is wasted. He writes in a style that is urgent, compelling and moves the plot along at such a clip that as a reader you don't want to put the book down. Several perspectives are used and the narrative progresses in the voices of all of the main characters. We even get to see inside the mind of the "bad" guy and I, for one, felt some empathy for his situation. Each of the characters is unique and very well developed. I adored this book despite it's horrific setting in history. If you know Rome at all you'll enjoy the descriptions of this great city's darker side. Somehow, O'Connor infuses his work with some of that famous Irish humor and his dialogues are so lively. Ultimately, this novel is a testament to the strength and power of a few good humans working together to make the world a better place, The ending was bittersweet and perfect. Thank you so much for the early read, NetGalley and the publisher. I hope there is another one on the way to us soon.

The Ghosts of Rome is Book 2 in The Rome Escape Line Trilogy. Like the first instalment, this is chock full of action and adventure, yet there are slower moments of reflection and anxiety. During World War II, Irish Hugh O'Flaherty was the leader of the escape line or The Choir which hid refugees and helped Allied soldiers escape Rome. Contessa was an integral part of the Italian Resistance and a communist, an interesting and unlikely team but believed in their shared mission. German SS Paul Hauptmann issued edicts to Roman citizens warning them of horrors to come and for neighbours to report each other or risk dire consequences. He was ruthless. Nazi Occupation meant constant fear, betrayal, dodging bullets, black market, roundups and executions. Spying and intelligence gathering were crucial but one wrong move involved the highest of costs. I cannot fathom Contessa's resolve and courage or the unique situations O'Flaherty was forced into.

The frequent short one, two or three word statements are impactful and raw and really stand out. O'Connor's writing is intense and powerful and took me to the belly of the action and emotions in a second. There is depth in these books, very deep-rooted layers which take time to peel away but oh, how enriching the process is! You do not want to skip words for fear of missing something. If you crave Historical Fiction with dagger-sharp bite and completely different writing, this is the trilogy for you.

My sincere thank you to Europa Editions and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this incredible novel.

The ghosts of Rome is the second novel of the Rome escape line trilogy. I loved the first book, and I was happy to receive an ARC for the second installment.
The story is set in Rome in the early months of 1944 during the Nazi occupation, those months were maybe the worst months for Rome and its population; my mom was a child living in Rome during the WWII, my grandfather fortuitously escaped one of the infamous rastrellamenti (roundups) and she told us about her experience (the hunger, the terror during the bombing) and that they decided to move to a relative apartment only because it was close to the Vatican. So, this book was not easy for me because, even though it is fiction, it describes a story close to me.
The story is quite intriguing and brilliant historical fiction.
I want to thank the author, Netgalley and Europa Editions, for the advance review copy
The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Ghosts of Rome by Joseph O'Connor is a historical mystery set in the final months of World War II Rome. A group known as The Choir has successfully smuggled escapees out of Nazi-occupied Rome via the Escape Line. When an airman falls from the skies, it puts him, The Choir and the Line at risk.

If you enjoy historical WWII mysteries, The Ghosts of Rome offers an engaging mix of intrigue and atmosphere. I enjoyed it so much I’ve purchased the 1st book in the series to read as well.

Thank you Netgalley and Europa Editions! #TheGhostsofRome #NetGalley

O'Connor's last book came recommended to me by quite a few people even though I told them I wasn't in to spy fiction, they assured me that O'Connor's book were so much more than that. So I requested his latest book The Ghost of Rome based on these rave reviews from friends.
Turns out this is a spy book after all.

If you love spy books set in WWII and the Vatican then this will be perfect for you, but it wasn't for me. Now I know. I gave this book a 4 star rating purely based on the ratings I saw on Goodreads to be fair to the author and the readers who like to read this genre.
I wish that NetGalley had a read the first page option before requesting a download.

+ several more stars

The second part of the fictionalised account of a real life hero, Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty.

I thought My Father's House was very good. I thought Ghosts of Rome excellent. I started the book a few weeks ago but until yesterday I'd not really given it proper attention. So yesterday I did and I could not put it down.

The story is set around March 1944 when things are starting to fall apart for the Germans. Hauptmann is determined to bring the Escape Line to a halt and the repercussions of their activities and that of the partisans become increasingly bloody.

There is a sub-plot that follows the journey of a Polish airman which is extremely entertaining but will have you on the edge of your seat.

In fact the whole book will have you holding your breath. O'Connor makes it clear that the trilogy, whilst based on real people and their brave actions during World War II, are purely fictional. It's an extraordinary piece of historical fiction that O'Connor excels at.

I did, however, spend quite a bit of time Googling the real players - Delia and Tom Murphy Kiernan, Francis D'Arcy Osbourne, Johnny May and Sam Derry. I've also bought a copy of The Scarlet and the Black by JP Gallagher - the non-fiction story of O'Flaherty.
This is what a truly brilliant historical fiction will do. It picques your interest.

Loved this book. Very highly recommended.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Europa Editions for the advance review copy. I can hardly wait till part three.

I did not know this was the second book in a planned trilogy. I am not sure if I will go back and read the first novel. I was genuinely interested in reading about Rome and how they handled the invasion by Nazis. Especially in light of the truth of the church’s involvement in letting them escape. Like many/all of the other countries, there was a group of resistance fighters. There are, obviously, moments of horror when the reader says, “how can someone do that?” While these were fictional missions, they still have a ring of truth to them. True horrors did happen.

It is a beautifully written, but a little too lyrical for me. I found myself being distracted by the prose. The beautiful words just felt out of place with the horrors that were being described.

Overall, I rate this novel 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Though "The Ghosts of Rome" is a sequel—or rather, part two of a proposed trilogy—you need not have read its predecessor, "My Father's House," to quickly get into the story. I hadn't, and while the character dump of the first few pages did confuse me at first, author Joseph O'Connor cleared things up before I was tempted to quit reading.

The resistance organization at the heart of the novel, which helped thousands of Allied soldiers and Jews escape the Nazis during World War II, did in fact exist, as did many of the book's characters. O'Connor excelled at depicting the historic and fictional players and the ambience of 1944 Rome, and for the most part at keeping the story moving. Switches in POV slowed things down a few times without adding any insights. What I found especially intriguing were the insights into the mindset of the fictional SS commander Hauptmann. It would have been easy to depict him as a monster; instead he was shown to be an all-too-fallible human, which ultimately made him much more frightening.

Thank you, NetGalley and Europa Editions, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Europa Editions for an early copy of The Ghosts of Rome by Joseph O'Connor

"The Choir" has returned to damage as much structure as possible in World War II Rome under the Nazi regime led by the Third Reich's Paul Hauptmann (perhaps a fictionalized Herbert Kappler). While Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty remains at the helm of this small band of resistance figures, the focus switches to each of the "choir" members in their particular roles in freeing victims of the Gestapo. The Ghosts of Rome offers a remarkably vivid picture of the dangers, the sacrifices and the tenacity of the small group of warriors bent on destroying the Nazi hold on their beloved city.

As in My Father's House, music and literature are important aspects of the story and add so much to the story's appeal. From the works of ancient writers, quotes from Shakespeare, and lyrics from Irish songs, all fit perfectly into the text and support the personalities of the characters.

The wit and wisdom of the dialog, the intrigue as "The Choir" makes their clandestine plans while singing and the close-up examination of the mindset of someone as evil as Hauptmann all add to the page-turning quality of The Ghosts of Rome along with a hope that author Joseph O'Connor will once again bring "The Choir" to life in future narratives.

Excellent second book in this trilogy between the cat and mouse goings on in Rome
during the Nazi occupation. The characters are so finely drawn and the atmosphere
so tense you feel like you are there: This author is one of my favorites and this book
did not disappoint.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

What a heartbreaking, compelling read. These stories are always so hard to read but also I'm always very grateful that I did. This one has a story I've never heard and it has a gripping plot with amazing characters and a world and time brought to life. This setting of this book was so well done that it really brought this story to life for me. Such a good perspective and fascinating read.

The Choir is riven with internal tensions and infighting. The organization is in danger of falling apart, which would leave thousands of escaped allied soldiers, POWs, Jews, and objectors stranded in a Rome that is ruled with vicious efficiency by the Nazis. Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, the architect of the Escape Line and acknowledged leader of The Choir, broods inside the Vatican, seemingly paralyzed by what he sees as the intolerable risks of keeping the Escape Line in operation.
One man has been given the task of definitively destroying the entire operation and the price of his failure is high—SS Commander Paul Hauptmann’s wife and children are under Gestapo supervision in Berlin. Hauptmann is ordered to stay on in the city he both loathes and loves and to dismantle the Escape Line, or watch his family perish. Into this deliriously thrilling melee steps the Contessa Giovanna Landini, a reckless, audacious, and magnetic member of the Italian Resistance who has the nerve to challenge Hauptmann’s authority.