Lead review – plus Jane Thynne talks to us about Berlin

  • Book: Solitaire
  • Location: Berlin
  • Author: Jane Thynne

Review Author: tripfiction

Location

Content

This is the first book I have read by Jane, and it won’t be the last. The meticulous research and extremely polished writing skills combine to make this a very readable novel. Set at the heart of the Nazi elite, actress Clara Vine has infiltrated the high echelons of German command. She is part German, part British and as a spy for the British over the past 7 years, she has had a very fine line to tread.

Now, however, she has the ear of Goebbels and ironically he sends her to other European cities – Paris and Lisbon – to work as a spy for the Nazis. She would love to return to England but she is caring for a child and it seems that that relationship is being used leverage, she has no choice but to comply with his wishes.

The author weaves several strands into a well rounded narrative, taking her readers from the world of orphanages of the time (all part of the Lebensborn project) to a series of terrifying and random attacks on the Berlin Underground – U Bahn. It is possible that Clara inadvertently stumbled upon the attacker in the early part of the book!

‘Normality’ of the period is really quite shocking for people who know little about the era and the author really brings the reality of the time, the ways of thinking, the little details to sobering life. The Babelsberg Studios, where Clara works, are still a powerhouse of film production – after all, the movies are a good way to disseminate the Nazi creed with a touch of glamour, something all too absent in everyday life for the average German..

“Berlin was a city full of fear”

Clara lives in Winterfeldtstrasse, near Nollendorfplatz, which actually exists in the city today. When one visits Berlin, one can really feel history permeating the fabric of the buildings one still sees. There are real echoes of footsteps past.

Well researched detail conjures up a colourful history – who knew the Nazis wore phosphorescent lapel badges to show their allegiance in the dark; or that Goering kept lion cubs at home; or that Himmler suggested men take two wives. And particularly relevant for this time of year is that at Hitler’s Obersalzburg residence in the Alps, branches would be left in the salt mines below and extracted at Christmas when they would be covered with a glittering deposit of crystals, making a festive and impressive display.

I read this novel whilst in Berlin and it really got me thinking about the history, the people and how there is still such resonance from the war years built into the fabric of the present day city. Highly recommended.

Here Jane talks to us about Berlin

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