Eva Pasco

5.0 out of 5 stars

Historical Fiction Extraordinaire!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 26, 2023

Verified Purchase

Having read ‘Snares and Delusions’ and ‘Woes and Wonders,’ I wanted to continue the journey with ‘Secrets and Lies’. Book 3 of the Triptych takes place in Denmark during World War II, and focuses on protagonist, Britta Rasmussen, whose life is shaped by the perils of the time.

HM Holten excels at writing realistic historical fiction extraordinaire driven by characters I’ve yet to find likeable—except for Rachel.

Britta’s dysfunctional family, for the most part, are staunch supporters of Hitler and the Third Reich. Her two brothers are arrogant, self-serving, and cruel. Her father is distant. Her mother is oblivious.

Yet, I despised Britta most of all: Blatantly disrespectful to her mother. Condescending attitude toward weak females which morphs into hypocrisy. Living her own lies. A member of BDM (Bund Deutscher Mädel), the female sector of Hitler Youth, she becomes responsible for a roundup of local Jews sent to a concentration camp. Her cold and calculating scheming at every turn.

I highly recommend this fast-paced novel which hit a nerve, while failing to evoke empathy for Britta’s fate.