AD-gifted: I received a copy of The Pilot’s Girl in exchange for this post. Affiliate links are marked with a*
Today it’s my stop on the tour for The Pilot’s Girl by Catherine Hokin. You may remember my review of The Commandant’s Daughter back in January when we were first introduced to the character of Hanni. This one continues her story. It’s a devastating novel about finding the strength to survive when all hope seems lost.
Book Description
‘Smile, nod, and don’t breathe a word of what happens here. Or I’ll put you on the next train to Auschwitz myself.’
Four years later. Hanni Winter shivers in her thin coat as she hurries through the empty Berlin streets to her job. Despite the freezing winter and poverty all around, her cheeks flush when she meets the man she is photographing today, charismatic Tony Miller, the American pilot risking his life to bring food and provisions to the starving people of the city. But her rush of joy turns to ash as she sees the man behind him…
It’s been years since Hanni fled her terrible past, but seeing Reiner Foss now brings back harrowing memories of the man they called The Showman, and of the concentration camp he commanded. The last time she tried to expose him, Hanni almost died, can she dare to try again? Or should she seize the chance she sees in Tony’s sparkling eyes to leave the horrors of the war behind?
Hanni is no longer the frightened child she was when the Nazis devastated her life beyond repair. She vows to avenge every person who suffered at Reiner’s hands. But does her attraction to Tony leave her vulnerable? Can Hanni protect her loved ones from her past, or will the cost of fighting her demons ultimately prove more than she can pay?
What I Thought
I do love going back to characters from previous novels. Hanni Winter is a tough survivor and will always do what she believes in. The Pilot’s Girl is set 4 years later, and she is still angry with what her father Reiner Foss did and is dead set on avenging each person her father touched. She is now older and wiser and will use every ounce of strength in her body to protect her loved ones.
Hanni is a crime scene photographer and works alongside her friend Freddie who we met back in the last book. The book shares with us details of what a post-war Germany is like and the romance between Hanni and her new love interest Tony. It’s a great read with a crime element to it so you get your murders, secrets, and lies thrown in. I’m looking forward to the next one in the series!
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the advance copy.
Author Bio
Catherine Hokin is the author of several World War Two inspired novels set in Berlin, her favourite city. Following a History degree at Manchester University she worked in teaching, marketing and politics, while waiting for a chance to do what she really wanted, which was to write full time. Her short stories have been published by iScot, Writers Forum and Myslexia magazines and she was the winner of the 2019 Fiction 500 Short Story Competition. She is a lover of strong female leads and a quest.
Catherine now lives in Glasgow with her American husband. She has two grown-up children – one of whom lives, very conveniently, in Berlin – and a lifelong addiction to very loud music.
https://www.catherinehokin.com/
Where Can I Buy?
Available to buy from *Amazon