Monday, February 5, 2024

Sarah Sundin: Embers in the London Sky

By Kelly Bridgewater

As the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940, Aleida van der Zee Martens escapes to London to wait out the Occupation. Separated from her three-year-old son, Theo, in the process, the young widow desperately searches for her little boy even as she works for an agency responsible for evacuating children to the countryside.

When German bombs set London ablaze, BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood reports on the Blitz, eager to boost morale while walking the fine line between truth and censorship. But the Germans are not the only ones Londoners have to fear as a series of murders flame up amid the ashes.

The deaths hit close to home for Hugh, and Aleida needs his help to locate her missing son. As they work together, they grow closer and closer, both to each other and the answers they seek. But with bombs falling and continued killings, they may be running out of time.


 

My Thoughts:

Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin features a Dutch speaking woman who lost her son as her and her abusive husband try to leave the lower part of Europe to London. Once in London, she tries to survive the Blitz, but also, tries to uncover her missing son. With the hurt of her past marriage, she has a hard time allowing love to enter her heart. She is a brave and determined mother who will do anything to find her missing son. On the other hand, Hugh, a BBC correspondent, interviews and captures the story of the London Blitz for firsthand accounts. His voice is recognized all across London. I really liked the BBC War correspondent element to Hughes’ character. Readers, of course, are familiar with the radio broadcasts that were familiar during this time period. It was nice to see the reporter’s viewpoint and how Sundin brought that to life through Hugh. When their two lives intersect, then the sparks begin to fly. The plot has an element of a murder mystery as bodies start to end up dead in different parts of the city. I enjoyed the murder element to the plot. Love World War II stories and suspense, so this was nice to see together in one novel. Sundin does a wonderful job at bringing the readers into the setting and time period that readers will forget that they are sitting somewhere in 2024 instead of 1941. She invites readers to experience the horror of the bombing from the Germans, love of the characters, and well-crafted plot. I can’t wait to own this book in my library.

I received a complimentary copy of Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars

Purchase Embers in the London Sky

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