Annette Lustgarten

The book provides insight into an immigrant’s view of America. There is so much to learn and so many things that are inexplicable. The characters were very compelling and thoroughly flushed out. One really wants to know what happens to the main character Joan. I was a little disappointed in the end, as there was no final resolution to the future of the remaining characters.

The story grabs you from the very beginning. The characters are so well developed. You feel that you know them. This was a mystery that wasn’t a typical mystery. The suspense continued throughout the book. Hard to put it down.

This is the first and will be the only book in the bookstore series that I will read. The story was disjointed. Clearly, it’s not a standalone book. One must have the history of the two characters who were so unlikable I could barely stand them. We never know how the murder was committed. How did the murderer get the victim to the building site at 12 o’clock at night? Additionally, there’s no backstory for Angelica. How did she get her money? Was she divorced? Was she widowed? Why did she come to this small town. Why did Trisha come to this town? Did she start the bookstore? Did she buy it? Why would a 21-year-old be interested in this woman. The author never acknowledges the existence of Amazon, Kindle or libraries. People barely buy books anymore.

This book is incredibly timely that shows the Nazi menace that dominated the world for so many years. In light of the huge rise in overt anti-Semitism, this book calls attention to this dreadful plague of Antisemitism in the world today. The book is a warning of what can happen in America.