The dictator's muse is a very captivating, very engrossing and very well crafted story about people caught up into the powerful and often violent historical maelstrom of the pre-war years in Europe, a tale of angst, betrayal, enduring love and political survival.

In 1933 Leni Riefenstahl was a rising star within Hitler's inner sanctum. A much admired actress in Germany, she had become also a talented and much seeked after filmmaker that enabled the Nazi propaganda machine to flourish after their successful power grab earlier that year. By 1935 her movie "Triumph of the Will" had definitively established Hitler as the Supreme Leader. Keenly aware that she must keep herself on her toes at all times when navigating the treacherous waters that surround the Fuhrer, she is about to write, direct and produce her masterpiece, "Olympia" the propaganda film about the 1936 Olympic Games she has been commissioned to make...

Nick Newlands is a young British athlete who dreams to win 3 gold medals at the upcoming games of 1936. Coming from a very modest background and without any family, Nick is eager to find a sponsor in order to secure funding for his training. Unfortunately Nick will bet on the wrong horse by accepting financial aid from Sir Oswald Mosley and his Blackshirts, shattering his dreams of olympic glory and sealing his fate once and for all....

Leni and Kim will come across each other in Berlin during the summer of 1936.....

This magnificent novel lingered in my mind for several days. Its beautifully drawn characters, its suspenseful plot and its perfect historical atmosphere offered me an unforgettable reading experience. A novel that I will probably read again and again.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK/ Transworld Publihers for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful novel prior to its release date