This was an interesting take on a novel within the WW2 historical fiction genre, focussing much more on a town and personalities of the residents rather than the wider conflicts of war and espionage that are so often featured in this genre now.

I felt the characters were well-rounded and I enjoyed their stories, especially those of Max and Julia. But I did feel as though I was missing the atmosphere, drama and tension that I wanted from the story. It was there, but only briefly whereas there are other titles in the genre that have you on the edge of your seat the whole through because of that underlying tension that the setting brings - something that I felt 'The Stranger from Berlin' didn't quite conjure.

A nice enough read, but I do feel there are better stories in the market at the moment.

Having resumed reading after my MA, I thought a solid World War II-era novel was to be the one to push me further out of the slump. I tried cosy armchair detectives and thought I would try something more in-depth.

Melissa Amateis’ ‘A Stranger In Berlin’ was good … but not slump-ending.

In essence, in 1940s Nebraska, you meet Jenni Fields, pregnant with another man’s child and a dead husband. She lives in Meadow Hills, a small community that is unhappy to take in German Max Koenig, who fled Nazi Germany in 1938. He is employed to translate a historic German-language diary, which goes missing (leaving the town to suspect Max as the thief). Jenni is, evidently, the only one to believe he is innocent, but can she prove it before it is too late?

Melissa Amateis is a historian and evidently knows her stuff, and for an American reader, this is likely a fantastic book. However, as a Brit, it slipped down the scale to a ‘good’ book due to my own studies of the Second World War (historians unite!). I think I need to make it clear, it wasn’t a bad book! It had a great underlying plot of hidden nationality and was well researched with a moderate pace that would keep most people engaged.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be for me, but I would still recommend it to lovers of historical fiction!

Not for me. Nothing wrong with it per se butI struggle sometimes with fictional Nazis and this was one of those times unfortunately

Nebraska, 1943: Jenni Field's husband Danny was killed in action two months ago. Now pregnant with another man's child, Jenni is determined to keep her secret from the small community of Meadow Hills.

Max Koenig fled Germany in 1938, escaping the Nazis and leaving behind a dark secret of his own. Employed to translate a historic German-language diary, Max moves to Meadow Hills but the community aren't happy to have a German on their midst. When the diary goes missing, the whole town thinks that Max is a thief. And when local businesses and landmarks get covered in German graffiti, the residents point the finger his way.

Jenni is the only one who believes Max is innocent, Someone doesn't want information leaked from the diary, but who is it that has something to hide?

This is a well written book that's captivating. The characters are well developed and believable. The pace is steady, I was desperate to find out what had happened in Meadow Hills many years ago. This is an emotional WWII mystery that held my attention throughout.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #SimonAndSchuster and the author #MelissaAmateis for my ARC of #TheStrangerInBerlin in exchange for an honest review.

I got, The Stranger from Berlin by Melissa Amatels form NetGalley for a fair and honest review..

Max Koenig, is a history professor from Berlin, who left Germany in 1938, escaping from The Nazis as well as secrets that happened in Germany during the 1930’s.
After finding work in a University in the US state of Nebraska, he begins to settle down until he is accused of being a spy for the German intelligence by an Escaped German Jew.
So, the university does not suffer from bad publicity, Max is put on sabbatical for 3 months before being asked to leave.
To help Max a friend of his offers him a chance to translate a diary by a famous crime writer which was written in German to her dead son, who was killed in the burning of his church, in the anti-German feelings during World War 1.
The only problem is, however, she lived in what is called the most patriotic town in the whole of America as it banned the German language, music and the town name was changed to sound more English.
But when the diary gets stolen Max is accused of stealing the diary as well vandalism against the war memorial. The Twon Turns against him. Except, is Jenni Fields whose husband died fighting the Germans in Europe and her young son though Jenni also has secrets to hide.

The Stranger from Berlin was an enjoyable story to read that took a story set in World War 2 and came upon it from a different angle. Instead, of dealing with combat, or daring spying operations, this novel took place in small town America.
The novel even though it was set in World War II, was not a normal l novel set in that conflict, as it concentrated on secrets not ones that would change the events of the war but those of a personal kind.
This was done in several ways in how the town changed everything two keep its German ancestry hidden from the world.
But the story also examined how secrets can cause problems through the eyes of Max the professor from Germany. As well as Jenni a local who as lived there all her life but has secrets of her own that she wants to keep.
What I really liked about the story was how the writer was able to not only tell the story of Max and Julia dealing with there secrets but also how other members of the ton reacted to what was happening.
This was practically well done as readers we had some idea of the personality of the people who had the different reactions both positive and negative, so when they acted the way, they did, it would seem to be in keeping with the personality.

With thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest opinion.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book extremely well planned and thought out excellent characters played there parts so well an air of mystic hangs over it can highly recommend this debut novel