After reading The Rose Code, I was offered the chance to read The Diamond Eye and I am so glad that I chose to accept, because it was amazing!
This time we are treated to a partial fictional, partial true retelling of the story of Lyudmila Pavlichenko, a woman sniper who fought for Russia during the 2nd World War.
In her early 20s, Mila is a single mother, or more or less, waiting for the finalisation of divorce from a man tow whom she should never have really married. Finally chasing her dream of studying history, she is dragged into war, when the 'Hitlerites' invade Russia.
She wants to make a change for her little son back home with his grandparents, and the way she does it is tremendous, as she uses her gun skills to become one of the most famed women snipers of her time.
The rawness of the scenes when she and her partner, and platoon, are in combat made me feel Iw as there, quiet, hesitant to move, lest I cracked a twig,a nd gave their location away!
The scenes based in the US with Eleanor Roosevelt and the whole trip were brilliantly intertwined with the war scenes, and even though the ending was more fictional than not, it tied everything up so well.
I was blown away by the whole story, and I appreciated the Author's Notes at the end where Quinn separated the truth from fiction.
Either way, the way she has interwoven reality with imagination makes for a fantastic read. I read it within 24 hours, and it isn't a short book!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In 1937 in the snowbound city of Kiev (now known as Kyiv), wry and bookish history student Mila Pavlichenko organizes her life around her library job and her young son--but Hitler's invasion of Ukraine and Russia sends her on a different path. Given a rifle and sent to join the fight, Mila must forge herself from studious girl to deadly sniper--a lethal hunter of Nazis known as Lady Death. When news of her three hundredth kill makes her a national heroine, Mila finds herself torn from the bloody battlefields of the eastern front and sent to America on a goodwill tour.
Still reeling from war wounds and devastated by loss, Mila finds herself isolated and lonely in the glittering world of Washington, DC--until an unexpected friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and an even more unexpected connection with a silent fellow sniper offer the possibility of happiness. But when an old enemy from Mila's past joins forces with a deadly new foe lurking in the shadows, Lady Death finds herself battling her own demons and enemy bullets in the deadliest duel of her life.

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own hone\st voluntary review.

This is my kind of historical fiction - an excellent read. We really got to know and love Mila and the people around her. Quinn writes with flair, humour and knowledge and I couldn’t put this book down. The insights into the longevity of the Soviet fight against the Nazis, the alliance with the USA which, for many, wasn’t a straightforward alliance, the impact on individuals and the toll this conflict would take on them.

Ordinary people with extraordinary endurance and determination.

This was a war story, a love story and a fast paced thriller all in one.

I really enjoyed the insights into Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt and it was clear that the work was well researched and written with balance and empathy. Quinn doesn’t shy away from the brutality of fighting and what it does to peace of mind once the war is over.

I would strongly recommend this book. I loved The Rose Code but this is even better.

Kate Quinn is an excellent storyteller of historical fiction and her latest offering The Diamond Eye doesn’t disappoint. Based on the real memoir of Lyudmila Pavlichenko ‘The diamond Eye ‘or more commonly known as Lady death who was a Ukrainian librarian and history student who joined Russia’s Red army and became a sniper allegedly killing 309 people. She is made a national heroine by her peers.
Lyudmila is sent to the war against the Soviet Union and Germany where she moves up the ranks for her skills as a sniper. At first, she wasn’t taken seriously due to be a 26-year-old woman. But she proved them all wrong especially her ex - husband Alexi who serves as a surgeon on the front. She is also sent on a diplomatic tour to America as a poster girl to help recruitment to the army, where she meets and builds a friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt.
Thank you, Harper Collins, for a copy of ‘The diamond eye’ I was excited to read this after reading her previous Novel ‘The Rose code’ I enjoyed this story based on a true story and the author is great turning facts into fiction. She this a richly researched book. But unlike her previous novel I found the first half of this book quite heavy going and not light-hearted like The Rose code that I had to take a break now again and not get overwhelmed of rules of procedures that Lyudmila undertook while training as a sniper. But that didn’t deter me to finish this and found that all in all this is another great read. 4 stars from me.

Another excellent piece of writing from Kate Quinn. Based closely around the real life of the 26 year old, Russian, female sniper Mila Pavlichenko, nicknamed Lady Death, who despatched way more than the 309 Nazi soldiers who invaded Russia that she was credited with. Credit only came if a kill was confirmed by someone else. Not something that could so easily have been done in the middle of a battlefield.

An enthralling and in places emotional tale of a woman doing a so much better job of succeeding in a man's world than the vast majority of the men!

What more can I offer, except read this book as it will not disappoint.

Kate Quinn has once again created a triumph of historical fiction. The Diamond Eye is based around the incredible story of Lyudmila Pavlichenko, one of the USSR's best snipers in WWII. A young mother, history student, and sharp shooter, Mila Pavlichenko enrolled in the Red Army to help protect her country from the Nazi invasion.

Quinn seamlessly blends fact with fiction as she tells the incredible story of Mila's life. From leading her team on the front line, to finding herself representing the USSR in the Roosevelt White House. Quinn adds her own twist to the story, making an incredibly readable, heartrending work of fiction.

I read quite a lot of WWII fiction, much of it is set in occupied France while the rest is usually about women working "behind the scenes" cracking codes etc. This is the first novel that I have read that features a woman who was on the front line, as a sniper. The fact that much of this story is based on true events (not the assassination attempt) makes this story that bit more speacial

I love Kate Quinn's writing style and her ability to bring history to life. I thought Lyudmila's personality shone through, I just hope that it is an accurate portrayal of this extraordinary woman.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping book

as i kept reading this book i kept saying to myself surely not, this cant be based on a true story and even at the end when i was reading the authors notes it was still hard to imagine that the russians allowed women at the front, yes they fought in the wars right at the front and this is the true story of lady death Mila Pavlichenko, the best sniper that the russians had in the second world war...

Mila Pavlichenko found herself pregnant at 15 to an older man, who then decided he really didnt need a wife or son in his life so mila got on with her life and became mother and father to her son, so anything that her son needed to know even if it was how to be a man mila took on that challenge, so she took shooting lessons to be able to show her son how to shoot a gun and thats where she learnt her craft

but this book is so much more than that, the author has mixed truth with fiction so some bits are fiction and the author explains where but for the most part she has taken milas notes into account and has spun the most amazing book that will astound its readers

when the russians and the americans met was an eye opener and the friendships between mr roosevelt and mila over the span of their lives was amazing to read...

this author has written the most amazing book about this legendary woman who became the world deadliest sniper in ww2 and the fact of where she came from and fought for russia is even more amazing

roll on the next book from this amazing author

It was moving to read this novel, and besides affecting me emotionally I found it a gripping page turner of a novel. The plot involves Mila, who has 309 kills on her official tally. The novel tells Mila's story, from being a student finishing her dissertation on a character from history and becoming a sniper for the Soviet army. Then to America as part of the Russian delegation asking for help to defend their country. It is World War two. Mila finds an unexpected ally in Eleanor Roosevelt, and meanwhile she is being stalked by a sniper herself. Will he succeed in his plans? You will have to read the book to find out the answer to that question and the novel is highly recommended. It was not, in my opinion, quite as good as 'The Rose Code' but the novel still deserves five stars.

The diamond eye by Kate Quinn.
In the snowbound city of Kiev, aspiring historian Mila Pavlichenko’s life revolves around her young son – until Hitler’s invasion of Russia changes everything. Suddenly, she and her friends must take up arms to save their country from the Fuhrer’s destruction.
A slow read for me. Full of historic references to ww2. If you are a historical buff you will live it. 3*.

Lyudmila Pavlichenko is “The Diamond Eye’, Lady Death, a World War Two Russian army sniper with an alleged 309 kills. Russian propaganda or the truth? Her mission in 1942 in the United States is to be part of the delegation to encourage President Roosevelt to offer aid in its brutal war against Hitler. A marksman watches the proceedings, there is an audacious plot to kill FDR and Mila would be a great patsy. Backtrack five years to Kyiv in the Soviet Union and we get an insight into her life as an angry young mother, with her husband she’s trying desperately to divorce and how she becomes a sniper. “It’s all for you, Slavka“, her beloved son.

First of all, I admit to finding it very hard reading about this initially because of current events but I set this aside as this is Kate Quinn who I really admire. There are some very good insights into a woman living in the Soviet Union where despite the true meaning of the word communism, females still face the same old, same old so kudos to Mila for striking a feminist blow.

There is a huge depth of research which does lead to a lot of information about guns, rifles, war movements, the reality of the eastern front but it is interspersed with a more personal slant especially Mila’s love life with her loves and her losses. The war does come to life in all its rawness and devastating brutality and you see exactly what the Soviet Union is up against.

It’s the part of the story in the United States and her growing bond and formation of an unlikely friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt that I enjoy the most, I’d go so far as to say I love these sections. This is where we get to see Lyudmila‘s real personality, her humour, to understand better the complications in her life, the passion for her country and her bravery. What an admirable woman Eleanor Roosevelt is too.

There are some good twists in this part of the story and some vengeful actions as it builds to an exciting, tense and suspenseful ending with some superb predatory imagery. It’s maybe a bit Hollywood but it’s enjoyable and makes for highly entertaining reading - what more can we ask for!

Overall, it’s undeniably good and very well written but it doesn’t wow me as much as Rose Code . I would like to thank Kate Quinn for bringing a woman I knew nothing about to my attention and it’s well worth reading the authors afterword. I do enjoy how she has cleverly woven fact with fiction.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins for the much appreciated arc return for an honest review.

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn is a great WWII-era historical fiction that is epic, addictive, entertaining, and a great addition to Ms. Quinn’s stunning portfolio. I loved it!

I have read several books by Ms. Quinn so far (The Rose Code, The Alice Network, The Huntress) and this is a great addition. All her books so far have been epic, intense, complex, rich in historical detail, well-researched, and gripping. I always walk away from her novels learning something new. This book was just the same.

I was completely enthralled learning about this life of Mila Pavlichenko, a sniper from Kiev, mother, and all-around tough gal. Written based on the life of the real Lyudmila Pavlichenko, Ms. Quinn presents a story that is epic in proportion, feels larger than life, but is closer to reality than one realizes.

Her experiences in the US and the inclusion of Eleanor Roosevelt were especially interesting to me. I have always been interested in Eleanor.

4.5/5 stars for sure!

Thank you NG and Harper Collins UK/Harper Fiction for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 3/31/22.

Mila Pavlichenko’s life is her young son. Then Hitler invades Russia and she needs to fight to save them both.
She becomes a deadly sniper, hunting down the Nazi's. She is so good she is sent to America and becomes friends with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and there is a chance of a new future.
However, can she leave her past behind or will it catch up with her?

This was such a lovely book. The characters were so well-written and I really loved Mila. This my first Kate Quinn book and her writing is sooo good. I loved how descriptive it was. I actually ended up learning a lot, aside from having an engaging time reading. The only downsides were that I felt some paragraphs were too winding with too mang details that I don't think were needed. The book was longer than it should have been and it did dampen a little my reading experience. Overall, it's still a great book and I'm now eagerly looking forward to reading more of Kate Quinn's repertoire.

In 1937 in the snowbound city of Kiev (now known as Kyiv), wry and bookish history student Mila Pavlichenko organises her life around her library job and her young son - but Hitler's invasion of Ukraine and Russia send her on a different path. Given a rifle and sent to join the fight, Mila must forge herself from studious girl to deadly sniper - a lethal hunter of Nazis known as Lady Death. When the news of her 300th kill makes her a national heroine, Mila finds herself torn from the bloody battlefields of the Eastern Front and sent to America on a goodwill tour.

This book is based on a true story. Mila Pavlichenko joins the Red Army when Germany invaded the Soviet Union. She becomes known as Lady Death after killing over 300 Nazis. She is sent to America as part of the Eleanor Roosevelt's student delegation with hopes of inspiring Americans to join the war in Europe. Mila had left her young son in her parents care when she enlists in the war effort. I was quickly pulled into this engrossing read. We learn of the hardship and struggles of women on the front line. I like Mila's friendship and interactions with Eleanor Roosevelt. Mila is a likeable, multi-layered character. The war scenes are brutal but it's not all dark, there's some humour to the story too.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #HarperFiction and the author #KateQuinn for my ARC of #TheDiamondEye in exchange for an honest review.