Many thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK Audio and the author for the ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I think it’s safe to say this book had me on edge. This story is set during the second world war and the missing psych file of Adolf Hitler. We follow the story of a young woman Katja who gets hired as stenographer for the doctor who treated Hitler during his stay at the hospital in the time of WWI. She is given the job of translating transcribing all his notes which seems to be the only proof that Hitler is not sound of mind. Then we have Daniel, an Irish man who suffered great losses at the hand of the British and is currently living a solitary life in France working for a newspaper. Their paths converge as the story progresses and they meet while trying to get the truth about Hitler out into the world.

I don't think I have ever wanted a book to both speed up and slow down at the same time even when the pacing of the story is pretty slow! That doesn't make sense, I know! The narrator was so good at portraying all the different characters distinctly and the keeping the urgent tone of the book going. It was a ride to say the least. My favourite part was Shakespeare & Co. being a focal point for this story similar to a lot of stories set in this time period.

A slow, but interesting read with lots of characters and a fair bit of action. There was a fair bit of information which was repeated which i find tedious. I rounded down to 3.5* as a a result.

A fabulous historical read with excellent narration. Enjoyed the book very much. Superb plot, well paced and great characters. Highly recommend.

I loved the Paris Notebook on audio, and was immediately invested in the story of brave Katja. At several times heartbreaking the ending more than made up for it.
Great narrator, would highly recommend.

There has long been a hypothesis that Adolf Hitler was mentally ill. Whilst there has been much debate over the years about whether this was the case, this book is based on a “What if” … What if a psychiatrist who treated a young man for mental issues after WW1 and declared him mentally unstable & delusional, kept notes of some particularly interesting cases – such as if that young man was Adolf Hitler. What if that doctor found somebody willing to risk their life to transcribe & translate the notes, and later to try to get those notes into the hands of the Allied forces.

In Germany, Katja Heinz is a young German woman whose hopes for the future have been destroyed with the coming into power of Adolf Hitler and the death of her academic father. A friend of her father, Dr Viktor, hires her as a personal assistant but the real “job” he has in mind is for Katya to transcribe Adolf Hitler's hospital notes, which he wants to make public so that people are aware of his psychiatric state. When Katja first realises the notes she is typing up are in relation to Hitler, she understands the risk and doesn't want to get involved. However she needs the job/money to take care of herself and her widowed mother and Dr Viktor was not only persuasive but he knew what happened to Katja's father and feels that his information proves that Hitler must be stopped at all costs.
Katya & Dr. Viktor must work quickly and secretly to get the notes transcribed, keep the original notebook hidden and get them out of the country into the hands of people who can use the information – all whilst the gestapo are closing in on them. Their quest for a publisher who might be willing to print the information takes them to the Shakespeare & Company bookshop in Paris, long associated with breaking boundaries (it was the first place to publish James Joyce’s Ulysses). Here more characters are introduced, but who can be trusted with such a secret?
As the book progresses, Katja risks life and limb to make sure the notebook is delivered to someone who can use the information to stop Hitler.

The characters are strong. Katya is young, a bit naïve, and struggling with her job, the loss of her father and caring for her infirm mother. She has a stubborn streak, and a determination to do what she can to honour her father’s memory and this helps her develop into a strong woman determined to fulfil the mission entrusted to her. Along the way she finds new friends, grows stronger & more determined, suffers more loss and finds love with an Irish journalist called Daniel.
The story started quite slowly but picked up in pace during the more tense moments. I wasn’t entirely convinced by the love affair, but the rest of the story felt quite plausible to me and it doesn’t shy away from the brutal reality of life under Nazi control. There were plenty of moments when you thought that you knew what would happen and then a twist would appear.

What didn’t work so well for me
I enjoyed the book, I would just have appreciated an author’s note to confirm which parts were based on fact & which were fiction! I believe this is included in the printed copy, but was not present in my audio version.
I think many people will like the ending – I felt it was a bit twee and predictable but can see why the author chose to do it that way. I felt like the book could have handled a different ending.

Audiobook
I listened to the audiobook read by Lucy Tregear, who does a good job differentiating the characters & keeping the narrative flowing. It was easy to listen to, but kept me engaged throughout.

Recommendation
This is a well-written novel that mixes danger, bravery & mystery with a bit of romance, some loyal friends and a few moments of edge-of-seat suspense as the characters make life-changing decisions. It is a compelling story, quite different to many WW2 historical fiction novels, that will appeal to anyone who enjoys stories of the resistance & other ordinary people who put their lives at risk to do what was right!

This WWII historical fiction centres around Adolf Hitler’s mysteriously missing psychiatric file from the time he was admitted to hospital following First World War injuries. This story of espionage provides conjecture on what may have happened to the notes and the people who had knowledge about the case. Before reading the book I was not aware of these notes, but was so fascinated that midway through the book, I looked up whether they had existed and had ever been published! Running alongside this main plot is a romance, although I would say this is very much a minor subplot - I personally didn't feel the chemistry between Katja and Daniel, but it was a nice addition to the story nonetheless.

The pacing of the book is pretty slow, although there is plenty of action and lots of supporting characters to keep it interesting; and the twist right at the end does warm your heart.

Many thanks to NetGallery and HarperCollins UK Audio for allowing me to get a copy of this enlightening novel.

Such an on the edge of your seat story! You really felt the danger and suspense of being ‘a traitor’ against the Nazi regime. With so much danger around every corner, doctor Ernst Viktor and Katja are against it all to write up the notes that could change the turn of the war.

Meanwhile Daniel, in France, may hold the key to giving the book the light of day that will shed light on Hitlers earlier days will show him in a very different way. When he was broken, burdened with a sense of grandiosity and not at all the strong leader the Nazis have come to know.

You were immediately behind the main characters mission and rooting for them throughout it all. I honestly had no idea how it was going to end. It was a true rollercoaster ride of reading and there was so much suspense. It was sad, heartbreaking, filled with strength and determination. The plot was steady and really kept you hooked.

The narrator of the audiobook too made for super easy listening. It was a worthwhile read! And oof the ending. Perfect!

Thank you to the author and narrator for this book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.

It's world war times and no one with critical information is safe anymore!

Katja gets a job with Dr Victor ( a psychiatrist) who divulges to her his secret work on the mental health records of Adolf Hitler. And now that she is an accomplice in this work, it's her duty to reveal the front to the world. While they are secretly working on the scripts, the nazis have made a move and are now after their life - for the secret that can destroy Hitler's reign must not be exposed.

Moving along the different countries in Europe the book has book around book premise with a key dedication towards the actual historical events. The book explains a few parts while leaving some to be discovered by the reader by themselves.

The book mentioned a few novel things about Paris that me fall in love with the story all the more:
1. Bouquinistes: are booksellers of used and antiquarian books on the banks of a river, the only river in the world that runs between two bookshelves
2. The significant role of the bookstore: Shakespeare and Company

Genre: #historicalfiction
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️

Thankyou very much for the wonderful Digital review copy @netgalley and @harpercollinsuk

#TheParisNotebook #NetGalley #tessaharris

4⭐️🎧

A gentle relatively slow paced historical fiction.

I had the audiobook read by Lucy Tregear, who does a good job.

Starting in 1939, Katja Heinz works as a typist for Dr Viktor where she comes across his notes from World War One trauma patients with one important patient Adolf Hitler. The report says that he is unfit for office.
Katja and Dr Viktor travel to Paris to try and find a publisher brave enough to publish the controversial script to bring this fact to the attention of the world, During this endeavour they meet Irish journalist Daniel. Their plans are discovered which makes them a target.

It’s a story of heroic action by ordinary people trying to make a difference to the war. There’s a love story intertwined which story adds interest and suspense. The tension builds nicely towards the end.
It’s a unique perspective which I enjoyed