The Secret History of Audrey James is a dual timeline historical now set in Nazi Germany just before the war and present day. It is incredibly well written with thought-out characters and intense storylines. Both periods are equally enthralling and it is refreshing to read a novel where the romance is present but not centre stage. The ending was considered as much as the rest of the book and was not rushed.
If you enjoy historical fiction I would recommend it.

This book was amazing. Totally gripped by the whole story, hard to put down. The strength and courage of the characters shone through. Would highly recommend this book

This was a great dual time line book between present day and Nazi Germany. The book was really good and had great characters that intertwined. But both stories were great in their own right and finally came together in a beautiful ending. Really recommend this book.

Due to health issues cannot write a proper review now even if I enjoyed this book
Recommended.Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A new author for me and a fascinating and rather disturbing plot.

Berlin 1938, Audrey is studying music, staying with Ilse Kaplan and her family. Audrey’s father wants her to return to Britain as life in Germany is changing and not for the better in some eyes. Horrific events take place and Audrey finds herself the housekeeper in the Kaplan house, where Nazis have occupied. All the while hiding many of her own secrets. There seems to be only one path Audrey can take and it is not back to Britain.

North England 2010. Kate finds herself seeking solace in a job in a remote Scottish village with an elderly lady who has a story to tell. Will Kate learn about the secrets from the past and will it enable her to come to terms with her own.

A powerful dual storyline, which shows another part of the onset of War. A must for fans of dual storylines and historical fiction.

Heather marshall is an author I am certainly going to be looking out for now/
what a fascinating story and some really memorable moments/
IT's what a good story is all about.
Gripping and emotional

An epic and gripping historical novel from WW2. Run against two timelines, we first meet Audrey James, a British pianist, in 1938. She's preparing for her performance at the Conservatoire in Berlin where she is a student. In heart breaking scenes, a shopping trip for a dress turns to tragedy for Audrey, her best friend Ilse and Ilse's family, with whom Audrey is lodging. The family home is requisitioned by German officers and Audrey is forced to become their housekeeper as she doesn't want to leave Germany without her friend.

We switch to 2010 and Alnwick, to find Kate Mercer preparing for a a new job, hundreds of miles from her home. She is looking for a fresh start after separating from her husband. Her new boss, Audrey James, has been running a hotel more or less single handed for the last few decades. In her 90s, she's not happy to find that the part-time housekeeper has hired Kate.

I normally find split timelines irritating but Heather Marshall has kept the story line gripping throughout, so I welcomed the returns to Alnwick and the unfolding story there in 2010 as much as I did the subterfuge and intrigue during the 30s and 40s as Audrey infiltrated a resistance cell.

The characters are deeply memorable. I loved how Audrey was an indefatigable and determined old woman in her 90s as well as in her 20s. Highly accomplished historical fiction.

A fabulous book I found hard to put down. This is my favourite genre and this book rates among the best that I have read. Thanks to Netgalley, The Author and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

This is an interesting story exploring a resistance measures taken by Germans against Hitler.
Audrey and Ilse are childhood friends living in Berlin in the 1930s.. Isle is a Jew and as the Nazis tighten their hold on Germany, life becomes increasingly difficult.
Following the death and deportation of members of Ilse's family Audrey takes on responsibility for hiding Isle in plain sight in the home of a Nazi officer.
Audrey is soon involved in a resistance movement at the heart of the Nazis.
Fast forward to 2011 and Kate is searching for meaning in her life following the death of her parents and loss of other baby in a car accident and the subsequent collapse of her marriage. Finding her way to her parents honeymoon base in Alnwick Kate meets Audrey and as the months follow stories of the past are told and secrets revealed.

A good story exploring a little known aspect of German life under the Nazis. The only jarring tone is the use of Americanisms like walking blocks in London, sitting on a stoop or walking on a sidewalk. Both main characters are English and would not use terms like this.

This a Great read based on a true story at beginning of WWII.It is set in the present and the past. I really enjoyed reading it.Thank you to Nettgalley and Hodder and Stoughton.

Very enjoyable book. Interesting mix of present day and the past. Likeable characters and a beautiful story of love and friendship. Some interesting twists. Highly reccomended.

This book is absolutely brilliant and my favourite book of the year so far! I couldn't put it down.
Based on the life of a real woman, I went through a rollercoaster of emotions while reading. I had decided to take a break from books set in WWII when I was offered this ARC but I'm so glad I read it. This is done differently as most of it is before the war actually starts.
Audrey James lives with her friend Ilse and her family, in Berlin, while studying music. Her father lives in England. She loves her life and being with Ilse. But this is 1938 and life in the city is uneasy with the rise of the Nazi party. Jews are starting to suffer in all ways and Ilse's family is no exception. Ira, head of the family, has faith that all will be well but when everything falls apart and the only member left is Ilse, who has to hide in the attic, life falls apart for Audrey too. The house is requisitioned by two Nazis and Audrey works as housekeeper to them to keep Ilse safe.
In 2010 Kate moves to Alnwick for a job after her life collapses. She starts work for Audrey, an old lady, who is very self contained and secretive.
There were many twists and turns and the tension throughout was nerve racking at times. The description of the conditions in Germany and treatment of the Jews by the Nazis was brilliantly written and in one particular chapter I almost held my breath. Audrey was extremely brave and would do anything to protect Ilse.
Kate has her own secrets and eventually, having become close to Audrey, they both start to heal emotionally.
By the end of the book my heart went out to Audrey. Her story was heartbreaking, for many reasons.
There were one or two little niggles in the story but nothing worth dropping a star for. I can't recommend this book highly enough! It's a fantastic read!!

Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

The Secret History of Audrey James is a poignant and harrowing story of loss, love, sacrifice and courage based on true people and events of World War II. Told in two perspectives in two timelines, it is wonderfully researched with believable characters. Do be sure to read the author's notes for context.

In 1938 Berlin, Audrey is appalled at the treatment of her dearest friend Ilse and her family who are Jews. Not only are they persecuted but much, much worse. Audrey does what she can to save lives and joins the Red Orchestra Resistance which has special plans for Hitler. She also sadly discovers the code for "pianist" and her heart breaks at what the war means for innocent babies. Ilse hides in the attic for a time and people all over are killed for their "crime" of being Jews.

In 2010 England, Kate has suffered trauma of a different kind. She is desperate for a fresh start and takes a job at an inn at Alnwick where the owner is an elderly lady set in her ways. But the two ladies of different generations bond by shared trauma and grow close. In their relationship they learn more about each other's pasts and about themselves. They share burdens and are willing to delve into the business of unlocking secrets. The inn is where Kate's parents spent their honeymoon so she is keen to find out more.

The connection between the ladies is lovely and written well. I had tears of frustration and sadness at the impossibly terrible circumstances and suffering. Authors such as Heather Marshall are adept at choosing words to make the most impact. To translate them onto paper shows creativity and depth of insight.

My sincere thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this engrossing novel.

Thank you for the chance to read this ARC in return for my honest opinion

It is a dual timeline book - Audrey reveals all to someone she takes on as an administrator in her business. As the book rolls on with Audrey's story and Kates it becomes clear that perhaps they are interwoven.

This was such a thought provoking book - with some terribly sad overtones - and much about the Nazi inhumanity to mankind.
I think for those of us born in the late 50s this is very hard to understand and must have been terrible at the time specially so soon after WW1.

This is a tale of friendship, heartache, and though it seemed that the threads would never come together they do so neatly in the end.

Its well researched and well written. I had thought that not all the SS officers perhaps believed what they were being told to believe but hadn't really thought that there would be pockets of resistance in their ranks.

in parts it's heartbreaking and, as I read often before bed, I did realise perhaps it would be better to put it down

Well worth a read I think - thank you

Audrey James is living in Berlin before the war, studying music at the conservatory and boarding with her old friends the Kaplan family.
Audrey’s late mother was German and her English father now lives in London.
In the present day Kate is trying to escape her life after a terrible incident and decides to retrace her parents’ honeymoon to a hotel in Scotland which is advertising for a new member of staff.
In this dual time line novel, the reader gradually learns Audrey’s story which is quite shocking.
She witnesses the rise of the Nazis and the awful life her dear friend Ilse Kaplan must endure due to being Jewish.
Then one day things get a wholly worse…….
The author examines many themes in this book including loss, forgiveness, survival and of course love.
The historical research is excellent and it was interesting to read about the small pockets of resistance within Germany as Audrey gets involved with a cell that tries to assassinate top officials of the regime.
As Kate meets Audrey in the present day she starts to learn her history and gradually their two lives coincide.
I thoroughly enjoyed this thought provoking read although there were many sad parts which were difficult to read at times.
Audrey was a great character, thrown into an awful situation but brave and resilient and the reader knows early on that she manages to survive.
I definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy well researched historical novels set in World War 2.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

A gripping historical novel which took me some time to get into. I loved the to and fro between the past and the present. I recommend this novel. Thanks to Heather and her publisher. Also to NetGalley

Berlin, Audrey James is living at her friends Ilse's house while she’s studying music and piano. Her father desperately wants her to return to England, he thinks it’s too dangerous to stay in Germany and he’s worried another war is about to start and she will be stranded. Audrey doesn’t want to desert her friend, everyone in the Kaplan household is anxious by the anti-Jewish sediment sweeping Berlin and the power of Adolf Hitler. Despite being extremely cautious they disappear, a group of German officer’s move into the house and employ Audrey to be their housekeeper. The soldiers have no idea that Ilse wasn’t with her family that day, she’s hiding in the attic and Audrey is helping her.

The story has a dual timeline its set in 1938 and in 2010 and told mainly from the two main characters points of view and it’s very easy to follow.

Alnwick, Kate Mercer is trying to get her life back on track, she’s in the middle of a messy divorce and she's recently lost her parents. Kate needs a change, a place to live and is employed as an assistant administrator near the Scottish border and at Oakwood Inn. Her boss isn’t what she's expecting, an aloof and elderly lady, then she changes her attitude and she wants to share her life story with Kate.

Kate learns about her living in Germany before and during the Second World War, how everything was taken away from Jewish people, not all Germans agreed with Hitler’s ideas and wasn't how it seemed.

I received a copy of The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall from Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Wow, this narrative is very different to the author’s previous book, Looking for Jane and it's just as powerful and compelling.

Using the life of a real courageous woman as a bases in her new novel, Ms. Marshall explores the bonds of friendship, love, family, secrets, tragedy, war, risks, the German resistance and who was involved and the Holocaust. Five stars from me, a plot that emphasises love comes in many forms, levels and depths, the nature of luck, fate and chance and it’s never too late to admit you’re human and made mistakes.

A gripping historical novel. I loved this book! It kept me hooked from the moment I started it, unable to put it down. I loved the interchange between the past and the present. I loved the characters and the plot was well written. I highly recommend this novel.

This book was inspired by the courageous women and the German resistance during WWII.

Berlin, 1938. Against the backdrop of pre-WWII Berlin, British pianist Audrey James and her best friend Ilse face the imminent threat of Nazi oppression. When Ilse's family disappears and Nazi officers confiscate their home, Audrey becomes their housekeeper and Ilse is forced into hiding in her own attic, As borders close and rumours of death camps prisoner in her own home. As borders close and rumours of death camps swirl, Audrey makes a life=changing decision to join the covert resistance and risk everything.

Alnwick, 2010. After a tragic accident, Kate Mercer packs her things and moves to work at a guest house near the Scottish border. Instead of finding solace, Kate becomes entangled in the secrets of her mysterious elderly proprietor.

This story focuses more on the Germans during WWII and the horrific things the Jews had to endure. We follow two young women's stories - one from Berlin in 1938, and the other in England in 2010. We relive the hardships and their fight for survival. Audrey's father persuades her to return to England to finish her education. The story flips back and forth in time. Tension builds throughout this well-written story. I loved that it was based on a true story.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Hodder&Stoughton and the author #HeatherMarshall for my ARC of #TheSecfretHistoryOfAudreyJames in exchange for an honest review.

Published 4th June

This is a moving and uplifting account of two women whose lives intersect bringing both a renewed sense of purpose, healing and redemption. Audrey James, born in Berlin before WW2, training to be a concert pianist, lives with her best friend Ilse Kaplan and her family. As Hitler's antisemitic laws come into force, Audrey has to risk her life to protect her friend from deportation and the death camps. Meanwhile, in 2010, in this dual-time line story , we meet Kate, recently involved in an accident that killed her parents, about to divorce her husband who is drifting through life in a haze of grief. This book explores difficult, emotionally-charged themes with care and thoughtfulness, and urges the reader to value every moment of life, and to grab happiness with courage and love.