I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Huntress by Kate QuinnNarrator: Saskia Maarleveld
Published by HarperAudio, William Morrow on February 6, 2019
Genres: Fiction / Historical / World War II
Length: 19 hours 4 minutes
Format: ARC, Audiobook
Source: Library, Publisher
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From the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling novel, THE ALICE NETWORK, comes another fascinating historical novel about a battle-haunted English journalist and a Russian female bomber pilot who join forces to track the Huntress, a Nazi war criminal gone to ground in America.
In the aftermath of war, the hunter becomes the hunted…
Bold and fearless, Nina Markova always dreamed of flying. When the Nazis attack the Soviet Union, she risks everything to join the legendary Night Witches, an all-female night bomber regiment wreaking havoc on the invading Germans. When she is stranded behind enemy lines, Nina becomes the prey of a lethal Nazi murderess known as the Huntress, and only Nina’s bravery and cunning will keep her alive.
Transformed by the horrors he witnessed from Omaha Beach to the Nuremberg Trials, British war correspondent Ian Graham has become a Nazi hunter. Yet one target eludes him: a vicious predator known as the Huntress. To find her, the fierce, disciplined investigator joins forces with the only witness to escape the Huntress alive: the brazen, cocksure Nina. But a shared secret could derail their mission unless Ian and Nina force themselves to confront it.
Growing up in post-war Boston, seventeen-year-old Jordan McBride is determined to become a photographer. When her long-widowed father unexpectedly comes homes with a new fiancée, Jordan is thrilled. But there is something disconcerting about the soft-spoken German widow. Certain that danger is lurking, Jordan begins to delve into her new stepmother’s past—only to discover that there are mysteries buried deep in her family . . . secrets that may threaten all Jordan holds dear.
In this immersive, heart-wrenching story, Kate Quinn illuminates the consequences of war on individual lives, and the price we pay to seek justice and truth.
This was really good! I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy of this book around the time that it was being published. Then I didn’t get around to reading it. It happens. I have thought about picking it up several times over the years and usually ended up grabbing something shorter. I shouldn’t have let the length of this book deter me because it was really such an engrossing story that it didn’t feel long at all. I am so glad that I finally took the time to experience this book!
The characters in this book were fantastic! This story is told from three points of view and I really liked each of them equally which is a rare thing. Nina was quite the character. She was fierce, bold, and determined. We get to see her in the past working as a pilot in the Russian army during WWII. We also see her in the 1950s but those scenes are usually told from her husband, Ian’s point of view. Ian worked as a journalist but is now focused on bringing war criminals to justice. The third point of view comes from Jordan. Jordan lives in Boston with her father and eventually her stepmother and sister. She is smart and never gives up. I loved seeing their stories come together over the course of this book.
This was a pretty exciting story. Learning the things that Nina and others went through during the war was eye-opening. It was interesting to see how far Ian and his team would go to bring their target to justice. Jordan only knew life after the war and I loved how ambitious she was. There were some things that I did figure out in the story but there were also plenty of surprises along the way. This was a really captivating story that had me glued to the pages.
Saskia Maarleveld did an amazing job with the narration of this book. I loved the way that she was able to create different voices and use various accents for the key characters. I really felt like she brought the story to life and added a lot of emotion and excitement t the story. I believe that her narration added to my overall enjoyment of the story.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. I found this to be an incredibly well-written and thoroughly researched story filled with characters that were easy to fall for. I definitely plan to read more of this author’s work in the future.
I received a digital review copy of this book from William Morrow via Edelweiss and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library.
I’ve seen this one around a lot and it it definitely on my radar. That’s a fairly long audio book (19 hrs) but it sounds like Maarleveld does a great job with the voices.
Fantastic review! I’m glad you enjoyed it so much.
I get reluctant about longer books, but this sounds like one that would be well worth it.
I like Saskia’s narration! Sounds good then
Good review, have read it.
I finally got around to listening to The Alice Network and absolutely loved it so I’m really wanting to read more from this author. This one sounds really good! I definitely need to get the audio.