Review: Shadowboxing by Anne Barwell

Title: Shadowboxing (Echoes Rising: Book One)

Author: Anne Barwell

Length: 270 Pages

Category: Historical, Suspense/Thriller

At a Glance: Besides giving us some very solid characters, Anne Barwell also gives us a suspenseful, action packed, old-time war thriller.

Reviewed By: Maryann

Blurb: 2nd Edition

Berlin, 1943. An encounter with an old friend leaves German physicist Dr. Kristopher Lehrer with doubts about his work. But when he confronts his superior, everything goes horribly wrong. Suddenly Kristopher and Michel, a member of the Resistance, are on the run, hunted for treason and a murder they did not commit. If they’re caught, Kristopher’s knowledge could be used to build a terrible weapon that could win the war.

For the team sent by the Allies—led by Captain Bryant, Sergeant Lowe, and Dr. Zhou—a simple mission escalates into a deadly game against the Gestapo, with Dr. Lehrer as the ultimate prize. But in enemy territory, surviving and completing their mission will test their strengths and loyalties and prove more complex than they ever imagined.

1st Edition published by Dreamspinner Press, 2012.

Review: Dr. Kristopher “Kitt” Lehrer is a physicist in war torn, 1943 German. Kitt holds the key to the most dangerous weapon known to mankind, though it takes him some time to realize what he holds—when an accident finds him accused of murder.

The Allies send in Captain Matthew “Matt” Bryant and Sergeant Ken Lowe
to work with the Resistance to rescue Kitt and keep the last piece of the puzzle out of the Nazi’s hands. Matt puts his life on the line and is captured and tortured by the Gestapo, but Ken goes above and beyond to rescue Matt.

While Kitt and Michel are on the run, they get help from many sources, even brave Germans who help in the Resistance and chanced being tortured or killed while risking their lives for freedom. The more time that Kitt and Michel spend with each other, their feelings for each other start to develop.

There are other brave characters in this storyline too: Michel is a man who works for the Resistance, and he aides Kitt in escaping the clutches of the Gestapo; Doctor Clara Lehrer, Kitt’s sister; Elise Schuster has a connection to Matt and Juliane Dunst, who has a connection to Karl Holm. I also found Dr. Zhou Liang to be an interesting character—seems like he has an unusual interest in Juliane.

In Shadowboxing we find the Resistance and Allies going up against Nazis and the Gestapo. Besides those brave Germans who help in the Resistance, many of our heroes have to be extra careful because of their ethnicity and homosexuality, which adds to the danger. The storyline also addresses loyalty, family, and losing loved ones, and brings deep feelings and acceptance to the forefront for many of the characters.

Besides giving us some very solid characters, Anne Barwell also gives us a suspenseful, action packed, old-time war thriller. While the heroes are on the run, we never know what they will come up against, or what they will face if and when they are captured by the enemy. You may feel bereft at the end of Shadowboxing, but do not fear—there’s another book coming in the Echoes Rising series, Winter Duet.

TNA_Signature_Maryann

You can buy Shadowboxing here:

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