The Girl from Berlin (Liam Taggart and Catherine Lockhart)
If you have not yet been introduced to the husband-and-wife investigator/lawyer team of Liam Taggart and Catherine Lockhart, The Girl from Berlin could be a great first choice, even though it is the fifth Taggart/Lockhart book in the series.
A friend, an Italian restaurant owner, approaches the couple about a letter his aunt Gabi received, ordering her to vacate the property in which she has lived for most of her life, as she has been informed she does not have the title to the land. He hands Liam and Catherine a manuscript, written in German, which will supply clues that will help the investigators unlock the puzzle. The couple flies to Tuscany to help solve the case, which is more sinister than it appears.
A concurrent plot line follows the life of Ada Baumgarten, a Jewish violinist who wrote her memoir about her life in Germany while Hitler was ascending to power. Because of her status in society, she is protected, for a while, from the many restrictions against Jews. However, when she inadvertently embarrasses a SS soldier, the consequences will follow her for years.
A cast of colorful characters rounds out the story in the present day, as Liam and Catherine work with Italian officials to solve the title dispute on Gabi’s property as they sift through an unfamiliar legal system. But Ada owns the more enthralling storyline, with vivid scenes and authentic descriptions that the reader is propelled into Nazi Germany. When the two stories finally converge, it makes for a rewarding reading experience.
