Uvi Poznansky's Blog, page 40
September 30, 2020
Until another round of gunshots blasts the air.
Ed lies still on the sidewalk, his eyelids open but unflinching. The only thing about him that moves are the lapels of his corduroy coat, flapping slightly this way and that across his neck as the wind floats chilly feelers over his body.Timmy gasps—but his eyes are not tearful, not yet. In that second, when time slows, the driver side door is swaying with an annoying noise. With each squeak, the child takes a gulp of air as if about to ask, “Dad, will you get up? Will you grab the door handle?”No blood is visible, at first. So, I too allow myself to wonder: Will Ed climb back into his seat, dust off his shoulders, and wave goodbye to his son, before driving away?I expect him to do so. Almost.Until another round of gunshots blasts the air. Without even thinking, I push Timmy down to the asphalt, which is quite easy because he’s such a skinny child and utterly in shock. Then I land hard on my elbows beside him and push a hand against his chest until he crawls backwards, until he butts against his father’s car. It casts a shadow over him. At the moment, there is no better place to hide.Up on the pavement, a short distance from us, blood starts puddling around Ed’s shoulder. I try to block Timmy from seeing it. He shakes his head, still in disbelief. Please, God, no. This can’t be true.Everything around us is in a state of utter confusion. The sidewalk is strewn with abandoned backpacks, as some pupils are running for their lives. Others cower behind a bush or a car. One uses his flimsy umbrella as a shield. A teacher cries out to him, “Duck!” And another teacher, by the gate of the school, yells, “Run! Get inside! Get down, crawl under your desks! And for Heaven’s sake, stay away from the windows!”A couple of parents attempt getting out of their cars to pull their children to safety, but at the sound of shooting they drop to their knees with empty arms.Next to me, Timmy turns onto his stomach, mashes his nose against the tire, and wedges himself, somehow, between the curb and the Ford. Then he crawls under it toward the rear bumper, making room for me, too. I try to cock my head up from the damp surface. Looking at the scene from under the belly of a car is a whole different experience. Someone stands at the other side of the car, and all I can see is his sneakers, socks, and the hem of his coat, flaring at its bottom. Also, the muzzle of his gun. For a heartbeat, before dark clouds close in, it glints in the sunlight. I reach over and clamp a hand over Timmy’s mouth to prevent him from screaming, from drawing the killer’s attention. A hail of bullets rains down, sparking off the front bumper. Timmy tenses up. His breath trembles as it escapes my touch. I must protect him. I must bring him back safely to his mother. The edge of the curb gouges into my back. I adjust, I turn over. Now it presses against my belly. I must not lose this child, either.Now, the killer kicks the grill of the car, then jams his weapon, hard, into the front window. I know it by seeing only one of his feet on the ground and by the sound of cracking. It reverberates all over as the car shakes. Shards of glass come pinging against the asphalt and stab at my fingers. Why is he wasting his time—at the risk of being identified, or even caught—on an empty car, when all around us, juicier targets come into his view?The first police patrol car tears around the intersection, lights and sirens screaming. It screeches to a halt. A second car follows suit, then a third. Officers file out of both of them, weapons drawn. Would he shoot at them?
Ash Suspense Thrillers: Trilogy
Audiobook: Amazon US ★ Amazon UK ★ iTunes
Paperback: Amazon
By popular demand, all three thrillers in one box!
Coma Confidential
Overkill
Overdose
"I greatly enjoyed reading the Ash Suspense Thrillers Trilogy from Uvi Poznansky. It centers around a young girl, who through no fault of her own, gets pulled into a life and death struggle for survival. Faced with the worst circumstances that life can throw at you, she overcomes her doubts and fears, and finds an inner strength in order to persevere. Along the way there is some funny moments, as well as the sad and heart stopping. Uvi has created a character that you will genuinely feel and root for throughout. Excellent read."Kevin, Amazon Reviewer
September 29, 2020
My instinct is to jump out of my skin
Startled by the unexpected knock, my instinct is to jump out of my skin. But then, I take firm hold of myself. I freeze. And so does Karishma, except that she falls to her knees under the table and pulls me down by her side.
Her hand clasps mine. It feels like a slab of ice. Somehow I sense a shiver going through her spine, as if she’s been caught in the middle of some secret plot, as if she expects to pay the price, and pay it dearly.
The restaurant is already locked up for the night. The lights—those hanging over the dining tables and those fixed over the kitchen counters—have been off for quite a while. The wax candle, up on the tablecloth, has relinquished its last whiff of smoke hours ago. If anyone tries to peek in through the glass window, nothing can be spotted but a reflection of the empty parking lot, layered over a forest of wood legs, as the chairs have been turned upside down over all the other tables in preparation for sweeping the floor.
Who can it be, out there? Can he guess, somehow, that we’re cowering here, in the darkest corner?
“Let me in,” someone repeats, on the other side.
This time, despite the way sound is transformed when traveling through wood, I recognize his voice. I run to the door and—just to be on the safe side—put my ear against it. “Michael?”
“Yes, sweetheart,” he says. “It’s me.”
With a sigh of relief, I crack the door open for him.
“Where’s Browny?” I ask, not only because I need to know that my golden retriever is in a safe place but also because with him comes trouble. If my dog is here—with that surveillance device on his tail—then we’ll need to mind what we say. We’ll have to talk in code.
“I left him at your place.” Michael gives me a quick peck on my forehead. “Not to worry.”
Glancing at Karishma, whose face is still pale, he adds, “Sorry to pop in at such a late hour. Hope my knocking didn’t scare you.”
She shakes her head, no.
“I was getting worried about Ash.” He locks the restaurant door from the inside. “It’s just, I had to make sure both of you are OK.”
She gives him a faint smile, but her fingers continue to tremble. I wrap them in mine.
A minute later, her warmth is back.
“Just ignore me.” Michael picks up her cup and mine. “I’ll be over there, washing dishes. You go back to your conversation.”
“No.”
“No?”
Karishma gathers herself, with some effort, to her feet. “Why don’t you sit down? I’ll make some more Chai for all three of us.”
(Volume III of Ash Suspense Thrillers with a Dash of Romance)
Audiobook: Amazon US ★ Amazon UK ★ iTunes
Paperback: Amazon
Months after recovering from coma, Ash discovers that the man who performed her brain surgery has a questionable medical experience and a dark past. Should she expose him, at the risk of becoming vulnerable to his revenge?
"Once again Uvi Poznansky had me on the edge of my seat. I love the incorporation of the technology and the fast paced events. A riveting performance by Heather Jane Hogan."
Catrina P., Listener
September 23, 2020
Fabulous exciting three thrillers
Once a Liberal Arts major in French Literature, J.A. Schneider, a former staffer at Newsweek, brings aspects of her fascination with medicine, forensic science, and human psychology into her gripping thrillers. I am honored that she read my trilogy, Ash Suspense Thrillers: Trilogy and posted her review:
J.A. Schneider, author of suspense and psychological thrillers5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous exciting three thrillersReviewed in the United States on September 20, 2020
I am a devoted fan of Uvi Poznanski, and keep coming back to her wonderful books. In Ash Suspense Thrillers are three gripping novels all in one, each suspenseful with a wonderful, courageous young character who will stay with you. I’ve just re-read all three, and enjoyed them all over again.The three stories are: Coma Confidential, Overkill, and Overdose. In the first thriller, Ashley aka Ash is a young college girl who lies in a coma in Florida after being the victim of an assault. Coma Confidential is actually an ingenious new kind of psychological thriller, in which the comatose patient is aware of her surroundings, and we hear her thoughts. This is done brilliantly, with deep insight into Ash’s character and her reaction to the people and events around her even though she can’t communicate. We feel Ash’s terror, and cheer her in her struggle for survival.
In the second book, Overkill, Ash is recovered but stumbles again into danger. She leaves her college life, boyfriend, and home state of California behind, and rents a little cottage hoping for a much needed rest. Unfortunately, the cottage is anything but restful, with a horrific odor the second Ash walks in the door, and stains beneath the rugs. Someone died there, and the locals are close-mouthed. The story then ramps up to a school shooting, and the child of a neighbor Ash helps to save. The boy’s father is killed in the rampage, and in fast paced, exquisitly written suspense, Ash helps both the boy and his mother.
The third book, Overdose, brings more gripping suspense as Ash becomes a victim of a cunning, evil manipulator. In this thriller we finally understand what is causing Ash’s frequent, painful headaches and other strange symptoms. As with the other two thrillers in this trio, the author’s writing is vivid, creepy, and lyrical, and we cheer the courage of this terrific young character and her will to survive. All three stories are marvelous excitement. Five stars!
September 19, 2020
Must be scary for you
“Miss you too, sweetheart,” he says. “I’m so lonely without you.”
And I admit, “I’m lonely, too.”
“When are you coming back?”
“Soon, Michael.”
“How’s your Ma?”
I’m tempted to say, “She misses you too,” which will make both of us burst in laughter. But instead I say, soberly, “She went back home. Left on a flight earlier this evening. Now I have the place all to myself.”
“Oh really? Show me how it looks!”
“Not much to see.”
He chuckles. “Oh Ash, I bet you’re just saying that.”
On a whim, I text him the pics of the walls, the ones I’ve just taken. “See?”
For a moment, he seems speechless. Then he says, “There’s only one chair.”
“There is?” I cry. “Oh yes! I haven’t noticed it before.”
“I thought you’ve rented a furnished place.”
“It is furnished, downstairs.”
“Oh! Now I see a lightning bolt.”
“If you were here, you would hear thunder, too.”
“Must be scary for you.”
“It is.”
“Sweetheart,” he lowers his voice. “No wonder you miss me!”
For a moment, I’m close to telling him that I’m pregnant, but then the thought of hearing his breath catching in his throat stops me cold. What on earth can he say to such horrible news, especially when we’ve never made love, never gone beyond an innocent first kiss? Can he be expected to make promises, such as, ‘I’ll help you raise another man’s baby’?
“Sorry, Michael, I have to go,” I whisper, hoping he can’t detect the tears choking me.
With a slight push, I slide down the staircase. It’s steep—but thankfully, not slippery, thanks to leaving my boots on the other side of the hole. I crawl out through it and land in the living room with a sigh of relief. Close to exhaustion I gather myself up, go to the kitchen, take out the plate of cheesecake filled strawberries which Ma has prepared for me, and devour them down to the last one.
Surprisingly, I feel no remorse whatsoever. In my condition, I’m eating for two.
(Volume II of Ash Suspense Thrillers with a Dash of Romance)
Audiobook: Amazon US ★ Amazon UK ★ iTunes
Paperback: Amazon
The last thing Ash expects when she lands in Clearwater, Florida is to be stalked by a troubled teenager. If that's not bad enough, she is caught in a shooting spree next to the nearby elementary school. The cops think it’s an attempt at mass killing, but Ash wonders if the only victim was specifically targeted by the killer. Will she manage to identify him and have him arrested before he comes after her?
"She immersed me into her world and made me cheer for her during the danger and hurt with her during the sad times. Such a great book and I am looking forward to getting other works from the author!"Nick Neagle, listener
September 17, 2020
The sound changed to something else. Fear.
He remembered the way she had looked, not just on the night of the incident, when he had found her, but earlier, on the night of their first kiss.
Now, she looked different. Gone were the wavy curls that used to ripple down to her shoulders. Michael was amazed by her new haircut. It was cropped short at the back, with spiky layers at the top. Her eyes looked larger, and there was a new expression in them, which he found hard to define. Sadness? No, something more intense. Rebellion. Against everything, it seemed. Against him, too.
“Such a beauty, she is,” said Ash, pointing at the photograph.
Detecting a hint of jealousy, he said, “Let me explain.”
Where could he start? First, he took a step closer to her. When his lips brushed her forehead, a small cry came from the back of her throat. Was it desire? He thought so at first. But then the sound changed to something else. Fear.
Michael held back a sigh. His heart ached for what she had gone through. The man who had sullied her robbed both of them of their carefree, easy closeness. Now, was she still cautious, still unprepared to be touched?
“Don’t get this close to me,” said Ash, but her blush said otherwise. He had seen it before, in the early days of courting her. It had drawn him closer, till he had found himself lost in the glow of her hazel eyes. Here it was, that same blush, that same glow. Love, all over again.
It gave him hope. Once she healed, things would go back to the way they were between them. Meanwhile, there was the risk of losing her trust. He had to explain how he had gained possession of this photograph.
He said, “This is not what you think.”
“Really?” she said. “It isn’t?”
“I don’t even know this girl, not really.”
“What’s her name?”
“Lace.”
For a split second, her eyes narrowed. “How, then, did you happen to get hold of her picture?”
He had to admit, “I stole it.”
(Volume I of High-Tech Crime Solvers)
Audiobook: Amazon US ★ Amazon UK ★ iTunes
Paperback: Amazon
Haunted by discovering the body of a beautiful dancer, Michael re-constructs her murder in a virtual reality. Can he bring the mystery to life? Can he solve it in time, before the killer turns on the woman he loves, Ash?
"Virtually Lace is astonishing, very enjoyable. Thank you to Ms. Poznansky for creating this thrill ride, and to the wonderful Don Warrick for his beautiful narration."J.A. Schneider, author of suspense and psychological thrillers
September 15, 2020
A delightful thing for me, and a scary one too
She tilts me into reckless speeding. We’re out of the empty dining hall, racing down the corridor, where she slows things down to a screech of the wheels for just a second, when all of a sudden, her cellphone rings.
The sounds of hospital staff, running back and forth carrying equipment, mix in with the cries of patients, calling out for attention, for help. The din is deafening, so there’s no need for Betty to lower her voice—but she does.
“Vlad, darling,” she says, under her breath, “I’ll be out in the parking lot soon. It’s hard to find my way here in the dark, but I’ll make it, so don’t you worry.”
I don’t know about him being anxious—but in my case, fretting is all I do. It’s my activity of choice right now, if only because of this bumpy ride. In the lobby, beams of flashlights streak across the walls. The footrests of my wheelchair bang against this piece of furniture and that, which makes me try to shrink back into the seat and tighten every muscle in my ankles, in a feeble effort to protect myself.
Along the way, Betty keeps chatting with him. “Have some patience, will you? Just wait for me outside.”
Despite her chewing gum, or maybe because of it, she sounds like a woman late for a date, what with all those terms of endearment, like that Darling stuff. Ha ha, if I didn’t know any better, I would wonder why on earth she would want me to stick around for a lovers’ rendezvous.
“Yes, the girl is right here, with me,” she hisses, between one chewing chomp and another. “It’s a freaking mess in here, everyone is running in all directions like crazy. I thought I would die laughing, Vlad, when they left her in my hands.”
Cold sweat starts forming on my skin as her fingers drift, ever so lightly, over my bare neck. I have to remind myself that she must hand me over to him, not kill me outright.
As if she’s the one being tickled, Betty giggles. “I’m telling you, Vlad: no one will know, at least for a while, that she’s gone missing. What a stroke of luck for us, right?”
In response to something he says, she gurgles a nervous laugh. “It’s totally dark in here, Vlad, so it’s hard to figure things out for sure, but I think no one’s watching, no one’s following me.”
Too bad. I try to stomp on the footrest so as to spark off some noise, some clangor out of it, but to no avail. The sound is barely audible. It’s lost in the hubbub.
“Yes, thank you for the timely reminder,” she tells him, this time sarcastically. “I know that the power outage will soon be over. I’m not an idiot, you know? Don’t tell me I must hurry!”
Walking and chewing gum seems to be too much for her. Betty spits it out, perhaps because it has lost its sweetness, or else because of having to focus on the task at hand. Having reached the entrance doors, she struggles to push them open using her big butt, while at the same time maneuvering me about with one hand and—just as crucial—holding the cellphone with the other.
“Oh, stop it!” she cries. “Don’t you put too much pressure on me, darling—or I’ll snap!”
Just for the exercise, I push the door open with my foot. I know, I know, I shouldn’t have done that, but it works, anyway. Which is a delightful thing for me, and a scary one too, because who knows what’s waiting for us on the other side.
(Volume I of Ash Suspense Thrillers with a Dash of Romance)
Audiobook: Amazon US ★ Amazon UK ★ iTunes
Paperback: Amazon
Ash finds herself in the ER diagnosed with coma. She has no memory of what has happened to her, but what she can do--despite what everyone around her might think--is listen to the conversations of her visitors. Will she survive the power outage in the hospital and then, being kidnapped out of it?
"Ash’s story is an unorthodox and unique whodunit. For a story about the victim of a horrific crime, it is written in an incredibly light-hearted way that only the victim herself can accomplish from her point of view."
B. Roscow, Listener
September 2, 2020
A Thriller I was Not Expecting
OverkillAsh Suspense Thrillers with a Dash of Romance, Book 2By: Uvi PoznanskyNarrated by: Heather Jane HoganA Thriller I was Not Expecting Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 out of 5 starsPerformance ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 out of 5 starsStory ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed: 09-01-20
This book started very dark and I honestly thought about giving up because of how things are in the world and how my mind is, but I didn’t. I am glad. The book got much better and Ash was a very likable character. She immersed me into her world and made me cheer for her during the danger and hurt with her during the sad times. Such a great book and I am looking forward to getting other works from the author!
August 27, 2020
I definitely didn’t want to put it down
Virtually LaceBy: Uvi PoznanskyNarrated by: Don Warrick Virtually Lace Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 out of 5 starsPerformance ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 out of 5 starsStory ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5 out of 5 starsReviewed: 08-23-20
A very interesting concept... using virtual reality technology to help solve a crime. I love how Michael methodically stepped through things and was in a race against time to get to the bottom of things.
Uvi Poznansky drew me into this story from the very beginning. I definitely didn’t want to put it down.
I wasn’t a real fan of the narration. It felt like Don Warrick was detached from the story... I didn’t really feel the characters.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.
August 24, 2020
Why, then, should he find himself feeling awkward, as if he were an intruder?
He strapped on the headset that Ash had designed for him. In the virtual reality industry, headsets were as bulky as a helmet. By contrast, this one was made of some thin film, which made it feel like it wasn’t there, even though it included all the necessary equipment: built-in motion sensors and an external camera tracker, which drastically improved image fidelity, as well as head tracking. Before you knew it, soft lenses would swing around your left and right temples and with a digital click, come directly into contact with the eyes.
At this point, Michael had dual vision. In one layer, he saw the constructed scene; in another—his office, lit by a fluorescent lamp that was strobing overhead. He switched it off and in a heartbeat, the room drowned in darkness.
Now he could focus much better. Something about the scene made it look wrong. By default, an imaginary light source was established at the center of it, shedding light vectors at an arbitrary angle of eighty degrees overhead, to simulate daylight. It intensified the horizontal surfaces by making them bright. At the same time, it washed the vertical ones with stark shadows. When compared with his memory, the result appeared remarkably contrived.
Despite wanting to forget everything about last night, the lamppost at that street corner became clear in his mind. Slowly, stealthily, its shadow had started prowling to the other side...
This simulated view had to be corrected. The fastest way to do it was for him to access the code via its voice recognition and comprehension interface.
“Generate time grid,” he said, “starting at 8:03pm. April 30th. For that date, find the course of the sun. Set the angle of rays.”
The shadows changed direction. Darkness engulfed more surfaces. Shady secrets seemed to start whispering all over the landscape.
“Simulate a breeze coming from the ocean. Accelerate rate ten times original pace. Play!”
Around him, shadows started swinging as the sun angled its way to the west. When finally it sank, the horizon glowed in red.
What was that noise?
In a layer behind the sunset, his office door was open just a crack—exactly as he had left it. The walls were as shady as ever. Nothing stirred. Standing there perfectly still, only he could hear the wind. Only he could spot the trail, twisting and turning at the top of the rugged cliffs across his office floor, between one stack of software specifications and another. Why, then, should he find himself feeling awkward, as if he were an intruder in his own office?
There was no way to control the mad throb of his blood, to force it back into a regulated pace. Michael took off the headset. With the sound of a puff, Laguna Beach vanished from view—only to reveal a reflection, someone’s reflection flashing across his computer screen.
By the subtle hint of perfume, he knew who she was even before turning around to look at her. Every muscle in him ached for her touch. He wanted so badly to wrap his arms around her waist and gather her, at long last, to his breast. But his heart told him she would resist.
Ash.
(Volume I of High-Tech Crime Solvers)
Audiobook: Amazon US ★ Amazon UK ★ iTunes
Paperback: Amazon
Haunted by discovering the body of a beautiful dancer, Michael re-constructs her murder in a virtual reality. Can he bring the mystery to life? Can he solve it in time, before the killer turns on the woman he loves, Ash?
Astonishingly well written, Uvi once again surprises us with the depth of her talent. This is one fine series to follow. Highly recommended.
~Grady Harp, HALL OF FAME, TOP 100 REVIEWER
August 17, 2020
Lenny & Rochelle Battle In WWII France!
LISTENERB. Roscoe
Marriage Before Death: WWII Spy ThrillerStill Life with Memories, Book 5By: Uvi PoznanskyNarrated by: Don WarrickLenny & Rochelle Battle In WWII France! Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 out of 5 starsPerformance ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 out of 5 starsStory ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed: 08-17-20
Reads As A Stand-Alone In A Series Of Stories About Lenny And Natasha. The Flashback To D-Day With A Backdrop Of Romance Is A Fascinating Look Back At World War II. Fans Of The Notebook May Enjoy This Book.
This is the fifth book in the Still Life with Memories series, a five book series with a sixth brief book bite. Each book reads well as a stand-alone, offering a snippet into Lenny’s life. Fans of The Notebook may enjoy this book, as some aspects are reminiscent of that story.
This is the story of Lenny and Natasha. It opens and closes in roughly 1979, when they are celebrating their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary. Based on information in other books, Lenny is fifty-six and Natasha is fifty-four. Lenny has become the caretaker of Natasha, whose memory has been slipping for some time and she had eventually been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She has few lucid moments, and it weighs heavily on Lenny.
The bulk of the book is a flashback to a time before Lenny and Natasha marry. As revealed in Dancing with Air, book four, Lenny had been forced to keep secrets from her when he served as a Marine in London during World War II. Natasha, a concert pianist, had joined the USO to be near Lenny in war-torn London. Though it had been part of a covert mission, the secrets had caused a complication in their relationship. She finally left London, on good terms, to hazard an attempt at a transatlantic voyage home to New York. But as Lenny learned a few months later, Natasha had some secrets of her own. She had promised him to share some of the missing pieces of her story after the war, and the likelihood of that ever happening is slipping away. He cannot help but attempt once again to trigger her memory.
Lenny recalls the events of June 6, 1944 when he stormed the beaches of Normandy, France with the allied forces on D-Day. It was just a few months since Natasha had left London, and she was always on his mind. Survival on that day was only the beginning of the danger he would face. But soon he had not only himself to worry about, as the picture of a most-wanted French Resistance fighter known as Rochelle is plastered everywhere, and she happens to look very much like Lenny’s own Natasha.
For this book, there appear to be some inconsistencies with times and dates across the series, which are a bit of a chore to piece together and may cause some readers to pause. *Spoilers* It would make more sense if this story took place during an earlier wedding anniversary for Lenny and Natasha. Nevertheless, there is nothing that anchors this story to this particular time, so it is easy to look past that. For those attempting to follow, I have reconstructed dates in the series below. Some are specifically stated, others are calculated based upon new information. This excludes any info given in The White Piano.
• Natasha: born 1925.
• Lenny: born 1923.
• They meet in 1941 (she is 16, he is 18).
• They marry: 1945 (he is 22, she is 20).
• They have Ben five years later in 1950 (he is 27, she is 25).
• Natasha shows her first symptoms in 1964 (she is 39, Lenny is 41, Ben is 14).
• Natasha divorces Lenny after learning of his single indiscretion in 1967 (she is 42).
• Ben drops out of high school and leaves home to travel abroad in 1967 (he is 17).
• *The Music of Us* takes place in 1970 and the couple is together (Natasha is 45; Lenny 47).
• Natasha is diagnosed in 1971 (she is 46).
• *Dancing with Air* takes place sometime after 1970 and the couple is together.
• **Natasha probably goes to live at Sunrise Assisted Living in 1972 (when she is 47), five years after Lenny’s indiscretion and the divorce. That means that Dancing with Air and Marriage before Death should take place by this time, since Natasha lives at home in those books.
• *My Own Voice* should take place in 1977, when Ben is 27 and Anita is 26 or 27 (Lenny is 54).
• **Marriage before Death** takes place in 1980 and the couple is together (35th wedding anniversary; Natasha is 55, Lenny is 57). This makes Ben 30, which doesn’t match up with the story since he returned home at twenty-seven and here his is still overseas. It makes more sense for this story to take place in 1972 just before Natasha goes into assisted living and the couple’s 27th anniversary.
The D-Day story with a backdrop of romance is a fascinating look back at World War II. It is well-written. The story takes the reader back in time; the details feel authentic and immerse the reader in a tumultuous time in France, where allegiances were in doubt and different forces could be happened upon around any corner. The plot is somewhat complex. The characters are unique and authentic. The story is written in first person in Lenny’s POV. I rate the book four stars.
As for the Audio: it is well-performed, with unique voices for the various characters.
I received a copy of this audiobook and am voluntarily leaving a review.
