Before the Storm

By: James D. Shipman

Narrated by: Rebecca Gibel

Berlin, 1948: World War II may be over, but a new era of conflict has begun. The Russians have cut off all access to the western part of Berlin in an attempt to seize it from the Allies. The thirst for power, dominance, and revenge is as strong as ever, and anti-Semitism is still rampant. When a store in West Berlin is vandalized with Swastikas, Sara Sturm, a German woman working for the US Department of Public Affairs, is dispatched to investigate, and meets Max and Karl Portnoy, two Jewish survivors of the Holocaust.

Sharing their stories of loss, Sara and Max form a bond. Max and his family were sent to a concentration camp during the war, where his parents and sister perished. The man who betrayed them, Nazi nuclear scientist Heinz Hoffman, is now a wanted criminal. Sara agrees to accompany them to Hoffman's last known whereabouts, hoping they will finally be able to bring him to justice.

But tracking the elusive Hoffman is not just difficult, it's perilous. From the mountainous backroads of Bavaria to the Soviet border, Sara and Max race to evade assassins sent by the top-secret Odessa organization. And then there are other adversaries, hidden but no less lethal, determined to gain control of Hoffman and the knowledge he possesse—-knowledge that may determine the course of countless wars to come.

©2023 James D. Shipman (P)2023 Tantor

Overall….Rubbish

Poorly read, but the story was silly, could not read more than the first few chapters. Not worth my time or money.

Tried to return this book

It seemed every other sentence had a “he said” or “she said”. The story was ok but the reader did not do well on male parts.

Couldn’t return the book because it was on sale and not eligible.