The Historians

A thrilling novel of conspiracy and intrigue during World War II

By: Cecilia Ekbäck

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

“The Historians blends a fascinating historical intrigue with the quick pace and excitement of a thriller.” — Ellen Keith, author of The Dutch Wife

“The perfect read…. Exciting and enjoyable .” — New York Times Book Review

The Secret History meets The Alice Network in this riveting tale of murder and conspiracy in Sweden during WWII by critically acclaimed author Cecilia Eckbäck.

It is 1943 and Sweden’s neutrality in the war is under pressure. Laura Dahlgren, the bright, young right-hand of the chief negotiator to Germany, is privy to these tensions, even as she tries to keep her head down in the mounting fray. However, when Laura’s best friend from university, Britta, is discovered murdered in cold blood, Laura is determined to find the killer.

Prior to her death, Britta sent a report on the racial profiling in Scandinavia to the secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jens Regnell. In the middle of negotiating a delicate alliance with Hitler and the Nazis, Jens doesn’t understand why he’s received the report. When the pursuit of Britta’s murderer leads Laura to his door, the two join forces to get at the truth.

But as Jens and Laura attempt to untangle the mysterious circumstance surrounding Britta’s death, they only become more mired in a web of lies and deceit. This trail will lead to a conspiracy that could topple their nation’s identity—a conspiracy some in Sweden will try to keep hidden at any cost.

Didn’t get that into it

Maybe I wasn’t paying good enough attention on my part, I just wasn’t that drawn in. It was good to learn more about this part of history though.

Good

I loved this book until the end. It was intriguing with a great plot and interesting characters. The dialogue was interesting. Then it just felt like the book kind of ended incomplete.

Interesting Take on WWII

I feel like there aren’t a lot of novels centered around the Nordic nations during WWII, so this was a nice perspective. Lots of characters in the beginning, making it a little harder to follow if you’re doing other things while listening! Overall, and interesting and good listen!

Hard to follow

Interesting WWIII novel about little-known racial purification project in Sweden.
The audio version of the narrative was hard to follow. Unfamiliar with Swedish names, shifting perspectives via characters, and back & forth chronology.

A must read!

A clear look at how far some will go in the name of "race hygiene " and eugenics. The ugly truth revealed.