I found The Bookworm by Mitch Silver to be a mixture between political and historical mystery. Thank you Netgalley and Pegasus Books for giving me an opportunity to read this book. There are two story lines going on at the same time in this novel, and I thought both stories were intriguing, but I didn't quite understand how it all tied together. It almost felt like there were two different novels? The plot of the story was exciting, and I read the story quickly because it kept me interested, but I was a little disappointed at the outcome. However, I would recommend it to other history lovers.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pegasus Books for allowing me to read this novel!
The Bookworm is a thrilling story about a former chess champion and current Russian professor,  Lara, who finds a secret about the Allies in WWII from records that were given to her by one of her students. This secret could change the course of history and ruin her career as a history professor. Throughout the novel she struggles with an ex-husband, a romantic partner, and historical secrets that could shatter everyone's perception of history as they knew it.

This novel clearly has ties to certain political figures that we currently have in office and the resemblance is funny to see. The Bookworm is clearly a modern novel, seeing as the President resembles the current American President, Trump. It also has ties to the Russian and American relationship that is currently unfolding.

This novel has a little bit of everything, historical events, mystery, crime, and politics. Silver does an excellent job with keeping mysteries and intrigue going throughout the novel. I was captivated the entire time that I read the novel, however I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed in comparison to the rest of the novel. I do however look forward to other novels by Silver in the future.

There are two different plots in this book: one about a Russian historian who is given crucial new information about WWII, and another about a political oil scheme in Alaska. I thought for sure eventually, they'd somehow come together but by the end, I still felt like they really didn't have anything to do with one another. It just didn't make much sense and too much of the plot(s) and premise felt contrived.

The writing was okay, and the characters started off well, but wound up doing things which also didn't make much sense. Characters who don't even know what's going on somehow wind up involved but don't even question it, they just jump right in.

(spoiler) The ending was the worst of this - Lara gets back together with the husband that constantly cheats on her and tried to steal half her furniture and possessions? It felt like the author was just trying to make the ending unexpected, but instead it just felt like it didn't make sense.

Then there's the fact that the "bad guys" who got her to investigate the WWII recordings were supposedly doing it to get her to track down Hitler's Bible, which they apparently couldn't do on their own, even though it proved incredibly easy. Lara found it in a matter of hours with some simple internet searches. She didn't use any kind of special resources or skills, yet we're supposed to believe this makes her a master internet detective and the only one who could track down this bible. It's beyond ridiculous.

Needless to say, the premise felt flimsy, the plots disjointed, and the characters artificial.

Advanced review copy from publisher via Net Galley. My opinions are my own.

I really like the author's concept of mixing historical, political, romance and suspense elements into one book. An ambitious attempt and the author does it well. The pace is tight, and the plot is exciting but sometimes I find the story is a just bit dragging. 

Rarely I would skim through any book but I did when reading "The Bookworm." Even though I skimmed through quite a number of pages (but only towards the last 1/3 part of the book after getting some idea of the possible lead of the story and knowing all the key players,) I don't think I have missed much of the essence of the plot. The author has the gift of creating an intriguing story yet the execution is slightly disappointing. Nevertheless, "The Bookworm" is still a good, quick read with a little flaws; I would consider reading the future works by the author as he has the ability to think outside the box.

This is a copy of what I posted on Goodreads:

I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited to start reading this book because of the description. I love anything involving Russia and also Nazi history so I thought this would be a slam dunk. Unfortunately, it just fell a bit flat for me and I'm not entirely sure why.

I didn't really get attached to any of the characters and I found them a bit unbelievable. I didn't care about any of the relationships that developed and the I wasn't a huge fan of the ending. I was expecting so much more from the plot. The information contained in the book and on the reels was interesting but underwhelming. 

I think my expectations were too high for this and I was disappointed. I liked it, I just didn't love it.

Thanks Pegasus Books and netgalley for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book will scare the daylights out of you. It's one of the what if? books that seem so real. Beware that this is fiction.

Man oh man this book is awful. Each of the two plots is too thin to stand alone but they don't mesh into a coherent book. The parody of Prez Trump and Melania is ham-handed. The author makes all kinds of technical and linguistic mistakes. I can send you the list of them if you contact me. If you revise the book before publication and I will look at it again.

I was given an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

An excellent book which explores the reason why Hitler did not invade England but went on to invade Russia. It is a spy novel with good guys and bad guys and you will have to figure out who is who. I liked the overlay of chess on the novel, when the heroine decides that she is playing chess with her life at stake.

The book sets a fictional intrigue over real life events in World War II. If you are a fan of historic fiction books---you will enjoy this book.

The Bookworm by Mitch Silver was a mystery and political thriller. I loved the writing style and quickly fell in love with Lara. I loved the historical aspects and found the premise fascinating.

A book with such a title is bound to appeal to a reader. 

This is such an unexpected fabulous novel that was dramatic, intriguing and most all impossible to put down. 

I love books with aspect of fact mixed with fiction and this was that book.

The author is a fabulous writer and this captivating tale will be on my recommendation list for a long time

I can say that I read this book in just one day. It is a very good and full of surprises thriller, that keeps you  in suspense about the events. I liked a lot its theme and the plot in a degree that I didn't expect it.  It combines successfully elements from a political thriller but also from historical fiction. The author combines very well all the events and stories of the book without leaving any gaps. It is well-written and it's a very good read.

This book really does have a little bit of everything, part WW2 historical fiction, part modern political thriller and with a cast of characters that includes Kennedy and Marlene Dietrich. The book opens in current day Russia where a history scholar finds herself caught up in a mystery revolving around a plot to trick Hitler into attacking Russia, and along the way finding out about an ongoing conspiracy to lower oil prices. While there are elements of two good thrillers, putting both into one book meant that at times it felt a little forced. I have to admit I found myself much more engaged in the historical aspects of the book, the idea of using a forgery to trick Hitler was the stronger story , and I wish it had been focused on and elaborated upon a little more.

This book is based around the story of Lara who is listening to recordings of Noel Coward explaining the scheme undertaken by the US during WWII to persuade Germany to invade Russia as a way of making sure they are defeated. This is not expected to go down well with the Russian people due to the many, many loves lost as a result of this decision, Alongside this, there is a conspiracy involving her brother Lev in Alaska. Some of the book was very interesting but I didn't find it very believable- particularly with Noel Coward doing the narration, Her ex-husband is an unpleasant character who I think I was supposed to like, For me, the pace varied a bit too much but I did enjoy the concept.

A thriller with a difference.  Present day and world war combined to make anew addictive novel. Enjoyed the thrills and twists and turns of this book which had me hooked right from the start

On the whole I enjoyed this, especially the insight into forgery , the historic background and not knowing what side the characters were on.
I did feel let down by the eBay bit, though! The main character, Lara Klimt, is seeking the whereabouts of a medieval bible with a forged flyleaf. The bible has a pivotal role in the plot. If it gets into the wrong hands, world peace could be at threat. Lara has computer hackers watching her attempts to find the bible, but why, when she managed to find it in a couple of hours on eBay? 
I carried on reading until the end, but that bit really did change my enjoyment of the book.

The Bookworm began auspiciously. World War II and its study is new territory for me as pertains to the work of Russian historians, and Lara Klimt (scholar, academic) was a good character to do the introduction. It was an intriguing premise, with interesting characters that made me want to follow the adventure. The thinly disguised American president and his Russian counterpart (or were they so thinly disguised?) added an even greater feeling of suspense.Modern Russia is well represented and enjoyable to be immersed in. 
I must say however, that the last paragraph left me flat. It felt forced and unnecessary. After all that came before, I read in that last paragraph or two a sense of "What? Seriously?"

Gosh. What a lot in one book. From WWII history to romance, political intrigue and mysterious goings-on that involved Winston Churchill, Nostradamus, and Noel Coward to name but a few. Brother and sister, Lev and Larissa are brought together by the death of Lev's colleague in mysterious circumstances and heads off from there. It's a bit of a slow burner and needs more action in the earlier parts of the story.  Overall, an interesting concept, with reservations.

I received an ARC from NetGalley to read and review. The below is my honest, unbiased opinion. Thank you, Mitch Silver, the publisher, and NetGalley, for allowing me to review.

Why did Hitler chose not to invade England when he had the chance? Europe, 1940: It’s late summer and Belgium has been overrun by the German army. Posing as a friar, a British operative talks his way into the monastery at Villers-devant-Orval just before Nazi art thieves plan to sweep through the area and whisk everything of value back to Berlin. But the ersatz man of the cloth is no thief. Instead, that night he adds an old leather Bible to the monastery’s library and then escapes. London, 2017: A construction worker operating a backhoe makes a grisly discovery—a skeletal arm-bone with a rusty handcuff attached to the wrist. Was this the site, as a BBC newsreader speculates, of “a long-forgotten prison, uncharted on any map?” One viewer knows better: it’s all that remains of a courier who died in a V-2 rocket attack. The woman who will put these two disparate events together—and understand the looming tragedy she must hurry to prevent—is Russian historian and former Soviet chess champion Larissa Mendelovg Klimt, “Lara the Bookworm,” to her friends. She’s also experiencing some woeful marital troubles. In the course of this riveting thriller, Lara will learn the significance of six musty Dictaphone cylinders recorded after D-Day by Noel Coward—actor, playwright and, secretly, a British agent reporting directly to Winston Churchill. She will understand precisely why that leather Bible, scooped up by the Nazis and deposited on the desk of Adolf Hitler days before he planned to attack Britain, played such a pivotal role in turning his guns to the East. And she will discover the new secret pact negotiated by the nefarious Russian president and his newly elected American counterpart—maverick and dealmaker—and the evil it portends. Oh, and she’ll reconcile with her husband. 

THE BOOKWORM has everything a reader of historical conspiracy theories wants: mystery, politics, historical figures, and a conspiracy theory. I enjoyed the writer's description of the settings, and I could really imagine where we were being taken, even though I haven't been to these places. I most appreciated that. However, I didn't find the writing captivating enough. I'm very much a one-siting reader, but I found several parts of this one dragging a bit for my taste. With that being said, every reader is different, and this is definitely one you should give a chance to.

Ooh this is like  a literary magic box of tricks. There's a whole host of themes to get your bookish radar twitching - a secret in an ancient tome, Hitler's words on a page, the words of Nostradamus and more. Hsitorical figures creep in and out of the pages until you really don't know what's real or not.
The premise was intriguing and I had no idea of what this bookworm was all about! There's lots of detail especially in the Moscow set sections and it can get a bit overloaded at times so best to read slow and take it all in. This book puts  a spin on history as we know it asks how if everything that we can read about is true. What would have happened if an historical hoax had been covered up?

Lara had a job and a half to decipher the myteerious reels and I wasn't quite sure why she should get this job over someone more well known and connected. Nevertheless, she soon finds herself involved over her head and it made for fascinating reading as she  transcribed the tapes. There's lots to take in here, but you can tell of the research and the fact that something similar could well have happened. Who can you believe during war time?

The Russian parts of the novel were the most thrilling and had a distinct cold war feel.  A city on the edge, cold, suspicious of everything and everyone and silent to most. A wall as thick as the ice in Alaska

Overall, the novel was a little too tightly packed for me - it's not an easy read, but it's a rewarding and fascinating one.

This novel is a mix of different genres. Mystery, history, political thriller, and even romance are all wrapped into this suspenseful story which should appeal to a wide range of readers. Appearances of JFK, Noel Coward, Marlene Dietrich and other historical figures only makes it more appealing. In cameo roles, you'll also recognize two of today's most powerful world leaders.
The non-historical characters are decently well developed and the plot has a fast pace, appropriate for this genre. There were some points throughout the novel where I wondered if the characters' actions made sense, for example the young man giving Lara the audio reels. If they were so important would they just give them to a random scientist? After that point, the story became convoluted and it was hard to follow who was who until the very last.
Still, the novel was an enjoyable read and I'd recommend it to fans of fast-paced thrillers.