This book is completely riveting. I was drawn to this fast paced and fascinating story from the very first page and read well into the night, keen to watch the net tighten around The Huntress.

The cast of characters are interesting. Angry Nina, all-American Jordan and calm, calculating ‘Anna’ along with poor, damaged Ruth, are our central females. Each have their own story, each well written and so real. The men, Ian and Tony, Nazi hunters, doggedly searching for these criminals are intrepid, brave but remarkably honest.

I wasn’t aware of the Night Witches and found the historical facts interesting. I loved the authors note where she explained which characters were amalgamation and which were real.

This is an exception book and I will recommend it to all. I’ve also found another author to add to my reading list! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

I had not come across Kate Quinn's books before but I shall certainly look out for more in future. Set in the 1940s and 50s, The Huntress has many strands, each of them riveting in their own way. We move from the Nazi hunters, Ian Graham and Tony Rodomovsky, to Jordan, an American girl whose father is about to remarry.

We also follow the adventures of Nina, a Night Witch - what the Germans called Nachthexen - a Soviet bomber pilot, and her sisters in arms. And of course, there is the Huntress herself - mistress of an SS officer - who delights in killing for the sake of it.

We move from Vienna to Boston, from Lake Baikal to Poland, from wartime to peace, and there is not a dull page anywhere. The characters are extremely well drawn - no one is all good or all bad. Even the Huntress has her moments of seeming compassion. All the strands eventually tie together and the hunt is on for the woman who has touched all of their lives. Can she be brought to justice before she disappears once again?

Recommended for anyone who loves a good yarn and superb writing.

I have recently read The Alice Network by this author, Kate Quinn and I didn't think she could have beaten that but oh my I was blown away with this. This novel is very well written and very educational without even meaning to be. It is a fascinating tale about Nazi hunters that moves from character to character and time to time. I just don't know what to say about it but this has to be the second best book I have read this year and coming a very close second at that to Kate Quinn's pervious book.

Thank you for giving me the chance to read and review.

Absolutely stunning.

I am a huge fan of historical fiction, with WW2 being a period of particular interest. However, this book introduced me to perspectives on the conflict I’ve never read about before. Seeing the aftermath of the war from the perspective of an American teenager, a Russian female fighter pilot, and a British nazi hunter made for a completely unique reading experience, and one that I adored. Each character is so real, so vivid, and so completely distinct from the others - the writing is of an incredibly high quality.

And the plot! I was just desperate waiting to see how it would all wrap up, and seeing the characters slowly intertwine and connect made for a fascinating reading experience. Nina in particular was a character that really came into her own as the novel progressed, and I loved seeing inside her incredibly unique world.

Now, the one thing I have seen commented on is the fact that you never hear from the Huntress herself, or find out her motive. While others may disagree, I felt this was an incredibly accurate portrayal of war in general, and the holocaust in particular - no one knows why people did what they did. They were following orders, they had to do it for their own safety, you don’t know what it was like for them... the excuses are endless, and I don’t feel that this book needed to hear the Huntress’ perspective. In some ways, it might even have weakened her character - her evil is in part due to the inexplicable, alien nature of her actions.

Overall, I am just absolutely blown away. Go and read it, now.

This epic tale is basically about Nazi hunters but the background of each of the main characters makes it so much more than that. Nina's story tells of the rigours of life in the USSR, but also of opportunities for women not available to Western women. Moral questions are raised, such as, what constitutes a war criminal? An interesting thriller about WW2 and it's aftermath.

The Huntress is possibly my favourite historical fiction novel of 2019. It is a beautifully written, well researched novel that blends some historical fact with fiction and links the unlikeliest of characters together.

In the aftermath of WWII, in the US, Jordan McBride is an aspiring photographer, wishing her widowed Father would find love again so that he wasn't so lonely. Her wishes are granted when he brings home a beautiful german woman, who is also a widow.

Across the ocean in Europe, Ian Graham, former British War correspondant is now a Nazi hunter, determined to bring those to justice who have so far evaded capture. He and his partner Tony and doing important work, and every Nazi bought to trial is a victory, but one continuously disturbs Ian, as she was responsible for the death of his brother among others.

The female in question is 'Die Jagerin', a cold blooded killer, responsible for some truly atrocious crimes, even by Nazi standards. She has left little or not trace of her whereabouts, and Ian is desperate to see her caught and bought to justice, and not just for his family, but for all those who have suffered at her hands.

Nina Markova is a former member of the Night Witches, an all female night bomber unit. She is one of the few left alive who can identify Die Jagerin, as she survived an encounter with her. As determined as Ian to bring her to justice, she begins working with them in the hope that together they will find her.

After many false leads they end up in the USA. Uncertain if they will find what they are looking for, they go about their daily work and are led to Jordan's Fathers Antiques shop, where an old man is working, believed to be forging documents.

They know he is not the person that the are after, but another Nazi criminal off the streets is another victory for the team. And their final victory may be closer than they think...

Five stars are no where near enough for this brilliant novel. It is one of the best reads I have had in along time. The story line is convincing and very well researched with a clever mix of fiction and fact in both events and characters. The team of three seeking to bring war criminals to justice is well judged and so is the important photographer,daughter and carer,Jordan. The chapters give two lines of the story at once. Part is what is happening in the pursuit of the Huntress and part is the periodic return to the past to explain why this women is so worth bringing to justice. My only criticism is the references to 'England' when it should be the United Kingdom. England was only one contributor to the war effort. Otherwise, the whole combination works brilliantly and results in an informative read as well as a gripping tale. I strongly recommend it.

This is one of those books that reveal the plot between different characters and different times and places.

Nina escaped her Siberian homeland and an abusive father who ranted against Stalin putting them both in danger. She was raised to move silently and deadly through the landscape. When her father tried to drown her she cut his hand with his razor; this became her constant companion. Nina became a Russian Bomber Pilot and joined the Night Witches, an all female night bomber regiment attacking the Germans on the Eastern Front. Her father is denounced and she becomes suspect and so she escapes on her final raid – heading for Europe. She encounters the huntress, a German murderer of six children and an American.

Following the trials at Nuremberg Ian (an Englishman) and Tony (an American) are nazi hunters: seeking out those suspected of war crimes and Nina joins them when they decide to track down the Huntress – guilty of murdering Ian’s brother. There investigations take them to the USA.

Jordan McBridge is 17 years old and lives in Boston. Her interest is piqued when her father brings home a beautiful woman with a little girl, Ruth and introduces her as his fiancée. Why has Anna never made friends since she came to the USA; why does Ruth only speak German; why does the child not communicate?

This is the cast of characters: all unique, all fascinating. As I read each ‘voice’ I was anxious to return to another character, to see what was developing. Some of it a bit predictable, how could it not be? For the most part, exciting, with developments aplenty. Loved the humour between Ian and Tony and Nina.

Brilliant, no other word for it. Would I recommend it, you bet!

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

Well written and atmospheric this novel set in the post war years spans continents and weaves it stories back and forth between the war years and the 1950’s.
Ian a British war correspondent and Tony have been hunting war criminals in post war Europe since the war ended. Ian is particularly determined to find a woman nicknamed The Huntress who was responsible for, amongst other things, the brutal murder of his little brother. Nina a Russian pilot joins them when the hunt takes them to Boston where the McBride family come under their surveillance. The investigation frustrates them at times and as their backgrounds slowly unravel the hunt intensifies.
I was gripped by this, heartbreaking at times, the characters came to life on the pages. I’d thoroughly recommend reading it.
The only thing I did not like was the title - but I couldn’t suggest another!

A fiction book that also teaches you about history. A favourite genre
I loved the way this book had been written. It was multi layered and riveting
An excellent book

I really loved The Alice Network but this book was kind of all over the place. Each individual story had its own merit, but when you push them all together to try and create one cohesive narrative, it becomes messy and confusing. And it's not like this book is economical with its plot- this thing is chunker and a half. The scenes themselves are long and often rambling, Sadly, it was not one I could get on board with.

This is one incredible story, set in the 1950s, Jordan, at 17 would like nothing more than for her widowed father to find someone he loves and be happy. When he brings home a beautiful and refined woman with a slight German accent along with her very timid young daughter, it seems as if Jordan's wish has come true.
Quinn's multilayered storytelling is atmospheric, passionate and vivid, with rich descriptions that make for truly gripping reading.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins Uk and Kate Quinn for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kate Quinn writes the finest in historical fiction in her well researched blend of fact and fiction, based on real life characters in this vibrant and thrilling novel set in the post-WW2 era of the 1940s and 1950s. Quinn illuminates the little known bravery, courage and fearlessness of what the Nazis referred to as The Night Witches, an all Russian female night bombers who managed to wreak devastating damage behind German lines. Nina Markova, a fiercely strong, independent, larger than life, frightened of nothing, woman gives her all to join The Night Witches and ends up downed behind German lines, encountering Lorlei Vogt, 'The Huntress', an accomplished Nazi killer of so many, including children. It is going to take all of Nina's smarts for her to survive.

British war correspondant, Ian Graham, has seen the horrors of WW2 and the Nuremberg Trials, where many countries have lost interest in pursuing Nazi war criminals. He has suffered his own losses, wants to do more than write as he takes up the mantle of becoming a Nazi hunter with his friend, former US soldier, Tony Rodomovsky. He is after the elusive The Huntress and is joined by the tough Nina as they sift through clues and evidence of her whereabouts. In Boston, the young Jordan McBride dreams of becoming a photographer, despite family opposition. When her widowed father brings home the German widow, Annelise (Anna) with her small daughter, Ruth, a traumatised child, she is glad for her father. However, Jordan is unsettled by a photograph she has taken of Anna that fuels her apprehension and distrust of her. She takes the momentous decision to look into Anna's past. Quinn weaves the interconnections between Nina and Ian who arrive in the US with that of Jordan that culminates in the most thrilling of finales.

Quinn's multilayered storytelling is atmospheric, passionate and vivid, with rich descriptions that make for truly gripping reading. Her complex characterisation is stellar, with a particular highlight with the compelling character of the unforgettable Nina, a driven and charismatic woman that holds centre stage in this wonderful novel right through to the very end. She is a fantastic example of the extraordinary women who served as The Night Witches, fully deserving of their stories to be known much more widely. This is a superb read, dealing with the repercussions of WW2 and spotlighting the horrors it comprised of. Highly recommended! Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.

Thank you to netgalley.co.uk for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I have read a lot of books dealing with the second world war but this one still manages to be unique. I think this is because of the author's writing style; Quinn is able to use facts surrounding the period and is able to create fiction into a completely different story. I enjoyed reading about the Night Witches and these characters picked up the book for me, I found that these characters really made the book and helped drive the rest of the story. A really interesting novel and I enjoyed reading it.

I loved this book! Despite a slow start I became drawn into the hunt for 'Die Jagerin', and I loved the way in which Nina, Jordan and Ian's stories intertwined and often provided context for the the chapters that they followed. I will admit, though, to being impatient to read more of Nina's story! She was by far my favourite character, and I suspect she'll be the standout favourite for a lot of readers.

All in all, this was a pacy, engaging read that deftly interwove three narratives to a satisfying conclusion, and while it didn't have an awful lot of tension around who exactly the mysterious Anneliese Weber was at the beginning, it more than made up for it in a thousand other tiny mysteries along the way. Highly recommended.

Excellent story and fascinating twists and turns kept me hooked from start to the finish. Definitely recommended to those readers who enjoy reading this type of book that links east and west in searching for justice for war criminals.

An excellent book! Had fun reading it, and kept me on my toes the whole time. Great character development and fascinating storyline.

This is one incredible story, set in the 1950s as the second world war is beginning to take a back seat in the USA, as communism is hitting headlines and concerns of its citizens. In the meantime, Nazi war criminals are blending quietly into neighbourhoods. Jordan, at 17 would like nothing more than for her widowed father to find someone he loves and be happy. When he brings home a beautiful and refined woman with a slight German accent along with her very timid young daughter, it is obvious that Jordan's wish has come true.
This is an extremely powerful story and although fictional it is a blend of real-life characters and events that took place. The story drops back to the war years and follows the path of a female Russian pilot Nina Markova and just after the war that of Ian Graham a British War Correspondent turned Nazi hunter. Although the pair had brought many war criminals to justice the one they both wanted the most still evaded them, The Huntress. That is until now ......
The story dips back and forth on different timelines while at the same time moving forward in present-day 1950s and life in the McBride family household. Nina is one tough lady that had a learn fast childhood, fearless, determined and deadly when needs must. A fabulous character that kept me riveted to every chapter about her. Ian was the stability of the couple, that had been brought together through tragedy. Jordan, another fabulous character, at seventeen sees the world and people in it differently through the lens of her camera, because the camera doesn't lie.
Oh my, there were times I just wanted to shout out in frustration, at others I ran with a coldness through me that took my breath. An absolutely stunning read with follow up notes from the author at the end of the book that blew me away just as much.
Very highly recommended. I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

4 1/2 stars. I love historical fiction that introduces me to little areas of history that school lessons and history books never taught me about. Fiction is my passion, but I love it even more when it uncovers oft-buried truths. Here, Quinn blends fact and fiction to tell a story about three women: a murderess on the run, an aspiring photographer who may be in danger in her own home, and one of the Nachthexen. The Night Witches.

These Night Witches were very real. I've heard the term before, but knew very little about this all-female Soviet bomber regiment. In this book, Nina fights her way out of the coldness and poverty of Siberia, away from her abusive father and towards her dreams of flight. As a Soviet pilot, she finds her true place and family. But, as the book is split between several different years - and we know where Nina ends up - there is an air of sadness about these chapters too-- a looming sense that something is going to go horribly wrong.

Some years later, in a completely different time and place, a young Bostonian named Jordan longs to be a photographer but is held back because she is a girl. Fortunately, it looks like her new stepmother could offer a solution. But Jordan is constantly haunted by a picture she took back when her father first introduced Annaliese. Just one picture that seemed, for a brief moment, to show another side to the woman.

In yet another time - and note that there are roughly five years between each of the time periods - journalist Ian Graham tracks down monsters. And no monster plays on his mind more than die Jagerin. The Huntress. A Nazi. A cold-blooded killer. He pursues her, accompanied by the same Nina we've met before, and finds himself trekking across the ocean in his chase.

It's a very rich character-driven story, with many layers and secrets. Each of the characters is so well-drawn and complex, with Nina being especially fabulous. It is in turn a portrait of women fighting the constraints placed upon them by the societies in which they live, and a thrilling pursuit of a terrifying female villain. I feel I should say it is not much of a mystery, if that is something you're expecting. Uncovering the Huntress's identity is not the main focus; exploring the lives and aspirations of Nina and Jordan is.

The only thing I didn't like so much was the romance. It wasn't that I minded them being together, but I found it an unnecessary development that added nothing to the story. There was already so much going on. Still, it's a small complaint really.

Quinn reintroduces the same split time/perspective technique she used in The Alice Network, but I think it worked much better here. All of the perspectives were interesting and exciting to me. What I love most about both of the Quinn books I've read is how she puts women back into the history they have long been written out of. She reminds us that women were pilots and spies and fighters and... yes, even murderers. I liked it a lot.