A harrowing account of the aftermath of the murder of an SS officer and doctor in Auschwitz during Christmas 1943. What sets this book apart from others in the same period of time and place is that this one is written from the point of view of a German criminologist Hugo Fishcher. Hugo has been sent to the camp to investigate the death. It's not always an easy read. It's often uncomfortable to read of the distress, violence and horrors that we now know to be true, but nonetheless I am grateful to Netgalley, the publisher and author for an arc. A well written and well researched novel that will stay with you long after the last page.

Ashes In the Snow is World War Two historical fiction. The book is set in 1943 in the Auschwitz prison camp.

German criminologist Hugo Fischer is brought to the camp to investigate the murder of one of the SS doctors. The body was discovered by a young Jewish boy who accurately drew the scene soon after it happened.

Hugo normally works in Berlin; he’s heard rumours about the prison camps but he is shocked by what he sees all around him. There is an irony that the death of one SS officer is considered of such importance when hundreds of murders and deaths happen daily in the camp.

This is a dark and disturbing tale; the horrors of the camp and the medical experiments are not brushed over. Seeing the events through the eyes of a German was different from many war stories and it worked well. The story twists and turns, as Hugo suspects first one person then another.

I didn’t quite manage to get a clear image of all the important secondary characters which was my only complaint; just a little more detail to help me differentiate between them would have helped.

This is an incredibly harrowing, heart wrenching yet gripping thriller set in Auschwitz during WW2. It's not an easy read in parts due to the atrocities carried out but I feel it is important that we never forget.

I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Harper Collins UK, and the author Oriana Ramunno.
A gripping and involving mystery set against a hugely traumatic backdrop which the author does not hesitate in describing in all its horrendous detail. A clear reminder of one of the darkest chapters of human history.
Oriana Ramunno doesn't sugar coat the desperation and cruelty of the camp and the conflict experienced by Germans who didn't believe in the vision of the reich and struggled to comprehend the realities of Aushwitz and Birkenau. An interesting take on WW2 fiction and an intense one. 4 stars.

Quite a difficult read that I had to pick down and contemplate what I had read. It seemed ironic that someone would be brought in to investigate the murder of an officer in the notorious Auschwitz camp. I've read similar books in this setting and it's still harrowing to read about.

A desperately traumatic and challenging WW2 historical read of the evil, horror, and inhumanity that the human race is capable of. It is Christmas 1943, and criminalogist Hugo Fishcher arrives at Auschwitz, he is a man in constant pain, suffering from a degenerative disease he is forced to hide from others, he relies on morphine to get through the day. He is a recent member of the Nazi party, he had no choice if he wanted to continue working, he is a man that has kept quiet in a climate where to speak out is far too dangerous. He gets his first taste of the nature of Auschwitz when he arrives at the train station, to be met by Obersturmfuhrer Tristan Voigt. Hugo has been called by Kommandant Liebehenschel to look into the death of SS Dr Sigismund Braun in block 10, his body discovered by the bright prisoner, 8 year old twin, Gioele Errera, being experimented on by the Angel of Death, Dr Josef Mengele.

There are rumours surrounding Braun's death, apparently from choking on a piece of apple, and Hugo is tasked with uncovering the truth. He is a man of little power as he finds himself walking a tightrope when it becomes clear he is dealing with murder, organising a post-mortem that is not wanted by the dead man's wife. It is a bitterly cold winter, but the stench of death is everywhere, the overwhelming stink of burning flesh, with ashes dropping in the snow, and Hugo finds to his surprise that many doctors are keen to come to the concentration camps to take part in and instigate the nightmare unethical human experiments on the 'subhuman' Jews, even the children. Hugo gets crucial help from Gioele who shows him his remarkably detailed drawings of the crime scene, but he is a Jewish child that Hugo cannot be seen to be taking seriously. As Hugo has his eyes opened to what is really happening in Auschwitz with the implementation of the Final Solution, he is to be tested to his personal limits and inescapably pushed towards deciding what is important to him and what he is prepared to do to live with himself.

Ramunno writes a novel with a fascinating and complex central German protagonist in Hugo Fishcher, a man troubled by an incident in his past that hints that perhaps subconsciously he is aware of what is happening in Germany below the radar, but has shied away from examining this too closely, a truth too painful and traumatising to confront. As he unravels the truth behind the mystery of the murder of Dr Braun, his life comes under increasing danger. This is a chilling and difficult historical read of one of the darkest times in human history which I recommend highly to other readers. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Christmas 1943, Criminologist Hugo Fischer is dispatched to Auschwitz to investigate the death of an SS officer. Although he has heard things in Berlin about the camp, nothing can prepare Hugo for what he finds there.

A reluctant member of the Nazi party, Hugo is forced to hide his own degenerative illness, or run the risk of his own life at the hands of the party policy. It makes daily life a struggle for him, but in the bitter cold of the Polish winter, it becomes almost unbearable.

But Hugo has orders that he must obey, so he cannot even think of turning back to Berlin.

Young prisoner Gioele becomes an unlikely ally. He is one of the “lucky” ones within the camp, chosen by Dr Mengele for his unusual eyes, he is spared from the most barbaric experimentation, bar the frequent taking of blood samples.

Unfortunately his twin has not been so lucky, though Gioele is unaware of this, as he hasn’t seen any of his family since the fateful day that they arrived at Auschwitz.

Hugo, even as a member of the Nazi party is unwelcome to the camp as an outsider. Guards, nurses and doctors are wary of him, and what he might discover, and most go out of their way to make things difficult for him.

In a place where so many are barbaric and cruel, there are many suspects and not many leads. Hugo is in a place he doesn't want to be, conducting an investigation that he wants no part of. But as he begins to gather clues, and some individuals start opening up to him, Hugo is determined not to be defeated.

Exactly what will he discover, and will he make it out alive when so few do?

This book offers an intriguing perspective of a Nazi Criminologist who disagrees with what his party stands for, and is risk himself of one of their fanatical policies. A must read for any historical/crime fiction fan.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

LEST WE FORGET

this book isnt an easy book to read...i mean even after the first chapter where i was nearly physically sick after what i had just read i knew it wasnt going to get any easier

Auschwitz the death camp

but this is a story about a murder..... one of the doctors is murdered and an investigation is called for....ironic really...

and so the investigations begin

the author also stats that this book is written about one of her relatives that experienced one of these camps.... and has dedicated this book to them

its well written and grabs you but its also unpleasant to read....but only because of the history that we know now...

will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works

Known as Hitler’s final solution, Auschwitz is well known as the mass extermination centre for Jews and other deemed subhuman. This well researched story in the form of a police detective sent to investigate the murder of a Nazi doctor stationed there. Through his eyes the full extent of the shocking facilities are revealed. Extensive medical research labs manned by slave labour called from the stream of Jews due for slaughter, suitable human guinea pick saved from slaughter for experiment and subsequent autopsy to examine their vital organs to gain knowledge for breeding the master race,. Vast warehouses to sort and store the belongings and recycled human items extracted from the corpses before disposal. The whole complex is run by slave labour supervised by ruthless SS guards butally supressing any sign of revolt. How the detective manages to solve the murder while hiding his revolutions engendered by the brutal environment that engenders his emotional involvement and to save a child from death is a most enlightening story.

A harrowing heart wrenching book about the horrors of Auschwitz..The author writes vividly and kept me involved turning the pages.#netgalley #harperukfiction

A harrowing read. This book is set in Auschwitz and gives gruelling details of how things were but from a very different angle. There has been a murder and Fischer, a detective hiding his own secret and with something to prove us drafted in to solve the crime .

This is a Christmas story with a difference and also a thrilling and gripping ‘who-done-it.’ It is 23rd of December 1943 and World War II is far from over. Set in the infamous, godawful Auschwitz, an Italian Jewish young boy stumbles on a dead adult body in his room in Block 10. The cadaver is known to the boy whose name is Gioele Errera, an inquisitive, intelligent boy and a fantastic artist. He is one of a twin; his brother Gabriele and he are in the care of Doctor Mengele who uses them for experimental procedures. The dead man is a colleague of Mengele called SS Doctor Braun. The Nazi commander of Auschwitz requests that a German Criminologist be sent to the death camp because he is suspicious that the death is not straightforward and may possibly be a murder.
German criminologist Hugo Fischer arrives in Auschwitz and is appalled at what he sees. He is a clever man, tenacious, capable and determined to do the job he has been tasked with. He hates the inhumanity; he hates the death chambers and the gratuitous violence. He loathes the beatings and deaths by gun discharge. He is compassionate and kind-hearted but he has a job to do. He interviews Gioele and is impressed with his artistry. Gioele has drawn a picture of the death scene and his detailed work of art and what the boy describes to him are of immense importance. So a thorough investigation starts with loads of suspects to interview.
This is a debut novel and is inspired by stories Oriana Ramunno listened to her grandfather telling. He was an inhabitant in Flossenbürg concentration camp and bore witness to despicable and unwarranted cruelty. Oriana dedicated her novel to him as “the last act of love in a long journey”.
Initially I found this story a little slow going, but it soon became an interesting and exciting read. I thought the storytelling was good and the characters well envisaged and carefully refined. The Nazi officers were wicked, evil and abhorrent. They used any excuse they could to commit inhuman acts of violence on the Jews, some of which caused sudden death. Hugo Fisher was a gentle, well-mannered soul and did what he could to make life easier to the captive Jews. He was meticulous with his ongoing investigation and missed nothing. He was hiding a secret of his own and he was kind to Gioele and earned his trust and admiration. They admired each other and Hugo hated what was happening with ‘Doctor Mengele’s children’. He tried to take care of the boy. The procedures Mengele carried out with ‘his children’ were shocking, painful and unnecessary. He was inhuman and uncaring. I thought the research undertaken by the author was meticulous and added authenticity to her novel. Some of the atrocities committed by the Nazis were hard to read and we must ensure genocide like this never happens again.
I would like to thank NetGalley and publisher HarperCollins for sending me this novel in return for an honest review. I thought that the novel was a good, informative read and a message for future generations about inhumanity and war crimes. It is a 4* review from me.

Extremely moving and horrifying story of a criminologist going to Aushwitz concentration camp in 1943 to solve a murder of a Nazi Doctor there. The horrors of the camp and its brutal staff, the Nazi ideas and attitudes are brought so close, applied as they are to fictional characters (and people who really existed, in a fictional setting) it's really emotionally evocative.
The characters aren't all as they seem and we learn together with Hugo Fischer (the investigator) exactly what is going on in the camp; the horrors, the depths of depravity. Hugo has his own shameful experiences which he regrets (by doing nothing) - but who can do anything in such an organised, hierarchical, disciplined setup? He has to hide his illness from the Nazis who would view it as a weakness and therefore 'to be eliminated'. We learn of German individuals doing what they can to alleviate some of the suffering - I only hope people such as these did exist.
The crime investigation is gripping and a good story. The characters are superbly written, particularly Giole, one of 'Mengele's twins'. It's horrific and will not bring joy - details here are of things I had never imagined in all the horrors I knew about in the camps. This book is powerful, interesting and horrifying. It will haunt you and I'm hugely ashamed to say the only way I could read it was by 'separating myself' from the prisoners - and that is the same reaction this regime relied on. How shameful is that?

Ashes in the Snow is one of the most powerful and emotional stories I’ve read in some considerable time. It’s often an uncomfortable read and rightly so given that the setting is Auschwitz. It’s a work of historical fiction…but there’s a great deal of fact woven into the story

I think it’s one of the most unusual stories I’ve ever read; it’s a murder mystery with a difference and introduces so many themes which are thought provoking and often disturbing. The central character, a young Jewish boy favoured by Mengele, discovers the body of a camp Doctor. An investigator is brought in to find out what happened. The investigator has a serious health problem which he has to hide. People with degenerative conditions were being exterminated as part of the vision for a perfect Aryan race. The plotting and pace are superb. It’s a winter setting and there’s an almost palpable sense of cold and chill. The characters feel like real people and the casual brutality of the guards and the resilience of the captors is unsettling.

Ramunno has written a holocaust story that engages totally and whilst the subject matter is emotional, it’s one which should never be ignored. It is an emotional read for many reasons, but one I shall be recommending widely because it’s so honest.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

Ashes in the snow by Oriana Ramunno. I absolutely loved this book. Hugo Fischer is sent to Auschwitz to investigate the death of a high profile Nazi. It’s a graphic book so keep that in mind but it’s a brilliant story. Fearing murder, Hugo and the Jewish boy who found the body attempt to solve a murder in a place of mass scale murder. It takes him all over the camp, meeting a wide range of different people, all with different stories about how they got there. All of the characters have so much depth and are so complex and I didn’t know who had done it until it was actually revealed. The whole book is written with compassion but also with truth, these things did happen and it was as horrible as you think. The ending is incredible and it’s thought provoking and I’m still thinking about it. This book is amazing and I really recommend it. *given to me by NetGalley in exchange for a review*

Ashes in the Snow by Oriana Ramunno is a World War 2 historical fiction with a difference, and was a gripping and very emotional read. From the author's notes at the end of the book I learned that they were inspired by their own family history and the stories told by a great uncle who survived the war, which I really appreciated as it made it more personal.
The setting is bleak, Auschwitz in December band the author very quickly and vividly establishes the freezing cold conditions and day to day brutality experienced by the prisoners and the arrogance and casual cruelty of their captors. We are almost immediately introduced to Gioele, a young Italian Jewish boy who is a "pet" of the infamous Mengele because of his unusual eye colour and skill as an artist. While wandering around in a forbidden area he discovers the body of another Nazi doctor. While the death at first appears accidental, investigator Hugo Fischer is dispatched to uncover what really happened. Living in the city he has been at something of a distance from the realties of Camp life and the Final Solution, and he is truly appalled by his experiences at the camp, but because he is hiding a secret of his own he is reluctant to rock the boat in any way. As his investigation continues and his bond with Gioele deepens he is forced to make some very tough choices about both their futures.
I was completely gripped by this book from beginning to end, Gioele is such a charming and loveable character that he had my heart , and I loved his relationship with Hugo. Hugo is a complex character who is faced with some incredibly difficult moral decisions, and I felt for him as the book unfolded. The mystery plot is well crafted and kept me turning the pages as I wanted to find out what happened, This is a book I will definitely be recommending .

This is a new author for me. I really enjoyed Ashes in the Snow. I read a lot of historical fiction and have read a decent amount with Nazi’s as the subject matter so I was on familiar ground with this book but the subject matter is the murder of an SS Officer which is a new one for me. As you’d expect from a book set in this era, this is a rather grim read, brutal at times but well-written and compelling.

I found this book truly heart wrenching as to hear another account of the atrocities against the Jews. I’m giving it 5 stars because in my opinion this subject should always be told. I think the author wrote a great story attached to this.

What can I say in reviewing this book? It isn’t an easy read, in fact in many places it is violent, painful, sickening and distressing. It isn’t a read for everybody - some would question whether setting a novel in Auschwitz is wrong on all levels. However I am glad that I have read it. As a society we need to be reminded of it’s horrors and how easily evil can occur when good men fail to take action.
The story centres on the death of an SS doctor, a colleague of Mengele and who is responsible for his murder. Hugo is a criminologist sent to investigate and so the story unravels. I loved the ending of this story as it spoke of the fact that there is still hope for mankind even in the middle of such a foul place.
I can’t say I ‘enjoyed’ this read, but it gets a high score because it’s themes will stay with me for some time to come.

Auschwitz in the Christmas of 1943: It's snowing outside, and Block10 looks even bleaker than usual. Gisele Errera. A young Jewish boy imprisoned in the camp, finds the body of an SS officer. A detective with everything to prove, Hugo Fischer, is sent to investigate the unexplained death of the renowned Nazi. But Hugo is hiding a secret - he is suffering from a degenerative disease. The only way for him to survive is to give his support to the Reich and hide his condition. Hugo comes face to face not only with a complex murder, but with a truth - that of the Final Solution. And he is forced to decide what is most important to him - and who, if anyone, he should try to save....

Set during WWII, this is a completely different war story to any of the other books I've read. The book is based on the authors great-uncles experiences. The story shows the horrific things the doctors did in these camps. At times, this can be difficult to read. The characters have been well fleshed out and believable. It has been cleverly crafted. The author has done their research of the era it is written in. This is a gripping read from beginning to end. It's also written with compassion.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUk #HarperFiction and the author #OrianaRamunno for my ARC of #AshesInTheSnow in exchange for an honest review.








































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