The Huntress

Well written story, in fact a page turner. I have not enjoyed a book as much for some time! The content is harrowing, thought provoking and most certainly does not romanticise war crimes. I could not put this down once I had started due to the way it was written, moving between the characters stories. Thoroughly recommended.

Kate Quinn certainly didn’t disappoint me. I’ve loved her previous books so was very much looking forward to reading this. I did find the first half of the book rather slow and tricky to keep tabs on all foreign names and locations etc, but then I was well away and just couldn’t put it down. I connected with all the characters and felt the locations and were very well described. Reading about the Russian female pilots was refreshing and interesting- an angle of war I haven’t read about. I would recommend to anyone who loves books set in this era- stick with it and you will be absolutely rewarded come the end.

Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this compelling book. Loved it from start to finish. Kate Quinn entwines three unforgettable stories into a tale about finding strength when facing seemingly insurmountable odds.

Brilliantly written book about WW2 and the aftermath. A history lesson which will grip you. Fantastic!!

Complex and riveting at same time , this is an ambitious achievement. We sense that the various points of view must weave together .. and apart from sometimes wondering about chemistry (between Nina and Ian), it works in earth shattering ways. I learned about history too in WW2 period .. the group of female bombers who were effective. That women can wield prowess and machinery even of war is a mixed lesson but interesting .. the huntress who we also track at least from outside c aftet that first interior explanation,
seems to be hiding in plain sight and early on when her potential daughter in law senses something in her eyes, we are tipped off .. really deftly done , good reading and convincing characters .. blown away! Highly recommend

Wow what a book! The Huntress has been my standout book from 2019, I was enthralled from start to finish. I loved the storyline and how it was told from different view points. I can't wait to read further work by Kate Quinn.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC

The Huntress Kate Quinn

This is conundrum of a story, but don’t let that put you off.

Four stories in one, all set in different time periods, all integral to the main story, and all charging to a brilliant conclusion.

During the war.

The Huntress. A killer, a woman working for, or in sympathy, with the German SS during World War Two. A woman who has escaped the war crimes hearings in Nuremberg.

Nina Markov. A Russian woman with a passion for flying. One of Stalin’s famous Night Witches. A woman with a very good reason for finding the Huntress.

After the war

Ian and Tony, two men who specialise in finding war criminals and bringing them to trial, but one woman is right at the top of Ian’s list. The Huntress was responsible for killing his brother, and he wants to see her face her crimes.

Jordan McBride. A young woman in America dreaming of becoming a photographer covering wars around the world. Her father, a widow has a new woman in his life, Anneliese, a woman that Jordan is convinced is a not telling the truth about her past.

This story is magnificent in the way it is told. The storylines of all of the main characters interweave from start to finish. The way the author establishes the crimes committed by the Huntress during the war is clever.

Introducing Nina as one of the famous Night Witches of the Soviet Aviation Group 122 is perfect for the story. I thought I was good on my Second World War history, but I’d never heard of this group. A quick Google search led me down an internet wormhole that lasted for hours whilst I read about this extraordinary group of woman.

Tony’s story, and the story about the tracking down of the illusive Huntress after the war, is the main backbone of the book and it is one of those tales which has you reading well into the night.

But will you guess the end of the story? Is everybody who they appear to be? Are the allegiances that are formed all they seem to be. Will the Huntress get caught?

There’s only one way to find out. Read the book, and I have to say it’s up there in my best books read this year.

Pages: 560
Publisher: Harper Collins
Available now.

Stories from the war are not my thing at all but oh how I loved this book. A beautifully written and lengthy tale told from three different perspectives, Nina, a Russian peasant with a ruthless streak and seemingly unattainable dreams. Ian, an English war journalist who now post-war, hunts Nazi war criminals from an office in Vienna and Jordan, a teenage girl growing up in late 1940’s Boston with her widowed father. Jordan’s father quickly becomes smitten with a new lady who becomes Jordan’s stepmother before she has a chance to really get to know her. Suspicions are aroused and before long Jordan has many reasons to doubt this woman. Is she really a Nazi? Or has the imaginative teenager got her wires well and truly crossed? Kate Quinn’s writing is impeccable as the reader imagines the bitterly cold of Siberia, the vast emptiness and scarce food sources, the tension, fear and exhilaration of flying war planes and the tension and fear of wondering if you are sharing your home with a Nazi war criminal.
Such imaginative and descriptive historic writing that stays with you long after the book is finished. Gripping and full of well researched facts that enhance the story but it’s the strong, clever and interesting characters that bring the whole story to life.
Thanks to NetGalley for the copy for review.

Brilliant read! Gripping, with tension that slowly, slowly ramps up. I could not put this down, I was desperate to find out what would happen!
With female Russian bombers, Nazi hunters and a woman who does not want to be found, this is one exciting read! Characters you can empathise with, and others who are truly chilling, all combined with a fascinating story make this book truly enthralling. Highly recommended!

WWII historical fiction is one of my absolute favorite subgenres, so it is easy to say that between the glowing reviews and the bonus of a favorite genre I had extremely high expectations for this story. It's the first time I read one of Kate Quinn's books (I have The Alice Network high on my TBR though), and I was definitely blown away by what I found. My expectations were more than met and I have found a new favorite story as well as author. Say hello to one of my 2019 top reads!

With its 560 pages, there is so much going on in The Huntress that I'm having a hard time figuring out where to start with my review. For lack of better ideas, I've decided to keep it simple and start with the historical setting. Due to the complexity of this story, we have three different storylines, POVs and thus three different historical settings to discuss... The one I found most striking was Nina's POV, as we don't often see a focus on the Russian side of the war, let alone learn more about female Russian pilots and everything related to their role in the war. We see Nina evolve as she grows up in inhospitable Siberia and wants to follow her dream to conquer the sky... The descriptions of the different places in Russia are simply fantastic, and the same goes for the incorporation of historical facts about the female pilot division and everything that relates to the Night Witches, the bombings and other things happening during the war. And I have to say that Nina's POV alone already made me want to hand out the full 5 stars for this story.

To contrast this rather intense storyline, we have the milder POV set in postwar Boston with Jordan in the lead. This is a story of a young woman with a passion for photography, dreaming about a seemingly unreachable exciting life but instead being pushed to tie the knot with her boyfriend and take over her father's business in the future. This storyline is also focused on family and has that whole 'possibly evil' stepmother vibe... It was really interesting to see both this storyline and Jordan's character evolve over time and slowly merge with the third POV: Ian. Ian Graham is a British war correspondent who is determined to hunt down as many Nazi members as possible after the war with the help of his colleague Tony. Their journey starts in Austria as they decide to track down the infamous 'huntress', and here comes Nina in play as well as the only witness who saw the woman and survived.

At this point in the story we don't know about Nina's past yet, and it was fascinating to see how all different storylines slowly evolve as the hunt continues and brings them to different places and closer to the final so-called reckoning. I especially liked how we only learned about Nina's past in small doses, absorbing those final details just before the story reaches its climax. The three different storylines and POVs are woven together in the most expert way and basically give you three different high quality stories to follow all wrapped together into one brilliant masterpiece. I'm not lying when I say that this is without doubt one of the best WWII inspired historical fiction stories I've read to this date, and I'm not taking those words lightly... The Huntress left me lost for words.

I don't want to talk too much about the plot as I don't want to give away any spoilers, but what I can say is that between the complex and rich plot, the writing, the different characters, historical references and settings, there is a lot to love in The Huntress. While the pace might be slower in points, the story also has moments of speed (especially in Nina's POV) and you will have to prepare yourself for a healthy dose of surprises in the plot. The writing is simply beautiful and draws you right in, and I loved the use of foreign words here and there. The character development is also sublime, and I loved how the different storylines slowly came together until the full picture is finally revealed as you fit the last piece of the puzzle. Most of the characters are so easy to like as well, partly because of their flaws and realistic development, partly because of their charms. Especially Nina stood out for me (I loved her bluntness), but it was great to follow Ian and Jordan as well. Even the 'huntress' was a fascinating and well developed character, though of course she can never be called likeable.

As you might have guessed, there is a lot to love in The Huntress and I can highly highly recommend it to anyone who loves WWII historical fiction as much as I do. Between an unique, complex and rich plot, beautiful writing, fascinating characters, detailed descriptions that really make the historical settings come alive and a healthy dose of secrets and surprises, you will find yourself having a hard time picking what exactly your favorite element of this story is.

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

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.

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.

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.