The Second World War maybe over, but in 1948, life for the German people is still a daily struggle and the Russians have cut off the allies access to the Western part of Berlin. Ignoring the post war agreement where Germany was divided up into four sections and the Americans have to airdrop in much needed supplies for the German citizen’s. Sara Sturm is German, she’s working for the US Department of Public Affairs, she’s one of the lucky ones, and she has a job and lives in a tiny apartment. Her boss sends her to an antiques shop, owned by Karl and Max Portnoy, their business has been vandalized and there’s still a lot of violent behavior and resentment in Germany. Karl, Max and their entire family were all sent to a concentrating camp, and only the two brothers survived the Holocaust. They worked for a nuclear scientist Heinz Hoffman, who was trying to build an atomic bomb for the Germans and now he’s gone into hiding. The two brothers know what Hoffman looks like, with Sara accompanying them, they try to find Heinz Hoffman and he’s believed to be in hiding somewhere in Bavaria? Sara’s being followed by Jeffrey Scott an American working for the same organisation, he wants to find Hoffman first and for his own selfish reasons. A member of the top-secret Odessa organization is helping Hoffman, it's made up of former German commandos and they always seem to be one step ahead of them. During their dangerous quest to find Hoffman, Sara and Max develop feelings for each other and at a time when you can’t trust anyone. Germany is full of sympathizers and people who will do anything to make money or escape being prosecuted as a war criminal, and gain entry into Argentina or America where they can start over. The narrative is rather full on, which I enjoyed and you’re taken on a speedy ride through post war Germany and the start of the Cold War. A story about survival, justice, revenge, superiority, navigating trouble and difficulties and it has many unexpected twist and turns that I certainly didn’t see coming. I loved Mr. Shipman’s latest book and five stars from me, perfect for fans of historical fiction stories based on true facts, and it's full of espionage, intrigue, double agents, big secrets and the odd nasty character!

Set after WWII Berlin, Before the Storm is an engrossing, captivating and thrilling novel based on the true story of Nazi hunters Beate and Serge Klarsfeld whose greatest purpose was to bring Nazis to justice. WWII was horrendous and changed lives forever but what came after is less discussed. Anti-semitism continued to flourish and ordinary Germans wanted to get on with living. Russian "liberation" was anything but. The Cold War meant extreme hardship, especially for Jews. In 1948 Sara worked as a secretary in the US Public Affairs office with Mr. Varberg and Jeffrey. Her world changed when she lost her parents during the war. Her job meant the world to her and as an independent young woman she stood firmly in spite of difficulties. Losing their store on Krystallmorgen galvanized Jewish brothers Karl and Max's resolve to track Nazi nuclear scientist Heinz Hoffman. They lost their family in concentration camps. Though not a high-ranking official, Hoffman did hold important secrets. But he wasn't the only one. Along with workplace angst there are bits of romance, courage, espionage and agent work. Surprise after surprise created exciting reading! I particularly liked the twisty ending. If you are at all fascinated with post WWII and/or Nazi tracking, do be sure to read this beautifully-written novel. My sincere thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this fabulously gripping book.