Publication Date: February 15, 2023
A secret big enough to destroy the Führer’s reputation. . .
January 1939:
When Katja Heinz secures a job as a typist at Doctor Viktor’s clinic, she doesn’t expect to be copying top secret medical records from a notebook.
At the end of the first world war, Doctor Viktor treated soldiers for psychological disorders. One of the patients was none other than Adolf Hitler. . .
The notes in his possession declare Hitler unfit for office – a secret that could destroy the Führer’s reputation, and change the course of the war if exposed. . .
With the notebook hidden in her hat box, Katja and Doctor Viktor travel to Paris. Seeking refuge in the Shakespeare and Company bookshop, they hope to find a publisher brave enough to print the controversial script.
But Katja is being watched. Nazi spies in Paris have discovered her plan. They will stop at nothing to destroy the notebook and silence those who know of the secret hidden inside. . .
Katja Heinz lands a coveted position as a personal assistant for a psychiatrist. She soon realizes the notes she is transcribing pertain to the man responsible for the upheaval in Germany.
Author Tessa Harris delivers a fascinating slice of historical fiction in The Paris Notebook. Against the chaotic backdrop of World War II, readers are treated to a suspenseful tale of a tantalizing secret so big it would have likely removed Hitler from power had it been unveiled.
Katja’s sense of horror at guessing the patient’s identity is palpable. Her boss is determined to get the manuscript to Paris, where it will be published, therefore exposing Hitler’s weaknesses. Having already lost her father when he refused Hitler’s demands for allegiance, Katja’s bravery shines through her actions.
Meanwhile, there is a second storyline that begins in Paris, eventually intersecting with Katja and the mission to find a publisher willing to print the story. Danger threatens as spies target those involved in the project.
The Paris Notebook delivers a strong plot with well-developed characters. It’s a well-written, thought-provoking book that combines history, romance, and suspense.
TESSA HARRIS read History at Oxford University and has been a journalist, writing for several national newspapers and magazines for more than thirty years. She is the author of nine published historical novels. Her debut, The Anatomist’s Apprentice, won the Romantic Times First Best Mystery Award 2012 in the US. She lectures in creative writing at Hawkwood College, Stroud and is married with two children. She lives in the Cotswolds.
