Defending Britta Stein
- Downloads：2457
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-09-09 02:19:05
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Ronald H. Balson
- ISBN：B08TX8DK6T
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Sara K
，
Another amazing book by Ronald H。 Balson。 As with all of his books， Balson manages to weave an incredible story with strong characters into a well researched part of history。 Defending Britta Stein is no exception and this book will be with you way past the final page。 Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggart are back， this time working with 92-year old Britta Stein。 When Ole Henryks is to be honored for heroics again Nazi’s in Denmark， Britta spray-paints “coward，” “traiotor，” “collaborator，” and mo Another amazing book by Ronald H。 Balson。 As with all of his books， Balson manages to weave an incredible story with strong characters into a well researched part of history。 Defending Britta Stein is no exception and this book will be with you way past the final page。 Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggart are back， this time working with 92-year old Britta Stein。 When Ole Henryks is to be honored for heroics again Nazi’s in Denmark， Britta spray-paints “coward，” “traiotor，” “collaborator，” and more on the walls of his restaurant。 From there Britta finds herself in a lawsuit filed by Ole and his son - which is where Lockhart and Taggart’s help becomes necessary。 As always， Balson does an incredible job writing a story about wartime history， weaving it into a historical fiction story about individuals， their experiences and legal ramifications。 You will find yourself emotionally invested in the characters， their personal life and their experiences。 Balson is an incredible writer and yet again has written an amazing book！Thank you to netgalley and St Martin’s Press for my advanced reader copy。 。。。more
Jill Sirignano
，
Absolutely LOVED Loved this book！ I highly recommend it！ This is a well told story with some factual background to the story。 The story really resonated with me as Britta Stein tells her story to her lawyer and her granddaughter。 Jill S。
Maria-Anne
，
Will Britta Stein succeed？ Time and health are not in her favor This is a wonderful story told of determination and fighting against all odds to bring somebody accountable for their past actions during the War。 This book is a great find for anybody that likes historical fiction combined with legal procedures。I did not read the prior books in the Liam Taggard & Catherine Lockhart series and did not feel I was missing something because it can easily be read as a standalone。
Anne
，
Defending Britta Stein by Ronald H。 Balson is another Holocaust era tragedy played out in modern day。 It was a pretty thorough history of the Nazi occupation of Denmark told through the memories of a 92-year-old woman whose family had been wrong by another Dane who had been a Nazi collaborator and caused the deaths of her sister and brother-in-law。 What made the whole story quite wonderful was the reaction of the Danish population as a whole。 There were only about 7，000 Jews in Denmark and they Defending Britta Stein by Ronald H。 Balson is another Holocaust era tragedy played out in modern day。 It was a pretty thorough history of the Nazi occupation of Denmark told through the memories of a 92-year-old woman whose family had been wrong by another Dane who had been a Nazi collaborator and caused the deaths of her sister and brother-in-law。 What made the whole story quite wonderful was the reaction of the Danish population as a whole。 There were only about 7，000 Jews in Denmark and they were wholly assimilated。 When the time came， the population helped them escape the Nazis and when they returned they found the citizenry had care for their homes: guarded them and cleaned them。 Such a different response from the way things happened in most of Europe。 Balson is so knowledgeable and his books are always so readable and so good。 This is no exception。 It tells such a story。 I recommend it。Ole Henryks was 95 years old when the Danish American Society decided to honor him for his heroism during WW II。 Britta hadn't even known he was in Chicago but this was more than she could take。 Her response was to spray paint some words on the side of his restaurant。 Six nights。 She freely admitted it and paid the fine to the city for doing it。 Now he's suing for defamation。 The thing about defamation is that it doesn't exist if the words used were the truth。 Lawyer Catherine Lockhart sets out to prove that her words were accurate。 Britta tells her story， in detail， over the course of a couple of weeks。 Catherine wishes she'd just get to the parts they needed， but Britta needed to tell the whole thing。 In the middle of it， Liam Taggart， Lockhart's investigator husband， goes to Denmark to gather evidence。 He has some， but not enough。 Catherine gets Ole on the stand and he tells his side。 It was explosive。I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Defending Britta Stein by St Martin's Press through Netgalley。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 #netgalley #stmartinspress #defendingbrittastein 。。。more
Andrea Johnson
，
Wow， what an incredible story！ Mr。 Balson once again brings his characters， attorney Catherine Lockhart and her husband， Liam Taggert into a complicated modern story that reaches far into the past。 Britta Stein is a 90 year old woman who spray paints defamatory words on the building of Ole Hendryx， a 95 year old man who is about to be honored for heroic efforts during WWII in Denmark。 Their family history and a trial ensue。 What truly amazed me was learning the strength of the danish people in h Wow， what an incredible story！ Mr。 Balson once again brings his characters， attorney Catherine Lockhart and her husband， Liam Taggert into a complicated modern story that reaches far into the past。 Britta Stein is a 90 year old woman who spray paints defamatory words on the building of Ole Hendryx， a 95 year old man who is about to be honored for heroic efforts during WWII in Denmark。 Their family history and a trial ensue。 What truly amazed me was learning the strength of the danish people in helping 95% of their Jewish population hide and then escape to safety in Sweden。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc。 。。。more
Barbara White
，
I couldn't put Defending Britta Stein: A Novel down。 It's that's compelling。 I felt as though I were in wartime Denmark。 I highly recommend this book。 Thanks to Goodreads First Reads for my copy。 I couldn't put Defending Britta Stein: A Novel down。 It's that's compelling。 I felt as though I were in wartime Denmark。 I highly recommend this book。 Thanks to Goodreads First Reads for my copy。 。。。more
Sharon Latkovich Valente
，
This was the first book of Ronald H。 Balson that I have read， but it won't be the last。 His historical research is impeccable in its accuracy and attention to detail。 Interweaving the experience of Danes during World War II， you thought you were there。 While this was a work of fiction， he was able to convey the real-life trauma of those days。 As a fan of Chicago's restaurants， he could not have painted a better picture。You will not want to put this book down。。I understand that Mr。 Balson is the This was the first book of Ronald H。 Balson that I have read， but it won't be the last。 His historical research is impeccable in its accuracy and attention to detail。 Interweaving the experience of Danes during World War II， you thought you were there。 While this was a work of fiction， he was able to convey the real-life trauma of those days。 As a fan of Chicago's restaurants， he could not have painted a better picture。You will not want to put this book down。。I understand that Mr。 Balson is the winner of the National Jewish Book Award - and rightfully so。 I look forward to reading more of his work。 。。。more
Karen
，
“Coward”…。。“Traitor”…。。“Collaborator”…。。“War Criminal” These words appear painted on the outside walls of a restaurant， The Melancholy Dane。 The restaurant is owned by ninety-five-year-old Ole Hendryks （or is it Hendrickson） who is getting an award from the Chicago Dane Association for his work in saving Jews during WW II。 Ninety-two-year-old Britta Stein is arrested for this crime。 Britta is one of the Danish Jews who was saved in the boat lift。 What possessed her to paint these words on the wa “Coward”…。。“Traitor”…。。“Collaborator”…。。“War Criminal” These words appear painted on the outside walls of a restaurant， The Melancholy Dane。 The restaurant is owned by ninety-five-year-old Ole Hendryks （or is it Hendrickson） who is getting an award from the Chicago Dane Association for his work in saving Jews during WW II。 Ninety-two-year-old Britta Stein is arrested for this crime。 Britta is one of the Danish Jews who was saved in the boat lift。 What possessed her to paint these words on the walls of a restaurant。Ronald Balson has crafted a masterful story based on actual events about how Denmark saved their Jewish citizens by ordinary Danish citizens ferrying Jews in their own boats to Sweden rather than turning them over to Germany。 Balson explains in his author notes that the events that happened in the book are true but the characters are fictional。 Shortly after starting this book， I discovered that this book is the sixth in a series。 Britta’s lawyer Catherine Lockhart and her husband， Liam Taggert who is a private investigator appear in earlier books。 Defending Britta Stein moves back and forth between Britta telling her story of the past to her granddaughter Emma （a young lawyer） and Catherine as they prepare for Britta’s trial in the present。 Liam goes to Denmark to research Ole。 I knew about these boat lifts from history books， and this book brought the history to life。 I especially enjoyed the beginning chapters of the book and again thought the last 25-30% of the book were masterful when a lot of the past was told in Britta’s diary as she was in the hospital。 I thought this was better than the earlier part when Britta was telling little bits of her story over days to Emma and Catherine。 This middle part of the story was very dry and at times read like a history book。 The final scenes in the courtroom were masterfully written。 I found myself in tears several times while reading this book and cheering for the main characters。 I have put the first five books on my TBR。 This book would have been five stars for me if the middle part could have been written differently。 My thanks to St。 Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book。 The opinions in this review are my own。 。。。more
Letty
，
（4。5/5）This is Book 6 in the Liam Taggart & Catherine Lockhart series， and it was another one that I thoroughly enjoyed。 The writing， as always， by Ronald Balson was exquisitely done and the story itself was captivating from the start。 The historical side of this story takes place in Denmark during World War II， a part of the World War II history I was not very familiar with。 Mr。 Balson certainly did his research for this book， and I learned a great deal。 Historical fiction fans will enjoy Defen （4。5/5）This is Book 6 in the Liam Taggart & Catherine Lockhart series， and it was another one that I thoroughly enjoyed。 The writing， as always， by Ronald Balson was exquisitely done and the story itself was captivating from the start。 The historical side of this story takes place in Denmark during World War II， a part of the World War II history I was not very familiar with。 Mr。 Balson certainly did his research for this book， and I learned a great deal。 Historical fiction fans will enjoy Defending Britta Stein and I highly recommend。 It can be read as a stand-alone book but reading his earlier books in this series will give you more background information on the main characters， Liam and Catherine。Thank you to St。 Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the review copy。 。。。more
Kathy
，
With Defending Britta Stein， Ronald H。 Balson proves once again that he is a powerhouse of historical fiction。 His hallmark skills of deep， complex characters， thorough research， interesting and informative story lines， and his ability to place the reader into the story are evident。It's great to see the team of attorney Catherine Lockhart， and her husband， private investigator Liam Taggert in action again。 This time they are defending Britta Stein， a 90 year old Danish woman who has admitted to With Defending Britta Stein， Ronald H。 Balson proves once again that he is a powerhouse of historical fiction。 His hallmark skills of deep， complex characters， thorough research， interesting and informative story lines， and his ability to place the reader into the story are evident。It's great to see the team of attorney Catherine Lockhart， and her husband， private investigator Liam Taggert in action again。 This time they are defending Britta Stein， a 90 year old Danish woman who has admitted to defacing the property of Ole Hendryks。 Hendryks， 95， is about to be honored by the Danish/American Association for his civic good works and as a war hero during WWII。 Following Britta's actions he brings a lawsuit against her for defamation of character and infliction of emotional distress。 With both parties being up in years， the race is on to bring the case to completion。I had not previously read a book about Denmark during WWII， and I learned a lot。 I will continue to read everything Balson writes， he's that good！！ I highly recommend this book。My thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for allowing me to read an ARC of this book which is scheduled to be published 9/7/21。 All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
，
Fans of the WWII genre will welcome this dual time line novel for insight into what happened in Denmark。 Catherine Lockhart finds herself defending Britta Stein， who has defaced a restaurant owned by Ole Henryks who she maintains should no longer be allowed to hide his collaboration with the Nazis。 She's 92 and she's got a story to tell， which she does， and Catherine's partner Liam vets it。 The present day story， while well constructed， pales by comparison to the insight into Nazi era Denmark。 T Fans of the WWII genre will welcome this dual time line novel for insight into what happened in Denmark。 Catherine Lockhart finds herself defending Britta Stein， who has defaced a restaurant owned by Ole Henryks who she maintains should no longer be allowed to hide his collaboration with the Nazis。 She's 92 and she's got a story to tell， which she does， and Catherine's partner Liam vets it。 The present day story， while well constructed， pales by comparison to the insight into Nazi era Denmark。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 It's a good read。 。。。more
DianeLikesToRead
，
If you remember reading “Number the Stars” by Louis Lowry as a child， you will enjoy this grown up version of the book。 Ninety- two year old Britta Stein is arrested for spray painting “liar， collaborator， Nazi” on ninety- five year old Ole Hendryks’s bar。 But why would she do that？Ronald H。 Balson takes us on a journey from WWII to present day to find out out why。 Balson weaved history within the story。 Did you know that the Danish people protected their Jewish neighbors？ But not everyone was t If you remember reading “Number the Stars” by Louis Lowry as a child， you will enjoy this grown up version of the book。 Ninety- two year old Britta Stein is arrested for spray painting “liar， collaborator， Nazi” on ninety- five year old Ole Hendryks’s bar。 But why would she do that？Ronald H。 Balson takes us on a journey from WWII to present day to find out out why。 Balson weaved history within the story。 Did you know that the Danish people protected their Jewish neighbors？ But not everyone was to be trusted。 This is the sixth book in the Liam Taggart & Catherine Lockhart series。 Liam is a private detective and Catherine is an attorney。 They are married and also work together。 This book can be read as a stand alone， but I think it’s best to read the books in order。 I would like to thank Ronald H。 Balson， St。 Martin’s Press and and Netgalley for a complimentary copy of the book。 The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own。 。。。more
Bethany Smith
，
This was the story of Denmark during WWII。 After reading several WWII books about Paris and Poland， this was a very pleasant change of pace。 Not that anything during WWII was pleasant， but the Danish people were truly amazing。 The author does an excellent job of telling the story in a manner that puts the reader in the action， feeling what the characters were feeling at that time。 He also has a unique way of depicting historical events through the eyes of a witness， and then having a defense att This was the story of Denmark during WWII。 After reading several WWII books about Paris and Poland， this was a very pleasant change of pace。 Not that anything during WWII was pleasant， but the Danish people were truly amazing。 The author does an excellent job of telling the story in a manner that puts the reader in the action， feeling what the characters were feeling at that time。 He also has a unique way of depicting historical events through the eyes of a witness， and then having a defense attorney draw out the truth from the Nazi collaborator。 This is the author’s most recent book， with the first one being Once we Were Brothers。 I enjoyed that book as well， so will be adding his other books to my wish list。All that being said， the present story had a lot of added filler， that I do not believe added anything to the story， other than causing it to be little longer than I think it should have been。 。。。more
Helen Thompson
，
I loved this book。 I would have given five starts but the first 100 pages were so slow。 This is a masterful rendition of Denmark’s wartime heroics。 Little did I know about the Danish resistance。What a lesson in history of the country of Denmark during WWII。 I loved how the Danish people rallied around the Jewish people and saved thousands of them。 I have heard of no other European country that did so much to help their Jewish citizens。 I learned so much about a country that I had really not I loved this book。 I would have given five starts but the first 100 pages were so slow。 This is a masterful rendition of Denmark’s wartime heroics。 Little did I know about the Danish resistance。What a lesson in history of the country of Denmark during WWII。 I loved how the Danish people rallied around the Jewish people and saved thousands of them。 I have heard of no other European country that did so much to help their Jewish citizens。 I learned so much about a country that I had really not heard much about。Thanks to Goodread for a free copy。 。。。more
Olivia
，
DEFENDING BRITTA STEIN was a riveting and highly compelling legal drama/historical fiction read that had me hooked from the start。 Catherine Lockhart is an attorney who will take on tough cases。 When a former mentor approaches her with a case he cannot take but suggests that it would be right up her alley， she reluctantly looks into it and also ends up seeing that there is something there。 Ole Henryks， a 95-year-old local pub owner， is about to win an award from the Danish-American Association f DEFENDING BRITTA STEIN was a riveting and highly compelling legal drama/historical fiction read that had me hooked from the start。 Catherine Lockhart is an attorney who will take on tough cases。 When a former mentor approaches her with a case he cannot take but suggests that it would be right up her alley， she reluctantly looks into it and also ends up seeing that there is something there。 Ole Henryks， a 95-year-old local pub owner， is about to win an award from the Danish-American Association for his service during World War II。 However， someone has been spray painting the walls， calling him a traitor and collaborator。 He has installed a camera and plans to prosecute them to the fullest for defamation to restore his good name。What is unexpected is that the person doing the painting is 92-year-old Britta Stein， who does not deny what she is painting - only Ole's claims that it is false。 Britta's defense against this 5 million dollar lawsuit is that she only spoke the truth。 As Catherine takes her case and listens to Britta's story， along with her attorney granddaughter， they learn of Denmark during WWII and the role that Jewish Britta and her family played in it all - as well as the danger and harm caused by those such as Ole。 Defending her case against the underhanded and flashy lawyer Ole has hired may be tough， but Catherine and her PI husband are willing to take up Britta's case。Although the book is set around a legal drama that you cannot help but eagerly follow， the majority of the book is Britta's recounting of the events leading up to and during the war in Denmark。 The author has really thoroughly researched this time and transports the reader， through Britta， to the difficult and impossible choices that had to be made， as well as the incredible outcome。 I appreciated that Britta's recounting is in a story format with dialogue of the people during that time and not quite as most of us would recount things。 I was disappointed every time we had to step out of her story and return to the case。 It was really a fascinating， well-researched， and heartfelt read。 I certainly cried towards the end， and it wound up being a really emotionally intense read because I became so caught up in all the characters。This book was absolutely riveting - I read it in less than a day and could absolutely not put it down。 It also encouraged me to look up more about the time in Denmark， and I am really astounded - it is ultimately such a beautiful and incredible story of humanity。 Britta's strength and her voice come across throughout， and I absolutely loved the storytelling nature of the book combined with the legal drama。 This is a book that will keep the reader up late with just-one-more-chapter feels。Compelling， beautifully told， and emotional， DEFENDING BRITTA STEIN is an unputdownable read that combines legal drama， suspense， historical fiction， and unforgettable characters。 Highly recommend picking this one up！ Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Lynne
，
A very interesting historical fiction book that takes place in Chicago and Denmark。 I wasn’t aware of that aspect of the holocaust so enjoyed learning about it。 I also enjoyed the legal aspect of the story and how nonagenarians are depicted as vibrant members of society and able to make contributions to their communities。 Thank you NetGalley for the ARC。
Anne
，
This is an awesome story。 Loved every page。 Highly recommend。
Sue
，
With Defending Britta Stein， trial attorney and educator Ronald H。 Balson adds a sixth captivating legal investigation to his Christine Lockhart and Liam Taggart series， which began with award-winning Once We were Brothers。 （2010）。 In this latest story， 92-year-old Britta Stein has been charged with vandalism and defamation of character when caught spray painting messages on 95-year-old Ole Henryks' Chicago restaurant and bar， The Melancholy Dane。 Soon to be inducted into the Chicago Danish Amer With Defending Britta Stein， trial attorney and educator Ronald H。 Balson adds a sixth captivating legal investigation to his Christine Lockhart and Liam Taggart series， which began with award-winning Once We were Brothers。 （2010）。 In this latest story， 92-year-old Britta Stein has been charged with vandalism and defamation of character when caught spray painting messages on 95-year-old Ole Henryks' Chicago restaurant and bar， The Melancholy Dane。 Soon to be inducted into the Chicago Danish American Association’s hall of fame for his community and charitable work as well as his helping Danish Jews escape to Sweden during Germany’s WWII occupation of Denmark， Ole Henryks is now represented by Sterling Sparks， nicknamed Six-o’clock because the unethical attorney will stoop to nearly comment or stunt to make the news and score publicity points for his clients。 When Lockhart takes on Britta Stein’s defense， aided by Taggart， she faces a seemingly insurmountable challenge。 Stein admits to the graffiti， which involves a relatively small fine。 However， the defamation， said to have harmed elderly hero Henryks’ health， comes with a $5 million law suit。 Lockhart’s only avenue of defense requires proving that the accusations Britta Stein painted--Liar， Traitor， Nazi collaborator， Nazi agent， Betrayer”--are truth， not defamation。With “Six-o’clock’s” push for a speedy trial and willingness to engage in shenanigans， Lockhart and Taggart have only a month to discover the proof to defend the elderly woman， a Danish immigrant， who says she knew Ole Henryks as Hendrickson。 Unfortunately， day after day， Britta Stein insists on relating a long， involved story of childhood and family under the German occupation rather than providing facts that will enable Taggart to track down the needed proof to win the case。 The clock is running out。In addition to the legal investigation and defense， Balson educates readers about the German occupation of Denmark and the Danish resistance。 While not destined to become a classic of literary fiction， Balson’s well-written latest is not intended to be so。 Instead， readers come away from Defending Britta Stein not only thoroughly entertained， but also more knowledgeable of law and history。 He kept me up into the wee hours of the morning， determined to learn the facts。That said， I noticed one serious error。 During a portion of Lockhart's interview with Britta Stein in Chapter 34， Stein speaks of the groom's family coming to her sister and brother-in-law's Copenhagen wedding across the Great Belt Bridge， which links the Danish islands of Fyn and Zealand。 During WWII， these in-laws would have crossed from island to island by ferry。 The Great Belt Bridge was not completed until the late 1990s。 Hopefully， this error will be corrected before publication。 Had this mistake affected important historic facts in the novel， I would have lowered my star rating。Thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for an advance reader copy。 。。。more
Gail Herman
，
I’ve now read all of Balson’s novels。 They continue to hold my interest。 Well written and well researched。 Characters are worth “knowing。” I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough！ I appreciate receiving an ARC。 I’m glad I had this opportunity o “meet” Brutus Stein！I look forward to reading the next novel by Ronald Balson！
Sydney Long
，
Wow！ Another amazing installment of the Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggert series from Ronald Balson。When 92 year old Britta Stein is arrested for and charged with defamation， Catherine Lockhart sets out to prove that the words Britta used to condemn 95 year old Ole Hendryks are true。 They are pretty damning words， traitor， liar， Nazi collaborator but Britta does not back down from her words。 Hendryks adamantly denies that he had any involvement in Nazi war crimes…specifically informing on and Wow！ Another amazing installment of the Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggert series from Ronald Balson。When 92 year old Britta Stein is arrested for and charged with defamation， Catherine Lockhart sets out to prove that the words Britta used to condemn 95 year old Ole Hendryks are true。 They are pretty damning words， traitor， liar， Nazi collaborator but Britta does not back down from her words。 Hendryks adamantly denies that he had any involvement in Nazi war crimes…specifically informing on and leading the Gestapo to Danish Jews。 But…Britta has a story to tell…one that she wants to share with her granddaughter and one that vindicates her family who suffered from the betrayal。 When the case finds it’s way to trial， it’s Catherine’s job to prove that the defaming words are true…a challenge， indeed， because aside from testimony…。very little remains from a war that occurred 75 years ago。 But I’m true Catherine Lockhart form…she takes on the challenge。While this story is a work of fiction…all of the events that are mentioned in this story are true to the history of Denmark’s WWII story。 Some of the secondary characters were very real people but the main ones are of the authors incredible imagination。 Fans of this series， will be hooked on this story from the very first page。 It provided me with a history lesson that I was not at all familiar with and for that I am truly grateful。 Denmark held strong during the war。 They fought back and protected their people with overwhelming pride and unity。 History teachers need to immerse themselves in stories like this because it truly has an impact！ It definitely did on me！Thank you so much to NetGalley， St Martins Press and most importantly Ronald Balson for allowing me to read this remarkable ahead of its release。 I LOVED every page！ 。。。more
Deb Kiley
，
Thank you Net Galley for the ARC of Defending Britta Stein。 This is book #6 in the Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggart series。 I have read some of the other books in this series so I was familiar with the two main characters。 This book is set in Chicago with the WW2 storyline from Denmark。 A 90-year-old woman， Britta Stein， accuses a local restauranteur， Ole Henryks， of being a Nazi supporter 70 years ago in WW2 by spray painting on his restaurant。 I found this amusing that an elderly woman woul Thank you Net Galley for the ARC of Defending Britta Stein。 This is book #6 in the Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggart series。 I have read some of the other books in this series so I was familiar with the two main characters。 This book is set in Chicago with the WW2 storyline from Denmark。 A 90-year-old woman， Britta Stein， accuses a local restauranteur， Ole Henryks， of being a Nazi supporter 70 years ago in WW2 by spray painting on his restaurant。 I found this amusing that an elderly woman would sneak around to spray paint but could understand her hatred of someone who has lied his entire life about his role in helping Germany。 Catherine has to defend Britta after she is arrested。 To do so， she has to hear Britta's amazing story of survival in German occupied Denmark。 This is told in stories from Britta's memory and she lays it all out so her granddaughter， Emma， gets to hear the legacy of her family that went through those tough times。 I enjoyed Britta telling her story for her granddaughter and learned more about the role of the Danish people during WW2。 I saw the connection to Sweden， which I learned about in PBS's show Atlantic Crossing， so that was interesting。 At times， I was suspect of Britta's story， but never having lived through something like that， I will give the story the benefit of the doubt of a 90 year old being able to tell that complete tale。 I would recommend this book for all WW2 and historical fiction fans as well as those that have read the first 5 books in this Lockhart and Taggart series。 。。。more
Lynn
，
This novel has been offered to me as an ARC and I appreciate Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this novel。 This is a Historical fiction， which is one of my favorite genre， and the author， Ronald Balson has written many， which centers around WWII and the Holocaust。 The opening of this novel is engaging and I read through it pretty quickly; however， my mind started to wonder around the middle portion of the book。 Fortunatly at the 60% portion the story really picked up and what would This novel has been offered to me as an ARC and I appreciate Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this novel。 This is a Historical fiction， which is one of my favorite genre， and the author， Ronald Balson has written many， which centers around WWII and the Holocaust。 The opening of this novel is engaging and I read through it pretty quickly; however， my mind started to wonder around the middle portion of the book。 Fortunatly at the 60% portion the story really picked up and what would have been a three stars became a four star。 They writing is solid and Ronald took the typical Holocaust story into a different direction， and that being said， I would read more from this author。 。。。more
Ahaaha4
，
I have read every book by Ronald Balson and have given each book 5 stars except for this one and The Trust。 I will start with the positive。 Defending Britta Stein takes place in Denmark during WWll。 It is packed with historical facts about Denmark’s involvement in the war， facts I did not know about。 I would rate this book 5 stars on he research that went into it and 5 stars for all that I learned。 Other than that the story was very， very slow moving， giving the storyline 2 stars。 If it was not I have read every book by Ronald Balson and have given each book 5 stars except for this one and The Trust。 I will start with the positive。 Defending Britta Stein takes place in Denmark during WWll。 It is packed with historical facts about Denmark’s involvement in the war， facts I did not know about。 I would rate this book 5 stars on he research that went into it and 5 stars for all that I learned。 Other than that the story was very， very slow moving， giving the storyline 2 stars。 If it was not a Ronald Balson book I don’t think I would have kept going。 In the long run I am glad I did because I always like learning something new when reading historical fiction。It was fascinating to learn that the Danish people hid， protected and saved 7200 Jewish people during WWll and that the entire country is honored at Yad Vashem。 Thank you NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for and ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Debbie
，
Defending Britta Stein by Ronald H。 Balson is one of the best WWII Historical Fiction novels I’ve read this year。 The story-line had my attention from the very beginning and took me on a journey culminating in a courtroom scene worth the wait。 This novel is Britta’s story and she will tell it in her own time and in her own way。When Catherine Lockhart is asked to represent Britta Stein， a ninety two year old woman accused of defaming a local restaurant owner， ninety five year old Ole Henryks， by Defending Britta Stein by Ronald H。 Balson is one of the best WWII Historical Fiction novels I’ve read this year。 The story-line had my attention from the very beginning and took me on a journey culminating in a courtroom scene worth the wait。 This novel is Britta’s story and she will tell it in her own time and in her own way。When Catherine Lockhart is asked to represent Britta Stein， a ninety two year old woman accused of defaming a local restaurant owner， ninety five year old Ole Henryks， by spray painting inflammatory words （Nazi collaborator， Traitor， Betrayer） on his restaurant wall， she is reluctant at first to take the case。 All Catherine agrees to do for the moment is to meet with Britta and hear her side of the story， then decide on the evidence before taking her case。 When Britta arrives in Cathrine’s office with her devoted granddaughter in tow， a young and upcoming lawyer in her own right， Catherine listens to what Britta has to say。 Without a lot of solid evidence to prove her words， Catherine still finds the case compelling and decides to take it on a hunch there's a story that needs to be told。 With her granddaughter Emma’s help and the assistance of Catherine’s husband Liam， a well known private detective， Britta unveils her story of being Jewish in Denmark during WWII。 Britta’s narrative is one of resistance and one of Nazi sympathizers。 It’s a story of loyal friends and those who would betray her family。 Her story is her family’s history meant for Emma to hear， as well as Catherine to build her case。 But as the trial grows closer and time runs out， Britta’s health starts to deteriorate leaving Catherine depending on Liam and her skills as a defense attorney to lead Ole on the witness back to Denmark and exactly where she needs him to go。 I really enjoyed this book。 The characters that Ronald Balson has created in this story are likable and gritty。 I love any book with strong female leads and Catherine and Emma were quite the dynamic duo， not to mention Britta， a fearless Dane determined to prove her story is true and set the record straight。 Liam， Catherine’s husband is strong and supportive and will go to any lengths to gather evidence for her case。 Mr。 Sparks， or Six O’Clock as he is known by the papers， is Ole’s attorney， a blustery windbag that showboats for the press， determined to make a name for himself with this particular case。 And then there is Ole。 Proud， loud and and a little too sure of himself and the lie that has become his life。 This is a book that I constantly carried with me so I could read any moment I had available， that’s how much I enjoyed it。 The author slowly unraveled the story， but the book never dragged。 Instead， it kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next。 If you love WWII novels and strong likable characters， then this is a book you will really enjoy！ I want to thank NetGalley and St。 Martian’s Press for an Advanced Reader Copy of Defending Britta Stein by Ronald H。 Balson。 ‘The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own”。 。。。more
Betsy
，
I am a big fan of Ronald Balson。 Defending Britta Stein was a lot like Once We Were Brothers but not quite as compelling when I began to read。 However， as I got more immersed in the story I began to see the story very much on its own and liked the two main characters very much。 Britta and her Granddaughter are the focus of the book with Catherine and especially Liam having a secondary role。 Overall I would say it was an enjoyable read and I can recommend it
Bobbie
，
I want to thank St Martin’s Press and Net Galley for allowing me to read and review Defending Britta Stein by Ronald Balson。The following is a quote from Ronald Balson in the epilogue:“Defending Britta Stein is a work of Historical fiction。 I’ve always believed that writing historical fiction is a little bit like cheating。 The setting has already been written for me。 It’s history。 My job is to create characters and a plotline to weave into that backdrop。 —-“And he does it so well。 His continuing I want to thank St Martin’s Press and Net Galley for allowing me to read and review Defending Britta Stein by Ronald Balson。The following is a quote from Ronald Balson in the epilogue:“Defending Britta Stein is a work of Historical fiction。 I’ve always believed that writing historical fiction is a little bit like cheating。 The setting has already been written for me。 It’s history。 My job is to create characters and a plotline to weave into that backdrop。 —-“And he does it so well。 His continuing characters，lawyers Catherine and Liam， represent feisty 92 year old Ms Stein who has painted inflammatory signs on a tavern accusing the owner of formerly being a “Nazi Collaborator”。Historically， we learn a lot about Denmark and how Hitler used the country。 The Danes were wonderful as they helped the Jewish people escape capture and certain death in the concentration camps。 Many of the Germans he tells about were real！The story is a memoir for her granddaughter！Will her story finally be told？ Will people believe her？ Where is the proof that the court needs to hear？The author’s characters are so real！ You really become involved。 If you are ready for another WW11 book this is quite different。 I had trouble putting it down。Defending Britta Stein publishes September 7th， 2021。 。。。more
Marilyn
，
Defending Britta Stein by Ronald H。 Balson was a very powerful and captivating novel of historical fiction。 I have read and have been quite impressed by all of the books that Ronald H。 Balson has written and Defending Britta Stein was no exception。 Ronald H。 Balson has the immense talent to create vivid and memorable characters， a complex plot and set them within the boundaries of a time in history to recreate what happened long ago in an engaging way。 Defending Britta Stein brought back the cha Defending Britta Stein by Ronald H。 Balson was a very powerful and captivating novel of historical fiction。 I have read and have been quite impressed by all of the books that Ronald H。 Balson has written and Defending Britta Stein was no exception。 Ronald H。 Balson has the immense talent to create vivid and memorable characters， a complex plot and set them within the boundaries of a time in history to recreate what happened long ago in an engaging way。 Defending Britta Stein brought back the characters of Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggart， the husband and wife team of lawyer and investigator。 They have notoriously accepted and defended the most difficult and hard to win cases over the years and defending Britta Stein could be perhaps their most challenging case so far。 The book， Defending Britta Stein， was told alternating between present day Chicago （2018） and Britta’s oral account of her memories of her homeland of Denmark prior to the presence of the Nazis and during World War II。 Britta Stein was a ninety-two year old woman and Bubbe on a mission to prove that Ole Henryks was not a war hero but in fact a “coward”， “traitor”， “collaborator “， and “war criminal”。 It had been over 70 years since Britta had heard of or saw Ole。 Britta had known Ole as Ole Hendrickson in Denmark。 He must have changed his name when he arrived in America but she was sure that he was the same person that had destroyed her family and had carried out traitorous acts and had belonged to a Nazi sponsored organization。 She had no idea that he had been living in Chicago all this time。 When a newspaper revealed that he was to be honored by The Danish/American Association for his heroic and brave acts during World War II， Britta knew she had to let everyone know the truth about Ole。 She could not allow him to be honored as a hero。 Only she knew the truth about him and she had to let everyone else know who Ole really was back in Denmark during World War II。 Britta decided that the best way to get her message out was to spray paint the words that described his character on the outside walls of his beloved and popular restaurant， The Melancholy Dane。 Over the course of several nights， 92 year old Britta Stein， spray painted the words “coward”， “traitor “， “collaborator “ and “war criminal “ on the walls of Ole’s restaurant。 Britta accomplished these feats late at night when the streets were deserted。 A newly acquired surveillance camera finally captured her in the act。 Britta was taken into custody and charged with criminal defacement of property。 Ole and his son brought a lawsuit against Britta。 The people of Chicago admired Ole for his civic and charitable contributions over the years。 Why was this crazy old woman accusing Ole of these terrible things and especially now？ Ole had always been looked up to as a hero and for saving the lives of so many Jewish Danes when the Nazis inflicted the deportation orders。 It was only right that The Danish/American Association was honoring Ole and admitting him into their Hall of Fame。 For these reasons， Ole and his son， brought a lawsuit against Britta for deformation and intentional inflection of emotional distress。 After all， Ole was ninety-five years old and had been in this country since 1947。 Britta and her beloved granddaughter， Emma， hoped that Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggart would help Britta prove that Ole was indeed the traitor and war criminal he was。 Would Catherine agree to take on Britta’s case and if so would Liam be able to gather enough physical evidence to prove that Britta was right in her accusations？ All the characters in Defending Britta Stein were fictional but Denmark’s role and story was accurately depicted in this book。 In the acknowledgement section of Defending Britta Stein， Ronald H。 Balson described the inspiring reaction the people of Denmark had to the Nazi deportation orders for their Jewish countrymen。 “As a country， they came together to hide， protect and ultimately rescue 7，200 of their Jewish brethren from certain death。” It was so emotional to read how as country， and the only country in all of Europe， the Danes banned together to save their fellow Jewish countrymen。 Those brave Danes were honored at Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in the Garden of the Righteous Among Nations。 Some of the people mentioned in Defending Britta Stein were real people。 There were several Danish members of Parliament who went on to serve Denmark as Prime Ministers。 Many of the German Nazi SS were real and played significant roles in Denmark’s history during World War II。 There were actually several very brave young Danes who were part of the youth resistance clubs。 The Churchill Club and Hvidsten Clubs were so important in sabotaging bridges， munition and trains that carried war essentials to Germany。 Ronald H。 Balson succeeded in writing another captivating and powerful novel。 I highly recommend this book。Thank you to St。 Martin’s Press through Netgalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy of Defending Britta Stein。 All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 Publication is set for September 7， 2021。 。。。more
Sara
，
This was my first Balson read and I normally avoid books about the Holocaust because they tend to trigger something in me。 However， I was intrigued to read about the role of the Danes during this horrible period as I'd heard just a bit about their brave actions。The story of Britta is just a vehicle for presenting this history and it works fairly well， though the reader just wants the story to continue without all of the stops and starts。 The actual trial and the work of the lawyer may have been This was my first Balson read and I normally avoid books about the Holocaust because they tend to trigger something in me。 However， I was intrigued to read about the role of the Danes during this horrible period as I'd heard just a bit about their brave actions。The story of Britta is just a vehicle for presenting this history and it works fairly well， though the reader just wants the story to continue without all of the stops and starts。 The actual trial and the work of the lawyer may have been one of the highlights of the book。 I think many readers will enjoy this book and the history is certainly worth knowing。Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book。 。。。more
Lynne Bongette
，
I received an ARC of this book。 Mr。 Balson is one of my favorite authors and while the format that he used in this novel is not new for him ， I didn’t feel it worked as well as it did in previous books。 I still enjoyed it and learned quite a bit so would absolutely recommend it。
Emily
，