I always read Matthew Reilly books when I come across them. Check out my review of The Contest at https://timsbestreads.blogspot.com/p/contest-by-matthew-reilly.html.
This one is his latest (released 2024) and is something of a departure for Reilly, who normally writes breakneck paced action thrillers – a historical fiction novel about a female spy in Nazi Germany. It was recommended by my son Chris who had just finished reading it.
The blurb sets the scene.
All Hanna Fischer ever wanted to do was to study physics under the great Albert Einstein. But when, as a teenager in 1919, her life is suddenly turned upside-down, she is catapulted into a new and extraordinary life - as a student, a secretary, a sister and a spy.
From racist gangs in Berlin to gangsters in New York City, Nazis in the 1930s and Hitler's inner circle during the Second World War, Hanna will encounter some of history's greatest minds and most terrible moments, all while desperately trying to stay alive.
She is a most unique secretary and she will work for many bosses - from shrewd businessmen to vile Nazis, to the greatest boss of them all, Mr Albert Einstein...
Spanning forty years, this is the thrilling tale of a young woman propelled through history's most dangerous times. But read it carefully, because all may not be as it seems...
I like's Joanna's review at https://thebookreviewcrew.com/mr-einsteins-secretary-a-review-by-joanna/
This had a likeable if somewhat too good to be true heroine, a daft subplot about her evil twin sister, cameos from various famous and infamous characters from history, and the author’s trademarked death defying action sequences. I kept expecting it to develop into a sci-fi or time travel story, but there’s none of that – which turns out to be a good thing. There’s his usual outrageous dependence on coincidence and deus ex machina escapes, but that’s all part of the fun if you don’t take it too seriously. I wasn’t sure about the flashbacks and time jumps, which got confusing at times, but it all makes sense in the end. Recommended to fans of the author who are open to something a bit different, rather than serious history buffs!
As Matthew Reilly himself said in an interview on the book (https://goodreadingmagazine.com.au/article/matthew-reilly-on-mr-einsteins-secretary/)
Well, I’ve always wanted to write an epic, a story that spans decades, and that was what I set out to do with Mr Einstein’s Secretary. I wanted the passage of time itself to affect the story – so as the years pass, the characters and their circumstance change. That period from 1912 to 1948 is packed with so many interesting people, discoveries and events, I wanted to take a deep dive into it. And finally, I honestly just love Albert Einstein. So I put him in the story.
It's a 5 star read as far as I am concerned, full of interesting characters, none more so than Einstein himself. Researched and put together as a story over years, it is probably, in my opinion, his best novel yet. The only negatives are the rather silly rendering of Hanna's sister and the unbelievable coincidences that keep their paths crossing. But put that aside and it's a very satisfying read, big on historical content and wonderful interpretation.
I read it in 5 days. I do tend to lose lots of time when I get a good book in my hands.
