The Darkest Hour: A Novel
Written by Tony Schumacher
Narrated by Gildart Jackson
4/5
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About this audiobook
London, 1946. The Nazis have conquered and now occupy Great Britain. John Henry Rossett, a decorated British war hero and former police sergeant, has been reassigned to the Office of Jewish Affairs. He now answers to the SS, one of the most powerful and terrifying organizations in the Third Reich.
Now assigned a job he did not ask for and cannot refuse: rounding up Jews for deportation. But they are not the only victims, for the war took Rossett's wife and son, and shattered his own humanity. Then he finds Jacob, a young Jewish child, hiding in an abandoned building.
Determined to save the innocent boy, Rossett takes him on the run, with the Nazis in pursuit. But they are not the only hunters following his trail...©2014 Tony Schumacher (P)2014 Dreamscape Media, LLC
Tony Schumacher
Tony Schumacher is a native of Liverpool, England. He is the author of The Darkest Hour and The British Lion, and was a finalist for the Sidewise Award for Alternate History in 2016. He has written for The Guardian and the Huffington Post, and he is a regular contributor to BBC Radio and London's LBC Radio. He has been a policeman, stand-up comedian, bouncer, jeweler, taxi driver, perfume salesman, actor, and garbage collector, among others. He currently lives outside Liverpool.
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Reviews for The Darkest Hour
6 ratings6 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5"The Darkest Hour," I discovered when I finished the book, was the author's debut novel, and it was thrilling. Schumacher has created an England which is occupied by the Germans and where Jews are still being persecuted and deported back to concentration camps in Europe. It was scary reading this, because the author made an unthinkable scenario so very believable."The Darkest Hour "was a dark, disturbing page-turner from start to finish. Filled with action, betrayal, adventure, murder, political unrest, car chases and gunfights, I found myself reading way past my bedtime. It was a roller-coaster ride that had me on the edge of my seat. I never knew what was coming next.John Rossett was a fabulous protagonist - a decorated war hero and former police sergeant who finds himself working for the Reich, rounding up Jewish citizens. Having lost his wife and child in a bombing, he is jaded and struggling with what is right and wrong until he meets Jacob, an orphaned Jewish boy, whom he is determined to save, regardless of the cost involved. The relationship between the two of them was one of the highlights of this novel.As for the ending . . . my goodness, what a cliffhanger! I have just borrowed the sequel so I can find out what happens next. With so much action, suspense and drama, I can "The Darkest Hour" being made into a movie in the not-so-distant future.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Darkest Hour takes an alternate look at WWII, with Hitler's Nazis winning in Europe and the US turning away from the madness. England, where the story takes place, is now occupied and managed by German Nazis. The setting here is so realistic that I often found myself forgetting this is not how the war actually played out, though it all too easily could have.Schumacher writes with a depth of detail that transports you right into the midst of the struggle. I saw the scenes playing out, felt the despair along with that shred of hope. This story is dark, disturbing, thought-provoking, and a powerful reminder of how easily good people can be forced to do bad things in order to survive.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Taught, well-paced action thriller set in a post-WWII Britain in an altered history. In this version, Nazi Germany has won WWII. Churchill's government is described as having fled into exile in Canada, and the US barely appears. The main characters are well-developed - each with his own demons. No one can be trusted. Similar story idea to "Fatherland" by Robert Harris, while "The Darkest Hour" is more character study than history lesson. The story would have benefited from side stories and sub-plots outside of the main characters. This would have served to further immerse the reader in this "new" version of history.Never-the-less, a very good first novel by the author.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Looking for something a little different? This book is for you! While the genre is right in my wheelhouse, the story still came as a surprise. I loved the characters, and plot line. There were surprises around every corner.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Darkest Hour by Tony Schumacher is a suspenseful thriller with the added twist of an alternative look at history; unfortunately I did not catch that prior to deciding to review the book. I am quite a fan of historical fiction and books occurring around WWI and WWII, however, the alternative historical fiction, was not something I could wrap my mind around, although I can say with certainty I have never read anything quite like this book. In The Darkest Hour, Hitler wins and takes over Great Britain and the United States turn their backs on their allies. Schumacher’s tale takes place in German occupied London in 1946, where highly decorated British war veteran and former police sergeant John Henry Rossett finds himself answerable to the SS as he is reassigned to the Office of Jewish Affairs. The Darkest Hour is well written, atmospheric, and offers up an idea of what could have happened if the war had ended differently, making this an intriguing book, but one I could have done without reading. Finding the exact reason why this book did not work for me is not something I can put my finger on, maybe I do not enjoy alternate realities or I simply did not care for the main character, which is quite true, I simply felt no sympathy for him, which could have been the author’s point, throughout the book, there is hope that Rossett will be able to forgive and find his humanity, which was shattered during the war. The Darkest Hour is exceptionally well written and if one is interested in historical suspense thrillers where there is an alternate outcome of WWII, this just may be the book to read this autumn.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Book Description A crackling, highly imaginative thriller debut in the vein of W.E.B. Griffin and Philip Kerr, set in German-occupied London at the close of World War II, in which a hardened British detective jeopardizes his own life to save an innocent soul and achieve the impossible—redemption. London, 1946. The Nazis have conquered the British, and now occupy Great Britain, using brutality and fear to control its citizens. John Henry Rossett, a decorated British war hero and former police sergeant, has been reassigned to the Office of Jewish Affairs. He now answers to the SS, one of the most powerful and terrifying organizations in the Third Reich. Rossett is a man accustomed to obeying commands, but he’s now assigned a job he did not ask for—and cannot refuse: rounding up Jews for deportation, including men and women he’s known his whole life. But they are not the only victims, for the war took Rossett’s wife and son, and shattered his own humanity. Then he finds Jacob, a young Jewish child, hiding in an abandoned building, who touches something in Rossett that he thought was long dead. Determined to save the innocent boy, Rossett takes him on the run, with the Nazis in pursuit. But they are not the only hunters following his trail. The Royalist Resistance and the Communists want him, too. Each faction has its own agenda, and Rossett will soon learn that none of them can be trusted . . . and all of them are deadly.
My Review This is a great debut by Tony Schumacher which uses the premise that Germans won the Battle for Britain. His writing makes for an easy read that turns into a thrilling page turner. The ending seems a little abrupt but sets up for the 2nd book which left me wanting to read more of the story. The characters are all well-drawn and the plot revolves around the themes of trust between the characters, redemption of the protagonist and salvation of a young Jewish child. I found it to be a very entertaining read and would recommend it to those who like action-packed WW2 books.