From the Multi-Award-Winning Author comes, The German Half-Bloods.“A historical novel steeped in horror, danger and suspense; a true page-turner.”2018 Readers’ Favorite Award winner.Germany, September 1939. At the outbreak of War, Dieter Vogel and his family face catastrophic events and separation as each member embarks on their deadly paths towards survival, love, and freedom.Dieter Vogel, a … freedom.
Dieter Vogel, a German industrialist, believes in protecting his family at all costs, but in a bid to keep his English wife and children safe, he is plunged into a well of deceit that tears the family apart.
Doctor Paul Vogel is coerced into working in the Nazi eugenics programme and soon discovers that sterilising handicapped and mentally-ill Germans is just a prelude to a more lethal plan against those the Reich deem unworthy of life. Paul, trapped by the SS, seeks help from the unlikeliest of people and is plunged into a world of espionage and murder.
British Army Major, Max Vogel, is attached to The British Intelligence Services and Winston Churchill’s Special Operations Executive. His missions in occupied Europe are fraught with danger, and his adulterous affair with a woman he cannot give up leads him deeper into the quagmire of treachery and lies.
Wilmot Vogel dreams of winning the Iron Cross, but when he confronts a mass killing of Jews in Poland, his idolatry of Hitler is shaken to its roots, and he finds himself imprisoned in the infamous Dachau concentration camp with no release date in sight.
Hannah Vogel has no ambition other than to marry her English fiancé, Frank, before the lines of war are drawn. Against her father’s wishes, she leaves Berlin on the eve of the German invasion of Poland, but when she arrives in England, she learns that Frank is not the civilian engineer he claims to be.
The Vogels, On All Fronts, coming October 2018 The Half-Bloods Series Book 2
Editorial Review, Readers’ Favorite 5 Stars
The German Half-Bloods (The Half-Blood Series Book 1) by Jana Petken is an intense, nail-biting ride through WWII Germany. The unique perspectives of the characters in Germany, as well as those in England, were refreshing and charismatic. I am well-versed in the history of the time period, and I must say that very few historical novels of the period are satisfactorily accurate enough for me to enjoy, this book being a rare exception. I was deeply impressed with the characters’ viewpoints and the extent of the plot. The author spun such an intricately woven web of intrigue that I didn’t want to stop reading. I was transported back in time and enjoyed every minute of it! I loved this novel! It is beautifully written and deeply moving. Although there are some historically accurate details that may disturb a younger audience, I feel that this novel is an essential historical read.
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Wonderful historical novel with many twists and turns.
Dialogue is banal and tedious.
The three books about the German Half Bloods by Jana Petken gave a great background on the NAZI Party and the control and brutality of its leaders. Resistance was met with death when caught.
Gripping. A real page-turner
Not bad, but similar has been better.
A gripping tale of a German-English family living through the war in Berlin and London, where nobody is who he seems to be.
It was suspenseful from start to finish and my only complaint is that Jana writes too much from hindsight in the beginning of the book. She tells things that we all know are true, but that the characters back then couldn’t be aware of.
A good read if you are interested in WWII. Let’s you see the war from different person. A good read.
All three books were great
Twin sons of an English mother and German father are embroiled in World War II. The industrialist father courts the Nazis to maintain security for his family and business; one twin is attached to British intelligence and undertakes daring rescues; the other twin, a doctor, is coerced to become enmeshed in the Nazi regime’s brutal, inhumane eugenics program.
The reader lives the characters’ stories as they skirt personal disaster while pursuing their individual humanistic goals. Saving others’ lives is the overarching motivation for their behavior. All are at great risk, and the reader shares their inner turmoil and dread.
An excellent book.
great historical fiction
A very interesting WWII story of a family whose members have varied perspectives and experiences.
Covers information about Germany and England better than any I’ve read. Looks at both sides and how the horrers of war affected families. Highly recommend!
It was well researched, the author kept one guessing about the outcome relative to each of the characters. The most surprising was Deitrick. I never would have guessed it!
Fortunately there is a sequel.
Although, I did enjoy reading this book and it was a quick read with a plausible plot line. I found myself at times wishing it was near the end as it did get a little slower paced. That’s just my opinion. I will not read the second in the series.
Couldn’t put the book down! Enjoyed it!
Timely material although more than 80 years ago, amazing capture of how easily a dictator can lead good people into dark hateful destructive behavior. Can’t wait to to get the next 2 volumes!
I looked for the sequel because I was really interested in several characters and story lines but I thought that the price was too high for the two books.
It’s the first book in a trilogy. Well written historical fiction…suspenseful. a good read.
I enjoyed reading this WWII story with perspective of the French Resistance, England, and a blended family with strong English ties – with 3 characters playing their roles as proud Germans. I always wondered how German residents could ignore events around them, as millions of people “disappeared”. This family’s realization of their part in this horrible situation, and their actions were reaffirming to my belief in the essential promise of the human spirit.
This is a book about Natzi Germany and what was happening at the time (late 1930s and early 1940s) things everyone needs to study and never forget. This is one of the better stories I have rad about that time.