The most difficult thing about writing a review of a book written by A. W. Hartoin, be it the Stella Bled or Mercy Watts series, is my struggle to keep it to a somewhat reasonable length. It’s not possible to just write about the extraordinary parts, because they are all extraordinary. I am so immersed in the story and the so very real characters that I want to share every scene, every interaction, every minute of danger and suspense. Dark Victory, the fourth entry in the Stella Bled series set during World War II in Europe, is no exception.

It’s a pleasure to be back with Stella Bled Lawrence, even if her experiences have been anything but pleasant since she and husband Nicky Lawrence embarked on their honeymoon in Vienna in 1939. I’ve traveled with Stella from Vienna to Paris to Britain to Berlin and couldn’t wait to join her in the Netherlands.

The story is off to a very moving start with a glimpse into Abel Herschmann’s life in the Dachau prison camp. He used to be quite the thinker, used to use vivid imagery in his thoughts and words, but now he does not think; he very carefully keeps his mind blank. This is so disturbing and sets the tone for what is to come in Dark Victory.

We first see Stella as she is packing things in crates in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Things she is collecting and buying for her mother. Valuables purchased from European Jews for well above their worth, shipped to the United States for safekeeping during the war, where they will hopefully be retrieved by their owners someday. This little mission is in addition to Stella’s official mission for British Intelligence: keep her eyes and ears open and analyze if countries will resist the relentlessly advancing Nazis. Stella has a list, secret compartments in her luggage, a disguise and a false identity. And a very dangerous life.

As always, Stella is calm, poised and efficient, partly due to her upbringing, partly just the nature of her personality, and partly because of her Uncle Josiah’s influence. But whatever the source, this calm and poise gets her through many nerve-wracking experiences. It’s been rough but Stella thinks her mission is about done and she is looking forward to spending some time with Nicky. She misses him. Remember they are still practically newlyweds; all of their involvement with the war efforts started on their honeymoon. It’s not fair, nothing about war is fair but she’s done her duty, and doing that duty has about done her in. This is a new Stella we haven’t seen before. Instead of the young, vibrant newly-married girl-woman we met in the first book, she seems more like Micheline, the middle-aged, plain woman she is pretending to be. She is very discouraged and plagued by sadness. Like Abel she pushes memories down, doesn’t think about happiness, just about putting one foot in front of the other to get the job done. And she’s ready to go home and be Nicky’s wife, Abel’s friend – herself – again, if only for a little while.

But then she is approached by Oliver Fip, the very first spy she’d ever encountered, and her heart sinks. She knows going home is not happening yet. If there is one theme in this book, in Stella’s current life, it’s that she gets so close, has her hand on the doorknob of escape, her foot almost out the door, and the door slams because there is still more work to be done. Just one more thing, and one more, and . . . . what more do they want of her? What more does she have to give?

In every review I write for a work by author Hartoin I say this book is better than the last, and it’s true. I don’t know how she does it, but she does. There is so much history and detail, so many threads of the stories to pull together, so many fascinating, brave, amazing characters, so many heartbreaking moments. As the series continues it gets more and more intense and emotional. Just when you think there couldn’t be more suspense, more danger, there is. And why wouldn’t there be? These were real times, terrible times, with the Nazis advancing easily through Europe and eyeing the rest of the world. Life was intense and emotional and dangerous and dark. And once again A. W. Hartoin does an extraordinary job of portraying all of that. Of making the characters and events larger than life yet believable, even when everything going on in the world was unbelievable.

The suspense is almost unbearable. Everyone Stella – Marceline – meets could be a friend or a foe. Could be hiding their true identify behind a fake name and fake accent just like she is. There are the friends she makes that she regrets lying to to keep her identity and missions secret, the people she must trust because there is no other choice. Is the hotel staff what they seem? The Baron? The priest? The people at the refugee camp? Her old contacts showing up? And why has Uncle Josiah suddenly appeared?

The descriptions of the life and times are vivid and give you a sense of just how crazy life was: the Baron’s elaborate party, the Jewish neighborhoods, the everything-seems-normal life in the hotel. We know everything will tie together but we don’t know how, and the suspense is excruciating.

I had an almost overwhelming sense of foreboding every time Stella had her hand on that doorknob and was getting ready to leave. The farther away failure seemed the more dread I felt. I almost cried when she thought, “Nothing could keep me here.” Stella Bled is a remarkable woman and Dark Victory is a remarkable story. Sometimes things move at a slow, deliberate pace and sometimes events just tumble one after the other. But the thread, the continuity, is always there. And the Nazis just keep rolling along. The story gets so frightening and fast-paced and I am so worried about what will happen that I have to stop reading for a minute and catch my breath, but then I can’t stay away from it. By the end of the book I was wrung out. The ending was complete and satisfying if bittersweet. A lot has happened and there is a lot more to come. I cannot wait for the next entry in this amazing series (and a Mercy Watts adventure in-between!).

I received an advance copy of Dark Victory from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. It was my privilege to read this book and my pleasure to write this review. All opinions are my own. Read everything written by A. W. Hartoin and then go back and read it again to discover all the details you missed and experience the joy once again. You will be glad you did. ( )