A desperate search for a missing MI6 colleague and the microfilm he possesses leads Professor Katrin Nissen deep into the maelstrom of Nazi-controlled Berlin. Impulsive and reckless, Dieter Weiss may have pushed his luck too far and taken one chance too many. Against all odds, Katrin has just one week to find him.
Posing as a research scientist sympathetic to the Nazis, Katrin attends a conference organized by Heinrich Himmler. The conference will showcase the Nazis’ dark plans to redesign nature and will become the birthing ground of the Holocaust-a cost far greater than Katrin is willing to accept.
Weiss’s sister, Kristine Trautmann, a staff photographer for Himmler, is also at the conference. While Kristine may provide the key to Dieter’s whereabouts, she has her own secrets, and should Himmler discover the truth, it will cost her life.
Against a backdrop of a political agenda so bizarre as to seem impossible, Katrin discovers that the Nazis aren’t the only ones to fear. A serial killer stalks the university halls. Armed with her wits and her trusty stiletto, Katrin finds herself in the crosshairs of danger in the fight of her life.
I’ve been looking to read more historical fiction, & the cover on this World War II historical espionage thriller immediately intrigued me. This is the first book in the MI6 Agent Katrin Nissen series, & I was quickly hooked by the strong-willed, intelligent female protagonist. Katrin’s a Yale botany professor who’s also a secret MI6 agent and married to John, a professor/lawyer and fellow agent. She feels ahead of her time, and I was invested right from the start when she’s sent on an assignment to Berlin.
I really enjoyed how the story incorporates historical events—the dates of significant events that happen in 1940 during WWII coincide with major plot points of Katrin’s mission. The story also explores fascinating themes around race, identity, and the dangerous ways scientific research can be twisted to support political ideology. In particular, there’s a lot of discussion about native plants and removing invasive species that serves as a dark metaphor for the ideologies that certain people didn’t belong and should be eliminated. It made me enraged reading some of the scenes!
I really liked the structure of this book because it’s told mostly in first-person POV from Katrin, but it’s also a multi-POV story with third-person chapters following Dieter (a spy who goes missing and whom Katrin is assigned to find) and Kristine. The story has a dramatic start as Dieter is in Berlin on assignment and needs to make a microfilm exchange, only to discover he may be being followed. He’s also there to find his half-sister, Kristine, whom he’s never met. Then the story jumps to Katrin in New Haven, where she’s given the assignment to find Dieter and also to present research at a Berlin university conference, pretending to be sympathetic to Nazi propaganda and find a planted mole—a LOT to handle for a 7-day “in and out” mission—and I was very curious to see how it would all unfold. Before she leaves, we get a glimpse of her relationship with John, her husband and fellow agent, which added more layers to her character.
The story really gets going once Katrin arrives in Berlin and stays at a woman named Marta’s home and gets acquainted with the people at the university. There are A LOT of German names and different faculty members and professors that she interacts with, and I’ll admit I had trouble keeping track of everyone at times. The 1940s German names and titles, combined with the myriad of slightly different accents in the audiobook, made some of the characters blur together for me. At the same time, I enjoyed how the story toggles between Katrin investigating Dieter and preparing for her presentation and Kristine, a photographer working at the university who’s creating propaganda material. Neither woman knows how closely their lives are connected through Dieter, and their storylines come crashing together through dangerous circumstances. On top of all of that, there’s a string of suspicious deaths at the university, which catches Katrin’s attention and puts her more on guard. A LOT happens during Katrin’s few days in Berlin, and the story becomes more intricate as it unfolds.
The chapters are short and immersive, with lots of intriguing dialogue and quick-moving plot points—and for me, it felt shorter book than its 338 pages (9 hours on audio). The university setting worked really well because the science, propaganda, politics, espionage, and murder all happen in one place. The climax has a couple of surprises and some emotional moments, particularly when certain characters are suddenly in danger because of their identity and are forced to flee—and I was invested in their outcomes! 😭
My one very minor complaint is that a few details didn’t always feel completely true to the 1940 timeline. Some of the technology and presentation details, such as Katrin watching a film on the plane and some of the discussion around slides and presentations, sounded modernized. I also found the way Katrin’s position as a female professor seemed routine, particularly in the German academic setting, somewhat ahead of its time for 1940. Women did work and study in academia during this time, but female professors were still uncommon. These things didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story, but they did momentarily pull me out of the 1940 setting.
The ending sets up another potential mission for Katrin, and after thoroughly enjoying this introduction to the series, I’ll definitely be continuing with book 2. I’d recommend this one to anyone who enjoys World War II espionage stories, historical thrillers, strong-willed FMCs ahead of their time, and intricate mysteries.
And for all you audiobook lovers, narrator Charlie Albers does a fantastic job! There’s a large cast of characters, and she gives them distinct voices, using a variety of German and other accents that sound pretty authentic to the time period. A great first listen in this series!
Narrator Performance
Crosswind is narrated by Charlie Albers, who also narrates the 2nd book in the series.
Albers immediately immersed me in the story with her convincing portrayal of Dieter Weiss in the opening chapter. She gives him an intelligent, curious, yet cautious voice that fits someone who’s returned to Berlin to find his sister, Kristine, while carrying out an MI6 assignment. When an information drop-off goes wrong and he realizes someone’s following him, you can hear the heightened tension in his voice. Later, when he has a dangerous confrontation in his apartment, Albers captures his quick thinking & resourcefulness so well that I was impressed with him and rooting for his survival!
For protagonist Katrin Nissen, Albers gives her a confident, intelligent voice that perfectly fits a Yale professor who’s also a secret agent. I especially enjoyed her exchanges with her spy handler in the opening chapters. You can hear the mutual respect between them, but you can also hear that Katrin has questions and expects answers as she’s being assigned a risky mission. Once she arrives in Berlin at Marta’s house, Albers does a great job with Katrin’s inner dialogue as she analyzes everyone around her—from Marta to Barbara the cook and Heidi the maid—trying to figure out who she can trust.
Katrin’s scenes at the university are a highlight as she interacts with so many faculty members, all with different personalities and motivations—and Albers makes each exchange come alive. There’s a large cast in this book, many of whom have varying German and other accents, and Albers does a good job making them sound distinct and fairly authentic to the time period.
During more dangerous scenes, particularly when Katrin is forced to figure out who’s behind the university murders, Albers makes Katrin sound calm, controlled, and as though she’s thinking her way through the danger, which made me admire her. In the final scenes back in New Haven, when Katrin receives the telegram about a new mission, the narration is delivered with just the right amount of intrigue that left me excited about picking up the next book in the series.
Kristine Trautmann’s POV is another standout. Albers gives her a softer, more reserved voice layered with unease, nicely capturing a woman navigating a complicated situation while working as a photographer connected to the Nazi regime. In her early scenes at the university, you can hear how much she wants to keep the job she has, even though she doesn’t completely agree with everything about it. One of my favorite moments is when Dieter suddenly arrives at Kristine’s apartment, wounded, and tells her that he’s her brother. Albers brings a lot of emotion and intensity to these scenes, particularly in portraying Kristine’s reactions. In the aftermath, when Kristine’s trying to keep Dieter alive, you can hear the fear, concern, and urgency in her conversations with her friend Elsa, who’s helping her. Another highlight is when Kristine and Katrin have a conversation about helping Elsa escape. You can hear the underlying fear and uncertainty in the dialogue, especially from Elsa, along with Katrin’s reassurance that things will turn out well. All the emotional layers are conveyed beautifully, and I was invested in Elsa’s outcome.
Overall, Albers elevates this story with her pacing, character voices, accents, and dynamic expression. If you enjoy World War II thrillers, historical espionage, and suspenseful audiobooks with a large cast, this is one to add to your list!
Narrator Performance
Crosswind is narrated by Charlie Albers, who also narrates the 2nd book in the series.
Albers immediately immersed me in the story with her convincing portrayal of Dieter Weiss in the opening chapter. She gives him an intelligent, curious, yet cautious voice that fits someone who’s returned to Berlin to find his sister, Kristine, while carrying out an MI6 assignment. When an information drop-off goes wrong and he realizes someone’s following him, you can hear the heightened tension in his voice. Later, when he has a dangerous confrontation in his apartment, Albers captures his quick thinking & resourcefulness so well that I was impressed with him and rooting for his survival!
For protagonist Katrin Nissen, Albers gives her a confident, intelligent voice that perfectly fits a Yale professor who’s also a secret agent. I especially enjoyed her exchanges with her spy handler in the opening chapters. You can hear the mutual respect between them, but you can also hear that Katrin has questions and expects answers as she’s being assigned a risky mission. Once she arrives in Berlin at Marta’s house, Albers does a great job with Katrin’s inner dialogue as she analyzes everyone around her—from Marta to Barbara the cook and Heidi the maid—trying to figure out who she can trust.
Katrin’s scenes at the university are a highlight as she interacts with so many faculty members, all with different personalities and motivations—and Albers makes each exchange come alive. There’s a large cast in this book, many of whom have varying German and other accents, and Albers does a good job making them sound distinct and fairly authentic to the time period.
During more dangerous scenes, particularly when Katrin is forced to figure out who’s behind the university murders, Albers makes Katrin sound calm, controlled, and as though she’s thinking her way through the danger, which made me admire her. In the final scenes back in New Haven, when Katrin receives the telegram about a new mission, the narration is delivered with just the right amount of intrigue that left me excited about picking up the next book in the series.
Kristine Trautmann’s POV is another standout. Albers gives her a softer, more reserved voice layered with unease, nicely capturing a woman navigating a complicated situation while working as a photographer connected to the Nazi regime. In her early scenes at the university, you can hear how much she wants to keep the job she has, even though she doesn’t completely agree with everything about it. One of my favorite moments is when Dieter suddenly arrives at Kristine’s apartment, wounded, and tells her that he’s her brother. Albers brings a lot of emotion and intensity to these scenes, particularly in portraying Kristine’s reactions. In the aftermath, when Kristine’s trying to keep Dieter alive, you can hear the fear, concern, and urgency in her conversations with her friend Elsa, who’s helping her. Another highlight is when Kristine and Katrin have a conversation about helping Elsa escape. You can hear the underlying fear and uncertainty in the dialogue, especially from Elsa, along with Katrin’s reassurance that things will turn out well. All the emotional layers are conveyed beautifully, and I was invested in Elsa’s outcome.
Overall, Albers elevates this story with her pacing, character voices, accents, and dynamic expression. If you enjoy World War II thrillers, historical espionage, and suspenseful audiobooks with a large cast, this is one to add to your list!
Crosswind is narrated by Charlie Albers, who also narrates the 2nd book in the series.
Albers immediately immersed me in the story with her convincing portrayal of Dieter Weiss in the opening chapter. She gives him an intelligent, curious, yet cautious voice that fits someone who’s returned to Berlin to find his sister, Kristine, while carrying out an MI6 assignment. When an information drop-off goes wrong and he realizes someone’s following him, you can hear the heightened tension in his voice. Later, when he has a dangerous confrontation in his apartment, Albers captures his quick thinking & resourcefulness so well that I was impressed with him and rooting for his survival!
For protagonist Katrin Nissen, Albers gives her a confident, intelligent voice that perfectly fits a Yale professor who’s also a secret agent. I especially enjoyed her exchanges with her spy handler in the opening chapters. You can hear the mutual respect between them, but you can also hear that Katrin has questions and expects answers as she’s being assigned a risky mission. Once she arrives in Berlin at Marta’s house, Albers does a great job with Katrin’s inner dialogue as she analyzes everyone around her—from Marta to Barbara the cook and Heidi the maid—trying to figure out who she can trust.
Katrin’s scenes at the university are a highlight as she interacts with so many faculty members, all with different personalities and motivations—and Albers makes each exchange come alive. There’s a large cast in this book, many of whom have varying German and other accents, and Albers does a good job making them sound distinct and fairly authentic to the time period.
During more dangerous scenes, particularly when Katrin is forced to figure out who’s behind the university murders, Albers makes Katrin sound calm, controlled, and as though she’s thinking her way through the danger, which made me admire her. In the final scenes back in New Haven, when Katrin receives the telegram about a new mission, the narration is delivered with just the right amount of intrigue that left me excited about picking up the next book in the series.
Kristine Trautmann’s POV is another standout. Albers gives her a softer, more reserved voice layered with unease, nicely capturing a woman navigating a complicated situation while working as a photographer connected to the Nazi regime. In her early scenes at the university, you can hear how much she wants to keep the job she has, even though she doesn’t completely agree with everything about it. One of my favorite moments is when Dieter suddenly arrives at Kristine’s apartment, wounded, and tells her that he’s her brother. Albers brings a lot of emotion and intensity to these scenes, particularly in portraying Kristine’s reactions. In the aftermath, when Kristine’s trying to keep Dieter alive, you can hear the fear, concern, and urgency in her conversations with her friend Elsa, who’s helping her. Another highlight is when Kristine and Katrin have a conversation about helping Elsa escape. You can hear the underlying fear and uncertainty in the dialogue, especially from Elsa, along with Katrin’s reassurance that things will turn out well. All the emotional layers are conveyed beautifully, and I was invested in Elsa’s outcome.
Overall, Albers elevates this story with her pacing, character voices, accents, and dynamic expression. If you enjoy World War II thrillers, historical espionage, and suspenseful audiobooks with a large cast, this is one to add to your list!
