Martin Hamer is a German World War Two hero. He’s returned, injured, from the Russian front, and decorated by Hitler. He's sent to help administer a concentration camp in Poland while he recovers. He doesn’t want to go. He wants to get back to the eastern front.

Hamer meets prisoner Julia Smollen. He falls in love, questions everything he has believed and his life changes forever. He questions his values, his past and his loyalty to the Nazi regime.

Hamer is a strong, tough and brutal soldier. But he is capable of sentiment and determined to fight the good fight.


His relationship with Nazi zealot Karl and his family is a good sub-plot. The relationships test him to the limit which shows his human side.


Hamer engineers Julia’s escape from the camp and gets away himself. Their plan is to meet in neutral Switzerland. But Hessler is on his trial. The ending isn’t what I expected.
 And I didn’t expect the switching back and forth in time or the lack of chapters, instead of which there’s sections. It was distracting at first but I persisted and am glad I did.

This love story is set in a brutal, fearful and unpredictable time. It has a strong dose of thriller which makes for a compelling story.

Hamer’s War is Cottam’s second book. I’m going to read his first, The Fire Fighter.
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