3.5 stars

I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review

The Enemy at Home was a World War II story that took a popular historical fiction time period but placed readers in a nontypical place. The story centers Nora, a late thirties woman living in Seattle taking care of her teenager son, preteen daughter, and starting a job at a Boeing B-17 plant. Her husband is a doctor in the military and somewhere in Northern Africa and she has a brother in the Navy currently recovering from an injury in San Diego. The story divulges Nora's background through her povs, thinking about her mother's mental illness, having to be raised by her grandparents, and then feeling guilty for leaving her younger brother when she got married and moved away. Nora seems an average woman of her time, dealing with ration cards, racism from having to do with a Japanese-American couple she rented a garage apartment to, single mother, and sexism in the workplace. An new fear gets added when a serial killer seems to be attacking and killing woman plant workers.

It was interesting to read a home front WWII story and the author did a good job of including all those specific big and small time period additives, especially Japanese-American interment camps. The first half was more about getting readers into Nora's life and introducing characters. There were povs from the victims of the serial killer, to bring in that ominous threat, when in the second half it becomes the main storyline.

The author did a credible job of supplying redherrings to keep readers guessing and looking for clues, it doesn't become crystal clear who the serial killer is until the latter second half, even though you will have some guesses. Nora's strained relationship with her son is a big worry for her and I thought in favor of keeping this vibe, the character of the son was left too broadstrokes. Other secondary characters did their part with adding but not distracting to the world and story. The ending delivered a bit too perfect stars aligning to have things work out a certain way and took away from some of it's impact, a decrescendo of, well, life goes on. If you were looking for a homefront WWII, this would deliver on setting and atmosphere, with an added bonus of serial killer mystery plot. ( )

Such a great thriller with twists and turns! Nora is a “Rosie the Riveter” working in a Boeing factory in Seattle during WW2. The story follow her and and her kids while her husband is deployed as a doctor overseas. Great historical touches throughout. This was hard for me to put down.

Thanks to Kensington publishing for a free copy through a Goodreads giveaway. ( )

The Enemy at Home: A Thrilling Historical Suspense Novel of a WWII Era Serial Killer

Set in 1943 Seattle during WWII, Nora Kinney takes a job at a Boeing Plant as a riveter. Her (Doctor) Husband Pete is overseas, serving his county, while she tends to their children. Now a serial killer is on the lose strangling women who work in the industry, no one is safe, women are frightened.

When a woman Nora works with is murdered it hits close to home. Tensions are high and Nora is on guard waiting and hoping the killer will be caught. She will do everything she can to stay safe and protect her children.

The story moves at a fast pace with in depth details, pulled me in deep. Engaging dialog and true to the era situations adds to the compelling, pulse pounding, suspense filled thriller. I was hooked from the first page, engrossed and guessing until the end.

Overall I found The Enemy at Home enjoyable and highly recommend to those who enjoy a great (historical) suspense/thriller. Kevin O'Brien hit all the marks in this fantastic read. ( )

4.5 Stars
An intriguing WWII historical mystery, this novel includes a wide range of home front historical references and themes and a murder mystery that even the most seasoned of readers may not figure out, at least not right away. The historical part illustrates what happened at home while soldiers and sailors were off fighting WWII, specifically women (along with other minority groups at the time) joining the workforce and the societal reaction and effects of this change. The author also manages to incorporate Japanese-American treatment and internment camps from this time period as well as the rise in certain crimes. The murder mystery was enthralling as well. Just when you think that you've figured out the person committing the serial murders, the story moves in a different direction. There were lots of twists and turns, so I was pleasantly surprised it took most of the book to settle on which character did it. The book starts off a little slow, but it was due to the historical setup, which I liked but may not be for everyone. The ending was satisfying. Overall, a solid historical mystery.

Kensington BTC Giveaway ( )