A Trace of Smoke

A Trace of Smoke, by Rebecca Cantrell

Set in Berlin in the early years of the Nazis, this is an absorbing read. The atmosphere of those years is strongly evoked. At times reminiscent of Cabaret, the story revolves around the murder of a transvestite performer, and how it turns the life of his sister, a newspaper reporter, upside down. I loved everything about this book. The characters are weel drawn, there is plenty of action, and several unexpected plot twists, all of them surprising but not unrealistic.


One of the things I like in a book is the feeling that I am living the story. Another is identification with characters. This book met those criteria and then some. I dislike sotries where I feel my emotions are being manipulated in order to get me to accept some outlandish premise or unlikely occurance. That didn't happen here, though my emotions were very much engaged. I was sorry when this story ended, and hope that there may be a sequel.