Ashes in the Snow by Oriana Ramunno
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ashes In the Snow is World War Two historical fiction. The book is set in 1943 in the Auschwitz prison camp.
German criminologist Hugo Fischer is brought to the camp to investigate the murder of one of the SS doctors. The body was discovered by a young Jewish boy who accurately drew the scene soon after it happened.
Hugo normally works in Berlin; he’s heard rumours about the prison camps but he is shocked by what he sees all around him. There is an irony that the death of one SS officer is considered of such importance when hundreds of murders and deaths happen daily in the camp.
This is a dark and disturbing tale; the horrors of the camp and the medical experiments are not brushed over. Seeing the events through the eyes of a German was different from many war stories and it worked well. The story twists and turns, as Hugo suspects first one person then another.
I didn’t quite manage to get a clear image of all the important secondary characters which was my only complaint; just a little more detail to help me differentiate between them would have helped.
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A beautiful, moving detective story set in Auschwitz in the Christmas of 1943.
A young Jewish prisoner…
Auschwitz, 1943. It’s snowing outside and Block 10 looks even bleaker than usual. Gioele Errera, a young Jewish boy imprisoned in the camp, finds the body of an SS officer.
A detective with everything to prove…
Hugo Fischer is sent to investigate the unexplained death of the renowned Nazi. But Hugo is hiding a secret – he is suffering from a degenerative disease. The only way for him to survive is to give his support to the Reich and hide his condition.
A confrontation with pure evil…
In Auschwitz, Hugo comes face to face not only with a complex murder, but with a truth – that of the Final Solution. And he is forced to decide what is most important to him – and who, if anyone, he should try to save…
Rosie Amber 
Wow, this sure sounds intense. And it would be interesting to see the horrors of the camp through the eyes of a German.
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It was a different view point and it made a good point that some people will always try to find a way to help others.
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Oh my, Rosie, this sounds chilling but fascinating.
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It was good reading it Robbie.
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I agree. It sounds like a fascinating book to read, even though tough. Thanks, Rosie.
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There were some very sad parts.
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An unusual point of view and morally conflicted, obviously. A hard read but you did a great job reviewing it.
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Thanks, it was an interesting story.
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Lovely, well-balanced review.
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Thank you.
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