City of Shadows

CITY OF SHADOWS: A NOVEL OF SUSPENSE: Ariana Franklin: Harper: Fiction: 2005: 422 pgs.

The story of Anna Anderson, who claimed to be the Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia, is familiar to many. This novel takes a new spin on the old story adding in a vicious and clever serial killer and a Berlin being torn apart by a sinking economy and the political upheaval that took place during the years leading up to World War II. Esther Solomonova becomes Anna's caretaker as she prepares to present herself to the Russian Aristocracy. However, Anna's fragile mental state and a string of strange murders draw Esther into a far more dangerous plot than presenting a royal fraud to the world.

Anyone interested in historical fiction or the early years of serial murder investigations will find Franklin's book intriguing. I loved the plot's multiple twists and turns. Each time I thought I had it all figured out I was surprised yet again...clear up until the final pages. A fascinating thriller with very little sex or graphic violence.

CZ