Hannah hates the sounds of the soldier’s boots on the road outside. More and more often, these stomping footsteps turn to smashing glass and screams in the streets and homes around them. It’s not long before her parents decide it’s time to flee. They don’t go far, but far enough to have a completely different life from the one she has known. And soon it changes again.

Now she has another girl’s name and identity. Constantly sure her secret will be revealed, she tries to settle in to her new life in the small German mountain town called Felshoven. She even makes new friends in Josef and Elias. But her aunt forbids her to attend school just yet. She needs to wait until her injuries have healed properly.

Then one of her friends vanishes. This brings mystery after mystery and Hannah feels like she is losing her mind. Still scared of being discovered, and with an important leader in the German army never far away, she picks through her memories and tries to learn more about her surroundings. The winter fog that surrounds the village for weeks at a time makes it harder, but she is determined to prove, if only to herself, she isn’t going crazy.

This book surprised me as I had assumed it to be a thriller set now (2024) by the intriguing cover. I wasn’t completely wrong, and kudos to the cover designer. As I began to read I was hooked by The Brothers Grimm collecting another story for their yet to be famous book.

This suddenly became a war story, set in 1941-1942, with a young Jewish girl named Hannah and her parents – hiding from the Nazi regime as many other characters have done in dozens of WWII novels I have read.

I am glad I continued reading as this novel become so much more than just another war story.

More and more parts of the plot begin to intrigue me, and then twists popped up that I didn’t imagine. One by One They Disappear is said to be a supernatural thriller, and there is definitely a supernatural element, but the true horror of course is the actions and plans of the true villains – The Nazis. There is another character, however, with revenge in mind. The Brothers Grimm stories within this novel add even more understanding and malice to the tale.

At over 400 pages, this is a solid read, but the chapters are just the right length to encourage, “Just one more chapter.”

Intriguing read.

Author – Mike Lucas

Age – 13+

Read a review of another Mike Lucas novel here

(2024, Penguin Books, War, Courage, Friendship, Historical, Secret, Betrayal, World War 2, WWII, Nazis, SS, Castle, Loss, Grief, Hiding, Bombed, Mystery, Jewish, Missing children, Brothers Grimm, Story Collections)