A historical fiction book set against the backdrop of real historical events with fictional characters mingling with real life historical figures, including the scientist, Albert Einstein.

All the way through to the end of WWII, the fictional character Hannah Fischer, spied with the best of them.

Growing up in pre-war Germany, with Albert Einstein as a neighbour, it wasn’t surprising that Hanna Fischer, (one of the fictional characters), wanted to study physics; she was on her way to doing just that until in 1919, her life turned upside down.

Running away to America, her life became far from ordinary. Becoming a secretary was to take her all over the world spying for the Americans (her mother was American, father German).

Before departing for her spying career in Germany, Hannah finds herself dealing with gangsters, mobsters in the 1920s and she works for some of history’s great business minds through the1930s. Inside Hitlers political circle as her role as secretary, and of course a spy, she works for top level Nazis while she passes information to her American handler, Dan Kessler.

There’s espionage, intrigue and secrets and of course (spoiler alert) there is a happy ending.

Author

Born in Australia, Matthew Reilly grew up along side of his brother in Sydney.

Graduating from University of New South Wales where he studied law, he contributed to the student law society publication Poetic Justice.

At age 19, Matthew wrote his first book. After being rejected from many publishers, he took out bank loans and had 1000 copies self published.

Finding a copy in a book shop, an editor from Pan Macmillan signed him up for a two book deal.

Going back to study, he made time to write his second book and it was very quickly picked up by publishers in America, the UK and Germany. This is the book, I would say, which started his career as a successful author.

Now selling over 8 million copies of books all over the world, I over 20 languages, his writing has had both good and bad reviews.

Since his first success as an author, Reilly has had successes in the film industry. Released in Netflix 2022, with Chris Hemsworth as one of the movies executive directors.

In 2004, Reilly married Natalie Freer, who attended the same university as he did, but studying psychology.

When speaking of her, Reilly tells how she encouraged him to self publish his first book.

It was very sad, that while he was away on a book tour to promote in e of his books, she died by suicide.

He writes about that time: "My life pretty much fell apart; she was my everything. We did everything together; we’d done everything together for the previous 18 years. And suddenly I’d have days where I’d look at the clock and it’d be quarter past one in the afternoon, and I’d think: I’ve got ten hours ‘til I’m going to go to bed. I cried every day for six months. I howled in my car. I’d take the dog for the longest of walks that she’s ever had in her life."

Now living in California where he married Kate Freeman in 2023.

What I Think?

The critics and readers loved this book when released, when I came to read it. (audiobooked it), I started out enjoying it too, but as it went on, I became not only bored with the book but bored and disinterested in the main character, Hannah Fischer.

As Hannah went from one situation to the next, her character felt more like she had sociopathic characteristics.

Little emotion was written in about her empathic responses to the trauma happening to those others around her and her lack of empathy made me feel as if her character was only half formed. I was unsure if this was done deliberately by the author as a way to move the story from one harrowing experience to the next, or to write about the feelings of a female lead character was difficult for them.

As I’ve not read any other books by Matthew Reilly, I’m usure which it is.

Combining the reality of historical events with the fictional ideas, is a very clever hook, and as a backdrop for this story worked really well.

I loved timeline of the historical events and would even have welcomed more depth to each, but that may be just me liking detail.

I felt that the peripheral characters in the book were strong and helped to shore up the movement of the story, and with all that was going on with the story line, they became useful to the plot.

I think it’s worth a read but not a book i would read again myself.

I give it a 2 ½ egg rating

Chef

Taken from the page off the Lockdown Lunched page on my website, when Alex gave up his time to gift us a recipe and interview during the pandemic.

Not only gifting his full recipe, but also letting us post his interview and live cook of it on our Foodie Book Club YouTube Channel- Watch it here!

Alex Webb a young culinary star and a chef I’m over the moon to be writing about here for Foodie Book Clubs Lockdown Lunches.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that Alex is MasterChef the Professionals champion 2020?

Must have slipped my mind.

Twenty-five-year-old Alex or Webby to his friends, (I get to call him Chef Webb) came first out of 32 professional chefs with a final menu of a starter of Scallops Ceviche with Artichoke and Pickled Pear. Main course was Pan Seared Trout with lots of parsnip sides, Mussels and aviar with a mini fish pie and to finish it all off, a dessert of white chocolate with a passion fruit dome, chocolate parfait and prosecco ice cream.

Oh my!

I can see exactly why this was a winning dish and it’s easy to see where Alex learnt his skills.

Starting his training at Westminster Kingsway College in London, he went on to work at The Savoy Hotel in London, moving on to Michelin stared Hélène Darroze, Heston Dinner, Roux at Parliament Square, The Frog in Hoxton, and now head chef at Square 1 restaurant where it all began for Alex as a young boy of 14 where he started as a pot wash.

Born in Essex, Alex rates fellow Essex man Jamie Oliver as one of his favourite chefs, but says that he loves cooking the classics with a particular love of French and experimenting with Asian cuisine and flavours.

Alex said that walking into the MasterChef kitchen for the first time was a little nerve-wracking, but it didn’t last long. Meeting the judges during the skills test and chatting with them put him at ease, and it was obvious that they liked what they saw.

Judge, Michelin-starred Marcus Wareing said: "We have seen a young chef come of age. He is a brilliant young chef, I love his thirst for knowledge, and he has cooked beyond his years. MasterChef is about the next generation and for me as a chef I see Alex as the future."

Judge Galetti added: "There is a bit of Alex's youth which comes through in his cooking which makes it very different and that is something I have really enjoyed."

What did Alex say about his MasterChef Professionals win?

“It is the best feeling I have ever had in my life. To walk away with the trophy is incredible. I am so proud. I really worth it, and all the blood, sweat and tears and sleepless night paid off.” Said Alex

What about his future plans?

“I will continue to work in the restaurant I do now, and I would like to keep pushing myself” He says; “Then hopefully, one day, I will be able to achieve my big dream of owning a restaurant”

Well, of course, I’m sure if Alex had known he was going to cook live for Foodie Book Clubs Lockdown Lunches he would have listed this as one of his achievements.

Using pantry led ingredients, Alex cook for us Garlic & Lemon Baked Lettuce, Chorizo, Pancetta & White Bean Cassoulet, Grilled Chicken Breast (check out the full recipe below) and if you couldn’t make it to the live cookery don’t let that put you off.

Watch it again on Foodie Book Clubs YouTube channel along with lots of other great chefs who have gifted us their time.

Recipe

Watch Alex Cook here and hear the interview too.

Garlic & Lemon Baked Lettuce, Chorizo, Pancetta & White Bean Cassoulet, Grilled Chicken Breast

Ingredients

Lettuce

Garlic x 1 clove - Chopped finely
Lemon x 1 - Juice & rind
Romaine lettuce x1
Unsalted Butter 150g - Softened to room temperature, but not melted
Chives and parsley x 50g each-chopped
Parmesan x 100g - finely grated

Chicken

Chicken breast-skin on x 2
Olive Oil 50g.
Pinch of Salt
Unsalted butter x 100g

White Bean Cassoulet

Mixed white beans x 2 tins
Chorizo sausage 150g - chopped into small pieces
Pancetta 2-3 strips
Butter x 100g
Chicken stock 500ml
Garlic x 1 clove - Chopped finely
Sherry vinegar x 50ml
Onion x 100g chopped
Celery x 100g chopped
Chili Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Pinch of salt
Small Chicory - Washed and leaves slice down the middle

Method

Lettuce

Wash the lettuce, remove the outer leaves and leave to drain and dry.
Cut the lettuce lengthways so you have 4 pieces.
Put the softened butter in a bowl, add 1 clove of the chopped garlic, lemon zest and a little of the lemon juice, herbs, salt and mix well together.
Spread the prepared butter on the cut sides of the lettuce and place on a baking tray, butter side up, ready for the grill - set it aside until the chicken is in the oven to cook.
Place your lettuce into a hot oven (180c) for around 5 mins to melt the butter and char the top a little
Once removed from the oven, sprinkle over the grated parmesan to let it melt into the lettuce while the lettuce is still hot

Chicken

Heat the oven to 180c
Add the olive oil to a non-stick frying pan.
Season the skin of the chicken breast with salt and, placing the chicken in the hot pan skin down, cook on a medium heat for a couple of minutes until brown.
Turn the chicken over and cook for a couple of minutes more .
Add a clove of chopped garlic and thyme to the pan.
Transfer the chicken breasts to an oven tray (skins side up) and put nobs of butter onto the skin
Place the tray into the oven at 180c for 15 mins - until cooked all the way through and piping hot in the middle.
Once cooked, remove from the oven.
Slice to serve
Heat up a separate frying pan, and when hot, add the slices of pancetta and cook until crispy.

White Bean Cassoulet

Place a medium non-stick pan onto a medium heat, add a little oil and allow to heat up .
Add the chopped onion, celery, garlic , pinch of salt and cook slowly so the onion becomes soft and translucent.
Once the onions and celery are cooked, add the diced chorizo and cook on a medium heat until it’s almost crispy.
Wash and drain the white beans then add to the pan along with the chicken stock and sherry vinegar and 50g of the butter.
Bring the beans to the boil, season with salt and chilli powder
Add the butter and then reduce the heat to a very low simmer.
Continue to simmer until the cassoulet goes creamy and the liquid is almost reduced, stirring occasionally.
At the end of cooking mix in the rest of the butter and the herbs to finish.

To Serve

Place the white bean cassoulet, into the middle of a large serving plate.
Add the sliced chicken breast into the middle of the beans and place the lettuce around.
Place the chicory leaves and the crispy pancetta around and in the finished dish

Enjoy

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