The Woman in the Spotlight (JR Lonie, HarperCollins)

In JR Lonie’s newest historical thriller, The Woman in the Spotlight, a young performer must outwit the oppressive control of the Nazi regime. Monika Varády, a Bavarian actress newly arrived in Berlin, is hopeful as she pursues fame on stage and screen in the city’s vibrant cultural heart. But it is 1932, and chaos looms around her as Hitler and his brutal Nazi Party rise to power. When Germany’s theatres fall under the control of propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, Monika becomes the focus of his interest. Caught between her encounters with Communist stage performers and her love for a talented Bolshevik Jewish actor, Monika must navigate the political minefields that threaten not only her own future but also the lives of those she cares for. Lonie (The Woman from Saint Germain) wastes no time drawing readers in, creating a world that is immediately absorbing: Germany’s dazzling theatres and smoky underground Berlin bars and the increasingly emptying city choked by forces determined to control a nation are all richly evoked. The novel offers a unique perspective on artists who remained in Germany as a totalitarian state closed in around them, featuring sensational, unforgettable characters. The Woman in the Spotlight is perfect for fans of Belinda Alexandra’s The French Agent and Elizabeth Gilbert’s City of Girls, as well as readers seeking an unpredictable cat-and-mouse thriller.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Vuma Phiri (she/they) is a Zambian-born storyteller. Their poetry was recently published in the Centre for Stories anthology Under the Paving Stones, the Beach. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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