Bookworm Press

The best rewards for authors are readers who love their work. It makes all the effort of writing a book worthwhile. I’m so excited about the lovely review of my new novel, Letter from a Cave, from Sally G. Cronin, UK author of many books and host of the wonderful Smorgasbord Blog Magazine:

“This is a delightful book with several elements that add interest and colour, along with stunning descriptions of the majestic mountains and lakes of Italy and Switzerland.

The characters in this story have appeared over the years in the author’s other books, but there is enough back story for the book to be a standalone read. It was the first time I had met them, but they are so well rounded and engaging that you feel you have known them for years.

A tragedy towards the end of the war prompts a journey through Italy and Switzerland to unravel the mystery, but it is also a journey of discovery for the main characters as they come to terms with the past, loss and uncertainty about love and the future.

With two romances developing for the younger and older generation there is plenty of light-hearted chapters as well as the unfolding discoveries about the letter in the cave to keep the reader engaged. The fact there is a cute dog in the mix will also make readers very happy and entertained.

There are reminders of a darker past and that there are still those who bear grudges and guilt about their own actions during a time of repression and fear. There are also wonderful moments where there is an opportunity to celebrate the bravery and sacrifice of others.

I highly recommend this lovely and well-written book to romance and mystery fans of any age.”

– Sally Cronin, Author and Host of Smorgasbord Blog Magazine, UK

Finally! This book took me forever to write, at least it seems that way, but here it is now. I’m very happy and grateful for the wonderful reviews it has garnered so far. Here is the blurb:

With a captivating mystery at its core, Letter from a Cave is a suspenseful journey through Switzerland and Italy that will make readers feel a gamut of powerful emotions. Fans of Christa Polkinhorn’s other novels will be delighted to meet a few familiar characters. Don’t miss your chance to get lost in this unforgettable story!

Andreas, a Swiss sculptor and stonemason, grieving the loss of his wife from three years ago, discovers an old, abandoned backpack in a cave during his hike in the Swiss mountains. What he finds within the backpack—a letter written by a young Jewish refugee during the Second World War to his pregnant wife in Italy—sets him on a quest with his friend, Luisa, to find out what happened to the man, to his wife, Bella, and her family in Italy. During their search, they meet both helpful people and those who try to prevent them, even by force, from digging into a past filled with heroism but also with cruelty and betrayal. Will the outcome of the quest bring closure and peace, or will it cause turmoil and heartache?

Review by Lisette Brodey:

I’ve read several of this author’s books over the years, and I was very happy to learn she had a new release, one that gives new adventures to established characters. It’s always great to see old friends. That said, this wonderful book doesn’t rely on past novels to be enjoyed.

Sculptor Andreas, who has been lonely and depressed since his wife’s death three years prior, often hikes into the mountains. One day, while with his dog in a cave, he is surprised when the dog unearths a backpack from years ago. Looking inside, Andreas finds a letter from an Italian man named Joshua to his pregnant wife, Bella during World War II. He realizes Joshua never made it home and his family most likely never knew what happened to him or that he had tried to make contact.

The emotional weight of the letter hits Andreas hard, and with the encouragement of his daughter, Emilia, and his son, Tonio, he sets off to Italy to see if he can do the impossible and track down Bella (if she’s still alive) or other family members. Tonio takes his sister and father to a vineyard in Tuscany where he has a friend, Julietta. Readers of the author’s previous book will remember Julietta and her mother, Luisa, from The Italian Sister.

From this point on, the story really takes off. I don’t want to summarize the plot, but rather offer a short commentary on why I found this book to be so special. Author Polkinhorn has several wonderful and heartfelt sub-plots flowing through the main story. All of them are skillfully woven together, beautifully emulating life and its twisty, unpredictable ways. I genuinely cared about every character.

Letter from a Cave offers suspense, romance, emotion, surprises, nostalgia, and so much more. The author’s gorgeous descriptions made it easy to visualize the scenes in Switzerland and Italy—not to mention making me hungry for Italian food.

This was truly a feel-good read, and I hope the author will continue to write more stories with her delightful characters. Already, I’m wondering how they’re all doing.

Thank you so much, Lisette!

Letter from a Cave, eBook

Letter from a Cave, paperback

Happy Reading!

A Fractured Winter by Alison Baillie

Although lock-downs have eased somewhat, it’s still advisable to stay home as much as possible. And there is no better way to entertain ourselves than discovering new books! One of the authors and books I want to introduce is A Fractured Winter by Alison Baillie. Alison Baillie, originally from the UK, lives and works in Switzerland and is one of the authors I met personally in Zurich, where a group of writers and I took a walk through the city, shared a meal, a glass of Prosecco, and an enjoyable chat.

Here is my review of her psychological thriller A Fractured Winter.

Dark, profound, and fascinating

Olivia is a single mother from Scotland who moved to Switzerland to put her past behind her and start a new life with her young son. Married to her dependable and kind Swiss husband, she lives with him and her three children in a lovely mountain village in the Swiss Alps. Life seems perfect, until the day she finds an anonymous and threatening note in her mailbox. A few days later, the best friend of her seven year old daughter Lara disappears without trace and a person Olivia tried to forget from the past appears on the scene. Suddenly, Olivia’s peaceful and content existence is shattered. Added to this, memories of her painful childhood, her troubled young adulthood surface, leaving her confused and scared. Her logical and sensible husband isn’t much help. The only people who seem to understand and care for her are a woman and a man who are running a spiritual community in a renovated old hotel. But who are they really and what is going on behind the walls of the Grand Wildenbach Hotel?

A Fractured Winter is a dark, psychologically profound story about a woman who struggles with an unresolved past. Fascinating read!

More to come. Wishing you an enjoyable and healthy weekend!

The Attic Room by Linda Huber – Riveting!

Linda Huber, originally from Scotland, lives in Switzerland. I got to know here through her books and on social media but had the pleasure of meeting her in person on my visits to Switzerland, my home country. We had a lot of fun exploring Zurich, eating, and enjoying a glass (or two) of Prosecco!

Linda writes psychological thrillers that you can’t put down once you start reading them! Here is my review of The Attic Room.

When Nina’s mother dies after a horrible car accident, the small family consisting of three generations: Claire, her mother, Nina, and Naomi, Nina’s daughter, is ripped apart. Nina buries herself in her work and the care of her daughter, trying to go on with her life. A phone call from a man who claims to be the lawyer of her father throws her existence into even more turmoil. Nina’s father had died when Nina was three years old; at least that is what Claire, her mother, had told her. The man who claims to be her father, however, is still alive and lives in a retirement home. So who is he? Was it a misunderstanding? Was he an uncle, some other relative? Was he an impostor? After the mysterious relative dies unexpectedly and she is named in his will, Nina leaves her peaceful island and flies to Bedfordshire to find an answer to this unsettling matter. When she gets there, she is forced to unravel a deeply troubling and highly dangerous family secret that throws her completely off kilter. One nightmare follows another to the point where even Naomi’s life is in danger.

The Attic Room is fascinating story and a real page-turner. I couldn’t put it down. It deals with difficult issues, but there is enough love and hope to counter the darkness of this family’s history.

Check it out. Here is the link: The Attic Room

More to come. Stay tuned and stay safe!

My stay in Switzerland began with a trip to Seelisberg, a small town in the mountains of Central Switzerland, near the “Cradle of the Country”, the Rütliwiese. Here in 1291 people from three surrounding counties swore what’s called the “Rütli Oath” which in time led to the foundation of the country. When I grew up every child would take a least one trip, usually on a school outing, to this place. It is still a popular tourist spot and each year on August 1, Swiss Independence Day, celebrations take place.

Below the view from our hotel in Seelisberg. In the distance two mountains, the small and the large Mieten.

Here my family and I celebrated my two great-nieces’ thirtieth birthdays.

What’s missing yet at this time of the year is snow. Instead it’s raining and much too warm. I’m longing for the first white coating, mainly because it looks so pretty during the holiday season. Here is one from a former time I spent Christmas and New Years here. Perhaps, we’ll get some of it later.

My nephew and I took a trip to the lovely Bernese country side. The Emmental, a valley in the canton of Bern, is famous for its green meadows, rolling hills, its many typical Bernese farms, and, of course, for its famous Emmentaler-Käse–the cheese with the holes, known in the United States as “Swiss Cheese.” I have to specify though that the cheese with holes from Emmental is just one of the roughly 450 types of cheeses produced in Switzerland. In addition, not all so-called “Swiss cheeses” are made in Switzerland, and there are big differences in quality.

All of this and more we learned during a demonstration at the Schaukäserei, a cheese dairy, where we not only watched a demonstration but also got a chance to try our hands at making cheese. It was very enlightening, informative, and a lot of fun!

Preparations and explanations by our master cheese maker!

And here we go: my nephew Rico at work!

Teamwork, I’m taking over for the moment.

This isn’t the Emmentaler cheese but a soft cheese. You can add herbs, pepper or just have it plain.

After our “heavy work” we checked out the rest of the dairy. The beautiful farms and the peaceful environment make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time!

Did I mention they had excellent coffee and dessert?

It was once again a memorable day in Switzerland!

Situated at the border with Germany, Alsace has a long history dating back to pre-roman times. It’s an area where battles have been fought and Alsace was invaded and switched back and forth several times between France and Germany. Now, a part of France, it shares its cultural identity with both countries. The German and French influence is visible among other things in the names of towns and cities as well as in their language. Alsatian is an Alemannic dialect related to Swabian and Swiss German. Since the end of the Second World War, however, when Alsace was annexed by France, most Alsatians speak primarily French.

Here you can find more about the fascinating history of the region: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alsace.

Together with my nephew and friends, I spent a few days in this lovely part of the world that had been unknown to me until now. I was charmed by the beautiful timber frame homes and lush gardens in the villages and towns, by the warm and friendly people, and the gorgeous landscape. Alsace or Elsass is definitely worth a visit.

And the food was excellent. I loved the so-called Flammekueche or La Tarte Flambée, a kind of thin pizza-like dish:

The Alsace is also a famous wine region with a perfect climate to produce mainly white wine, Riesling and Gewuerztraminer among others.

One of the most fascinating sights was the amazing castles that tower above the countryside. Here are a few pictures of Haut-Koenigsbourg (note the combination of German and French in the name of the castle).

Artistic and functional: A “Kachelofen” or a tiled stove with beautiful carvings.

Near the castle is another fascinating sight: the castle Kintzheim above the town with the same name. The highlight there, aside from the castle itself, is the Volerie des Aigles (Flight of the Eagles) with its birds of prey show. Here these endangered animals are raised and protected.

After a few fun-packed days, we’re back in Switzerland to relax for a while. There is an extensive heat wave all over Europe. In Switzerland, we find some shelter from the heat in lakes, swimming pools, and forests.

On my morning walk through the forest, I discovered these wood sculptures carved into the left-over trunks of trees that had been cut down. Enjoy!