Stephanie Landsem’s transfixing Code Name Edelweiss (Tyndale House, $26.99, 9781496460660) is peppered with rich descriptions of Los Angeles in 1933. Amid widespread unemployment and poverty, few people in LA are fully aware of the growing threat of Nazism following the appointment of Adolf Hitler as chancellor of Germany. Like many, Liesl Weiss is preoccupied with her own troubles; she has just lost her job but must take care of her children, brother and mother. Jewish lawyer Leon Lewis is concerned about the growing threat of the Nazis and believes they plan to infiltrate the Hollywood film industry. To stop them, he is enlisting spies for a dangerous mission. Liesl finds Leon’s fears absurd, but she needs the cash, so she signs on as a spy. The more information she uncovers, the more alarmed she becomes, and she soon realizes she cannot remain neutral and must choose a side. From its suspenseful start to its exciting ending, Code Name Edelweiss commands attention. Landsem sustains tension throughout as Leon’s team works to outpace the Nazis. Liesl, along with the elusive Agent Thirteen, spies on members of the German American community, hoping to find clues and deter the Nazis’ plans. The central characters all have fascinating backstories, though Liesl is crafted particularly well. She is sensible and dependable, and her lovely friendships add depth to the story. The novel is also enlivened by a subtle yet vital strand of romance.
Amateur spies attempt to foil a 1933 Nazi plot in this high-voltage thriller from Landsem (In A Far Off Land). After German-born single mother Liesl Weiss is fired from her secretarial job at MGM Studios, she’s desperate to find work to support her children. Her search leads her to Leon Lewis, a Jewish attorney, who offers her handsome pay to spy on the Friends of New Germany, an organization he suspects is plotting against American Jews. Despite her misgivings, Liesl is driven by her Christian sense of morality to accept the offer. Soon, Leon, Liesl, and the mysterious Agent Thirteen uncover Joseph Goebbels’s plan to transform Hollywood into a Nazi propaganda machine. As they work to foil the plot, Liesl confronts fears for her own (and her children’s) safety; guilt at hiding her double life from her family; and latent sorrow over her policeman husband’s disappearance two years earlier. It adds up to a riveting spy story and a nuanced look at the way religion can either justify prejudice or fuel moral action. Liesl’s adventures will keep readers hooked to the last page. (Mar.)
