Book Review: Ashes in the Snow by Oriana Ramunno

 Rating: 4.5⭐️

In December 1943, criminologist Hugo Fischer called to the Nazi concentration camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau to investigate the death of Dr. Sigismund Braun, a colleague of Dr. Josef Mengele. “the angel of death”. Dr. Braun’s body was discovered by eight-year-old Gioele, one of a set of Jewish twins whose family was deported to the concentration camp. Though the crime scene has been compromised, Hugo deduces that Dr. Braun was poisoned. A favorite of Dr. Mengele for reasons that are gradually revealed, Gioele is a perceptive child, who has a talent for drawing. Hugo befriends him and in exchange for tracking down his parents' whereabouts in the camp, Gioele agrees to help Hugo. His drawings and recollections of the crime scene prove to be helpful to Hugo’s investigation. The narrative follows Hugo as he tries to find a murderer among the deceased doctor's colleagues, family, and other SS officers all the while bearing witness to the brutality exacted upon prisoners in the camp. Surrounded by death and violence, Hugo bears witness to atrocities beyond his imagination. Suffering from a medical condition that he cannot reveal, Hugo is compelled to keep his head down and concentrate on the job at hand all while hiding his true feelings about everything that is happening around him. Hugo soon discovers that the deceased doctor had more than a few enemies amongst those with whom he associated, and some people would rather he not discover the truth and let an innocent man take the blame. Not everything is as it seems, and many are harboring secrets they would do anything to protect. When Hugo finally discovers the truth, he is faced with a difficult choice between doing his duty or listening to his conscience and following what his heart deems to be the right thing to do.

Inspired by the author’s Great Uncle’s experiences in a Nazi concentration camp, Ashes in the Snow by Oriana Ramunno is a dark but compelling work of historical fiction. Primarily a murder mystery set in a Nazi concentration camp, this novel also sheds light on the atrocities inflicted upon prisoners in these camps. Deemed ”subhuman” in a “place where everything was allowed, where the guinea pigs were easily disposable human beings”, inhuman medical experimentation was conducted on Jewish prisoners and children specifically chosen for that purpose. The author also gives us a glimpse into the efforts of the German Resistance who worked within these camps, risking their own lives to help in whatever way possible. Hugo is an admirable protagonist. The author does an excellent job of depicting Hugo’s pain, compassion and internal conflict. The mystery is well crafted and suspenseful with several red herrings and surprises along the way, leading up to a satisfying ending. Superb writing, an intricate evenly paced plot, the atmospheric setting and powerful characterizations render this novel a riveting read.

I combined my reading with the audiobook narrated by Saul Reichlin, who did a brilliant job of voicing the characters and breathing life into the story.

Many thanks to HarperVia, Harper Audio and NetGalley for the digital review copy and the ALC of this novel.

Needless to say, this is not an easy read. Detailed descriptions of medical experiments on children, abuse, and one particularly graphic episode of brutality toward the beginning of the novel may be disturbing for many.