The Girl Who Knew Death

Faydra Green, a United States Navy attorney, finds herself in a bind. She must confess to her adopted daughter, Katrinka, that she is of royal Russian lineage. Katrinka, a well-trained spy, accepts the surprising revelation with ease, but soon finds herself on the run, then captured and thrown into an Egyptian prison. Faydra is able to secure help from a local U.S. embassy, only to discover Katrinka has escaped. Katrinka travels around Europe in hiding until she feel safe enough to meet up with Faydra again. Meanwhile, Faydra befriends the young U.S. marine, Azrael, who had helped Faydra at the Egyptian prison. The two become good friends, however, something changes with Azarel that makes Faydra feel uncertain. Faydra’s greatest desire is to reunite with her daughter, but it seems Faydra has other decisions about her own life to make first.

“The Girl Who Knew Death” is a unique story that opens with a gripping spy scene. Unfortunately, from there the story slows with sluggish dialogue. An abundance of names for nonessential characters and multiple nicknames for main characters adds to the lag in the storyline. Much of the plot is focused on Faydra, yet readers will find themselves more interested in Katrinka, which may cause confusion as to who the story is really about. Scenes seem random and do not tie to others, and the numerous sub-plots add to the confusion. The historical information is fascinating, if only it all tied to the theme a little more neatly. Norm Harris’ writing will visually captivate readers, dragging them into dynamic scenes of unique characters. 

Moira Wolf