It is from this direction that the ringing comes, a sweet, gentle bell. Slowly the bicycle comes into view and, as the rider’s distinctive shape registers, my heart fills. “Jared!” I shout, but he does not see me as he nears. Green eyes fixed, he pedals rapidly on a straight trajectory forward, his open black gown flapping in the breeze. He does not slow or swerve, and for a moment I fear I will be struck. Flinching, I close my eyes. Bike and rider pass through me, as though I am not there. I spin around quickly, but his retreating image fades like dust and, before I can blink, he is gone.
(from A Hidden Affair, pages 89-90 in the ARC)
Pam Jenoff’s latest novel, A Hidden Affair, is the follow up to Almost Home (read my review), which followed Jordan Weiss, an American Foreign Service Officer, to London, where she worked on a money laundering case involving the Albanian mob and learned that the accidental death of her college boyfriend, Jared, may not have been an accident and may have been tied to his dissertation on the escape of Nazi war criminals following World War II. Keep in mind that this is a sequel, so my review might touch upon something you don’t want to know about the first book if you haven’t read it yet.
In A Hidden Affair, Jordan has left her position with the State Department as a diplomat/secret agent in search of her college boyfriend, Jared, who may be alive. She travels to his last known address in Monaco, not sure what she’ll find but knowing that she wants some answers. Jordan’s world fell apart when Jared drowned, and she’s spent much of the last decade trying not to think about the past and avoiding new relationships.
The Nazis make a reappearance in A Hidden Affair, (well, sort of, as this novel takes place in the present) this time connected to a wine counterfeiting scheme involving a 1943 vintage from a vineyard owned by Jews. The real wine was hidden by the Resistance, and a woman connected to Jared may know where it is now. It is Nicole’s connection to the wine that has Ari, a private investigator with many secrets, searching for her, and Jordan is pursuing her to find Jared. Reluctantly, Jordan agrees to team up with Ari, and her attraction to him causes much confusion with regard to her feelings for Jared — the only man she’s ever loved.
As in Almost Home, Jordan is impulsive and makes foolish decisions that endanger herself and others, but these screw ups create much tension and action. Jordan is more emotional this time around, with good reason, so when she enters a risky situation unarmed, it sort of makes sense because she’s so focused on finding and confronting Jared. But A Hidden Affair isn’t about rekindling past relationships or even exploring new ones. It’s about Jordan growing up and learning to live again, and Jenoff does a great job showing the evolution of the character.
Once again, Jenoff has told an interesting story with a World War II connection, intriguing characters, and plenty of action. None of the revelations in A Hidden Affair were surprising, but I was satisfied with the paths the story took and how it ended. The connection between the Nazis and wine was a new one for me, and I love how there’s always something new to learn about the war. I’ve read and enjoyed all of Jenoff’s novels, and I’m looking forward to reading more from her in the future.
Disclosure: I received a copy of A Hidden Affair from Atria Books for review purposes. I am an Amazon associate.
© 2010 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
This sounds good Anna; thank you
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No prob! Hope you give the books a try.
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I have this one on my Wishlist but want to read the other 1st.
It sounds a little more complicated then I remember when 1st reading a review.
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Definitely read Almost Home first! It’s complicated to explain, but it’s not complicated to follow while you’re reading it.
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I’m looking forward to this one!
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Definitely read it while the events of Almost Home are still fresh in your mind. A couple of times I thought I was going to have to dig out my copy to check something.
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This is a new one for me, but it sounds like an interesting premise.
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It is! I hope you’ll read them at some point.
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Sounds good, but, for me, oh tough question, not so sure in the end
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You could always just give it a try. 😉
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Anna, what a wonderfully written review! Both of the books in this series sound quite intriguing. I am now curious about the connection between the Nazis and wine.
(P.S. I mention you in today’s post–stop by when you can!)
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Thanks, Suko! It really is an interesting story, but you know my obsession with WWII stories.
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Sounds like I need to get hold of this book and Almost Home. Great review, Anna!
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Thanks, Kathy! I hope you have time to read them soon.
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I just kind of skimmed this as I do want to read both of these books. Just the synopsis alone makes me want it.
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I hope you read them soon! I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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I have Almost Home on my bookshelf and now I really need to read it as you’ve got me all excited! Great review!
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Thanks! Looking forward to your thoughts.
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I’ve never heard of this before but it sounds neat. Now my question is she hallucinating that image in the quote you shared? Or is she seeing ghosts?
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She’s dreaming, but it’s a good quote to illustrate her thoughts about the whole situation…and it doesn’t give anything away! It’s so hard reviewing sequels.
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I really enjoyed Almost Home — especially since I’m so obsessed with London! — and can’t wait to read this one! It was very suspenseful, and sounds like this one will be much the same. Can’t wait to see what’s going on with Jared…
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I do hope you read this one, too. It takes a bit of time to really get to the Jared story, but this one is more about Jordan’s journey to find herself.
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These sound interesting. Its always nice to learn something new while readin. Great review 😉
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Thanks, Naida!
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Glad you enjoyed it Anna. I was supposed to get a copy but it never did arrive. I still wouldn’t mind reading it one of these days to see where the story went.
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Bummer! I hope you read it at some point, though. It’s a very good conclusion to the story.
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[…] Almost Home A Hidden Affair […]
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