The Cruellest Years: The Black Maria, My Brother the Enemy and Anastasia.
A fantastic trilogy of historical fiction set in the 20th century. From 1930s Soviet Union to 1950s communist Hungary via 1940s Nazi Germany, a triple box set of novels depicting love, life and survival living under oppression, fear and tyranny.
‘When love becomes your greatest enemy’
Maria has a past – the sort that, if known, would cost her her freedom. So monstrous her past crime, she is forced to live a lie. Maria marries Petrov, a Party activist, not out of love, but as a means of forming a new identity, to escape her past. Her existence is safe – but dull. Until the day she meets Dmitry.
“I don’t recall being quite as thoroughly chilled by Solzhenitsyn’s works as I was with Rupert Colley’s The Black Maria.”
“I’m seriously in awe. It’s a remarkable piece of historical fiction. It’s dark, gritty, and really quite disturbing. And heartbreaking at the same time. A brilliant achievement!”
‘Fear on the streets. Death on every corner. But the real enemy is the brother at his side.’
A story of jealousy, sibling rivalry and betrayal, and a desperate bid for freedom, set against a backdrop of Nazi oppression and war.
“This book not only grabs your mind, but grips your heart and won’t let go! Grab the tissue box and hold on.”
“Turbulent historical setting? Check. Vivid descriptions? Check. Realistic and likeable central character? Check. Page-turning excitement? Check. Heart-stopping denouement? Check. Passion, heroism, betrayal? Check, check, and check.”
‘Sometimes the simplest of choices can have the most devastating of consequences. Sometimes falling in love can be a curse. Sometimes being the hard man is the hardest job.’
Hungary, 1949. George, Eva and Zoltan. Three people trying to live by the rules within a system that demands total obedience.
“Characters come alive — you get into their heads. They are empathetic or cruel and heartless, but always interesting. There is the dark side of human nature as well as its opposite.”
“Impactful. Heart-wrenching. An important read.”
Historical fiction with drama and heart.
Ebook only.
