Kirjahaku

Tamara is brought up in a dangerously unstable Baltic state. Her government parents are always pre-occupied with their attempts to save democracy and she no longer feels safe. In imminent danger, Tamara attempts to escape to Sweden with a friend, but is captured and sent to a safe house where she unexpectedly finds love. Catastrophic events put Tamara further in danger as she’s thrust into a labour camp with other students and staff. Bernadette, a young student teacher, meets Tamara on a coach following their arrest. Becoming friends, they strive to carve better lives for themselves. Detty enlists a soldier from a neighbouring service regiment to help them plot their escape. Still in great danger, together they plan to fight the ghastly regime inspired by a few friends, their courage and music. Can they succeed and reach a tranquil life in a free country?

Detty is enjoying a quiet life with her baby, Niki junior. Whilst on maternity leave, she accepts an invitation to sing Leonore in Beethoven’s Fidelio in Budapest. Her last-minute substitute partner, Viktor, is vocally great and she asks him back to Königshof to sing the unfulfilled role of Walther, in the new production of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger. Viktor fits well into the role of Walther but worries Detty when he successfully seduces a willing Mara. Detty has doubts about Mara and Viktor’s relationship and foresees problems, is he all he claims to be? She is however, pre-occupied with directing the immense and difficult Die Meistersinger which is made easier when a choreographer from Berlin and a famous bass baritone become unexpectedly available. Detty receives a letter from a couple, Alexandra and Jurgen, who were abused by the Travsky fascists and are looking for their missing daughter. But the arrival of an apparently innocent blind nun causes further problems for her and dangers the new-found free republic of Livonia. Ruhe is book four of the captivating adventure thriller in the Livonia Saga series.

Detty and Mara are enjoying life in their new homes and are finally free from the threats and organised crimes. Or so they believe. While planning a restoration, Detty makes an alarming discovery in their Polish manor house. Disturbed by the find, her husband Marc leaves to for the Lake District to try and come to terms with his country’s past. Mara, against her President father’s better judgement, has been persuaded to enter politics. She is surprised to find she not only excels in her new role but enjoys it too. Meanwhile, Detty finds increasing success as a singer, enjoying the financial independence and only accepting those engagements that appeal to her. She leads a busy life performing, as well as being the joint director of the new music college at Schloss Krenek with the tenor Hank Schliessen. But disaster strikes, this time from within Livonia and they must summon up all their resources to try and cope with it all. Will they face failure or is there a way out? The Seventh Terrace is the fifth book in the Livonia Saga.

Return to the world of the Livonia Saga where Detty and Mara are recovering from the horrors they experienced before and during the civil war. Detty is happily married to Marc, an intelligence officer in the German army. An aspiring international classical singer, Detty is trying to develop the Livonian music school in collaboration with the Runyonesque American tenor, Hank Schliessen and the national orchestra along with the conductor Helge von Grunstrand. Meanwhile, Mara is having a torrid time in her love life all whilst faithfully supporting her father, who is the President. Although her loyalty to her father is unwavering, Mara finds it constrains her personal life and freedom. Detty and Mara discover that the enemies, although defeated in the war, are still hostile. Together and separately, they face several crises and dangers and their quest to track down the criminals take them all over Europe against a background of the classical music scene. But are their resources enough to see them through? The Speed of a Flame is the long-awaited third book in the Livonia Saga.