
A Trace of Smoke
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Beverley Murray
-
By:
-
Rebecca Cantrell
About this listen
It's 1931 in Berlin, and the world is on the precipice of change -- the affluent still dance in their gilded cages but more and more people are living under threat and poverty. Hannah Vogel is a crime reporter forced to write under the male pseudonym Peter Weill. As a widow of the Great War, she's used to doing what she must to survive. Her careful facade is threatened when she stumbles across a photograph of her brother in the Hall of the Unnamed Dead. Reluctant to make a formal identification until she has all the details, Hannah decides to investigate, herself. She must be cautious as Ernst's life as a cross-dressing cabaret star was ringed in scandal, and his list of lovers included at least one powerful leader in the Nazi party.
She's barely had a chance to begin before an endearing five-year-old orphan shows up on her doorstep holding a birth certificate listing her dead brother Ernst as his father, and calling Hannah 'Mother.' Further complicating matters are her evolving feelings for Boris Krause, a powerful banker whose world is the antithesis of Hannah's. Boris has built a solid wall preventing anyone from disturbing his, or his daughter Trudi's, perfectly managed lives -- a wall Hannah and Anton are slowly breaking down.
As Hannah digs, she discovers political intrigues and scandals touching the top ranks of the rising Nazi party. Fired from her job and on the run from Hitler's troops, she must protect herself and the little boy who has come to love her, but can she afford to find love for herself?
©2017 Rebecca Cantrell (P)2017 Rebecca CantrellListeners also enjoyed...
-
The World Beneath
- A Joe Tesla Novel
- By: Rebecca Cantrell
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Award-winning and New York Times best-selling author Rebecca Cantrell drops you into a vast, dark world: 100 miles of living, breathing, tunnels that is the New York City underground. This subterranean labyrinth inhales three million bustling commuters every day. And every day, it breathes them all out again...except for one.
-
-
Thriller set in the tunnels of NYC's subway.
- By LilMissMolly on 02-10-14
By: Rebecca Cantrell
-
The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris
- By: Daisy Wood
- Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow, Tom Lawrence
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Juliette and her husband have finally made it to France on the romantic getaway of her dreams—but as the days pass, all she discovers is quite how far they’ve grown apart. She’s craving a new adventure, so when she happens across a tiny, abandoned shop with a for-sale sign in the window, it feels fated. And she’s about to learn that the forgotten bookshop hides a lot more than meets the eye.
-
-
WWII Historical Fiction
- By Mona-Alisa on 04-04-23
By: Daisy Wood
-
Mother Daughter Traitor Spy
- A Novel
- By: Susan Elia MacNeal
- Narrated by: Caroline Hewitt
- Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
June 1940. France has fallen to the Nazis, and Britain may be next—but to many Americans, the war is something happening “over there.” Veronica Grace has just graduated from college; she and her mother, Violet, are looking for a fresh start in sunny Los Angeles. After a blunder cost her a prestigious career opportunity in New York, Veronica is relieved to take a typing job in L.A.—only to realize that she’s working for one of the area’s most vicious propagandists. Overnight, Veronica is exposed to the dark underbelly of her new home, where Nazis are recruiting Americans.
-
-
Exquisite narration
- By HoneyBadger on 01-18-23
-
The Paris Assignment
- A Novel
- By: Rhys Bowen
- Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Londoner Madeleine Grant is studying at the Sorbonne in Paris when she marries charismatic French journalist Giles Martin. As they raise their son, Olivier, they hold on to a tenuous promise for the future. Until the thunder of war sets off alarms in France. Staying behind to join the resistance, Giles sends Madeleine and Olivier to the relative safety of England, where Madeleine secures a job teaching French at a secondary school. Yet nowhere is safe. After a devastating twist of fate resulting in the loss of her son, Madeleine accepts a request from the ministry to aid in the war effort.
-
-
Frustrating
- By ESay on 11-20-23
By: Rhys Bowen
-
The White Lady
- A Novel
- By: Jacqueline Winspear
- Narrated by: Orlagh Cassidy
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A reluctant ex-spy with demons of her own, Elinor finds herself facing down one of the most dangerous organized crime gangs in London, ultimately exposing corruption from Scotland Yard to the highest levels of government. The private, quiet “Miss White" as Elinor is known, lives in a village in rural Kent, England, and to her fellow villagers seems something of an enigma. Well she might, as Elinor occupies a "grace and favor" property, a rare privilege offered to faithful servants of the Crown for services to the nation.
-
-
Mystery Maven
- By Mystery Maven on 03-24-23
-
The Mitford Affair
- A Novel
- By: Marie Benedict
- Narrated by: Emma Griffiths
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Between the World Wars, the six Mitford sisters—each more beautiful, brilliant, and eccentric than the next—dominate the English political, literary, and social scenes. Though they've weathered scandals before, the family falls into disarray when Diana divorces her wealthy husband to marry a fascist leader and Unity follows her sister's lead all the way to Munich, inciting rumors that she's become Hitler's mistress.
-
-
the mitford affair
- By Tbrock on 01-20-23
By: Marie Benedict
-
The World Beneath
- A Joe Tesla Novel
- By: Rebecca Cantrell
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Award-winning and New York Times best-selling author Rebecca Cantrell drops you into a vast, dark world: 100 miles of living, breathing, tunnels that is the New York City underground. This subterranean labyrinth inhales three million bustling commuters every day. And every day, it breathes them all out again...except for one.
-
-
Thriller set in the tunnels of NYC's subway.
- By LilMissMolly on 02-10-14
By: Rebecca Cantrell
-
The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris
- By: Daisy Wood
- Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow, Tom Lawrence
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Juliette and her husband have finally made it to France on the romantic getaway of her dreams—but as the days pass, all she discovers is quite how far they’ve grown apart. She’s craving a new adventure, so when she happens across a tiny, abandoned shop with a for-sale sign in the window, it feels fated. And she’s about to learn that the forgotten bookshop hides a lot more than meets the eye.
-
-
WWII Historical Fiction
- By Mona-Alisa on 04-04-23
By: Daisy Wood
-
Mother Daughter Traitor Spy
- A Novel
- By: Susan Elia MacNeal
- Narrated by: Caroline Hewitt
- Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
June 1940. France has fallen to the Nazis, and Britain may be next—but to many Americans, the war is something happening “over there.” Veronica Grace has just graduated from college; she and her mother, Violet, are looking for a fresh start in sunny Los Angeles. After a blunder cost her a prestigious career opportunity in New York, Veronica is relieved to take a typing job in L.A.—only to realize that she’s working for one of the area’s most vicious propagandists. Overnight, Veronica is exposed to the dark underbelly of her new home, where Nazis are recruiting Americans.
-
-
Exquisite narration
- By HoneyBadger on 01-18-23
-
The Paris Assignment
- A Novel
- By: Rhys Bowen
- Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Londoner Madeleine Grant is studying at the Sorbonne in Paris when she marries charismatic French journalist Giles Martin. As they raise their son, Olivier, they hold on to a tenuous promise for the future. Until the thunder of war sets off alarms in France. Staying behind to join the resistance, Giles sends Madeleine and Olivier to the relative safety of England, where Madeleine secures a job teaching French at a secondary school. Yet nowhere is safe. After a devastating twist of fate resulting in the loss of her son, Madeleine accepts a request from the ministry to aid in the war effort.
-
-
Frustrating
- By ESay on 11-20-23
By: Rhys Bowen
-
The White Lady
- A Novel
- By: Jacqueline Winspear
- Narrated by: Orlagh Cassidy
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A reluctant ex-spy with demons of her own, Elinor finds herself facing down one of the most dangerous organized crime gangs in London, ultimately exposing corruption from Scotland Yard to the highest levels of government. The private, quiet “Miss White" as Elinor is known, lives in a village in rural Kent, England, and to her fellow villagers seems something of an enigma. Well she might, as Elinor occupies a "grace and favor" property, a rare privilege offered to faithful servants of the Crown for services to the nation.
-
-
Mystery Maven
- By Mystery Maven on 03-24-23
-
The Mitford Affair
- A Novel
- By: Marie Benedict
- Narrated by: Emma Griffiths
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Between the World Wars, the six Mitford sisters—each more beautiful, brilliant, and eccentric than the next—dominate the English political, literary, and social scenes. Though they've weathered scandals before, the family falls into disarray when Diana divorces her wealthy husband to marry a fascist leader and Unity follows her sister's lead all the way to Munich, inciting rumors that she's become Hitler's mistress.
-
-
the mitford affair
- By Tbrock on 01-20-23
By: Marie Benedict
-
Speaks the Nightbird
- By: Robert R. McCammon
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 30 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Carolinas, 1699: The citizens of Fount Royal believe a witch has cursed their town with inexplicable tragedies -- and they demand that beautiful widow Rachel Howarth be tried and executed for witchcraft. Presiding over the trial is traveling magistrate Issac Woodward, aided by his astute young clerk, Matthew Corbett. Believing in Rachel's innocence, Matthew will soon confront the true evil at work in Fount Royal....
-
-
Dark, Twisted Period Piece with GREAT Characters!
- By aaron on 06-05-12
-
The Last Bookshop in London
- A Novel of World War II
- By: Madeline Martin
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
August 1939: London is dismal under the weight of impending war with Germany as Hitler’s forces continue to sweep across Europe. Into this uncertain maelstrom steps Grace Bennett, young and ready for a fresh start in the bustling city streets she’s always dreamed of - and miles away from her troubled past in the countryside. With aspirations of working at a department store, Grace never imagined she’d wind up employed at Primrose Hill, an offbeat bookshop nestled in the heart of the city - after all, she’s never been much of a reader.
-
-
Very very seldom
- By Sherry Tritt Holton on 04-27-21
By: Madeline Martin
-
The Words We Whisper
- By: Mary Ellen Taylor
- Narrated by: Shannon McManus, Carlotta Brentan, Tim Campbell
- Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a hospice nurse, Zara Mitchell has already seen more death than most people will experience in a lifetime. So when her older sister asks her to help care for their ailing grandmother, Zara agrees - despite strained family relationships. Though pale and tired, Nonna has lost none of her sharp mind. She’s fixated on finding something long forgotten, and she immediately puts Zara to work cleaning out the attic. Amid the tedium of sifting through knickknacks and heirlooms, Zara also reconnects with a man she’s attracted to but whose complicated past makes romance seem impossible.
-
-
When you stay in the car to keep listening...
- By JCM on 09-14-21
-
Unrestricted Access
- New and Classic Short Fiction
- By: James Rollins
- Narrated by: Christian Baskous, Scott Brick, Scott Aiello, and others
- Length: 13 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Experience the exciting breadth of #1 New York Times bestselling author James Rollins's wild imagination and adventurous spirit in this anthology of his short masterworks, including a new full-length novella featuring Captain Tucker Wayne and his military war dog, Kane, as well as nine previously published short stories, gathered together for the first time.
-
-
James Rollins - shorter forms
- By Richard S. Swol on 11-04-20
By: James Rollins
-
Sunflower Sisters
- A Novel
- By: Martha Hall Kelly
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld, Shayna Small, Jenna Lamia, and others
- Length: 17 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Georgeanna “Georgey” Woolsey isn’t meant for the world of lavish parties and the demure attitudes of women of her stature. So when war ignites the nation, Georgey follows her passion for nursing during a time when doctors considered women on the battlefront a bother. In proving them wrong, she and her sister Eliza venture from New York to Washington, DC, to Gettysburg and witness the unparalleled horrors of slavery as they become involved in the war effort.
-
-
It is a hard book to "listen" to.
- By Anna on 04-09-21
-
Code Name Sapphire
- By: Pam Jenoff
- Narrated by: Nancy Peterson
- Length: 13 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1942. Hannah Martel has narrowly escaped Nazi Germany after her fiancé was killed in a pogrom. When her ship bound for America is turned away at port, she has nowhere to go but to her cousin Lily, who lives with her family in Brussels. Fearful for her life, Hannah is desperate to get out of occupied Europe. But with no safe way to leave, she must return to the dangerous underground work she thought she had left behind.
-
-
Such a disappointment.
- By V. Temple on 03-29-23
By: Pam Jenoff
-
The Librarian of Crooked Lane
- The Glass Library, Book 1
- By: C.J. Archer
- Narrated by: Marian Hussey
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Librarian Sylvia Ashe knows nothing about her past, having grown up without a father and a mother who refused to discuss him. When she stumbles upon a diary that suggests she's descended from magicians, she's skeptical. After all, magicians are special, and she's just an ordinary woman who loves books. She seeks answers from a member of the most prominent family of magicians, but she quickly learns that finding the truth won't be easy, especially when he turns out to be as artless as her, and more compelling and dangerous than books.
-
-
Fun to be Back
- By Meg on 10-12-22
By: C.J. Archer
-
The Golden Doves
- A Novel
- By: Martha Hall Kelly
- Narrated by: Jeremy Carlisle Parker, Saskia Maarleveld, Martha Hall Kelly
- Length: 16 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
American Josie Anderson and Parisian Arlette LaRue are thrilled to be working in the French resistance, stealing so many Nazi secrets that they become known as the Golden Doves, renowned across France and hunted by the Gestapo. Their courage will cost them everything. When they are finally arrested and taken to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, along with their loved ones, a reclusive Nazi doctor does unspeakable things to Josie’s mother, a celebrated Jewish singer who joined her daughter in Paris when the world seemed bright. And Arlette’s son is stolen from her, never to be seen again.
-
-
Wanted to like it more than I did
- By Nicole on 04-19-23
-
The Chaperone
- By: Laura Moriarty
- Narrated by: Elizabeth McGovern
- Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
> The Chaperone is a captivating novel about the woman who chaperoned an irreverent Louise Brooks to New York City in 1922, and the summer that would change them both. Only a few years before becoming a famous actress and an icon for her generation, a 15-year-old Louise Brooks leaves Wichita to make it big in New York. Much to her annoyance, she is accompanied by a thirty-six-year-old chaperone who is neither mother nor friend. Cora Carlisle is a complicated but traditional woman with her own reasons for making the trip.
-
-
Perfection.
- By Amanda on 06-07-12
By: Laura Moriarty
-
The Girl You Left Behind
- By: Jojo Moyes
- Narrated by: Clare Corbett, Penny Rawlins
- Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
France, 1916: Artist Edouard Lefevre leaves his young wife, Sophie, to fight at the front. When their small town falls to the Germans in the midst of World War I, Edouard’s portrait of Sophie draws the eye of the new Kommandant. As the officer’s dangerous obsession deepens, Sophie will risk everything - her family, her reputation, and her life - to see her husband again.
-
-
Exquisite Portrait of Sophie and Liz
- By FanB14 on 09-03-13
By: Jojo Moyes
-
The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre
- By: Natasha Lester
- Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alix St. Pierre. An unforgettable name for an unforgettable woman. She grew up surrounded by Hollywood glamor, but, as an orphan, never truly felt part of that world. In 1943, with WWII raging and men headed overseas to fight, she lands a publicity job to recruit women into the workforce. Her skills—persuasion, daring, quick-witted under pressure—catch the attention of the U.S. government and she finds herself with an even bigger assignment: sent to Switzerland as a spy. Soon Alix is on the precipice of something big, very big. But how far can she trust her German informant…?
-
-
Excellent & Captivating
- By Steven Pugh on 02-10-23
By: Natasha Lester
-
Where the Sky Begins
- A Novel
- By: Rhys Bowen
- Narrated by: Emma Griffiths
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
London, 1940. Bombs fall and Josie Banks’ world crumbles around her. Her overbearing husband, Stan, is unreachable, called to service. Her home, a ruin of rubble and ash. Josie’s beloved tearoom boss has been killed, and Josie herself is injured, with nothing left and nowhere to go. Evacuated to the English countryside, Josie ends up at the estate of the aristocratic Miss Harcourt, a reluctant host to the survivors of the Blitz. Now a threat looms larger than anyone imagined. And a dangerous secret is about to upend Josie’s life again.
-
-
Probably the worst Rhys Bowen book I have read
- By Tony on 08-14-22
By: Rhys Bowen
What listeners say about A Trace of Smoke
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 04-12-20
Excellent Story
Well narrative of a great story. This book falls in line with the Tesla series.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Nancy L. Brown
- 07-07-23
captivating story
Loved the story,characters, and narration. Definitely wanted to know what's next in store for these captivating characters.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Zhuzkerz
- 07-31-18
Best credit I've ever spent
If I could give 10 stars I would. Loved the narrator. This book is simply amazing. Spend the credit, you won't be sorry.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Julie Colston
- 05-11-18
Lovely story, great characters
I fell in love with this audio, the narrator voice is so easy to listen to and so believable with all the characters. I especially liked that it was set in the past and enjoyed all the history along with the mistery and story. I have recommended it to others and look for more books from this author and narrator.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- LilMissMolly
- 09-02-19
Fantastic Historical Fiction Set in 1930's Berlin
A Trace of Smoke by Rebecca Cantrell is an outstanding well written historical fiction novel of one young widow’s struggle to survive in 1931 Berlin. It is perfect for fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Charles Todd, and Anne Perry.
The story begins when crime reporter Hannah Vogel discovers a photograph of her younger brother in the Hall of Unnamed Dead while looking for her next big story. Unwilling to make a formal ID until she knows what happened to her brother, she begins an investigation of her own. Questioning proves difficult as her brother was a cross dressing cabaret star where identities, lovers, and secrets are numerous. Hannah soon discovers that one of her brother’s affectionate admirers is none other than a powerful leader in the Nazi party. Needless to say, Hannah’s own life is soon in danger.
What I appreciated most about this story is nothing is sugar coated. The descriptions of post WWI Berlin were so detailed and realistic - from the poor living conditions, to the palpable fear of the working class, and of course, the degradation of women during this time period. Yet Hannah’s will and determination persevered (after experiencing a few broken bones and a split lip along the way). Plus, the lifestyle of Hannah’s brother reminded me of his female American counterparts in jazz clubs, where wealthy older benefactors kept the singers in a grand lifestyle, while at the same time the singers would enjoy the company and affections of much younger men on the side.
I listened to the audio version of this story narrated by Beverley Murray. Her narration was very enjoyable and she really bought the characters to life, using a variety of distinct voices. Thankfully this is the first book in the Hannah Vogel Mysteries and there are other books in the series to enjoy. Brava!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!