Ronald H. Balson

The newest novel from Ronald H. Balson, the international bestselling author of Once We Were Brothers, finds private investigator Liam Taggart returning to his childhood home for an uncle's funeral, only to discover his death might not have been natural. When his uncle dies, Liam Taggart reluctantly returns to his childhood home in Northern Ireland for the funeral—a home he left years ago after a bitter confrontation with his family, never to look back. But when he arrives, Liam learns that not only was his uncle shot to death, but that he’d anticipated his own murder: In an astonishing last will and testament, Uncle Fergus has left his entire estate to a secret trust, directing that no distributions be made to any person until the killer is found. Did Fergus know, but refuse to name, his killer? Was this a crime of revenge, a vendetta leftover from Northern Ireland’s bloody sectarian war? After all, the Taggarts were deeply involved in the IRA. Or is it possible that the killer is a family member seeking Fergus’s estate? Otherwise, why postpone distributions to the heirs? Most menacingly, does the killer now have his sights on other family members? As his investigation draws Liam farther and farther into the past he has abandoned, he realizes he is forced to reopen doors long ago shut and locked. Now, accepting the appointment as sole trustee of the Fergus Taggart Trust, Liam realizes he has stepped into the center of a firestorm.

A Novel

The Trust

In the newest novel from internationally-bestselling author Ronald. H. Balson, Liam and Catherine come to the aid of an old friend and are drawn into a property dispute in Tuscany that unearths long-buried secrets An old friend calls Catherine Lockhart and Liam Taggart to his famous Italian restaurant to enlist their help. His aunt is being evicted from her home in the Tuscan hills by a powerful corporation claiming they own the deeds, even though she can produce her own set of deeds to her land. Catherine and Liam’s only clue is a bound handwritten manuscript, entirely in German, and hidden in its pages is a story long-forgotten... Ada Baumgarten was born in Berlin in 1918, at the end of the war. The daughter of an accomplished first-chair violinist in the prestigious Berlin Philharmonic, and herself a violin prodigy, Ada’s life was full of the rich culture of Berlin’s interwar society. She formed a deep attachment to her childhood friend Kurt, but they were torn apart by the growing unrest as her Jewish family came under suspicion. As the tides of history turned, it was her extraordinary talent that would carry her through an unraveling society turned to war, and make her a target even as it saved her, allowing her to move to Bologna—though Italy was not the haven her family had hoped, and further heartache awaited. What became of Ada? How is she connected to the conflicting land deeds of a small Italian villa? As they dig through the layers of lies, corruption, and human evil, Catherine and Liam uncover an unfinished story of heart, redemption, and hope—the ending of which is yet to be written. Don't miss Liam and Catherine's lastest adventures in The Girl from Berlin!

The Girl from Berlin

Defending Britta Stein

A "fixer" in a Polish town during World War II, his betrayal of a Jewish family, and a search for justice 25 years later—by the winner of the National Jewish Book Award. Eli's Promise is a masterful work of historical fiction spanning three eras—Nazi-occupied Poland, the American Zone of post-war Germany, and Chicago at the height of the Vietnam War. Award-winning author Ronald H. Balson explores the human cost of war, the mixed blessings of survival, and the enduring strength of family bonds. 1939: Eli Rosen lives with his wife Esther and their young son in the Polish town of Lublin, where his family owns a construction company. As a consequence of the Nazi occupation, Eli’s company is Aryanized, appropriated and transferred to Maximilian Poleski—an unprincipled profiteer who peddles favors to Lublin’s subjugated residents. An uneasy alliance is formed; Poleski will keep the Rosen family safe if Eli will manage the business. Will Poleski honor his promise or will their relationship end in betrayal and tragedy? 1946: Eli resides with his son in a displaced persons camp in Allied-occupied Germany hoping for a visa to America. His wife has been missing since the war. One man is sneaking around the camps selling illegal visas; might he know what has happened to her? 1965: Eli rents a room in Albany Park, Chicago. He is on a mission. With patience, cunning, and relentless focus, he navigates unfamiliar streets and dangerous political backrooms, searching for the truth. Powerful and emotional, Ronald H. Balson's Eli's Promise is a rich, rewarding novel of World War II and a husband’s quest for justice.

Eli's Promise

From the author of Once We Were Brothers, Liam and Catherine team up again to investigate an embezzlement case, and discover a link between their prime suspect, a kidnapping, and a terrorist cell

Saving Sophie

An Affair of Spies

FromNazi-occupied Poland to a Chicago courtroom Elliot Rosenzweig, a respected civic leader and wealthy philanthropist, is attending a fundraiser when he is suddenly accosted and accused of being a former Nazi SS officer named Otto Piatek. Although the charges are denounced as preposterous, his accuser, Ben Solomon, is convinced he is right. Solomon urges attorney Catherine Lockhart to take his case, revealing that Otto Piatek was abandoned as a child and raised by Solomon's family only to betray them during the Nazi occupation. But has he accused the right man? Once We Were Brothers is the compelling tale of two boys and a family that struggles to survive in war-torn Poland. It is also the story of a young lawyer who must face not only a powerful adversary, but her own self-doubts. Two lives, two worlds and sixty years all on course to collide in a fast-paced legal thriller. The author, Ronald H. Balson, is a Chicago trial attorney and educator. His practice has taken him to international venues, including small villages in Poland, which have inspired this novel.

Once We Were Brothers

The gripping tale about two boys, once as close as brothers, who find themselves on opposite sides of the Holocaust. Elliot Rosenzweig, a respected civic leader and wealthy philanthropist, is attending a fundraiser when he is suddenly accosted and accused of being a former Nazi SS officer named Otto Piatek, "the butcher of Zamosc." Although the charges are denounced as preposterous, his accuser, Ben Solomon, is convinced he is right. Solomon persuades attorney Catherine Lockhart to take his case, revealing that the true Piatek was abandoned as a child and raised by Solomon's family only to betray them during the Nazi occupation. But has he accused the right man? Once We Were Brothers is the compelling tale of two boys and a family who struggle to survive in war-torn Poland and a young love that incredibly endures through the unspeakable cruelty of the Holocaust. Two lives, two worlds, and sixty years converge in an explosive race to redemption that makes for an enthralling tale of love, survival, and ultimately the triumph of the human spirit.

Volevo solo averti accanto

From the winner of the National Jewish Book Award Theodore “Teddy” Hartigan is the scion of a wealthy Washington, D.C. family who place him into a comfortable job at the State Department and a placid diplomat’s career. In 1938, as Hitler’s inexorable rise continues, Teddy is re-assigned to the US Consulate in Amsterdam to replace fleeing staff Teddy’s job is to process visa applications, and by 1939, refugees from Nazi-conquered Poland, Austria, and other countries are desperate to secure safe passage to America. As Hitler sweeps through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, and Holland, the screws tighten and law after virulent law is passed to threaten the lives, indeed the very existence of the Jewish people. When Teddy and his girlfriend Sara are introduced to an orphaned young girl named Katy, who has been abandoned on the grounds of a nursery school, they agree to adopt her. Teddy comes to realize that he holds the key to saving lives, whether five, fifty, or five hundred—and makes the dangerous and selfless decision to join with underground groups and use his position at the Consulate to rescue those with no other avenue of escape. Powerful and dramatic, National Jewish Book Award winner Ron Balson’s A Place to Hide explores the deeply-moving actions of an ordinary man who resolves, under perilous circumstances, to make a difference.

A Place to Hide

Ti cercherò ovunque tu sia

DALL'AUTORE DI VOLEVO SOLO AVERTI ACCANTO, FINALISTA AL PREMIO BANCARELLA, UN NUOVO ROMANZO SULL'AMORE CHE ABBATTE TUTTI I MURI DELL'ODIO UN CASO EDITORIALE UNICO «Ronald Balson ha scalato le classifiche con il passaparola ed è stato tradotto in mezzo mondo.» Silvana Mazzocchi, la Repubblica «Un nuovo avvocato diventato bestsellerista protagonista di una bella fiaba editoriale.» Bruna Giordani, TTL-La Stampa «Come in Volevo solo averti accanto, Balson attraverso i suoi personaggi descrive il lato umano di uno dei conflitti più bui della Storia.» Publishers Weekly Sophie è figlia di un amore proibito. Di un amore impossibile. Di un amore che prova ad avvicinare due religioni diverse, due mondi in guerra, due lingue che non riescono a parlarsi. Perché suo padre è ebreo e sua madre palestinese. Entrambi hanno lottato contro tutto e tutti per restare insieme. Eppure solo la fuga ha permesso loro di non rinunciare a quel legame speciale che li unisce. Sono dovuti scappare negli Stati Uniti per diventare una famiglia. È lì che è nata Sophie. Ma proprio quando credevano di essere al sicuro, tutto cambia: la madre di Sophie muore all’improvviso e il nonno materno della bambina, che non ha mai accettato quel matrimonio, la rapisce per portarla in Palestina. C’è una persona che deve ritrovarla a ogni costo: suo padre. È pronto a tutto pur di poterla riabbracciare. Anche a mentire. Anche a mettere a rischio la propria vita. Ed è allora che capisce che è un’impresa troppo difficile da affrontare da solo. Inaspettatamente un aiuto arriva da Catherine, che è avvocato, e da Liam, un investigatore privato. Solo loro credono in lui. Solo loro credono che l’amore sia un sentimento più forte dell’odio, della paura, della tradizione che diventa cecità. Un sentimento per cui nessuna sfida è mai tropo grande. Perché il destino sembra scritto, ma a volte ci vuole solo coraggio per cambiarlo, per scrivere una pagina nuova della Storia. Dopo il grande successo di Volevo solamente averti accanto, esordio rivelazione del 2015 per mesi in vetta alle classifiche italiane e vincitore del Premio selezione Bancarella, Ronald Balson torna con un nuovo romanzo. Una storia potente sulla forza dei sentimenti che abbatte le barriere dell’intolleranza e dei conflitti. Torna con due dei suoi personaggi più amati, Liam e Catherine, che sono sempre alla ricerca della verità. Un libro che insegna come l’amore possa valicare ogni confine, senza arrendersi mai.

Ogni cosa è per te

From Ronald H. Balson, author of Once We Were Brothers, Saving Sophie is the powerful story of the lengths a father will go through to protect his daughter and an action-packed thriller that will take you on an unforgettable journey of murder and deception, testing the bonds of family and love. Jack Sommers was just an ordinary accountant from Chicago. That is, until his wife passed away, his young daughter was kidnapped, and he became the main suspect in an $88 million dollar embezzlement case. Now, Jack is on the run, hoping to avoid the feds long enough to rescue his daughter, Sophie, from her maternal grandfather, a suspected terrorist in Palestine. With the help of the investigative team who first appeared in Once We Were Brothers, Liam and Catherine, and a new CIA operative, a secret mission is launched to not only rescue Sophie, but also to thwart a major terrorist attack in Hebron. But will being caught in the crossfires of the Palestine-Israeli conflict keep their team from accomplishing the task at hand, or can they overcome the odds and save countless lives, including their own?

In the tradition of The Nightingale, Sarah's Key, and Lilac Girls, comes a saga inspired by true events of a Holocaust survivor s quest to return to Poland and fulfill a promise, from Ronald H. Balson, author of the international bestseller Once We Were Brothers. Readers who crave more books like Balson s Once We Were Brothers and Kristin Hannah s bestselling The Nightingale will be enthralled by Karolina s Twins. Booklist (starred review) "A heart-wrenching but ultimately triumphant story." Chicago Tribune She made a promise in desperation Now it's time to keep it Lena Woodward, elegant and poised, has lived a comfortable life among Chicago Society since she immigrated to the US and began a new life at the end of World War II. But now something has resurfaced that Lena cannot ignore: an unfulfilled promise she made long ago that can no longer stay buried. Driven to renew the quest that still keeps her awake at night, Lena enlists the help of lawyer Catherine Lockhart and private investigator Liam Taggart. Behind Lena s stoic facade are memories that will no longer be contained. She begins to recount a tale, harkening back to her harrowing past in Nazi-occupied Poland, of the bond she shared with her childhood friend Karolina. Karolina was vivacious and beautiful, athletic and charismatic, and Lena has cherished the memory of their friendship her whole life. But there is something about the story that is unfinished, questions that must be answered about what is true and what is not, and what Lena is willing to risk to uncover the past. Has the real story been hidden these many years? And if so, why? Two girls, coming of age in a dangerous time, bearers of secrets that only they could share. Just when you think there could not be anything new to ferret out from World War II comes Karolina's Twins, a spellbinding new novel by the bestselling author of Once We Were Brothers and Saving Sophie. In this richly woven tale of love, survival and resilience during some of the darkest hours, the unbreakable bond between girlhood friends will have consequences into the future and beyond. "

Karolina's Twins

A EMOCIONANTE HISTÓRIA DE DOIS MENINOS QUE ERAM TÃO PRÓXIMOS QUANTO IRMÃOS, MAS SE VEEM EM LADOS OPOSTOS DO HOLOCAUSTO Elliot Rosenweig, um rico e respeitado líder cívico e filantropo, está arrecadando fundos quando de repente é abordado e acusado de ser um ex-oficial da SS, a polícia nazista, chamado Otto Piatek, "o carniceiro de Zamość". Quem o acusa é Solomon, responsável por revelar que o verdadeiro Piatek foi abandonado quando criança e criado pela família de Solomon só para traí-los durante a ocupação nazista. Mas será que ele acusou o homem certo? "Quando éramos irmãos" é a história de dois meninos que lutam para sobreviver em uma Polônia devastada pela Segunda Guerra Mundial e de um jovem amor que perdura apesar da crueldade do Holocausto. Duas vidas, dois mundos. E sessenta anos convergem em uma corrida explosiva pela redenção, que faz deste livro um romance fascinante sobre amor, sobrevivência e, enfim, o triunfo do espírito humano. "Um romance de sobrevivência, justiça e redenção... Fascinante" – Chicago Tribune.

Quando éramos irmãos

In the tradition of The Nightingale, Sarah's Key, and Lilac Girls, comes a saga inspired by true events of a Holocaust survivor’s quest to return to Poland and fulfill a promise, from Ronald H. Balson, author of the international bestseller Once We Were Brothers. ~~ “Readers who crave more books like Balson’s Once We Were Brothers and Kristin Hannah’s bestselling The Nightingale will be enthralled by Karolina’s Twins.” —Booklist (starred review) "A heart-wrenching but ultimately triumphant story." —Chicago Tribune ~~ She made a promise in desperation Now it's time to keep it Lena Woodward, elegant and poised, has lived a comfortable life among Chicago Society since she immigrated to the US and began a new life at the end of World War II. But now something has resurfaced that Lena cannot ignore: an unfulfilled promise she made long ago that can no longer stay buried. Driven to renew the quest that still keeps her awake at night, Lena enlists the help of lawyer Catherine Lockhart and private investigator Liam Taggart. Behind Lena’s stoic facade are memories that will no longer be contained. She begins to recount a tale, harkening back to her harrowing past in Nazi-occupied Poland, of the bond she shared with her childhood friend Karolina. Karolina was vivacious and beautiful, athletic and charismatic, and Lena has cherished the memory of their friendship her whole life. But there is something about the story that is unfinished, questions that must be answered about what is true and what is not, and what Lena is willing to risk to uncover the past. Has the real story been hidden these many years? And if so, why? Two girls, coming of age in a dangerous time, bearers of secrets that only they could share. Just when you think there could not be anything new to ferret out from World War II comes Karolina's Twins, a spellbinding new novel by the bestselling author of Once We Were Brothers and Saving Sophie. In this richly woven tale of love, survival and resilience during some of the darkest hours, the unbreakable bond between girlhood friends will have consequences into the future and beyond.

Ronald H. Balson

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