The Last Light over Oslo

It’s 1940, and the U.S. minister to Norway, Daisy Harriman, is doing her best amid growing tension between Germany and England, specifically in Norwegian waters. It doesn’t take long for Hitler’s forces to plow right over Norway’s lack of defenses in their invasion, and Daisy is sent to relative safety in Sweden. While there, she must do what she can to keep Norway’s crown princess and her children safe from harm. Meanwhile, Daisy’s wayward goddaughter Cleo has shown up, looking for help locating her missing musician boyfriend Micky, last seen in Poland. Cleo is convinced that Mickey is still alive, despite all reports to the contrary, but no one believes her until she finds him herself, in Sweden, also running from the Germans. Or is he working as a spy for the Germans? Based on Harriman’s real-life exploits, Rickloff’s latest (following The Girls in Navy Blue) is a slow-starting historical novel that captures a perspective and setting of early World War II that’s not often explored in the genre. The beginning gives way to a more exciting finish, if readers endure and remain captivated by the steadfast Daisy and the dramatic Cleo.