Women are of no consequence.

Set in the dying days of the Third Reich in the Second World War, the Lebensborn Experiment mixes historical fact with a fictional thriller. Germany used racial profiling to identify the perfect Nordic appearance and increased the national stock of blond haired, blue eyed children by kidnap (and baby farms), the youngsters then given to and raised by loyal Nazi families as their own. Other prisoners were subjected to bizarre and often disgusting experiments by Nazi scientists. One such is Dr.Weiss, whose desired intent is to create a serum which would provide invulnerability to it’s subjects, returning a soldier to life after being killed and rapidly repairing injury. Supporting him, young colonel Strass sees potential for his own military rise, to become the new Fuhrer after Hitler’s unexpected, and inconvenient, suicide.

The story centred around two recipients of the serum, a young Polish boy and a black American soldier, being held captive for execution at Hitler’s anticipated visit. Interestingly, the U.S. racial discrimination is also mentioned. The writing is good, indeed, graphic, with some of the atrocities visual and shocking. The story line is also good, occasionally unexpected and the main protagonists are developed sufficiently to be either empathic or seriously disliked. The reader’s involvement is further encouraged by the fine narration by Kevin Gallagher, whose pacing is excellent, the text read with understanding and involvement, and whose voicing of the characters is both individual and appropriate. A good lerformance.

Given that this is given the label Book 1 in the title, it is to be expected that a further volume will follow but none yet seems to be forthcoming. It will be very interesting to see in which direction author Joyce Yvette Davis will take the story. My thanks to the rights holder of The Lebensborn Experiment, who, at my request, freely gifted me with a complimentary copy, via Audiobook Boom. Not always an easy read because of the issues brought forward, it is still a book both enjoyable and worth reading, especially for those who enjoy thrillers placed in historic settings, and wartime in particular.