THE PARIS ARCHITECT

Words like “riveting” and “compelling” aren’t strong enough to describe this remarkable novel narrated by Mark Bramhall and set in Nazi-occupied Paris in 1942. Bramhall takes listeners into the mind of Lucien Bernard, a French architect who is labeled a collaborator by his countrymen because he builds architecturally beautiful buildings for the Germans, buildings that are turned into factories that create the deadly weapons used against the Allied Forces. When Bernard is offered a great deal of money to design hiding places for wealthy Jews that even the SS will not find, the lure of outsmarting the Nazis is too tempting to refuse, although it will mean certain death if he’s caught. Bramhall’s performance highlights Bernard’s moral dilemma and his ultimate decision. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2013]