The Story Keeper by Kelly Rimmer

A crumbling mansion, a forgotten book, and a mystery that could destroy them all . . .

Beneath the decaying grandeur of Wurimbirra, a family estate on the east coast of Australia, dark secrets lie buried. Fiona Winslow returns to restore the mansion she once called home, but what she uncovers is more than just decay - it is a mystery locked away for generations.

A forgotten book, The Midnight Estate, leads her into a story of love, loss, and betrayal mirroring her own. And as the lines between fiction and reality blur, Fiona must confront a chilling Is the true mystery hidden in the walls of her ancestral home, or within the pages of a book that seems to have chosen her?

A Gothic tale told across three timelines, The Midnight Estate is a haunting mystery entwining a family's darkest secrets and a captivating book-within-a-book puzzle.

Kindle Edition, 416 pages

Expected publication July 21, 2026

 by MIRA

4.5/5 stars

Published in Australia as The Story Keeper and releasing in North America as The Midnight Estate, Kelly Rimmer’s latest completely drew me in.

Fiona returns home to Australia after a betrayal leaves her scarred, homeless, and without a job. But her homecoming is far from welcoming. When she becomes connected to a long-neglected estate, unexpected happenings begin to unfold, creating that layer of mystery, unease and intrigue.

The Story Keeper has that feel of a dual time-period story, even though one of the perspectives is revealed through a manuscript written by an unknown author. I loved the novel-within-a-novel structure, I found myself just as invested in the story on the page as in Fiona’s present-day journey. As the layers slowly peel back, the secrets emerge and the emotional weight builds. 

I've always loved a good Australian setting, it's a place on my bucket list and books like this have me itching to visit. I was also fortunate to receive both the digital and audiobook ARCs,  I especially loved the audio experience, the narrator’s accent made the story feel even more immersive.

The Story Keeper is a layered, atmospheric and compelling story about betrayal, identity and the power of uncovering the past. It ticked all the boxes and had me reading just one more chapter.

My thanks to Mira and Harlequin Audio for advanced copies in exchange for a honest review.

The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer

The New York Times bestselling author of The Warsaw Orphan returns with a gripping novel inspired by the true story of Operation Paperclip: a controversial secret US intelligence program that employed former Nazis after WWII.

Berlin, 1930—When a wave of change sweeps a radical political party to power, Sofie von Meyer Rhodes’s academic husband benefits from the ambitions of its newly elected chancellor. Although Sofie and Jürgen do not share the social views growing popular in Hitler’s Germany, Jürgen’s position with its burgeoning rocket program changes their diminishing fortunes for the better. But as Sofie watches helplessly, her beloved Berlin begins to transform, forcing her to consider what they must sacrifice morally for their young family’s security, and what the price for their neutrality will be.

Twenty years later, Jürgen is one of the many German scientists offered pardons for their part in the war, and taken to America to work for its fledgling space program. For Sofie, this is the chance to exorcise the ghosts that have followed her across the ocean, and make a fresh start in her adopted country. But her neighbors aren’t as welcoming or as understanding as she had hoped. When scandalous rumors about the Rhodes family’s affiliation with Hitler’s regime spreads, idle gossip turns to bitter rage, and the act of violence that results will tear apart Sofie’s community and her family before the truth is finally revealed.

Paperback, 464 pages

Published June 28th 2022 

by Graydon House

5/5 stars

I am definitely late when it comes to reading The German Wife, which came out last summer. Kelly Rimmer has been on my radar set since reading, Truths I Never Told You, which I loved.

Beginning in 1950, Sofie is reunited with her husband, Jurgen in Huntsville, Alabama.  She is met with prejudices because of her German background, and if the rumours are to believed they are a family that supported Hitler. Alternating between her point of view and that of Lizzie brings about an explosive story with many layers.

This is a world war two story with a pov from within the SS that was gripping, heartfelt and definitely a unique setting. The early years for Lizzie are through the depression, the dust bowl, and eventually she is left to her own devices with a brother created an ambitious young woman.

The German Wife was my first read of 2023 and I love that it was a five star read. It was well written, the characters and the storyline were authentic, it was hard to put down and it was evident that the author did a lot of research, especially when you look at the line of history that was involved. I was unfamiliar with what took place within the rocket program, both in Germany and the US and I love learning history and being entertained with some awesome characters.

The German Wife is the story of friendship, family, heartache, and sacrifice. I don’t feel this review does justice to how much I enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next.

This book is part of my own personal library and book 1 in my 2023 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge

The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer

In the spring of 1942, young Elzbieta Rabinek is aware of the swiftly growing discord just beyond the courtyard of her comfortable Warsaw home. She has no fondness for the Germans who patrol her streets and impose their curfews, but has never given much thought to what goes on behind the walls that contain her Jewish neighbors. She knows all too well about German brutality--and that it's the reason she must conceal her true identity. But in befriending Sara, a nurse who shares her apartment floor, Elzbieta makes a discovery that propels her into a dangerous world of deception and heroism.

Using Sara's credentials to smuggle children out of the ghetto brings Elzbieta face-to-face with the reality of the war behind its walls, and to the plight of the Gorka family, who must make the impossible decision to give up their newborn daughter or watch her starve. For Roman Gorka, this final injustice stirs him to rebellion with a zeal not even his newfound love for Elzbieta can suppress. But his recklessness brings unwanted attention to Sara's cause, unwittingly putting Elzbieta and her family in harm's way until one violent act threatens to destroy their chance at freedom forever.

From Nazi occupation to the threat of a communist regime, The Warsaw Orphan is the unforgettable story of Elzbieta and Roman's perilous attempt to reclaim the love and life they once knew. 

Kindle,

Expected publication: June 1st 2021

 by Graydon House

4/5 stars

The Warsaw Orphan is a heartbreaking story told from the POV of both Elzbeita and Roman.  Teens caught in the war that destroyed so much, shattered lives and wiped out generations of families.

Both Roman and Elzbeita have strong personalities, are so determined in their quests making me forgot their ages (14 years when the book begins). A part of me struggled with that aspect, but on the other hand the war caused a lot of people to grow up before their time.

The author didn't hold back in her descriptive story and what wasn't verbalized was definitely felt.

I missed the author notes - this was an arc so hopefully the finished copies will have them.  I would have loved to known what was based on fact vs. fiction.  Part of me feels much of this book is not made up, how can so much bad be consciously imagined?  But rather this was a true reflection of what took place and that in itself will stay with me for a long time.

The Warsaw Orphan was an emotional reading, depressing at times. It showed a side of the war in Poland I haven't visited before. But it also showed the strength and determination of those that fought back and survived.

My thanks to the publisher (via Netgalley) for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Truths I Never Told You by Kelly Rimmer

“Fans of Jodi Picoult and Kristin Hannah now have a new go-to author.” —Sally Hepworth, bestselling author of The Secrets of Midwives

From the bestselling author of The Things We Cannot Say comes a poignant novel about the fault in memories and the lies that can bond a family together—or tear it apart.

With her father recently moved to a care facility for his worsening dementia, Beth Walsh volunteers to clear out the family home and is surprised to discover the door to her childhood playroom padlocked. She’s even more shocked at what’s behind it—a hoarder’s mess of her father’s paintings, mounds of discarded papers and miscellaneous junk in the otherwise fastidiously tidy house.

As she picks through the clutter, she finds a loose journal entry in what appears to be her late mother’s handwriting. Beth and her siblings grew up believing their mother died in a car accident when they were little more than toddlers, but this note suggests something much darker. Beth soon pieces together a disturbing portrait of a woman suffering from postpartum depression and a husband who bears little resemblance to the loving father Beth and her siblings know. With a newborn of her own and struggling with motherhood, Beth finds there may be more tying her and her mother together than she ever suspected.

Exploring the expectations society places on women of every generation, Kelly Rimmer explores the profound struggles two women unwittingly share across the decades set within an engrossing family mystery that may unravel everything they believed to be true.

Paperback, 352 pages

Expected publication: April 14th, 2020

by Graydon House

4.5/5

Sometimes starting a new book by an author that is also new (to me) can be daunting, especially when you hear great things about said author. It puts pressure not just on myself but on the book itself, which is precisely what happened here. Kelly Rimmer has written numerous books and this is my first with Truths I Never Told You.

There were many things that I enjoyed here:
1. The dual time period, it’s a favorite of mine.
2. Multiple points of view, it’s great to get different sides to a story.
3. The historical aspect, yes the 1950s is historical and getting a look at that time period makes me happy to be born when I was.

There are many layers that revolve around this group of 4 siblings with Beth playing center stage. Dementia and postpartum depression are some serious subjects to tackle and Kelly Rimmer did a great job. Whether she experienced them first hand herself or not I don’t know but she sure knew how to write with feeling and be authentic at the same time. It’s not that often that a book sprouts tears but this one did. Usually, I find myself favoring one time period over the other, but such wasn't the case here, I genuinely cared for all the characters and the various situations.

Truths I Never Told You is a story of love, heartache, and family.  There was mystery to keep me on my toes and an ending that was very satisfying (for this reader).

My thanks to Harper Collins Canada for an advanced copy of this book, which releases April 14th, in exchange for an honest review.