“A many-layered adventure…smart writing, done in accomplished style by an author who never talks down to her readers.”
—Mystery Scene Magazine
“A riveting historical thriller… This multigenerational page-turner is packed with intrigue and shocking plot twists.”
—Booklist
“A sprawling tale… the story of the Cuban revolution, as well as the Cuban military efforts in Angola, is fascinating…”
—Publishers Weekly
“Hellmann’s writing has matured considerably since her early novels. Her plotting has become more solid and assured, her characters more realistic, her settings wonderfully described. This is a fine, extremely well told novel.”
—Deadly Pleasures
“The Iranian revolution provides the backdrop for this meticulously researched, fast-paced stand-alone …A significant departure from the author’s Chicago-based Ellie Foreman and Georgia Davis mystery series, this political thriller will please established fans and newcomers alike.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Hellmann crafts a tragically beautiful story… both subtle and vibrant… never sacrificing the quality of her storytelling. Instead, the message drives the psychological and emotional conflict painting a bleak and heart wrenching tale that will stick with the reader long after they finish the book.”
—Crimespree Magazine
“Readers will be drawn in through the well-researched inside look at Iran in the late 1970s and gain perspective on what the people in that time and place endured. A Bitter Veilis so thought-provoking that it especially would be a great title for book clubs to discuss.”
—Book Reporter
“A Bitter Veil… is a social statement about what can happen when religious fundamentalism trumps human rights, but that’s hardly a drawback in this suspenseful, well-researched book. It might even serve as a warning.”
—Mystery Scene Magazine
“A top-rate standalone thriller that taps into the antiwar protests of the 1960s and 70s…A jazzy fusion of past and present, Hellman’s insightful, politically charged whodunit explores a fascinating period in American history.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Superior standalone novel…Hellmann creates a fully-realized world…complete with everyday details, passions and enthusiasms on how they yearned for connection, debated about ideology and came to belief in taking risks to stand up for what they believed.”
—Chicago Tribune
“Haunting…Rarely have history, mystery, and political philosophy blended so beautifully…could easily end up on the required reading list in college-level American History classes.”
—Mystery Scene Magazine
“Hellmann brings to life the reality of bullying among teenage girls with enough twists and turns to keep you reading. Highly recommended.”
—Library Journal, Starred Review
“Just what’s needed in a mystery… Depth of characterization sets this new entry by Hellmann apart from a crowded field.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“There’s a new no-nonsense female private detective in town: Georgia Davis, a former cop who is tough and smart enough to give even the legendary V.I. Warshawski a run for her money.”
—Chicago Tribune