The Devil's Bookkeepers Book 3: The Noose Closes Paperback – March 19, 2020

A beautifully done series! I experienced such an emotional journey while reading this 3 novel story. Love, compassion, fear, tension, dread, hope and a couple of times I had to pause and literally weep...that's how involved I became in this story and the main characters and all those in the Lodz ghetto. What an amazing people! What a powerfully moving story! I've been an avid book worm since early childhood and this is one of those rare stories whose impact will remain with me for the rest of my life. Like Mila 18, or Exodus whose stories I read decades ago and still remain with me to this day, this one will stick with me. God bless you Mr. Newhouse for bringing the story of those dear chroniclers and the events that occurred in Lodz during WW2 to me in such a realistic manner that my very heart was invested in the fate of these men and all those who were there. I highly recommend!

Having read the first two books in this trilogy, I could not wait for this one to be available, and the wait was worth it! As in the prior books, the reader is caught up in the horrible events and conditions of living in a Jewish ghetto in the early 40s. We grieve the losses of the characters in the book as if they were our family members. We feel the hunger and cold, and we cry as we witness children digging in filthy smelly dumps for scraps of food. We watch in horror as so many are taken for "resettlement", and our hindsight tells us what the ghetto residents couldn't admit. And the worst of it is -- it's based on actual events. We learned about the Holocaust in school but no education can make history as real as a book like this, where we become part of the lives of the people as they are living it. This had to be a difficult book to write, especially since the author is a descendant of survivors of this ghetto, but I'm so glad that he did write it. I can't say it was enjoyable -- watching others suffer is not pleasant -- but it was so important to our commitment to never forget and never let it happen again, to anyone.

This books wraps up Mark Newhouse’s fictionalization of the actual events in Łódź during WWII. The daily desperation of the characters gives incredible insight into what it must have been like, never knowing from one day to the next whether they will live or die. I happened to have the opportunity to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau while reading these books. The combination sent me to reading much else about the holocaust, an experience of dragging myself through real life horror. Newhouse has added immeasurably to that experience.

Three of the most memorable books I have ever read. Tremendous impact. The story is haunting, and I will not forget the message —never again! The characters are realistic and complex. The Eldest of the Jews is particularly remarkable. What were his motives? Human suffering is on full display. Highly recommended.

Wow. Haunting. Well written is understatement. I have Left reviews on both books one and two. Book 3 left me Utterly speechless.

Even if you have not read all of the books in this trilogy, Mr. Newhouse cleverly brings his readers up to speed both by giving us flashback moments to earlier events and reintroducing us to his well defined characters. A word of warning: Don’t expect to be uplifted, entertained or delivered into a world or fantasy or intrigue, for The Devil's Bookkeepers series will not do any of those things for you. For me, in fact it was a painful read, as many of my Dad’s great aunts, uncles and cousins disappeared from the Polish ghettos, depleting our family of the rich heritage that should have been ours. That said, unless you want to hide from the truth, pretending that the atrocities of WWII never happened, The Devil's Bookkeepers III is a must read that each of us should devour. Historical fiction, by definition is a work set in the past, based on true characteristics of the time period in which it is set. The Devil's Bookkeepers Book III continues to accomplish this with astonishing skill through its gripping tale of life within the Lodz ghetto. Mr. Newhouse captures his readers and draws them right into this horrendous time and place through his meticulous attention to detail and well defined characters. The message, first penned by writer and philosopher, George Santayana, is clear: "Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it."Lois W. SternAuthor and Creator of Tales2Inspire®

In a three-book series about such a horrendous time in history, it would seem impossible to finish reading with any uplifting thoughts, but it does happen. Somehow, Mark Newhouse was able to take a story inspired by his own parents’ horrible experience in the Ghetto, combine it with a secret (but real) daily journal that survived the War, and turn it into a living, breathing experience of what it must have been like. To his credit, he never descended into the darkest details of the horrible depravities that occurred, making the entire story readable for all but the most faint-hearted. As a result, by bringing to life the daily, moment by moment heart-rending experiences of several characters, he created a path for us all to look back at the horror with a different perspective. What would it have felt like . . . for us? The Devil’s Bookkeepers will take you through that experience, but leave you astounded at the indominable human spirit.

The Devil’s Bookkeepers Trilogy by Mark Newhouse must be read by everyone. The author draws the reader into his story & one can feel as if they personally are in the Łódź Ghetto experiencing the atrocities that were inflicted on its Jewish inhabitants. I could not put the books down. Only through knowledge and awareness can we hope to prevent this from happening again. Thank you Mr. Newhouse for sharing your family history with your readers.

If you are lucky once in your life you will come across a book that you will never forget. This trilogy does just that. From the first page of book 1 you can feel the growing power the Nazis have and the fading hope and dispair of the Jews. If you want to learn more about the haulocaust and not just from reading numerous Books about Auschwitz then reads this. You will then understand the hell these people went through before they even arrived at a death camp. Well done Mark. The most powerful set of books I have ever read.

The trilogy will haunt me forever though I am neither a Jew or I was born during that horrific time. Very sad read, though with happy ending. One can't read these books at one go. So shocking incidents. But I feel anyone interested in Lodz ghetto must read this trilogy. With a heavy mind, thinking of those who perished under Nazi Germany, I pray that this type of history should never be repeated.

The conclusion of this trilogy was just as wonderfully written as the first two. Once again I found myself in the Łódź ghetto right alongside the characters feeling the roller coaster of despair and hope. Genuinely feeling the anxiety as I read the date of each new entry and found myself feeling the defeat they must have felt wondering how much longer can this go on. These three books are a must read.

For readers interested in the events of the Holocaust from an unusual angle . A harrowing journey with the chroniclers of true events. An emotional roller coaster at times. I found them slow to start with but couldn't put them down as I read on. I had to read all three books in the series covering the years 1941 - 1944.