INTO THE SHADOWS is the first novel in a gripping, carefully researched trilogy set during the early days of World War II. Combining the tension of a spy thriller with a strong narrative focus, it follows a complex and resourceful female protagonist as she navigates a world on the brink of global conflict.With a balance of well-paced action, immersive dialogue, and detailed historical settings, the novel captures the tumultuous early days of the war, when the world begins to understand the consequences of appeasement.
Appearances by key historical figures—Hitler, Göring, Churchill, and others—add depth and realism as they intersect with the fictional storyline in unexpected ways.Perfect for fans of rich historical fiction, Into the Shadows is a powerful debut that sets the stage for an unforgettable trilogy.
AWARDED THE 5 STAR SEAL
I’VE BEEN ASKED what inspired me to write the Ella Vogel Series.
Well, first it was a love of rich, entertaining historical novels such as the Flashman series, the Aubrey–Maturin books, and the two I, Claudius novels, to name just a few. These are books that entertain, engage, transport, inspire and educate—all at once. Ella, herself a voracious reader, would have loved them. (To see a list of the books that helped get her through the nights, visit the Author’s Notebook page.)Then there were the great war movies: The Guns of Navarone, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Where Eagles Dare, and so many others. Their blend of suspense, courage, and impossible missions undoubtedly left its mark on me.
And then there is that magical "what if?" moment—the one that gets a writer off the couch and nudges them toward the keyboard.
In my case, it was this: What if an Allied agent could gain access to the Nazi inner sanctum through Eva Braun, Hitler's mistress?The agent would, of course, have to be a woman. She would have to come from a neutral country—and there weren't many to choose from. Most importantly, she would have to be extraordinary. She would need intelligence, charm, courage, physical resilience, quick wit, and the ability to move comfortably among the powerful while hiding in the shadows.I can still remember the moment my imagination came alive. All right, I thought, we'll begin with an accident... and after that...
Several months later, I typed two of every writer's favorite words:The End.
Into the Shadows
In the shadows of the Reich, one woman plays a deadly game.
Switzerland, 1938. On an ordinary afternoon, a mother is preparing dinner for her family. A knock sounds on the door. Two young men burst in, knives drawn, and forcefully drag her upstairs. The last thing she sees before the brutal assault are the tattoos inked on their biceps: Nazi swastikas.
Ella returns home to find her mother beaten, her home shattered, her life upended. And she realizes… it’s her fault. Devastated and burning with rage, Ella knows she has to do something. But what?
Two months pass. Ella has just turned nineteen, and travels to London—where a chance encounter reunites her with Kurt, a familiar figure from her past. What begins as a quiet reconnection soon deepens into something more, and when Ella learns Kurt works for Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), she realizes he might hold the key to what she’s been looking for. Before Kurt is sent on assignment, Ella convinces him to arrange an interview with the SIS.
Fluent in multiple languages and fiercely determined, Ella is quickly recruited and sent deep into the heart of Nazi Germany. Her cover: a linguistics professor. Her mission: to extract vital intelligence from within the Third Reich.
But duty and desire collide when Ella learns Kurt has been captured and imprisoned in Dachau. Desperate to save him, she petitions the SIS to attempt a near-impossible rescue.
With a ruthless SS officer closing in and the risk of exposure growing by the day, Ella must navigate the brutal realities of life inside the Third Reich. In a regime built on fear and control, survival demands not just bravery, but unflinching discipline—over her thoughts, her emotions, and every carefully constructed detail of the lie she lives.
In the Midst of Darkness.
The world is at war, and Nazi forces are sweeping across Europe, seemingly unstoppable.
Twenty-one-year-old Ella Vogel has spent the last two years living a dangerous double life deep inside the Third Reich. Her latest assignment, sanctioned by Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, should have been straightforward: extract a wounded agent from Germany and return undetected.
Instead, everything goes disastrously wrong.
And the bodies keep piling up.
As suspicion spreads and the net closes around her, Ella watches fellow agents arrested, tortured, and executed. She knows it is only a matter of time before they come for her.One man is already on her trail—an Einsatzgruppen officer whose ruthless determination leaves a trail of terror wherever he is sent.
In this gripping sequel to Into the Shadows, the stakes have never been higher. As a regime built on fear tightens its grip across Europe, Ella continues to play a pivotal role in the Allied intelligence network. From the forests of the Ardennes to the beaches of Dunkirk, the information she gathers proves vital to the war effort.
Perfect for readers who enjoy espionage, action, and emotional depth, In the Midst of Darkness is a gripping story of danger, sacrifice, and resilience set against the darkest years of the Second World War.Coming April 2027.
A Vestige of Light is the third and final novel in the Ella Vogel series.
After years of war and uncertainty, Ella—and millions across Europe—can finally begin to hope. The German defeat at Stalingrad has marked a turning point in the conflict, the United States has entered the war, and Britain, after years of standing alone, can at last look to the future with cautious optimism.
But the fighting is far from over. Across Europe, lives remain shaped by loss, sacrifice, and difficult choices. As the war enters its final phase, Ella must find the strength to face the challenges that still lie ahead and discover what kind of future can emerge from the devastation of war.
Review
Into the Shadows is an exciting, moving tale of love and espionage in a time of war. The writing is lively and unfolds at a clipped pace.
Jerome delivers a thrilling, sometimes harrowing novel that provides both historical resonance and an original concept.
Ella is a formidable character—intelligent, brave, lovely, loyal, and fierce–and the author has surrounded her with an amazing cast, many familiar figures from history. The result is a riveting story with a deeply satisfying ending that leaves the door open for a sequel.The Book Life Prize
She (Ella) learns to love being a spy, excited by the “Great Game”—but is also moved by a prescient sense of the political reality of the time. “I feel like we’re still in the shadows, and I fear the real darkness is yet to come.”
This is a historically astute and enthralling work. A genuinely captivating tale of war and espionage.Kirkus Review
The suspense kept me on my toes, and I was hooked from beginning to end.
The dynamic between her and Eva Braun was intriguing. It brought out Ella’s human side. The writing moved quickly and was easy to understand.
Between the historical backdrop, the danger, and the personal relationships, I was always curious to see what would happen next.
Anyone looking for a good historical fiction book or wartime spy story will want to pick this one up."Readers’ Favorite, Awarded the 5 Star Seal
PART OF THE FUN and the reward—of writing lies in the process of discovery.During my research, I came across many unusual and intriguing facts. For example:
At the age of twenty-seven, the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini wrote a racy novel about a scandalous affair between a seventeenth-century cardinal and his ill-fated mistress. Titled The Cardinal's Mistress, Mussolini himself described it as "a novel for seamstresses and scandal."
Winston Churchill had an extraordinary memory for poetry. He could recite long passages from memory, entertaining his guests with verses he had read years earlier.Then there’s the swastika.
The swastika, meaning ‘well-being,’ in Sanskrit, dates back many thousands of years.
It appeared in various forms throughout the years. Most often as a symbol of good health, prosperity, and spiritual well-being. The Ancient Greeks used swastika motifs to decorate their pottery. In the 12th century, a Slavic princess wore a dress collar embroidered with gold crosses and swastikas to ward off evil. In Hinduism, the swastika has long been a sacred symbol of religious devotion and auspiciousness.
The Edmonton Swastikas - 1916
By the early twentieth century, the swastika was being widely used to promote companies and organizations. The Danish brewing company Carlsberg adopted it as a logo and used it for many years—until the mid-1930s. There was also the Swastika California Fruit company, and the Swastika Laundry company. Even Coca-Cola featured the symbol in advertisements, and Boy Scouts wore it on merit badges.The swastika could also be seen flying on U.S. Army planes during World War 1, and on RAF planes well into the 1930s.
It made its way into sports as well. Hockey teams adopted the symbol both in their names and on their jerseys. Among women’s teams were the Fernie Swastikas and the Edmonton Swastikas; among men’s teams, the Windsor Swastikas. For these clubs, the swastika simply stood for good luck and success.When the Nazis came to power, they appropriated the swastika and put their own slant on it— literally—rotating its arms 45 degrees and twisting it into an emblem of hate.
By 1935, the swastika’s meaning was changed forever when it became the official symbol of the German Third Reich.
Ella is an avid reader. Here is a list of the books she has read so far.
Lady Chatterly’s Lover - D.H. Lawrence
The World as I see It - Albert Einstein
Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier
Questions sur l’Encyclopédie - Voltaire
Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
It Can’t Happen Here - Sinclair Lewis
A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
The Dead - James Joyce
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
Interior - Dorothy Parker
Paradise Lost - John Milton
John Steinbeck, on writing: “Sometimes it seems to me to have the high purpose I set for it, and at other times it seems pedestrian and trite (oh it’s a real horses ass business)."
Spies and their weapons
VIOLETTE SZABO
Violette Szabo grew up in London with a French mother and English father. After her husband was killed at the Battle of El Alamein in 1942, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service and was recruited by the Special Operations Executive (SOE).
In 1944, she was parachuted into occupied France to support the French Resistance, helping sabotage German communications after the D-Day landings. Captured by the Germans in June 1944, she was tortured, sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp, and executed in February 1945.
In 1947, King George VI posthumously awarded Violette the George Cross, which was accepted by her five-year-old daughter, Tania.
Valentina Szabo recovering from an injured ankle sustained during parachute training, 1944 (National Army Museum)
A British dagger for use by women agents combined picklike blade with a contoured hand grip that added power to the thrust.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Like many English majors, R.M. Jerome has had a lifelong passion for writing. From an early age, he experimented with storytelling and honed his craft—starting with short stories and later working for a time as a journalist. His work has appeared in various magazines, where he developed his voice and sharpened his narrative skills. Into the Shadows, his debut novel, marks a natural evolution in his literary exploration.
In the Midst of Darkness, the second in the Ella Vogel series, is scheduled for release in Septmeber, 2026.Jerome is currently working on the final book, A Vestige of Light.If you enjoyed Into the Shadows, the author would love to hear from you. Join our email contest for an update on the release date of A Vestige of Light—plus a chance to win a free book.
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