I love historical books and mysteries, but I’ve never really read both in one book! This book is more than I can imagine, with twists and turns all keeping me hooked! It was a little hard to get into until the second chapter, which is what kept me hooked on Strawberry Fields!!

This is a prequel to the first in the Sing and Shout series. 'Back in the USSR' is a gripping historical thriller set in Moscow. It featured political repression, action, musical references, and the much-desired intrigue to obtain the illegal Beatle's White Album. Rock music was considered decadent, and the Beatle's music symbolized freedom. Both books were well-researched and informative, with appealing characters. There is a vibrant sense of place.

This story is set in Czechoslovakia more than a decade earlier. Josie, a young rookie reporter, arrived in Prague in 1968. She was sent by the Toronto Post because of her ability to speak the language. She learned the Czech language from her grandmother, who now lived in Canada, but told Josie stories about life in the old country. She recounted running through fields of strawberries outside of Prague as a child.

No sooner does Josie arrive in Prague when Russian tanks thunder into the city. This begins a tense, exciting story that is fast-paced and breathtaking.

I wish to thank the author, Patrick D Joyce, for this thrilling historical book. I will look forward to more of his compelling political stories enhanced with references to Beatles music.