Sergeant Will Knott receives orders to take five soldiers deep into the Ardennes Forest on Christmas Eve 1944. Their mission: establish an observation post near German lines using an abandoned chateau as their base. The squad settles into what feels like isolated war games, far from real combat. Then strange signs appear. Germans have been watching them, leaving deliberate traces of their presence. First comes a scarecrow in an unexpected place. Next, equipment the Americans had abandoned during a failed reconnaissance patrol. Most puzzling of all, someone decorates a small fir tree with fruit, candles, and cardboard stars. Knott and his men must decode these mysterious messages from their supposed enemies. Each clue forces them to question what they know about war, about each other, and about the soldiers they face across no man's land. The answers lead to a climax that will shatter everything they believed about combat.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, war, military-fiction, mystery
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Ardennes Forest, Germany
Period: Christmas Eve 1944
Hardcover · Javier Vergara-Argentina
Content warnings: war