Tangled Ashes
Phoenix’s Tangled Ashes is a truly exciting blend of WWII intrigue and modern-day drama. Tasked with the restoration of a French chateau, American architect Marshall Becker discovers that the job is not a simple one. Not only is restoring the exquisite antique home painstaking work but he  is also fighting to control his alcoholism. Also present in and around the chateau are a beautiful, emotionally guarded woman; a mysterious old man; and an increasingly nervous interior decorator. Will their secrets affect Becker’s efforts? In alternating sections, readers also learn the story of the chateau’s role during the Nazi occupation as a birthing center for women whose children were intended to serve the führer.  Phoenix weaves these two darkly enticing stories together in a fast-paced novel, leaving the reader guessing until the very end. Historical fact makes the chateau’s tale that much more interesting, while Phoenix’s characters make the present-day tale richly emotional. --Carolyn Richard