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The Blood Tattoos
By Jana Petken
By Jana Petken
Publication Date: 29th September 2025
Publisher: JCP Publishing
Genre: Historical Fiction
After years of living in America, two Germans return to Berlin and enlist in the Waffen-SS. Bonded by duty, conscience, and their love for the United States, they struggle to separate soldiering from Nazi ideology.
An American at heart, Uwe Polkaehn finds that in the SS, loyalty to Adolf Hitler is more important than being a good soldier. From Berlin to Belgium, France, Holland and the Eastern Front, he and the SS-Das Reich Division spearhead the Führer’s drive across Western and Eastern Europe.
Lukas Querner, the son of an admiral in the German Kriegsmarine, returns reluctantly to Hamburg after six years at Harvard University. After refusing to follow his father into the Kriegsmarine, he volunteers for the SS, believing the armed wing is the elite fighting force that will battle the enemy with honour..
During training, Uwe and Lukas meet Otto Skorzeny, an enigmatic SS officer. After impressing the Führer, Otto transfers the two men to a new Special Formation commando unit that will perform the most dangerous undercover missions of the war.
No longer in the SS, Uwe and Lukas push themselves to the limits of their endurance and admit they are living on borrowed time.
Praise“An engrossing story of two men balancing politics and soldiering in the Waffen-SS. I could not put this book down. Educating and highly entertaining.”
Petken delivers another compelling and evocative story that has all the ingredients to keep readers enthralled from the first page to last. Epic in scope, it’s another winner.”
Alexa Kang, USA. Today, bestselling author of the “Rose of Anzio series.”
Pre-order your copy of
The Blood Tattoos
Publication Date: 29th September 2025
Jana Petken
Jana Petken is critically acclaimed as a bestselling, gritty author who produces bold, colourful characters and riveting storylines. She is the recipient of numerous major international awards for her works of historical fiction.
Before life as an author, she served in the British Royal Navy. During her service, she studied Naval Law and history. After the Navy, she worked for British Airways and turned to writing after an accident on board an aircraft forced her to retire prematurely.
Titles by Jana Petken.
Titles by Jana Petken.
Bestseller, Multi Award Winning, The Guardian of Secrets. (2013)
The bestselling Mercy Carver Series: award-winning, Dark Shadows, book 1, and award-winning Blood Moon, book 2. (2014)
Multi Award Winning, The Errant Flock: The Flock Trilogy Book 1. (2015)
Multi Award Winning, Swearing Allegiance. (2016)
Award Winning, The Scattered Flock (The Flock Trilogy book 2)
Award Winning, Flock, The Gathering of The Damned (The Flock Trilogy Book 3)
Multi-Award-Winning, The German Half-Bloods The German Half-Bloods Trilogy Book 1 (2018)
The Vogels: On All Fronts. The German Half-Bloods (Book 2)
Multi Award winning |Bestseller Before the Brightest Dawn. The German Half-Bloods (Book 3)
Oath of Allegiance (2020)
Dawn of Ages (2021)
From the Ashes of Amiens (2021)
The Man from Section Five: Brinley Knight of MI5
The Dying Peace: Brinley Knight of MI5
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