Today, I am chatting with Heidi Eljarbo about The Resistance Art Club, a prequel to her Soli Hansen Mysteries series.
Set in Norway during the Second World War, the novel takes readers back to the younger Heddy Vengen, long before she became the brave and respected leader familiar to readers of the series. Against the backdrop of occupation, Heddy is gradually drawn into clandestine work, where codes, secrecy and the protection of Norway's artistic heritage become part of a dangerous new reality.
Heidi joins me today to talk about discovering Heddy's beginnings, the remarkable true history woven through the novel, and combining resistance, art and romance in a story inspired by both meticulous research and personal connections to wartime Norway.
But first, let's check out The Resistance Art Club
Publication Date: 29th September 2026
Publisher: Independently Published
Print Length: 263 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
The tension in Europe is rising. The world is on the brink of disaster.
Oslo, 1939. Secretary Heddy Vengen spends her evenings in a basement, secretly learning how to break codes. When she assists those who evacuate art collections from the National Art Gallery, she has her first encounter with the war situation.
Only days after Hitler’s army marches down Karl Johan’s Street in Oslo, German soldiers storm into her office and make it their own, cementing Heddy’s determination to do more to oppose the occupants. Driven with a fierce desire for freedom and a deep compassion for her beautiful country and its people, she joins the resistance movement and leaps into dangerous, covert operations whenever she’s needed.
During this time, she meets Sverre, a spirited undercover fighter whose resolve is as firm as hers. Bold and seemingly fearless, he faces every mission with personal optimism and masterful skill, and over a short while, he and Heddy grow close.
As war intensifies, Heddy learns not only to be loyal and pledged, but also, she discovers the meaning and importance of true friendship, especially during times of armed conflict when making the right choice could mean the difference between life and death. Heddy chooses her friends and associates carefully, surrounding herself with only a few men and women she can fully trust. She becomes acquainted with the painter Edvard Munch, an extraordinarily talented and private artist. Will he open her eyes to where to look for a missing painting?
The Resistance Art Club will take you on a gripping and suspenseful journey through the streets of Oslo during WWII, and the unforgettable characters are certain to stay with the reader long after they finish the story. This is for those who enjoy historical fiction with authentic details, and is the perfect read for fans of Kate Quinn, Deborah Swift, Rhys Bowen, Pam Jenoff, Kathleen McGurl, and Laura Morelli.
This novel is a prequel to the award-winning dual timeline series Soli Hansen Mysteries, a continuing story about an art historian who works undercover in Norway during World War 2. Heddy plays an important role in all four books.
Soli Hansen Mysteries:
Of Darkness and Light
The Other Cipher
Hidden Masterpiece
Brushstrokes from the Past
The Resistance Art Club takes readers back to Oslo in 1939 and introduces us to a younger Heddy Vengen, before the events of the Soli Hansen Mysteries. What made you want to return to Heddy’s earlier life and explore the woman she was before readers first came to know her?
Readers who enjoy the Soli Hansen Mysteries have said they enjoy Heddy and her personality. I thought it would be interesting to find out how and why she became the leader of the resistance cell called The Art Club.
Heddy has a remarkable ability with codes and puzzles, a skill that becomes increasingly valuable as Norway is drawn into war. How did you develop this aspect of her character, and what research did you undertake into codebreaking and secret communications during the Norwegian resistance?
One of my favorite Norwegian authors is Vera Henriksen (1927-2016). As I was writing an article for a magazine about her involvement with the Norwegian resistance as a 16-year-old, I came in contact with her son who gave me lots of information about her growing up with a father who was a leader of the XU―a clandestine organization working on behalf of the Allies during WWII. Before Norway was occupied, her father had people come into their home in the evenings to learn about codebreaking and how to use chiffer machines. I was given a copy of her unpublished memoirs for the article and, also, to use in other books I have written about the subject.
Art lies at the heart of the novel, particularly as Heddy becomes involved in efforts to protect important works from Norway’s National Art Gallery. What drew you to this lesser-known aspect of wartime resistance, and how much of this part of the story is rooted in real events?
The National Gallery in Oslo started evacuating their paintings on the date the book starts. They had three evacuations on different dates. This all happened. The name of the museum director is correct, and the newspaper article Fru Jensen reads about the empty frames is also true. The photograph from the article is found online. I thought to involve Heddy in this, and to start the novel with the first excavation made a good introduction for her into clandestine work.
Heddy does not begin as a conventional resistance heroine, yet circumstances gradually draw her into increasingly dangerous work. What interested you about showing that progression from an ordinary civilian life to someone willing to take extraordinary risks?
I am sure most of the members of the resistance began their work without any training. They did not start as courageous fighters. They were ordinary men and women recruited to help in many different ways, and they grew in their tasks.
Living under occupation means that Heddy can never be entirely certain whom she can trust. How did you explore the effect that constant uncertainty has on friendships, loyalties and everyday relationships?
My parents were married in Oslo in 1944, and I have heard many stories, seen movies from this period in Norway, and read books and articles. Being a member of the resistance was extremely dangerous, and many were caught, tortured, and even killed. Being careful was a way of life. For many, codenames and numerous places to sleep were a must.
Heddy’s relationship with Sverre develops against a backdrop of occupation, secrecy and danger. How did you balance their more personal story with the suspense of the resistance plot without allowing one to overshadow the other?
Heddy and Sverre had a connection and were drawn to each other from their first meeting. Still, their relationship had to grow over time, especially since Sverre was away much of the time, training, doing covert missions, or hiding from the enemy. I have often thought about my parents who were married in Oslo during WWII. Despite the war, it must have been sweet to be in love during such horrible times.
Edvard Munch and the mystery surrounding a missing painting bring real art history into Heddy’s fictional story. What interested you about incorporating Munch into the novel, and how did you approach blending a real historical figure and artwork with your fictional mystery?
Each book in the Soli Hansen Mysteries series always has a famous artist who is the main character in a secondary story. I have wanted to get Edvard Munch down on paper for a long time, and the stories he and his sister Inger tell about their family and his art are true. He lived at Ekely in Oslo, and there is a museum in town in his name with many of his paintings.
Your novels are always strongly grounded in historical research. Was there anything you discovered while researching wartime Norway, the resistance or the fate of its artworks that particularly surprised you or changed the direction of the story?
I love historical research and thoroughly enjoy learning about painters and their art and people and their lives. This time, I learned a lot about Munch and how he lived at Ekely, his family background, and the relationship with his sister. I also found it interested to learn about how his funeral was arranged by the Nazis. How he bequeathed his massive collection to the City of Oslo is true, and also, after he died, the way he was placed on a lit de parade with lilies of the valley in his folded hands. I also learned more about Engelsviken―which is not too far from where I live―and how German officers occupied the houses and lived out there.
Because The Resistance Art Club is a prequel, some readers will already know the older Heddy from the Soli Hansen Mysteries. Did knowing where her life would eventually lead affect the way you wrote her younger self, or did she surprise you as her earlier story developed?
My characters always surprise me. I let them speak and run freely, and they amaze me with who they really are. Heddy is so brave and a great and respected leader in books one through four. But in this prequel she needed to start out careful, worried, and willing to learn. I enjoyed watching her develop the talents she has innate within her and turn into the Heddy we know from Of Darkness and Light and the rest of the series.
For readers who already know Heddy, what do you hope The Resistance Art Club adds to their understanding of her character, and for those meeting her for the first time, what can they look forward to discovering as they enter the wider world of the Soli Hansen Mysteries?
I thought about that a lot as I wrote the book. I hope the readers who already know Heddy will enjoy seeing how she grows and matures to become the wonderful leader of the Art Club. The way she meets Sverre and how their friendship turns into romance is an added touch to these years. For those who haven’t read the whole series, I hope The Resistance Art Club will take you into a place and period with characters you want to spend more time with so that you’ll not hesitate to read the next four books. They are all dual timeline, and the secondary parts are also a continuing story.
A huge thank you to Heidi Eljarbo for joining me today and telling us more about The Resistance Art Club.
If you enjoy historical fiction combining resistance, art, mystery, romance and real events, The Resistance Art Club sounds like a wonderful introduction to Heddy and the wider world of the Soli Hansen Mysteries.
Pick up your copy of The Resistance Art Club HERE
Heidi Eljarbo
Heidi Eljarbo is the bestselling author of historical fiction and mysteries filled with courageous and good characters that are easy to love and others you don't want to go near.
Heidi grew up in a home filled with books and artwork and she never truly imagined she would do anything other than write and paint. She studied art, languages, and history, all of which have come in handy when working as an author, magazine journalist, and painter.
After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She and her husband have fifteen grandchildren—so far—in addition to a bouncy Wheaten Terrier.
Their favorite retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summertime and ski the vast, white terrain during winter.
Heidi’s favorites are family, God's beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.
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See you on your next coffee break!
Take Care,
Mary Anne xxx