Interview with Shari J. Ryan — Crime Spree Magazine

By Elise Cooper · Crime Spree Magazine · April 29, 2026The Girl with the List by Shari J. Ryan is a powerful story that shows the emotional and physical cruelty of the Nazis. The plot has Rosalie Kaufman and Stefan Selig trying to fight for survival while in the Auschwitz concentration camp.This novel is told from the perspectives of Rosalie and Stefan where chapters alternate back and forth between them — their time in Auschwitz and the times before the war. Rosalie and Stefan fall in love before the war tears them apart, only to find each other again under the most harrowing of circumstances.Elise Cooper: Why write about the Holocaust?Shari J. Ryan: I had family who survived the Holocaust — my grandmother and great grandmother. The rest of my family did not. This is the reason I have been writing books focused on the Holocaust. The stories resemble people they were associated with or others that experienced similar journeys. The material found is factual with the characters fictional.The full interview covers how the idea came to life, the real history behind the characters, what's coming next (The Lost Husband, August 2026), and so much more.Read the Full Interview at Crime Spree Magazine →This interview was originally published on Crime Spree Magazine.