In Farleigh Field: A Novel of World War II - Bowen, Rhys Review & Synopsis

Synopsis "Instantly absorbing, suspenseful, romantic, and stylish-like binge-watching a great British drama on Masterpiece Theater." -Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author Winner of the Agatha Award for Best Historical Novel, the Macavity Award for Best Historical Novel, and the Left Coast Crime Award for Best Historical Mystery. World War II comes to Farleigh Place, the ancestral home of Lord Westerham and his five daughters, when a soldier with a failed parachute falls to his death on the estate. After his uniform and possessions raise suspicions, MI5 operative and family friend Ben Cresswell is covertly tasked with determining if the man is a German spy. The assignment also offers Ben the chance to be near Lord Westerham's middle daughter, Pamela, whom he furtively loves. But Pamela has her own secret: she has taken a job at Bletchley Park, the British code-breaking facility. As Ben follows a trail of spies and traitors, which may include another member of Pamela's family, he discovers that some within the realm have an appalling, history-altering agenda. Can he, with Pamela's help, stop them before England falls? Inspired by the events and people of World War II, writer Rhys Bowen crafts a sweeping and riveting saga of class, family, love, and betrayal. Review Rhys Bowen is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty mystery novels. Her work includes the Molly Murphy mysteries, set in 1900s New York City, and the lighter Royal Spyness novels, featuring a minor royal in 1930s England. She also wrote the Constable Evans mysteries, about a police constable in contemporary Wales. Bowen's work has won fourteen honors to date, including multiple Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. Her books have been translated into many languages, and she has fans around the world, including twelve thousand Facebook followers. A transplanted Brit, Bowen divides her time between California and Arizona. "...well-crafted, thoroughly entertaining thriller...a game of spy versus spy, and with every twist and turn, the reader is unsure whom to trust." -Publishers Weekly "The skills Bowen brings to her several mystery series, including Molly Murphy and Royal Spyness, inform the plotting in this character-rich tale, which will be welcomed by her fans as well as by readers who enjoy fiction about the British home front." -Booklist "In what could easily become a PBS show of its own, Bowen's novel winningly details a World War II spy game. It features an English aristocrat's daughter who works at London's top-secret home of code breakers, Bletchley Park, and a number of others with high-stakes plots and plans." -Library Journal "Suspenseful and thrilling, with some espionage too, this novel will keep readers deeply involved until the end." -Portland Book Review "In Farleigh Field delivers the same entertainment mixed with intellectual intrigue and realistic setting for which Bowen has earned awards and loyal fans." -New York Journal of Books "Well-plotted and thoroughly entertaining...With characters who are so fully fleshed out, you can imagine meeting them on the street..." -Historical Novel Society "This story of war, love, and mystery is extremely suspenseful... both realistic and believable. Through the character's eyes, readers will be drawn into the era and begin to understand the sacrifices and hardships placed on English society." -Crimespree Magazine "A thrill a minute...highly recommend." -Night Owl Reviews, Top Pick "Riveting..." -Military Press "Instantly absorbing, suspenseful, romantic and stylish - like binge-watching a great British drama on Masterpiece Theater." -Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author "In Farleigh Field is brilliant. The plotting is razor sharp and ingenious, the setting in World War Two Britain is so tangible it's eerie. The depth and breadth of character is astonishing. They're likeable and repulsive and warm and stand-offish. And oh, so human. And so relatable. All this would be enough to propel In Farleigh Field to the top of your favourites list, but what truly distinguishes this book, indeed all her books, is the quality of writing. Rhys Bowen is one of the very best fiction writers of the day. With a deep understanding of the wounded human heart, and an uncanny ability to capture the quiet emotions and the grand scale of war, she rises above her contemporaries. This is magnificently written and a must read." -Louise Penny, New York Times bestselling author "Irresistible, charming and heartbreakingly authentic. Rhys Bowen's knowing voice transports Downton fans into a unputdownable family saga-a compelling journey through history, loss, honor and love. When war gets personal, every heart is in peril." -Hank Phillippi Ryan, author of Say No More In Farleigh Field "World War II comes to Farleigh Place, the ancestral home of Lord Westerham and his five daughters, when a soldier with a failed parachute falls to his death on the estate. MI5 operative and family friend Ben Cresswell is covertly tasked with determining if the man is a German spy"-- "World War II comes to Farleigh Place, the ancestral home of Lord Westerham and his five daughters, when a soldier with a failed parachute falls to his death on the estate." Where the Sky Begins A woman's future is determined by fate and choice in a gripping WWII novel about danger, triumph, and second chances by the New York Times bestselling author of The Venice Sketchbook and The Tuscan Child. London, 1940. Bombs fall and Josie Banks's world crumbles around her. Her overbearing husband, Stan, is unreachable, called to service. Her home, a ruin of rubble and ash. Josie's beloved tearoom boss has been killed, and Josie herself is injured, with nothing left and nowhere to go. Evacuated to the English countryside, Josie ends up at the estate of the aristocratic Miss Harcourt, a reluctant host to the survivors of the Blitz. Awed as she is by the magnificent landscape, Josie sees opportunity. Josie convinces Miss Harcourt to let her open a humble tea shop, seeing it as a chance for everyone to begin again. When Josie meets Mike Johnson, a handsome Canadian pilot stationed at a neighboring bomber base, a growing intimacy brings her an inner peace she's never felt before. Then Stan returns from the war. Now a threat looms larger than anyone imagined. And a dangerous secret is about to upend Josie's life again. Her newfound courage will be put to the test if she is to emerge, like a survivor, triumphant. A woman's future is determined by fate and choice in a gripping WWII novel about danger, triumph, and second chances by the New York Times bestselling author of The Venice Sketchbook and The Tuscan Child." The Venice Sketchbook Inheriting her beloved great-aunt's sketchbook, a recently divorced woman uncovers mysteries about her great-aunt's star-crossed romance with a nobleman in World War II Venice. Inheriting her beloved great-aunt's sketchbook, a recently divorced woman uncovers mysteries about her great-aunt's star-crossed romance with a nobleman in World War II Venice." The Victory Garden When Emily volunteers to tend the neglected grounds of a Devonshire estate, she finds inspiration and support in the journals of a medicine woman after learning the devastating news of her fiancé's death. When Emily volunteers to tend the neglected grounds of a Devonshire estate, she finds inspiration and support in the journals of a medicine woman after learning the devastating news of her fiancé's death." The Paris Assignment A courageous wife, mother, and resister confronts the devastation of World War II in a heartbreaking and hopeful novel by the bestselling author of The Venice Sketchbook and The Tuscan Child. Londoner Madeleine Grant is studying at the Sorbonne in Paris when she marries charismatic French journalist Giles Martin. As they raise their son, Olivier, they hold on to a tenuous promise for the future. Until the thunder of war sets off alarms in France. Staying behind to join the resistance, Giles sends Madeleine and Olivier to the relative safety of England, where Madeleine secures a job teaching French at a secondary school. Yet nowhere is safe. After a devastating twist of fate resulting in the loss of her son, Madeleine accepts a request from the ministry to aid in the war effort. Seizing the smallest glimmer of hope of finding Giles alive, she returns to France. If Madeleine can stop just one Nazi, it will be the start of a valiant path of revenge. Though her perseverance, defiance, and heart will be tested beyond imagining, no risk is too great for a brave wife and mother determined to fight and survive against inconceivable odds. A courageous wife, mother, and resister confronts the devastation of World War II in a heartbreaking and hopeful novel by the bestselling author of The Venice Sketchbook and The Tuscan Child." Above the Bay of Angels A single twist of fate puts Isabella Waverly - a servant girl - to work in Queen Victoria's royal kitchen, setting off a suspenseful, historical mystery. Arriving as Helen Barton from Yorkshire, she pursues her passion for creating culinary delights, served to the delighted Queen Victoria herself. Best of all, she's been chosen to accompany the queen to Nice. Until the threat of blackmail shadows Bella to the Riviera, and a member of the queen's retinue falls ill and dies. Having prepared the royal guest's last meal, Bella is suspected of the poisonous crime. Her charade will be over. And her new life will come crashing down - if it doesn't send her to the gallows. A single twist of fate puts Isabella Waverly - a servant girl - to work in Queen Victoria's royal kitchen, setting off a suspenseful, historical mystery." The Tuscan Child Thirty years after her British bomber pilot father parachuted from his stricken plane into German-occupied Tuscany, Joanna embarks on a healing journey to learn about her father's hidden wartime past. Thirty years after her British bomber pilot father parachuted from his stricken plane into German-occupied Tuscany, Joanna embarks on a healing journey to learn about her father's hidden wartime past." Between Shades of Gray A New York Times notable book An International Bestseller A Carnegie Medal Nominee Para tentara menerobos masuk ke gubuk kami sambil mengacungkan senapan ... menyuruh kami berdiri dan menunggu di luar gubuk. Kami mulai berbaris lambat sambil menyeret barang-barang kami. Sebuah truk besar terparkir di dekat kantor. Komandan berdiri di beranda bersama seorang perwira yang tak kukenal. Mereka mulai meneriakkan nama-nama sesuai urutan abjad. Orang-orang naik ke bagian belakang truk. Aku menatap Andrius. Matanya menemukan mataku. Aku akan menjumpaimu, katanya. Aku tidak mengeluarkan satu suara pun. Namun, untuk pertama kalinya setelah berbulan-bulan, aku menangis. Air mata menyembul dari rongga mata kering dan mengaliri pipiku dalam satu aliran cepat. Aku berpaling. Kami berjalan menuju truk dan naik ke dalamnya. Aku menunduk memandang Andrius. Mesin menyala dan meraung. Aku melambaikan tangan untuk mengucapkan selamat tinggal. Bibir Andrius membentuk kata-kata Aku akan menjumpaimu.\u009d Dia mengangguk sebagai penegasan. Aku membalas anggukannya. Namun, aku ragu dia akan menemukanku, andai dia tahu ke mana tentara NKVD akan membawa kami. [Mizan, Noura Books, Novel, Romantis, Internasional, Best Seller] A New York Times notable book An International Bestseller A Carnegie Medal Nominee Para tentara menerobos masuk ke gubuk kami sambil mengacungkan senapan ... menyuruh kami berdiri dan menunggu di luar gubuk." The Long Flight Home “Tense, heartwarming and life affirming, The Long Flight Home gives a fresh slant on heroism in WWII.” —Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author of In Farleigh Field, The Tuscan Child and the Royal Spyness novels Inspired by fascinating, true, yet little-known events during World War II, The Long Flight Home is a testament to the power of courage in our darkest hours—a moving, masterfully written story of love and sacrifice. It is September 1940—a year into the war—and as German bombs fall on Britain, fears grow of an impending invasion. Enemy fighter planes blacken the sky around the Epping Forest home of Susan Shepherd and her grandfather, Bertie. After losing her parents to influenza as a child, Susan found comfort in raising homing pigeons with Bertie. All her birds are extraordinary to Susan—loyal, intelligent, beautiful—but none more so than Duchess. Hatched from an egg that Susan incubated in a bowl under her grandfather’s desk lamp, Duchess shares a special bond with Susan and an unusual curiosity about the human world. Thousands of miles away in Buxton, Maine, a young crop-duster pilot named Ollie Evans has decided to travel to Britain to join the Royal Air Force. His quest brings him to Epping and to the National Pigeon Service, where Susan is involved in a new, covert assignment. Codenamed Source Columba, the mission aims to air-drop hundreds of homing pigeons in German-occupied France. Many will not survive. Those that do make the journey home to England can convey crucial information on German troop movements—and help reclaim the skies from the Luftwaffe. The friendship between Ollie and Susan deepens as the mission date draws near. When Ollie’s plane is downed behind enemy lines, both know how remote the chances of reunion must be. Yet Duchess’s devotion and her singular sense of duty will become an unexpected lifeline, relaying messages between Susan and Ollie as war rages on—and proving, at last, that hope is never truly lost. “Based on true events, The Long Flight Home has everything I love in a novel—the sense of discovery, the epic drama of a life-or-death situation, and the soaring sense of hope gained from the depths of despair. It’s a gorgeous, impressive first novel by a hugely talented author.” —Susan Wiggs, # 1 New York Times bestselling author “I’ve always been fascinated by homing pigeons, and Alan Hlad makes these amazing birds and their trainers shine in The Long Flight Home—a sweeping tale full of romance and espionage, poignant sacrifice and missed chances, uncommon courage and the ongoing costs of war. A compelling debut told with conviction and great heart. “ —Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife and Love and Ruin “Tense, heartwarming and life affirming, The Long Flight Home gives a fresh slant on heroism in WWII.” —Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author of In Farleigh Field, The Tuscan Child and the Royal Spyness novels Inspired by ..." Book Club Kit A true-life novel about Lily Casey Smith (the author's grandmother) who at age six helped her father break horses, at age fifteen left home to teach in a frontier town, and later as a wife and mother runs a vast ranch in Arizona where she survived tornadoes, droughts, floods, the Great Depression, and the most heartbreaking personal tragedy--but despite a life of hardscrabble drudgery still remains a woman of indomitable spirit. A true-life novel about Lily Casey Smith (the author's grandmother) who at age six helped her father break horses, at age fifteen left home to teach in a frontier town, and later as a wife and mother runs a vast ranch in Arizona where she ..." Night Flight to Paris It is once again up to American markswoman Kate Rees to take the shot that just might win—or lose—World War II, in the followup to national bestseller Three Hours in Paris. Three missions. Two cities. One shot to win the war. October 1942: it’s been two years since Kate Rees was sent to Paris on a British Secret Service mission to assassinate Hitler. Since then, she has left spycraft behind to take a training job as a sharpshooting instructor in the Scottish Highlands. But her quiet life is violently disrupted when Colonel Stepney, her former handler, drags her back into the fray for a risky three-pronged mission in Paris. Each task is more dangerous than the next: Deliver a package of forbidden biological material. Assassinate a high-ranking German operative whose knowledge of invasion plans could turn the tide of the war against the Allies. Rescue a British agent who once saved Kate’s life—and get out. Kate will encounter sheiks and spies, poets and partisans, as she races to keep up with the constantly shifting nature of her assignment, showing every ounce of her Oregonian grit in the process. New York Times bestselling author Cara Black has crafted another heart-stopping thrill ride that reveals a portrait of Paris at the height of the Nazi occupation. - Rhys Bowen , New York Times bestselling author of The Tuscan Child , In Farleigh Field and the Royal Spyness series ... A superior thriller with much to offer fans of World War II spy fiction drawn to intriguing what - if scenarios ."