1943: Frances, Stefania and Ailsa are still working at Bletchley Park to aid in the war effort. Each of them has special talents and they are anxious work hard, unrestrained by traditional gender boundaries. Can friendship and love endure the horrors of war?
Code Name Elodie is the second book in this WW2 series which began with The Bletchley Girls.
Fran, Steffie and Ailsa have had hugely different experiences in their personal lives yet are firm friends, thrown together by their commitment to national safety. The three women have all found love but this leads to fears for their safety and vice versa. They need to focus on their work in order to protect their lovers as well as the rest of the country.
Personal challenges contrast asgainst the international struggle once more. Perhaps the stakes are higher than last time as Ailsa follows her husband to Ceylon, Fran’s lover Valerie is involved with the resistance and Steffie fears for her double agent Italian fiance. There is plenty of danger and tension for the women and those they love.
I enjoyed the addition of real characters from the time such as General de Gaulle. The author has done plenty of research to bring events and characters to life, and this is carefully balanced against the emotional elements.
Code Name Elodie is an entertaining wartime novel.
Book Description:
1943, Bletchley Park: In the dark of night, my heart is pumping with adrenalin as I wait for news of the secret agent operating under the code name Elodie. She has a dangerous part to play in the Normandy landings and so many lives are at stake. But I couldn’t bear to lose her…
Inspired by the brave women of Bletchley Park, this is a totally gripping World War Two novel of friendship, heartbreak and hope. Perfect for fans of The Rose Code, The Alice Network and The Nightingale.
Valerie Rousseau is burning with determination to help free her beloved France from the Nazi regime. Working at the mysterious Bletchley Park, she strikes up an unexpected bond with smart, fiercely loyal Fran Morgan as they spend long days together with their heads bent over maps of France in preparation for the Allied invasion.
Their friendship grows increasingly important as they distract themselves from the dark days of war with afternoons skating across the icy pond at the heart of Bletchley Park and evenings talking late into the night. But Valerie’s wartime role is shrouded in secrecy and there are things that she can’t even tell Fran.
When Valerie volunteers for a dangerous mission linked to the D-Day landings in Normandy, Fran is devastated. Valerie has knowingly put her life on the line and Fran is terrified that she will never see her again.
Soon, Fran hears about the bravery of the agent operating under the code name Elodie. She’s certain it’s Valerie and she knows the work she is doing in her little office, overlooking the green fields of England, could be the difference between life and death for this secret agent…
Can both women secure victory for their country? Or will the fight for freedom cost them their love – and their lives?
Author Bio:
Anna Stuart lives in Derbyshire with her campervan-mad husband, two hungry teenagers and a slightly loopy dog. She was hooked on books from the moment she first opened one in her cot so is thrilled to now have several of her own to her name. Having studied English literature at Cambridge university, she took an enjoyable temporary trip into the ‘real world’ as a factory planner, before returning to her first love and becoming an author. History has also always fascinated her. Living in an old house with a stone fireplace, she often wonders who sat around it before her and is intrigued by how actively the past is woven into the present, something she likes to explore in her novels. Anna loves the way that writing lets her ‘try on’ so many different lives, but her favourite part of the job is undoubtedly hearing from readers. You can reach her on Facebook @annastuartauthor or Twitter @annastuartbooks.
American Cassidy Beeswhistle loses her job so takes a chance and buys a pub in England. Her ancestors came from the village but lost their fortune due to gambling. She is horrified when she arrives to find the pub in a hideously run down condition. Can she fulfil her dream?
The Accidental Inheritance is a warm and uplifting novel about fresh starts, set in the English countryside.
After the death of her beloved father, Cassidy rummages through his papers and finds a file on family history. Her ancestors used to own a stately home in England but gambled it away. In a twist of fate, the local pub is currently up for sale so Cassidy sells up and moves country to try to start afresh for herself and her daughter. Her arrival causes a big shake up in the village and she instantly makes friends but also enemies.
I really liked Cassidy’s impulsive and hopeful outlook on life. She has struggled to build a career whilst being a single mum but now she sees an opportunity to change her family life for the better. However, she didn’t count on the condition of the pub and is frantic about her dwindling financial state. Luckily her new community band together to help but someone is intent on undermining her efforts.
I enjoyed the premise of the book and the use of family history to underpin the plot developments. At first I hoped Cassidy would fall in love with the wonderful vicar but sadly the passion isn’t there. It was clear that she and Ned clashing horns had the spark that she needs to find happiness but the path to love doesn’t run smoothly. He has a tragedy in his past and his sister is horrendous to Cassidy.
The Accidental Inheritance was a really lovely book and I found myself completely immersed in the plot and characters’ lives.
Book Description:
A surprise inheritance. A hostile lord of the manor. A chance at a new beginning…?
When Cassidy Beeswhistle loses her job and her boyfriend within seconds of each other, it’s time for a change. Discovering her beloved late father’s connection to a tiny English village, it seems like the perfect place to start again. Especially because there’s a secret ‘lost deed’, which – if found – would return the village’s gorgeous manor house to its rightful heir: Cassidy…
On arrival in Dithercott, Cassidy is blown away by the rolling hills and glittering lake, and the local villagers welcome her with open arms – all of them but one, that is… The current lord of the manor, Ned Bamford-Bligh, is tall and fiendishly attractive with his olive skin and jet-black hair, but he is also gruff and standoffish – and he has no interest in entertaining the new girl in the village; especially one who is potentially after his home, with its ivy-covered turrets and sprawling gardens.
Despite Ned’s frosty welcome, Cassidy is drawn to his piercing, hazel-eyed glare and she’s determined she is to uncover the demons that keep him locked away behind the manor’s imposing stonework. Before she knows it, an undeniable spark builds between them…
Just as Cassidy is feeling at home in Dithercott – and in the arms of Ned – he shows up on her doorstep clutching an old roll of parchment. Is this the discovery she’s been waiting for? And if it is, will its contents bring Ned and Cassidy closer together, or push them apart…?
A heart-warming, laugh-out-loud story of home, friendship, family and finding love in the most unlikely of places. The perfect curl-up read for fans of Sarah Morgan, Milly Johnson and Jenny Colgan.
Author Bio:
Cate Woods made the most of her university degree in Anglo-Saxon Literature by embarking on a career making tea on programmes including The Big Breakfast, Who Wants to be a Millionaire and French & Saunders. After narrowly missing out on the chance to become a Channel 5 weather girl, she moved into the world of magazine journalism, then ghostwriting and now writes novels under her own name. She has written two best-selling romantic comedies – Just Haven’t Met You Yet and More Than a Feeling – and a festive novel, The Christmas Guest, under the name Daisy Bell. Cate lives in London with her husband and two children.
Debbie’s son died in a tragic drowning and she has been terrified of water ever since. But she can’t turn down this vacation by a lake as it may impact her husband’s work. A sinister figure on the lakeside, complex social relationships and an undercurrent of unease culminate in a death…
The Lake is a psychological thriller and murder mystery set in Ireland.
Debbie and Jim head off to a lakeside retreat to connect with friends and colleagues. He has been cheating on her with Susie, another member of the group. Susie’s husband George is unbearable and I wasn’t sorry when he died in mysterious circumstances!
George’s death could be a terrible accident but he was heard shouting before he ‘fell’. The police are convinced it is murder and refuse to let the others leave. This adds to the tension as Debbie is struggling being so close to open water due to her son’s death. There are multiple episodes of interrogation by the police alongside suspicions between the main party.
The book is written from the alternating first person perspectives of Debbie and Jim. Jim has made a terrible mistake and bitterly regrets his affair but now Susie won’t let him go and Debbie is starting to suspect something is amiss. Any one of the group could have been responsible for George’s death and the mystery was maintained until the very end. However, I found the ending to be a little abrupt and didn’t feel that enough character development and reasoning had taken place.
The Lake is a tense murder mystery with the addition of the psychological thriller as tense relationships fuel the plot.
Debbie’s holiday has turned into a nightmare. And that’s just the beginning.
Debbie has been terrified of lakes ever since her son tragically drowned in one. So when her husband and some friends decide to take a lakeside vacation, Debbie is reluctant to go. But hoping that the holiday will help cure her fear, she eventually agrees to join them.
Things start to go wrong very quickly. A local fisherman seems to be stalking them. And then George, a member of their group, goes missing. His body is discovered a day later, his injuries suggesting a struggle.
All the while, Debbie is being haunted by the sinister presence of the lake. More than anything, she wants to leave this dark foreboding place, but the group has been told to stay in place while George’s death is being investigated.
Which means Debbie has only one choice. If she wants to escape the terror of the lake, she must first solve the mystery of George’s murder.
What she discovers will not only shock her to the core, it will also put her own life in grave danger. Can she escape in time to expose the terrifying truth?
The Lake is a gripping and intriguing thriller that you won’t be able to put down.
Author Bio
Kevin is a Guidance Counselor by day and a psychological thriller author during his off hours. He puts an original slant on some common experiences and creates engaging stories with a personal twist. Kevin lives in Dublin, Ireland with three great kids, a frenetic Westie, Alfie, and a wife who makes him laugh, which is really all he could ask for.
Spring is here and we have 2 new members of the family: guinea pigs! How are you all?
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1880s, Alexandre Chevalier travels abroad on an archaeological adventure looking for a lost underground city. He finds a secret he never expected… Present day, Madison Greene has been brought up in care with her brother. She is shocked on her 17th birthday to be visited by a lawyer who tells her she has inherited a fortune and stately home. Madison and Ben move to Marchwood but find a dangerous secret in the cellar…
Hidden is the first book in the Marchwood trilogy (Taken and Hunted will be published shortly).
The book is written across two timelines, the 1880s and present day, from the third person perspectives of Alexandre and Madison. Society has set both as outcasts but now they eachhave a second chance. Alexandre’s indiscretion will be forgotten if he can make a glorious discovery on the dig. Meanwhile, Madison has been labelled a troublemaker and is desperate to stay with her little brother.
I was equally interested in the development of both lead characters but they don’t meet until over halfway through the substantial novel (over 400 pages). Both characters are impulsive so I was eager to see how they would interact!
I enjoyed the writing style which is easy to read. The descriptions brought the settings in both timelines to life, making it interesting to compare and contrast Alexandre and Madison’s experiences. The author has used and adapted traditional vampire legends to create a new twist on the genre.
Hidden is an enjoyable vampire novel with two strong lead characters.
From USA Today bestselling author Shalini Boland comes the addictive Vampires of Marchwood series. Perfect for fans of K.F. Breene, Sarah J. Maas and Tracy Wolff.
My name is Madison Greene. On my seventeenth birthday, I inherited an old mansion and wealth beyond my wildest dreams. I thought it was a joke, but as I step through the creaking door of the sprawling building, I realise my life in foster care is in the past. I’ve been chosen and my world has changed forever.
But I wasn’t told that Marchwood House hides a secret.
As I explore every inch of the crumbling property, I stumble upon a set of large, dusty boxes in the basement. When I pull back the lid and look down, I find myself staring at the most handsome face I’ve ever seen. High cheekbones, porcelain skin…
And when he wakes up and locks eyes with me, I realise my heart already belongs to him, even though my head is screaming at me to get as far away from Marchwood as possible. Because I know what he really is.
I never planned to fall in love – but it’s too late now. Alexandre has a dark and dangerous past. He needs me and I have to help him. But can a human really save a vampire?
Description for TAKEN:
Falling in love has never been so deadly…
From USA Today bestselling author Shalini Boland comes the addictive Vampires of Marchwood series. Perfect for fans of K.F. Breene, Sarah J. Maas and Tracy Wolff.
My name is Madison Greene and I was an ordinary teenager until I fell in love… with a vampire. Alexandre is tall, with a sexy French accent and mesmerizing eyes. He makes me feel protected, and he’s completely captured my heart.
At Marchwood House, our sprawling mansion nestled in the English countryside, we’re in our own perfect bubble together. But, in the blink of an eye, everything changes when an old enemy of Alexandre’s sets a trap and rips me away from my boyfriend’s arms.
The ancient demon takes me to his underground city, deep beneath the windswept desert. In the twisting tunnels and enormous vaulted caverns, there’s a bloodthirsty vampire around every corner. I’ve never been so terrified…
It seems like there’s no way out from this underground maze. My life is hanging by a thread, and every second I’m here is a step closer to death. I can’t just sit here and hope that Alexandre will rescue me.
Can I outsmart a city of vampires to escape from this hellish place? And will I ever see Alexandre again?
Description for HUNTED:
Falling in love has never been so complicated…
From USA Today bestselling author Shalini Boland comes the addictive Vampires of Marchwood series. Perfect for fans of K.F. Breene, Sarah J. Maas and Tracy Wolff.
My name is Madison Greene and my boyfriend is a vampire. And not just any vampire, one with brooding good looks and a smile that makes my heart skip a beat. As I curl up against Alexandre’s side, our hands entwined, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
Although our relationship hasn’t been easy. I’m human, so there were always going to be complications. But I thought we’d banished the demons from his previous life. I couldn’t have been more wrong…
Because there’s a new threat in the form of Nadia – a blue-eyed beauty who seems determined to do everything she can to break us apart. I trust Alexandre but I don’t trust her.
As I start digging into the truth to find out who Nadia really is, centuries-old secrets begin to unravel. And in order to set Alexandre free from the chains of his past, we must return to the ancient underground city of vampires to defeat Alexandre’s archnemesis once and for all.
Can I finally save Alexandre? Or will loving a vampire be the death of me?
Author Bio:
Shalini Boland is the USA-Today bestselling author of seventeen psychological thrillers. With over two million copies sold, her titles are published by Amazon Publishing, Audible, Bookouture, Second Sky and Grand Central Publishing.
Shalini lives by the sea in Dorset, England with her husband, two teens and their increasingly demanding dog, Queen Jess. Before kids, she was signed to Universal Music Publishing as a singer/songwriter, but now she spends her days writing (in between re-stocking the fridge and dealing with endless baskets of laundry).
She is also the author of two bestselling Sci Fi and Fantasy series as well as a WWII evacuee novel with a time-travel twist.
