Robyn is 12 and lives near Bletchley Park. As war breaks out, strange things are happening on the site so she is excited to get the opportunity to work there. She quickly settles into caring for the carrier pigeons but begins to suspect that there are dangerous secrets at Bletchley Park…
Having recently read some books about Bletchley Park during WW2, I was interested to read a book from a child’s perspective. I Spy begins in 1939 as war is declared and the park begins operations. This book is aimed at children aged 9-12.
Robyn is determined and feisty. She feels frustrated by her age and her gender so is keen to prove herself. However she is also naive and this makes her vulnerable as she takes risks to find out the truth at Bletchley Park. She is helped by her friends Ned and Mary and together they explore the site looking for clues. I enjoyed the premise of the book but I’m not convinced it is historically accurate as I don’t think children were on site and forced to sign the official secrets act.
Robyn shows her gentler side as she cares for the carrier pigeons, yet she is also fiercely protective of them. There is plenty of drama as bombs fall, pigeons are injured, and the children’s explorations lead them into danger. I liked the inclusion of real people that worked at Bletchley Park such as Alan Turing and hope the book inspires young people to do more research on WW2 and even visit the museum.
I Spy is an enjoyable children’s book with a strong lead character.
I Spy book blurb:
Twelve-year-old Robyn has grown up in Bletchley Park, where her father works as a driver. When she’s not at school, there’s nothing she likes more than helping her dad in the garages.
Then the war begins and everything at Bletchley changes.
Robyn is assigned to help with the carrier pigeons that take messages to the Allies. But first, she must sign the Official Secrets Act and is ordered not to leave the grounds of the park. While Bletchley is buzzing with people recruited for the war effort and all eyes are on the skies, Robyn becomes convinced that there’s something sinister going on within Bletchley Park itself.
Together with her friends Mary and Ned, Robyn resolves to uncover the enemy in their midst . . .
About the author:
Rhian has a BA in English Literature from Aberystwyth University and a PGCE in English and Drama Teaching from Cheltenham and Gloucester University. She works as an English and Drama teacher in Brackley. She has written stories since she was five years old.
Anna escapes her brutal husband and hides away in Warsaw. During the Nazi occupation, she works secretly to aid the resistance and meets Mateusz, a doctor. Can they survive the war and make a future together?
The Polish Wife is the second book in the series of books about the resisitance in Poland during WW2. I have previously reviewed the first book in the series, The Polish Girl.
We met Anna and Mateusz in the previous book but this book focuses on their story. Anna’s mother gives her the chance to escape her violent Nazi husband and she makes a new life in Warsaw. During the war she is appalled by the Nazi regime and, although outwardly conforming, assists the resistance.
The majority of the book is written from the first person perspectives of Anna and Mateusz to show the misunderstandings and emotions of the main characters. There are some chapters written from Lescek’s viewpoint which shows his animosity towards the pair. This adds to the creation of the tension as we wait for him to exact his revenge.
I enjoyed the development of the main characters and their relationships. Both of them have huge personal issues to deal with alongside the trauma of war. However, I found some of the plot a little clunky as events occur ‘off stage’ and then we don’t see a proper reaction, such as Mateusz responding to the deaths of his friend and his father.
The Polish Wife is an historically detailed yet emotional novel about the resistance in Poland during WW2.
MEDIA PACK
The Polish Wife by Gosia Nealon
Germany, 1934. Surrounded by beautiful wedding china, we share our first dinner alone as husband and wife. But, instead of sharing affections, all he talks of is his admiration for Hitler. I force a smile, but my blood runs cold. How can I stay with him, now I know what he truly is?
Six years later. When Anna is approached by the Polish resistance while sheltering in Warsaw, she is eager for the chance to fight against German occupation. Managing a network of spies behind the façade of a café for enemy soldiers will mean risking everything. But, after fleeing her fanatical Nazi husband only for war to follow close behind, Anna can’t run any more.
Every conversation she overhears between the unsuspecting officers at the café brings back awful memories of the Nazi her husband became and makes her more determined to do what is right. Spending more time with the resistance behind the scenes, she grows close to them all—especially a brilliant young doctor with deep hazel eyes called Mateusz, who shows her a kindness she has never known.
As they work together, Anna can’t help imagining what life would be like with him, instead of the man she is tied to. But one day her dreams of a future with Mateusz, and freedom for her country, are shattered. Her husband has tracked her down.
Terrified, Anna knows that living as his wife again is her chance to gather information that could help end the war. But can she keep her nerve long enough to spy on her own husband? And with such a high-ranking enemy officer watching her every move, can she protect Mateusz, the man truly she loves, from the firing line?
This is a totally inspiring and gripping page-turner that you will not be able to put down. Fans of The Alice Network, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, and My Name is Eva will fall in love with this heartbreaking tale.
About the author
While Gosia Nealon is a proud New Yorker, she was born and raised in Poland. Her journey to the Big Apple revealed a wealth of cultural differences, but also the values that connect us all. Like the fierce desire to protect family, find love, and ultimately, discover who we are and why we’re here.
Gosia’s award-winning short stories have always delved into life’s biggest questions, but it was the drama, sacrifice, and tragedy of WWII that led her to pen her debut novel, which won a gold medal in the 2022 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY).
Growing up in Poland, Gosia heard many firsthand accounts of the war, told from a perspective rarely captured in mainstream literature. She was compelled to breathe life into two young people falling in love in the midst of the most terrifying conflict of our time.
When Gosia isn’t tapping away at her laptop, she’s often walking the streets of New York. With her husband and two young sons in tow, they search for the most succulent pierogi, transporting them back to the cobbled streets of her childhood.
Author social media
Dr Anna Jones is a confident heart surgeon. But her life changes forever when her son is kidnapped and she is told to kill a patient in order to free him. Can she put her morals to one side to save her son?
Do No Harm is a medical thriller set in the UK.
Anna has been through a rough break up and lives with anxiety and mum guilt. She frequently feels like her career gets in the way of spenidng time with her son. Now Zack’s life is in danger from a terrifying gang and Anna is forced to confront the idea of losing him forever if she doesn’t give in to their demands. How will she cope if she kills a patient yet she knows the gang are serious as they murder her friend and neighbour Paula…
The book is written from the first person perspectives of Anna and also Margot, a pregnant nurse with spiralling debts who is thieving from her colleagues, and Rachel, the police officer in charge of Paula’s murder case. This allows us a greater depth of understanding about their emotions and the reasoning behind their decisions.
The premise of the book taps into all of our worst fears. Our natural desire to protect those we love, particularly our children, and it made me wonder how far I would go to save them. Added to this is the tension and pressure of hospitals, the fear of not waking up from an operation and of being vulnerable. The book is fast paced and the change of perspective maintained the momentum.
Do No Harm is a dramatic and tense medical thriller.
Book blurb
My son has been taken. And I’ve been given a choice…
Kill a patient on the operating table. Or never see him again.
The man lies on the table in front of me.
As a surgeon, it’s my job to save him.
As a mother, I know I must kill him.
You might think that I’m a monster.
But there really is only one choice.
I must get away with murder.
Or I will never see my son again.
I’VE SAVED MANY LIVES.
WOULD YOU TRUST ME WITH YOURS?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jack Jordan is the global number one bestselling author of Anything for Her (2015), My Girl (2016), A Woman Scorned (2018), Before Her Eyes (2018) and Night by Night (2019).
His latest thriller, Do No Harm, was an instant Times bestseller and shortlisted for the Most Recommended Book in the DeadGood Reader Awards. Coined the thriller of the summer for 2022, it was described as “relentlessly tense” by Sunday Times Bestseller Lesley Kara, and “Chilling and perfectly paced” by New York Times Bestseller Sarah Pearse.
JACK JORDAN:
@JackJordanBooks (twitter)
jackjordan_author (IG)
SIMON & SCHUSTER:
@SimonSchusterUK (twitter)
Simonschusteruk (IG)
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.
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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.
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