I love anything
about World War II and spies, and this book takes you right into the dangerous
world of espionage.
It’s wonderful, too, to have a female spy, Nancy, who works
in London for the Special Operations Executive as a de-coder. She proves to be
very clever at her work and suggests that coded messages should be written on
silk as silk is thin and easily concealed in a cuff or a collar. Eventually,
Nancy, who is half Dutch and speaks French, is sent to France to spy on the
Germans.
What follows is a breathtaking tale of courage, betrayal, and loss.
It’s fast-paced and authentic. Read the historical notes at the end.
Deborah Swift has woven her detailed research into a fast-paced, thrilling, and
moving story.
'The Silk Code had me absolutely hooked... A great storyline full of bravery, trust, love, survival, betrayal and determination.' NetGalley reviewer,
Based on the true story of 'Englandspiel', one woman must race against the clock to uncover a traitor, even if it means losing the man she loves.
England, 1943: Deciding to throw herself into war work, Nancy Callaghan joins the Special Operations Executive in Baker Street. There, she begins solving 'indecipherables' - scrambled messages from agents in the field.
Then Nancy meets Tom Lockwood, a quiet genius when it comes to coding. Together they come up with the idea…
I love anything by John Banville, especially his novels
about the troubled Dublin pathologist Doctor Quirke.
In this novel, he is
called to examine the body of a young woman found in a locked garage. Quirke
knows it is not suicide. The young woman is Jewish and a student at the
university, and the unravelling of the mystery leads Quirke and Inspector
Strafford into the murky world of the Nazis, business deals, and plots against
Israel.
It’s a complex story with complex characters and motives, brilliantly
evoking 1950s Dublin, and the sense that the past casts a very long shadow.
It’s beautifully written, too.
'Crime writing of the highest quality.' DAILY MAIL
'Atmospheric and sinister with simmering tension . . . Once you start reading, it's impossible to stop.' DAILY EXPRESS
The Sunday Times bestselling author of Snow and April in Spain returns with Strafford and Quirke's most troubling case yet.
1950s Dublin. The body of a young woman is discovered in a lock-up garage, an apparent suicide. But pathologist Dr Quirke and Detective Inspector Strafford soon suspect foul play.
The victim's sister returns from London to help the two men, but, with…
This is a fascinating biography of Agatha Christie, who
emerges as truly exceptional.
She is the daughter of wealthy Edwardian parents,
destined for a good marriage, but all that changes when the family's money is
lost. Agatha dares to become a nurse in World War I – it's grueling
work. She trains as a pharmacist, where she learns all about the poisons she
would use in her books. She marries a dashing pilot who betrays her with
another woman.
Despite the sadness and difficulties she encounters, Agatha
makes her name as the 'Queen of Crime,’' the most famous crime writer in the
world. Whether you read Christie or not, you'll find this story of a woman's
life throughout the upheavals of the twentieth century compelling.
A new, fascinating account of the life of Agatha Christie from celebrated literary and cultural historian Lucy Worsley.
"Nobody in the world was more inadequate to act the heroine than I was."
Why did Agatha Christie spend her career pretending that she was “just” an ordinary housewife, when clearly she wasn’t? Her life is fascinating for its mysteries and its passions and, as Lucy Worsley says, "She was thrillingly, scintillatingly modern." She went surfing in Hawaii, she loved fast cars, and she was intrigued by the new science of psychology, which helped her through devastating mental illness.
This is an intriguing detective series featuring Charles Dickens, perfect for fans of Sherlock Holmes, Victorian crime mysteries, A Christmas Carol, and David Copperfield.
A brutal murder in Victorian London forces a famous writer to solve the mystery.
It's 1849 in London, and Charles Dickens has set up a sanctuary for fallen women. He is shocked when the matron's assistant – Patience Brooke – is found hanging outside the property. Desperate to stop a scandal from spreading, Dickens takes the investigation into his own hands.
With the help of Superintendent Sam Jones and a description of the suspect, Dickens's search takes him deep into the slums of Victorian London.
Can Dickens discover the secrets of Patience Brooke's troubled past? Or will the killer strike again…?
