Description: In spring 1918, Lieutenant Colin Mabry, a British soldier working with MI8 after suffering injuries on the front, receives a message by carrier pigeon. It is from Jewel Reyer, the woman he once loved and who saved his life--a woman he believed to be dead. Traveling to France to answer her urgent summons, he desperately hopes this mission will ease his guilt and restore the courage he lost on the battlefield.
Colin is stunned, however, to discover the message came from Jewel's half sister, Johanna. Johanna, who works at a dovecote for French Army Intelligence, found Jewel's diary and believes her sister is alive in the custody of a German agent. With spies everywhere, Colin is skeptical of Johanna, but as they travel across France and Spain, a tentative trust begins to grow between them.
When their pursuit leads them straight into the midst of a treacherous plot, danger and deception turn their search for answers into a battle for their lives.
My Thoughts: I've not read anything by Kate Breslin before, but I am glad that I was able to pick up this novel of hers. The first thing which stood out to me while reading was the quality of Breslin's writing. Her descriptions are clear and flow well with the narrative, creating a story that feels real and well thought through.
The attention to historical detail also stands out. I love that she mentions how Colin is able to hear the bombings in Paris from his home in Hastings, England. This is a chilling detail which I had never considered the possibility of before, making the war seem all the more real to me. This, along with a number of other details, set this as a unique story among so many others.
But even with the fantastic writing and research, as story still needs to deliver on its plot and characters, which I feel that Breslin did well with. Both Colin and Johanna come with rich backgrounds as well as complex personalities and desires. And the plot line follows numerous, small twists and turns, which increased the mystery surrounding the complex world of WWI spies. Unlike many a novel I have read, the narrative surrounding espionage in this book felt like it could have actually happened.
I am glad I was able to read this book, and look forward to finding the rest of the author's work. Hopefully they will all live up to this.
I have provided an honest review after having received a copy of the book through the publisher.
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