“An espionage thriller to rival the very best, a high stakes game of cat-and-mouse, played in the shadows, which will keep you guessing every step of the way.
An elderly woman of striking beauty is found murdered in Orleans, France. Her identity has been cleverly erased but the method of her death is very specific: she has been killed in the manner of traitors to the Resistance in World War Two.
Tracking down her murderer leads police inspector Inès Picaut back to 1940s France where the men and women of the Resistance were engaged in a desperate fight for survival against the Nazi invaders.
To find answers in the present Picaut must discover what really happened in the past, untangling a web of treachery and intrigue that stretches back to the murder victim’s youth: a time when unholy alliances were forged between occupiers and occupied, deals were done and promises broken. The past has been buried for decades, but, as Picaut discovers, there are those in the present whose futures depend on it staying that way – and who will kill to keep their secrets safe.” – Bantam Press
If that doesn’t hook you in, nothing will!
So apparently this is the second book in the series, but so far I don’t think there has been a third. It didn’t dawn on me right away, which is not a bad thing. When a book can stand on its own and doesn’t depend on the reader knowing the characters or plot of the previous book, the reader doesn’t feel left behind. I have stopped reading a book when I realized that I wasn’t reading in order, and had to go back and start the series from the beginning. Not great when you realize that the series may not be your cup of tea. But there were hints at the beginning of this one that led me to believe there was a prior book, or books. It didn’t really matter – like I said, this stands on its own just fine.
About this book (big sigh) — I did like it quite a bit. The mystery surrounding the murder was very good, and it kept me guessing. The flashbacks to the 1940’s and 1950’s were right up my alley – as I have stated many times, books that move through time are my thing (I was going to say “my jam”, but thought better of it).
But I did find this book very hard to follow – and that’s unusual for me. So what was it about this book that gave me a hard time. I liked the plot, I liked that characters, and I really liked the flashbacks; but what I didn’t like was how difficult it was for me to follow who was who as it bounced from 2018 to the 1940’s. I’m sure it’s just me and my lack of attention span, I mean I did start it back in March before all of the crazy COVID-19 pandemic stuff happened, and I only picked it up from time to time as I had to get used to being in lock-down and working from home, but I did find myself flipping back to earlier chapters wondering “who is this again?”. I almost felt like I needed to start over and read it straight through, rather than how I was reading it in stops and starts. However I wanted to move on, so I kept at it.
Now to answer my question – what was it that made it hard for me to follow? Was it all the French names? (to my friend Marie – don’t laugh at me).
The story takes place in France, so of course most of the characters are French – and some of the names were similar. What didn’t help is that some of the characters were family members, so I had to remember if I was reading about senior, junior, or a cousin. Alright, before you think I’m a complete idiot – some of those same characters worked as spies during the war – and used fake names and nicknames, and even changed their names. Crazy times!
Other than that confusion (which I’m still convinced was probably only me), I really did enjoy the story. The characters are strong, and Ms. Scott does a great job of keeping the reader guessing as she weaves fictional characters with some very real spy agencies and organizations that fought for freedom in France during World War II. Of course my fascination with WWII spies made the flashbacks a bit more interesting to me – but the current time mystery was also very well done and kept me wanting to know who the killer was.
The main character, Inspector Inès Picau, is a smart, tough character that has obviously been through something traumatic (a clue that there is a prior book), and I enjoyed how she interacted with her team and with the suspects. She’s a clever one.
The other main character is Sophie, who you only get to see in flashbacks, is also a great strong character. I loved her story, and she is the puzzle piece that pulls all of this together. She’s actually the heart of the story.
That’s really all to say – the story has so many twists and turns that it can be hard to describe without accidentally giving something away. I’m glad that I read this one, and will likely go back to the first book – even though I hate reading books out of order.
One last thing to mention – I did read that the book has been optioned as a new TV series, but no word on when. Here is an article for more information (but I have to say I’m somewhat disappointed that every article I read about this says the murder takes place in WWII France – it does not – the murder takes place in 2018 France):
For more information on Manda Scott and her books, visit her webpage – it’s pretty awesome:
Overdue Books 