Publisher: 28th June 2023 by Hachette Australia
Pages: 322 pages
Genre: historical fiction, mystery, WWII
Rating: 5 cups
Synopsis:
Two otherwise ordinary women become spies in WWII France in this sweeping new novel of historical suspense by New York Times bestselling author Kelly Rimmer
Twenty-five years after the end of the war , ageing British SOE operative Noah Ainsworth is reflecting on the secret agent who saved his life when a mission went wrong during his perilous, exhilarating years in occupied France. He never knew her real name, nor whether she survived the war.
His daughter Charlotte begins a search for answers. What follows is the story of Fleur and Chloe , two otherwise ordinary women who in 1943 are called up by the SOE for deployment in France. Taking enormous risks with very little information or resources, the women have no idea they're at the mercy of a double agent within their ranks who's causing chaos.
As Charlotte's search for answers continues, new suspicions are raised about the identity of the double agent, with unsettling clues pointing to her father.
My Thoughts
Kelly Rimmer continues to deliver and once again she packs an emotional punch with her latest, The Paris Agent. In short, it’s an incredible story that you simply must read that is told through a dual timeline narrative from 1944 during WWII and later in the 1970s.
‘Sometimes in war, impossible calculations needed to be made.’
I was left shaking my head upon turning the final page with the adage, ‘people really couldn’t make this stuff up’ - and they don’t! Upon reading Kelly’s Notes at the end of the book readers are enlightened on what was fact and fiction. It is absolutely distressing to realise that some events of pure evil did in fact happen! Based on the true story of WWII agents Violette Szabo and Diana Rowden (and many others included) readers come to understand (through Kelly’s detailed research) and will find themselves once more overwhelmed by the absolute courage, sacrifice and heartache. It’s nothing but brutal and confronting as Kelly rips your heart out for these characters.
"The only thing I know for sure is that the war ended because women like Josie stepped up."
Kelly’s writing is unsurpassed with the seamless weaving of timelines, fact and fiction and heartrending emotion. What these SOE agents experienced makes you appreciate and send thanks for the sacrifices that make our lives what they are today. Even the more contemporary timeline of the 1970s (often a weaker link) is so strong with the various threads all being wound together from past and present for a worthy conclusion.
‘Hold them in your heart at the end," I said to her softly.
"Even when the world around us goes to hell, we can find peace in our minds.”
A box of tissues should never be far from hand when reading a Kelly Rimmer book. A story about duty and diligence, secrets and lies, betrayal and bravery, tragedy and trauma, loss and love. Kelly’s books never disappoint.
“My mother used to say that even in the worst of times, we must look for ways to do good," she said quietly. "I think I had forgotten until just now. So thank you.”
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
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