In Farleigh Field

by Rhys Bowen

Overview

"Instantly absorbing, suspenseful, romantic, and stylish—like binge-watching a great British drama on Masterpiece Theater." —Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author

Winner of the Left Coast Crime Award winner for Best Historical Mystery Novel and the Agatha Award for Best Historical Novel.

World War II comes to Farleigh Place, the ancestral home of Lord Westerham and his five daughters, when a soldier with a failed parachute falls to his death on the estate. After his uniform and possessions raise suspicions, MI5 operative and family friend Ben Cresswell is covertly tasked with determining if the man is a German spy. The assignment also offers Ben the chance to be near Lord Westerham's middle daughter, Pamela, whom he furtively loves. But Pamela has her own secret: she has taken a job at Bletchley Park, the British code-breaking facility.

As Ben follows a trail of spies and traitors, which may include another member of Pamela's family, he discovers that some within the realm have an appalling, history-altering agenda. Can he, with Pamela's help, stop them before England falls?

Inspired by the events and people of World War II, writer Rhys Bowen crafts a sweeping and riveting saga of class, family, love, and betrayal.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781503941359
Publisher:	Amazon Publishing
Publication date:	03/01/2017
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	396
Sales rank:	154,005
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Rhys Bowen is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty mystery novels. Her work includes the Molly Murphy mysteries, set in 1900s New York City, and the lighter Royal Spyness novels, featuring a minor royal in 1930s England. She also wrote the Constable Evans mysteries, about a police constable in contemporary Wales.

Bowen's work has won fourteen honors to date, including multiple Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. Her books have been translated into many languages, and she has fans around the world, including twelve thousand Facebook followers. A transplanted Brit, Bowen divides her time between California and Arizona.

Editorial Reviews

"…well-crafted, thoroughly entertaining thriller…a game of spy versus spy, and with every twist and turn, the reader is unsure whom to trust." —Publishers Weekly

"The skills Bowen brings to her several mystery series, including Molly Murphy and Royal Spyness, inform the plotting in this character-rich tale, which will be welcomed by her fans as well as by readers who enjoy fiction about the British home front." —Booklist

"In what could easily become a PBS show of its own, Bowen's novel winningly details a World War II spy game. It features an English aristocrat's daughter who works at London's top-secret home of code breakers, Bletchley Park, and a number of others with high-stakes plots and plans." —Library Journal

"Suspenseful and thrilling, with some espionage too, this novel will keep readers deeply involved until the end." —Portland Book Review

"In Farleigh Field delivers the same entertainment mixed with intellectual intrigue and realistic setting for which Bowen has earned awards and loyal fans." —New York Journal of Books

"Well-plotted and thoroughly entertaining…With characters who are so fully fleshed out, you can imagine meeting them on the street…" —Historical Novel Society

"This story of war, love, and mystery is extremely suspenseful... both realistic and believable. Through the character's eyes, readers will be drawn into the era and begin to understand the sacrifices and hardships placed on English society." —Crimespree Magazine

"A thrill a minute…highly recommend." —Night Owl Reviews, Top Pick

"Riveting…" —Military Press

"Instantly absorbing, suspenseful, romantic and stylish - like binge-watching a great British drama on Masterpiece Theater." —Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author

"In Farleigh Field is brilliant. The plotting is razor sharp and ingenious, the setting in World War Two Britain is so tangible it's eerie. The depth and breadth of character is astonishing. They're likeable and repulsive and warm and stand-offish. And oh, so human. And so relatable. All this would be enough to propel In Farleigh Field to the top of your favourites list, but what truly distinguishes this book, indeed all her books, is the quality of writing. Rhys Bowen is one of the very best fiction writers of the day. With a deep understanding of the wounded human heart, and an uncanny ability to capture the quiet emotions and the grand scale of war, she rises above her contemporaries. This is magnificently written and a must read." —Louise Penny, New York Times bestselling author

"Irresistible, charming and heartbreakingly authentic. Rhys Bowen's knowing voice transports Downton fans into a unputdownable family saga…a compelling journey through history, loss, honor and love. When war gets personal, every heart is in peril." —Hank Phillippi Ryan, author of Say No More

From the Publisher

11/21/2016
Set in England during the early years of WWII, this well-crafted, thoroughly entertaining thriller from Agatha Award–winner Bowen (Crowned and Dangerous and nine other Royal Spyness mysteries) follows the lives of three childhood friends: RAF flying ace Jeremy Prescott, a city financier’s son; Lady Pamela Sutton, the Earl of Westerham’s third daughter, who works for a mysterious government department; and Ben Cresswell, a vicar’s son, who, due to an accident, is deemed unfit for military duty and is recruited into a British intelligence unit. Glimpses of their initially carefree youth contrast with how the war gradually shapes their characters. The gripping action shifts among Farleigh Place (the Sutton family’s stately home in Kent), London, and various hush-hush locations. Soon it’s a game of spy versus spy, and with every twist and turn, the reader is unsure whom to trust. Agent: Meg Ruley, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly