1940: When twenty-one-year-old Nita Bineham is offered the chance of independence, away from the high walls of her family’s Surrey estate, she grasps it with both hands. But her new role at a local newspaper coincides with the emergence of a sinister rumour in their quiet village: that there is a traitor in their midst. Nita is determined to prove herself by uncovering the truth, but is she prepared for revelations that could change her life forever?
2008: Following the death of her great aunt, Beth flees London for the privacy of rural Surrey. Within the confines of her family’s dilapidated manor house, she hides from the dual wreckage of her career and her marriage. But when her aunt’s dying words lead her to a stack of old newspaper articles, Beth finds herself drawn into a decades old mystery: about a long-buried secret, and an enemy dangerously close to home.
It’s difficult to relate to Nita and to Beth. Not just because of the time difference, but also because of the socioeconomics of the characters. There have been many WW2 novels written where the women worked because they HAD to, not just because they wanted to. I found the beginning of both characters to be whiny. Nita, in my opinion, grew out of it, but Beth never really did. However, I absolutely did not like Beth’s estranged husband, and felt that everything about him was selfish, even though the author tried to make him not that way. It just felt like “here’s the scenario and he’s a jerk but let me back track and write him nicer in another scene.”
I knew who the spy was the very second it was mentioned. But again, I was focused on Nita’s growth. I liked the parallel with both women working at the Bugle, the Manor home, and grounds. I wish there was a little more of the Wiccan pieces to it, and I would have liked Nita’s secret to have been revealed a bit earlier.
Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.
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