In Farleigh Field - by Rhys Bowen (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

...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