In Farleigh Field: A Novel of World War II

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. [em]Agent: Meg Ruley, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Mar.) [/em]