Completely Captivating: Read a Review of The Whisperer’s War by Jackie French

Claverton Castle, 1940. Eagles and Spitfires fly in the skies of England as Lady Deanna, the aristocratic granddaughter of the Duke of Claverton, spends her days shovelling manure and her evenings in blue satin, attending dinner parties to gather intelligence from the many Nazi sympathisers among Britain’s powerful upper classes. She is an excellent spy: the information she gleans may prove vital in the months ahead. But when she becomes enmeshed in the German plot to restore the Duke of Windsor to the throne of England and ensure an alliance with Hitler, she must feign cooperation and risk her life for the sake of her country.

As war devastates Europe, ‘Lady Dee’ must solve other mysteries, too. Why do the three orphaned children she has taken into her home and grown to love refuse to reveal their identity? What reason can British Intelligence have to warn her away from Sam Murray, a decorated Australian pilot and the only man she feels she could ever marry? Is the wounded soldier who stumbles along the secret caves below her home truly the missing Duke of Claverton?

Jackie French, is an Australian author who has written across several genres for both adults and children. Her most notable works include Rain Stones, Diary of a Wombat, The Girl from Snowy River and Hitler’s Daughter.

I personally consider Jackie French the queen of historical fiction, and let me tell you, she did not disappoint with The Whisperer’s War. Her latest masterpiece comes filled with conflicts between love and duty, combined with royal betrayals.

From the very first chapters I was pulled into this book, and immersed into the wartime atmosphere through the vivid and character-driven storytelling by French. My personal favourite historical fiction books are those set in World War II, so I was delighted to be taken to England in 1940. This delight only grew with the main protagonist, Lady Dee, becoming a spy and dining with Nazi sympathisers to gather intelligence. Whilst reading this, I was constantly on the edge of my seat as Lady Dee risks her life for her country.

The tension escalates as she becomes caught up in a dangerous plot to restore the Duke of Windsor to the throne and form an alliance with Hitler, all while pretending to cooperate. As the story progresses, the suspense intensifies, and I was absolutely hooked until the final page. Moreover, the secondary characters add even more depth to the intrigue. Alongside her espionage work, Lady Dee must navigate personal dilemmas involving the orphaned children she’s taken in and a forbidden romance with Sam Murray, an Australian pilot. As the mysteries intensify surrounding these characters, I could not put the book down as I had to find out who these characters really were!

I highly recommend reading The Whisperer’s War, as French does a masterful job of incorporating historical details about World War II, blending them with the personal drama of her characters to create a narrative that feels both historically grounded and emotionally resonant. She richly conveys the tragic realities of war, through the creation of emotionally deep characters who grapple with loss, betrayal and sacrifice. The Whisperer’s War is made all the more special by the addition of recipes, jokes, song lyrics and more at the beginning of each chapter. I could not recommend this book more!

Buy a copy of The Whisperer’s War here.