An unforgettable novel of England’s Civil War, from the bestselling author of The Last Hours and The Turn of Midnight.
Dorset, 1642. When bloody civil war breaks out between the King and Parliament, families and communities across England are riven by different allegiances. A rare few choose neutrality. One such is Jayne Swift, a Dorset physician from a Royalist family, who offers her services to both sides in the conflict. Through her dedication to treating the sick and wounded, regardless of belief, Jayne becomes a witness to the brutality of war and the devastation it wreaks.
Yet her recurring companion at every event is a man she should despise because he embraces civil war as the means to an end. She knows him as William Harrier but is ignorant about every other aspect of his life. His past is a mystery and his future uncertain.
Minette Walters was one of the world’s most successful crime novelists before she decided to try her hand at historical fiction with the release of The Last Hours and its sequel, The Turn of Midnight. The results were marvellous, winning Walters a slew of new readers. Now she’s back with a sweeping new historical novel, this time taking place in the 17th century during the English Civil War.
The novel is split into several parts, each covering a significant incident during this period, beginning with the outbreak of war in 1642 and moving right through to 1649 when King Charles I was tried and executed for treason. Through dazzling prose and meticulous research, Walters vividly reimagines this turbulent period in British history when friends turned on friends and brothers fought against brothers.
At the centre of the story sits protagonist Jane Swift, an intelligent, brave, and fiercely independent woman who defies society’s expectations by working as a physician. With her determination to heal anyone, no matter their loyalties or class, and her firm sense of right and wrong, Jane becomes a well-respected physician who finds herself in the thick of the action. Over the course of the novel, she crosses paths with several historical figures such as Prince Maurice of the Palatinate and Oliver Cromwell. William, too, makes for a captivating and enigmatic lead whose various encounters with Jane throughout the novel make for some entertaining storytelling.
Richly imagined and brilliantly paced, The Swift and the Harrier is yet another incredible work of historical fiction from Walters, securing her a position at the top of this genre.
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