Two otherwise ordinary women become female spies in WWII France in this sweeping new novel of historical suspense by New York Times bestselling author Kelly Rimmer.
1970’S England. Twenty-five years after the end of the war, ageing British SOE operative Noah Ainsworth is reflecting on the secret agent who saved his life when a mission went wrong during his perilous, exhilarating years in occupied France. He never knew her real name, nor whether she survived the war.
His daughter Charlotte begins a search for answers. What follows is the story of Fleur and Chloe, two otherwise ordinary women who in 1943 are called up by the SOE for deployment in France. Taking enormous risks with very little information or resources, the women have no idea they’re at the mercy of a double agent within their ranks who’s causing chaos.
As Charlotte’s search for answers continues, new suspicions are raised about the identity of the double agent, with unsettling clues pointing to her father.
From the bestselling Australian author of The Warsaw Orphan, this emotionally compelling novel is inspired by real-life female WWII agents Violette Szabo, Diana Rowden whose incredible stories have never before been told.
Once again, Kelly Rimmer takes readers on a gripping journey, one that threads the lives of two remarkable women into the fabric of history, unveiling the power of courage, family and the indelible mark left by the darkest era of human conflict.
No one writes historical fiction quite like Rimmer. I can’t help but wonder if this is because the level of research Rimmer dives into is extraordinary. In this, she has delivered another tale that’s spine-tinglingly realistic and will break your heart and steal your breath.
Rimmer’s use of first person narration for each of her characters over two major times feels both honest and authentic. Rimmer seamlessly marries her meticulous research with prose that’s immediate and relatable. What continues to haunt me is that although this is a work of fiction, it’s inspired by real life Special Operations Executives (SOE).
The courage and conviction of these women is channeled through The Paris Agent’s leads. As Noah laments, ‘The only reason the war ended is because women like these stepped up’. Their hopes and fears are heartbreakingly relatable.
Rimmer has cleverly interwoven this compelling tale with a search for truth set in England in the 1970’s as Charlotte, in a bid to aid her grieving father, lifts the lid on the Pandora’s box of the past. It’s a powerful read with a climax so brilliantly intense it will remain with you. The Paris Agent is a superb meditation on courage. I thoroughly recommend it.
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