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Title details for The Scent of Secrets by Jane Thynne - Available

The Scent of Secrets

A Novel

by Jane Thynne
ebook
2 of 2 copies available
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Set in Europe, in 1938, during the tense run-up to war, and perfect for fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Charles Todd, Robert Harris, and Susan Elia MacNeal, this gripping historical novel features the half-British, half-German actress (and wholly covert spy) Clara Vine, who finds herself enmeshed in a dangerous game of subterfuge.
 
The colorful, lively streets of Paris come as a welcome relief to Clara Vine after the dour countenance of Berlin, where bunkers and bomb shelters are being dug, soldiers march the streets in their high boots, and Jewish residents rush to make it home before curfew. Though Clara is in Paris to make a film, her true work is never far from her mind. Approached by a British intelligence officer, Clara is initially confounded by his request: Get close to Eva Braun and glean as much as she can about the Führer’s plans and intentions. Clara has already established friendships with several high-ranking Nazi wives, but Eva Braun is another matter altogether. Hitler keeps his “secret” girlfriend obsessively hidden, fiercely guarding their relationship as well as Eva’s delicate psychological state. From the gilded halls of the decadent City of Light to the cobbled, quaint streets of Munich, and even to the chilling, rarefied air of the Berghof, Hitler’s private mountaintop retreat, Clara flirts with discovery at every turn—and a dangerous, devious plot unfolds.
Previously published in the U.K. as A War of Flowers
 
“A brilliant tale of spies and secrets, of intense psychological drama, of edgy climax and one extraordinary heroine.”—Beatriz Williams, New York Times bestselling author of A Hundred Summers
 
“A compelling story of love and betrayal in Hitler’s Berlin . . . Peppered with real-life characters, this series offers a fascinating glimpse of the extraordinary world of the Nazi wives.”—Daisy Goodwin, author of The American Heiress
 
“An alluring blend of thrills, suspense, historic detail, and seduction.”—Susan Elia MacNeal, author of the Maggie Hope series
 
“An extraordinary, absorbing read with an array of characters so real you’re there with them as war looms, and a pace that sweeps you from page to page. This is indeed a winner!”—Charles Todd, author of Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries
 
Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more.

  • Creators

  • Series

    Clara Vine

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    September 15, 2015

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9780553393910
      • File size: 1716 KB

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9780553393910
      • File size: 1865 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Kirkus

      July 15, 2015
      An Anglo-German actress leads a dangerous life in prewar Germany. Paris, 1938. Clara Vine, who's just finished shooting a film, takes a day to enjoy herself away from the constant tension of life in Nazi Germany. The daughter of a pro-Nazi English aristocrat and a German mother, Clara has chosen to develop her acting career in Germany. But everything she does is a lie, since she's a spy for the British who carries false papers that have erased her Jewish grandmother from her pedigree. Now she continues to play a dangerous game in Germany, where the Jews are more openly persecuted than ever and every citizen lives in fear. A German diplomat Clara meets in Paris, who at first seems a potential lover, approaches her for help in a plot to kill Hitler. Clara's been asked by her handlers to become friends with Hitler's girlfriend, movie fan Eva Braun, in order to steal her diary, which may provide insights into Hitler's plans. She uses an interview for a film role in Munich as an excuse to meet Eva, who's so delighted that she makes a special perfume for Clara, but Clara has no luck finding the diary. As the drums of war beat louder, she grows ever more fearful. Continuing her search for the diary, she knows that she's being followed but not by which of the many organizations competing for Hitler's favor. The first in a planned trilogy, which leaves many loose ends Thynne will doubtless explore in the sequel, paints a horrifying portrait of the madness that was Hitler's Germany from the viewpoint of women, who are mostly relegated to the kitchen and the bedroom.

      COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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