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kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Title: The Paris Agent
Author: Kelly Rimmer
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: July 11, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Courageous • Fresh •
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Twenty-five years after the end of the war, Noah Ainsworth is still preoccupied with those perilous, exhilarating years as a British SOE operative in France. A head injury sustained on his final operation has caused frustrating gaps in his memories --in particular about the agent who saved his life during that mission gone wrong, whose real name he never knew, nor whether she even survived the war. Moved by her father's frustration, Noah's daughter Charlotte begins a search for answers that resurrects the stories of Chloe and Fleur, the code names for two otherwise ordinary women whose lives intersect in 1943 when they're called up by the SOE for deployment in France. Taking enormous risks to support the allied troops with very little information or resources, the women have no idea they're at the mercy of a double agent among them who's causing chaos within the French circuits, whose efforts will affect the outcome of their lives...and the war.
But as Charlotte's search for answers bears fruit, overlooked clues come to light about the identity of the double agent--with unsettling hints pointing close to home--and more mysteries are unearthed from the dangerous, dramatic last days of the war that lead to Chloe and Fleur's eventual fates.
💭 T H O U G H T S
After absolutely loving The German Wife, Kelly Rimmer's 2023 release The Paris Agent was a no brainer to add to my most anticipated releases of the year. I even ended up choosing it as my July release for my personal book of the month project.
I appreciate Rimmer continuing to shed light on women's involvement during the war years, this time choosing to focus on the SOE, through fictionalized stories. There's power in learning about aspects of WWII I know little about through books. The author certainly does her homework, and I really liked how this one had a focus on the lingering effects of war and war secrets.
Typically, dual timelines/dual POVs are among my favourite historical fiction reads, however, this one caused some issues for me. There are enough characters to keep track of, but I think it was the fact there are code names that made me struggle. Several times I had to go back and connect the dots, which simply disrupted the flow of everything. Additionally, I was expecting a little more of an emotional punch than what I was served.
A solid story, but definitely not my favourite from this author. The story was intriguing, there was just a little lacking when it came to the character execution. I do look forward to checking out more of her backlist, and awaiting what she writes next, as she'll continue to be a favourite author of mine.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of dual timeline historical fiction
• readers wanting to learn about the SOE
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Some things are easier to forget than to confront."
"You will not bring any one of your loved ones back for even a moment by refusing to live your own life."
Author: Kelly Rimmer
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: July 11, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Courageous • Fresh •
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Twenty-five years after the end of the war, Noah Ainsworth is still preoccupied with those perilous, exhilarating years as a British SOE operative in France. A head injury sustained on his final operation has caused frustrating gaps in his memories --in particular about the agent who saved his life during that mission gone wrong, whose real name he never knew, nor whether she even survived the war. Moved by her father's frustration, Noah's daughter Charlotte begins a search for answers that resurrects the stories of Chloe and Fleur, the code names for two otherwise ordinary women whose lives intersect in 1943 when they're called up by the SOE for deployment in France. Taking enormous risks to support the allied troops with very little information or resources, the women have no idea they're at the mercy of a double agent among them who's causing chaos within the French circuits, whose efforts will affect the outcome of their lives...and the war.
But as Charlotte's search for answers bears fruit, overlooked clues come to light about the identity of the double agent--with unsettling hints pointing close to home--and more mysteries are unearthed from the dangerous, dramatic last days of the war that lead to Chloe and Fleur's eventual fates.
💭 T H O U G H T S
After absolutely loving The German Wife, Kelly Rimmer's 2023 release The Paris Agent was a no brainer to add to my most anticipated releases of the year. I even ended up choosing it as my July release for my personal book of the month project.
I appreciate Rimmer continuing to shed light on women's involvement during the war years, this time choosing to focus on the SOE, through fictionalized stories. There's power in learning about aspects of WWII I know little about through books. The author certainly does her homework, and I really liked how this one had a focus on the lingering effects of war and war secrets.
Typically, dual timelines/dual POVs are among my favourite historical fiction reads, however, this one caused some issues for me. There are enough characters to keep track of, but I think it was the fact there are code names that made me struggle. Several times I had to go back and connect the dots, which simply disrupted the flow of everything. Additionally, I was expecting a little more of an emotional punch than what I was served.
A solid story, but definitely not my favourite from this author. The story was intriguing, there was just a little lacking when it came to the character execution. I do look forward to checking out more of her backlist, and awaiting what she writes next, as she'll continue to be a favourite author of mine.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of dual timeline historical fiction
• readers wanting to learn about the SOE
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"Some things are easier to forget than to confront."
"You will not bring any one of your loved ones back for even a moment by refusing to live your own life."
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Medical trauma, Torture, Physical abuse, Confinement, and Death
Minor: Suicide, Car accident, and Infertility
death of partner
More...