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2.94 AVERAGE
2.94 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret are hidden in Ireland during the German bomb raids of London. They are unhappy to be evacuated and the security detail aren’t excited about their assignment until rumblings of an IRA attack come to light.
I realized after I picked this up (because I liked the sound of the premise) that this is actually the first in a series centred on Irish detective Strafford (NOT Stafford). I'm not sure I'll continue with the series, but as a one-off, this was pretty entertaining. It imagines the lives of the young British princesses, Elizabeth and Margaret, as they are whisked to a remote Irish estate to wait out the London Blitz. The official, IRL story is that the girls remained in Britain (though not in London) during the war, but there is some gossip that lends credence to this version of events. Of course, this "safe" haven proves not so safe, as although Ireland was neutral during WWII (which I did not know), there was a lot of politics going on there, which included anger and violence toward the British. So, the somewhat haphazard force tasked with protecting the princesses (named Ellen and Mary for all those not in the know, which are very few by the end of the story) have their hands full with local curiosity seekers, thugs, and more aggressive types from further afield. However, there is a good measure of romance here as well, since these are young girls squirreled away, with their imaginations running rampant. This is a nice depiction, sort of in line with the characters developed in The Crown, so if you like that show (and I do), this will be pleasing. Fun and interesting, with a dash of mystery but not much malice or terror. Right up my alley, in other words.
Enjoyable light read that imagines Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret being secretly evacuated to Ireland during the Second World War. Of course an IRA plot is included and the Margaret and Elizabeth characters are a bit “charactures” of the real personalities.
Interesting fictional story of secreting the princesses out of Buckingham Palace during the WW2 Blitz, but rather much ado about nothing.
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
I was looking forward to reading this fictionalized account of Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret and their decampment to rural Ireland during World War II.
The beginning of the book sets the scene well with Margaret watching the Blitz from her bedroom window at the Palace. I enjoyed the details involved in putting this whole plan into motion. Overall the princesses are pretty one dimensional and secondary to story. Strafford, the young Garda detective is the main character of this story.
The last third of the book seemed very rushed and a bit far fetched. Perhaps those events really happened? But it came across as a made up event in order to have some action in Ireland. It did bring back all the characters from the beginning of the book.
The epilogue was just odd. There were quite a few "pop culture" references (such as Mary Poppins) that seemed jarring and sent me off to research. The references do fit the timeline but they did distract me.
Overall the descriptions are detailed and paint a vivid picture of the characters persona and the environs; however the character development and the plot are less successful which is why I gave this book 3 stars.
*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.*
The beginning of the book sets the scene well with Margaret watching the Blitz from her bedroom window at the Palace. I enjoyed the details involved in putting this whole plan into motion. Overall the princesses are pretty one dimensional and secondary to story. Strafford, the young Garda detective is the main character of this story.
The last third of the book seemed very rushed and a bit far fetched. Perhaps those events really happened? But it came across as a made up event in order to have some action in Ireland. It did bring back all the characters from the beginning of the book.
The epilogue was just odd. There were quite a few "pop culture" references (such as Mary Poppins) that seemed jarring and sent me off to research. The references do fit the timeline but they did distract me.
Overall the descriptions are detailed and paint a vivid picture of the characters persona and the environs; however the character development and the plot are less successful which is why I gave this book 3 stars.
*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.*
The novel was based on the premise that during the blitz, princesses Margaret and Elizabeth were evacuated to an estate in Ireland. Ireland was still experiencing division, and a plot developed to kidnap the girls. The setting and description of the crumbling estate held my interest, but the characters could have been developed more. The book was just okay. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
From the description of the book, I thought I would like it more. It just did not live up to my expectations. I was hoping to hear more about the young girls and didn't really find myself invested in the characters.