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nonna7 's review for:
The Secret Guests
by Benjamin Black
This book started out a little slow, but it soons builds momentum. London is undergoing The Blitz. It's early in WW2 and the royal family wants their daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret, out of harm's way. So they work out a deal with an Anglo Irish Duke to have them stay at his somewhat moldy old estate using assumed names. They are known as Ellen and Mary but it soon is obvious to many members of the staff who they really are. The book spends a lot of time talking about Ellen/Elizabeth and her proper behavior which annoys her younger sister, Margaret/Mary. Celia Nash has joined the MI5 looking for adventure. She's not happy with the assignment as posing as the girls' governess. Strafford is a Protestant living in the relatively new Irish Republic who is unsure of his own role in the new Irish Republic and the Garda, the Irish Police Force.
Most of the book goes along slowly until Margaret/Mary spills the beans as to who she really is and Tom Clancy, aka the Boss, who fancies himself as an Irish Republic fighter, event though those days are behind him. He fancies himself as a member of the movement to unit the remaining six counties that are still part of Northern Ireland and under British control.
All of the action is at the end when thugs from Northern Ireland come with the plan to kidnap the princesses and hold them captive. This was an interesting and fun book to read. Benjamin Black aka John Banville says that he has been told that the princesses did, indeed, spend some time in Ireland. It's an interesting and fun yarn but it has it's dark moments as well.
Most of the book goes along slowly until Margaret/Mary spills the beans as to who she really is and Tom Clancy, aka the Boss, who fancies himself as an Irish Republic fighter, event though those days are behind him. He fancies himself as a member of the movement to unit the remaining six counties that are still part of Northern Ireland and under British control.
All of the action is at the end when thugs from Northern Ireland come with the plan to kidnap the princesses and hold them captive. This was an interesting and fun book to read. Benjamin Black aka John Banville says that he has been told that the princesses did, indeed, spend some time in Ireland. It's an interesting and fun yarn but it has it's dark moments as well.