The War Widow
A Novel
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4.0 • 11 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
The war
may be officially over, but journalist Billie Walker’s search for a missing
young German immigrant plunges her right back into the danger and drama she
thought she’d left behind in Europe. A thrilling tale of courage and secrets
set in glamorous post-war Sydney.
Sydney, Australia,
1946. Though war correspondent Billie Walker is happy to finally be home, the
heady post-war days are tarnished by the death of her father and the disappearance
in Europe of her husband, Jack. To make matters worse, now that the war is
over, the newspapers are sidelining her reporting talents to prioritize jobs
for returning soldiers. But Billie is a survivor and she’s determined to take
control of her own future. She reopens her late father’s business, a private
investigation agency, and slowly, the women of Sydney come knocking.
At first,
Billie’s bread and butter is tailing cheating husbands. Then a young man, the
son of European immigrants, goes missing, and Billie finds herself on a
dangerous new trail that will lead to the highest levels of Sydney society as
well as the city’s underworld. What is the young man’s connection to an
exclusive dance club and a high-class auction house? When the people she questions
start to turn up dead, Billie is thrown into the path of Detective Inspector
Hank Cooper. Will he take her seriously or just get in her way?
As the
danger mounts and Billie realizes how much is at stake, it becomes clear that although
the war was won, it is far from over.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in 1946, this spirted series launch from Canadian-Australian author Moss (the Makedde Vanderwall books) introduces Billie Walker, a former war correspondent who reopens her dead father's private inquiry firm after the Sydney newspapers she works for sideline her. When German immigrant Netanya Brown hires Billie to find her 17-year-old son, Adin, Billie assumes the boy is off with friends or a secret lover; then she discovers that before Adin disappeared, he'd been nosing around an exclusive night club and expressed uncharacteristic interest in a high-end auction. After a potential source is murdered and an encounter with the cops suggests they're on the take, Billie is forced to admit that she's dealing with something much larger than a simple missing persons case. Meanwhile, a young Wiradjuri woman asks Billie to investigate a foreigner suspected of mistreating his Aboriginal employees. Rich period detail and a fierce, feminist heroine distinguish this stylish twist on the classic 1940s detective novel. Moss's thoughtful, socially conscious plotting largely compensates for the contrived conclusion. Fans of Phryne Fisher will eagerly anticipate Billie's next adventure.
Customer Reviews
The war widow
Good writing, great characters, a bit over the top heroine, but very satisfactory and cathartic, nevertheless.