Blog Tour for The Secret Pianist by Andie Newton

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Secret Pianist

Sisters. Traitors. Spies.

When a British RAF Whitley plane comes under fire over the French coast and is forced to drop their cargo, a spy messenger pigeon finds its way into unlikely hands…

The occupation has taken much from the Cotillard sisters, and as the Germans increase their forces in the seaside town of Boulogne-sur-Mer, Gabriella, Martine and Simone can’t escape the feeling that the walls are closing in.

Yet, just as they should be trying to stay under the radar, Martine’s discovery of a British messenger pigeon leads them down a new and dangerous path. Gaby would do anything to protect her sisters but when the pianist is forced to teach the step-daughter of a German Commandant, and the town accuses the Cotillards of becoming ‘Bad French’ and in allegiance with the enemy, she realizes they have to take the opportunity to fight back that has been handed to them.

Now, as the sisters’ secrets wing their way to an unknown contact in London, Gaby, Martine and Simone have to wonder – have they opened a lifeline, or sealed their fate?

Readers can’t get enough of USA Today bestselling author Andie Newton:

‘A brilliant tale of resistance, sisterhood and dangerous secrets. Andie Newton is a master storyteller!’ Sara Ackerman, USA Today bestselling author of The Codebreaker’s Secret

‘If you believe every WW2 story has already been told, think again. This one is special.’ Paulette Kennedy, bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain

MY THOUGHTS

The Secret Pianist is historical fiction at its finest. Sisters Gaby, Martine and Simone Cotillard live in northern France. After their aunt passed away, they continue to live in her house and run her seamstress shop as they are accomplished seamstresses themselves.

When we think of war animals we think of horses and dogs, this one involves carrier spy pigeons. A common enough thing used during the war; the pigeons were trained to carry secret messages to a set destination. One of the sisters finds a British messenger pigeon that had dropped from a plane involved in Operation Columbia. She and her sisters decide the keep the pigeon and use it to send messages back to London.

The book had so many twists and turns I hadn’t seen coming. When there is a terrific hardship such as this neighbors turn on neighbors. Who can you trust, who is ready to turn you in to the Germans.

Each sister has a backstory and plays an important role in the story Gabriella is an accomplished pianist and has been made to give piano lessons to the Commandant’s stepdaughter, which of course gets the neighbor’s tongues wagging.

The book is so detailed, I could vividly picture all that was going on. Some surprising things happened that I wouldn’t have expected. Well-developed characters, I could feel my heart beating faster as I read. Tension, tenacity, suspense and a slight bit of romance. Based on true occurrences and well researched.

Excellent book, I wish I could give it more than 5 stars. I’m on the hunt for more books by this author.

Pub Date 12 Jan 2024
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Purchase Links

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/47WCr2t

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3SEGjzL

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3Esf2Iy

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Author Bio –

Author Bio: Andie Newton is the USA Today bestselling author of A Child for the Reich, The Girls from the Beach, The Girl from Vichy, and The Girl I Left Behind. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her family. When she’s not writing gritty war stories about women, you can usually find her trail-running in the desert and stopping to pet every Yellow Lab or Golden Retriever that crosses her path. Andie is actively involved with the reading and writing community on social media. You can follow her on X (Twitter) @andienewton and Instagram, or check out her author page on Facebook.

Social Media Links –

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