My Thoughts

When I saw a new Kate Furnivall book, the rush was on ... where do I sign up? This author is a certain ‘go to’ as she just never fails to deliver. In this particular story, Kate has created an entertaining, intriguing and gripping story that I enjoyed from beginning to end. Packed full of details about the time preceding World War 2 and the rise of fascism in Europe, made this a gripping and intelligent read.

We begin in 1930, Paris, where a traumatic incident occurs, involving the twins, which has tragic consequences. Fast forward to 1938 just before WWII when Adolf Hitler and his party are on the the road to war. Here unfolds a time of tumultuous confusion as events from the past keep coming back to haunt the sisters. This book will keep you guessing until the very end - so much intrigue, romance and ,yes betrayal, will see you furiously racing through pages to see how it all unfolds.

Furnivall is a master story teller. This is a book full of action with just enough romantic suspense thrown into the mix. You will love the dual narrative between the sisters, particularly Romy and her attempts to make good over perceived actions from eight years ago that she cannot fully remember. Furnivall’s descriptions of pre war Paris were real and insightful. Her research into aircraft and assistance to Spain, flawless - it reads as if you were on a mission with Romy.

The characters here - both primary and secondary - are brilliant! The twin sisters demonstrate such strength and resilience. The array of secondary characters exhibit a real depth of realism from those you cheer for, to those you are afraid of. This is a book about secrets and their impact in the form of lies and treachery. Yet through it all, there is this sense of strength and love - for sibling, for partners, for cause.

“The strong black lines of truth stand out. The lines are the scaffolding of life. They are made up of love. And hate. Love of someone. Of a cause. Of justice. Of self. Hate of someone. Of a cause. Of justice. Of self.”

From the very beginning, Furnivall will hit you with the impact of a certain event, and until the very end you will be engaged. Unusual for the heart of the story to be revealed in a prologue, but oh so clever, as the story then gradually unfolds of how this event affects the sister’s - love, guilt, intrigue, loyalty, murder.....

“I am afraid. Afraid of myself. Afraid of what is inside me. I am alone in a closed room with my dead father and I know I have murdered him.”

I cannot praise this book highly enough - a brilliant read, detailing the uncertainty of what lay ahead with the onset of WWII. ‘The Betrayal’ had me turning the pages so eager to find out what lay in store, especially for these sisters who shared such secrets and such love. Here is escapism at it’s finest - riveting storyline with plenty of punch in the plots. Please do yourself a favour and spend some time in pre-war France with these unforgettable characters.

‘I know you are a pain in the arse, hell bent on destroying yourself. The best damn flier I know, with enough courage for a whole squadron of fliers. With a generous heart and a frantic determination to drown yourself in a bottle. I don’t know what the hell happened to you in the past, Romaine, or what makes you push people away to stop anyone getting close.’


This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release

The dogs of war are on the horizon as twin sisters, Romaine (Romy) and Florence DuChamps find themselves caught up in a game of espionage that is being played on the streets of Paris. Both sisters have secrets from each other, from their friends and from the political and social circles they keep.
The story commences with a younger Romy standing in the study and covered with her father’s blood. Trying to reason what has occurred, has she murdered her father or has something else happened? She has no memory of what has happened. Florence comes to the rescue and concocts a story that will save Romy from the guillotine. This singular significant event snakes its way through the lives of the two sisters and creates a crescendo of events that influences their entire lives.
Furnivall has taken an interesting period of history to set the novel in. As you have groups of people, all wary another war is coming and desperately trying to position themselves on what they believe is the right side of argument. It is pickings as you have a numerous characters both real and fictional in which to assist both sisters traverse through this period of history.
Romy is the central character, she is flawed and complexed. Struggling to come to terms with the death of her father, she fears to sleep, as the nightmares will return. She is on a path of destruction by regularly drinking herself into a stupor, gambling and taking inordinate risks as a pilot. Her involvement in flying to Spain to assist the rebels brings her to the attention of Nazi officials and places her life in peril.
Florence is a success, married and with a young daughter, her life on the surface is seemingly perfect. She worries about Romy’s behaviour and dotes on her husband and child. Florence supports her husband’s involvement with the Nazi’s believing it will provide a more secure future for France. Yet as the story progresses, you learn that Florence is far more complicated and mired in secrets.
Having both sisters diametrically opposed in political beliefs but linked by a strong familial bond creates great tension.
The amount of subterfuge between characters is just glorious. Each character has their own personal and political agenda and sometimes they clash. The tension between characters is skilfully captured on the pages. It is a gripping read and you are deftly drawn into Romy and Florence’s world.
I had not read any of Kate Furnivall’s work before and this was a great introduction. Her writing is crisp, the pacing is superb and it is a wonderful read.

Some of these fabulous characters will stay with me long after this read. Here’s to bold women!

This review will appear on the link below approx 22nd October

When twin sisters Florence and Romaine were seventeen years old their father was killed under horrific circumstances. Eight years later, a tortured Romy flew small Tiger Moth aircraft from Paris, delivering parcels and people to the places they needed to go. And Florence was married to Roland with a six-year-old daughter, Chloe.

War was on the horizon while Hitler was causing great divisions in the people of Germany and France. But Florence and Romy both had secrets to hide; terrible secrets that pulled them apart from each other in more ways than one. Romy courted danger on a daily basis, feeling she had nothing to lose and Florence kept her husband happy, but not herself…

As the Germans threatened everything France had strived for, Romy knew she needed to go underground to protect what she held dear, including her niece Chloe. But trouble was closer than she knew – was her courage enough to combat the danger that hovered day and night? Would her fears become truth?

The Betrayal by Kate Furnivall is an excellent tale of sisters and the deep love and bond they share; of the ease in which trust and loyalty is shattered and of betrayal of the worst kind. I thoroughly enjoyed the setting of Paris and the timeframe of a war that was closing in. Another excellent historical fiction novel from this author, The Betrayal is one I highly recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my digital copy to read and review.

This book was amazing! I've never read anything by Kate Furnivall before but after finishing THE BETREYAL I can't wait to read all her other books!

Thanks Simon & Schuster (Australia) and netgalley for this ARC.

I loved the fast pace and high adrenaline charged danger in this novel. You will not be able to put this down until you finish in one sitting. I think this is my favorite novel from Kate Furnivall.