M. W. Arnold is the author of four novels. A Wing and a Prayer was published in 2020 and is the first book in his Broken Wings series. It is the 77th book I completed reading in 2023.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! I categorize this novel as PG. The novel is a ‘cozy mystery’ with a large helping of romance set in WWII England.

It is mid-summer of 1942. Four young women pilots have come together in the British ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary). The women come from very different backgrounds. Doris Winter is a wealthy American who has come to England to contribute what she can. Penny Blake, Mary Whitworth-Baines, and Betty Palmer are all Brits.

Eleanor Blake had died the previous August when the Tiger Moth she was flying crashed. Eleanor had been Penny’s twin sister, and she feels that the crash was under suspicious circumstances. When the other three learn of Eleanor’s death, they vow to help Penny find the truth.

The young women struggle to complete their assigned flying duties while investigating Eleanor’s death. They must deal with draft dodgers and black market criminals along the way.

I enjoyed the 8.5+ hours I spent reading this 290-page WWII-era historical fiction mystery novel. The book was slow, though categorized as a ‘cozy mystery’ I shouldn’t have expected more. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 3 out of 5.

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Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the chance to read this book.

I had not read anything by this author before. The copy I had was obviously an American version and once I got past the spelling differences I found it an enjoyable read.

It was a mixture of historical fiction set in WW2 and concerning the the ladies ATA delivering planes to the RAF also in the mix was a Special Branch officer posing as a 'taxi pilot' for the ATA girls, a murder, Black Market, conscription dodging and conspiracy.
However I found that the book didnt flow very well. Characters had little depth and events that happened in the beginning were never mentioned again.
I was forced to do my own research at one point as often characters were referred to as 'Ms' and I had thought (mistakenly) that this was a modern way of referring to women that were neither 'Mrs' or 'Miss'.

Having said that I can't say that the book was not enjoyable but I felt little need to look out for the next book in the series.

Again thanks to all that allowed me to read and review this book

A Wing and a Prayer is an entertaining and well written historical mystery. Good plot, setting and character dynamics. I received an arc from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

WWII fiction meets Agatha Christie in A Wing and a Prayer by M W Arnold. An electric group of ladies with varied pasts meet while serving with the ATA in England during WWII. When they find out Betty's sister died under mysterious circumstances, the girls work to find her killer. With the help of the local newspaper woman, her cub reporter and dog, the girls uncover not only a murder but a black market enterprise.

I was allowed to read this on #netgalley. It has recently been released.

I guess I expected a book about ww2 female pilots. But it was more a mystery book for me. And that is not my cup of tea. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

I thought this was going to be more about women serving as pilots during WWII. And, there is information about this. I did enjoy the historical aspect of reading about woman pilots. I did not realize there was going to be a mysterious death element thrown in. That came as a very interesting twist to the story line.
The story is about three woman that come together as pilots, strangers that soon become very good friends. Doris, Penny and Doris are very different in their upbringing and personalities. Yet they become fast friends. When they discover the mysterious death of their landlady’s sister in a plane crash, they band together to find out what had happened. Mystery and intrigue follow them on their journey to get answers.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

The debut novel of M.W. Arnold and it is a mix of historical romance and a murder mystery. It follows the story of several woman from different backgrounds working on a airbase during WWII.

I love reading novels were I learn something new. I liked the characters and how they became friends and their interactions. It made me laugh. And a cute and smart dog, is always a bonus.

And there was a murder mystery, which was well executed.