This book was such a good read. It kept me interested and the fact that was set in the war time, made it even informative. I will read more by this author in future.

**Thank you so much to Netgalley for allowing me this opportunity to read arcs in exchange for an honest review**

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me.

A story I won't be forgetting! It read it in one sitting, make sure you have a box of tissues near by!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

When it comes to World War Two historical novels, Suzanne Goldring is in a class of her own and with The Girl Who Never Came Back, she has written an atmospheric, emotional and heart-wrenching tale that continues to cement her position in the genre as one of its very best.

Paris 1945 and Sylvia didn’t hesitate to send Phyllis, one of her brightest recruits, into a city that was crawling with enemy soldiers and sadistic Nazi militia. Phyllis is smart, clever, intelligent and somebody who is more than capable of handling herself. She bewitches every single person she meets and can charm her way out of any difficult situation. But when Phyllis does not return, Sylvia begins to wonder whether the girl’s luck had run out. Naturally, Sylvia is besides herself with worry. She had been the one to convince Phyllis to lie to her family and Sylvia begins to blame herself and imagining the calamities that could have befallen the girl. Determined to find her, Sylvia resolves to leave no stone unturned, but could she be too late? Has Phyllis paid the ultimate price? Or will Sylvia’s determination be strong enough to find the girl safe and sound?

Sylvia’s mission is fraught with danger and jeopardy, but with the promises she made to Phyllis’ family ringing in her ear, she knows that she cannot give up. As Sylvia makes a horrific discovery, it transpires that Phyllis was moved around in secret and just when all hope is lost, she finds a message that gets her closer to finding the missing girl. But somebody is watching Sylvia from the shadows and they don’t want her to find Phyllis. Realising that if she continues with her quest she would be signing her own death warrant, what will Sylvia do next? Will she continue searching for Phyllis? Or will fear for her own life force her to abandon her mission leaving Phyllis at the mercy of whoever took her?

Suzanne Goldring is at the height of her storytelling powers with her latest novel, The Girl Who Never Came Back. Poignant, evocative, atmospheric and heart-breaking, this wonderful tale of courage, friendship, sacrifice and love had me bawling my eyes out as I was completely immersed in Suzanne Goldring’s powerful tale.

Written straight from the heart, The Girl Who Never Came Back is another stellar historical novel from a writer who continues to get better and better with every book she writes: Suzanne Goldring.

An interesting look at the work done by the SOE during WW2, and how they tried to find out what happened to the female agents who never came home. I did find it a little jarring jumping between Sylvia in the past and Peggy in the present, and their different narrative voices. And if I’m honest, I didn’t quite take to the obsession over Phyllis/Simone compared to all the other women, and it was quite unsettling having confident and capable Sylvia in the past, and obsessive about secrets/security Sylvia in the present (which we only read about from Peggy’s point of view).

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was quite different from the other World War Two books I’ve read which is what first attracted me to pick it up. The story follows female spies for the allies as they went into Europe. But when something happens to them, their recruiter goes in search of answers, no matter how long it takes. I really admired the author wanting to highlight the use of female agents by the war office and the allies. It’s not something overly addressed by authors.

However, the backwards and forwards of the past and present became confusing to the overall storyline. Most of the time I found myself wanting to get to the past chapters and I had little interest in the present ones. The inclusion of the manual was such an interesting and unique addition which I loved to see. It definitely made up for the lack of interest I had in the present chapters.

Overall this is a fantastic World War Two historical fiction. If you’re looking for something different within the genre, this is definitely for you. I cannot wait to read more of this author’s work.

In an emotional historical fiction novel, Suzanne Goldring brings some of the tragedy of the Special Operations Executive to life in The Girl Who Never Came Back. Following Sylvia’s quest to uncover the fate of many of her agents, including Phyllis, the youngest female operative sent to France during the war, the reader learns about Sylvia’s quest from her own perspective and fifty years later from another perspective. Sylvia travels across Germany after the end of the war, working with a variety of military agencies and teams to uncover the horrors of the concentration camps and the treatment of SOE operatives by the German forces. The flashbacks and flashforwards highlight Sylvia’s emotional turmoil and how the costs of war haunt the survivors and those in charge of such dangerous operations. Based on the true story of Vera Atkin’s search for agents across Germany, Goldring appropriately highlights the costs and losses of war, as well as the trauma and survivor’s guilt felt by many who made it to V-E Day when their comrades did not. Goldring’s character-driven novel is full of emotion, and the characters and their wartime activities emphasize the scale of women’s contributions to the war effort while also highlighting their wartime grief.

The Girl who Never Came Back is a fascinating story however unfortunately I did struggle with it. I think it was the way Peggy told her part of the story, my mind often started to drift. I found I liked how Sylvie told her part and I did want to find out where the search for her missing girls went, which did keep me reading to the end. An interesting read but not one of my favourites.

I would like to thank Bookouture, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this complimentary copy for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

One aspect that sets this novel apart is its exploration of complex themes such as love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit. Goldring deftly weaves together a narrative that balances the dark aspects of Lily's disappearance with moments of warmth and connection. The emotional depth of this book is astounding, and it left me contemplating the power of forgiveness and the enduring bonds of family.

The pacing of the story is impeccable, keeping me engaged and eager to turn each page. Goldring's prose is lyrical and evocative, painting vivid pictures of the English countryside and the people who inhabit it. Her ability to transport the reader to another time and place is a testament to her skill as a storyteller.

Without giving away any spoilers, I must say that the resolution of the mystery surrounding Lily's disappearance was both satisfying and unexpected. It left me reflecting on the true nature of justice and the capacity for redemption.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you so much!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book for an honest review!

This book grabbed my attention simply with the title and the cover - I wanted to know more! I unfortunately wasn't able to finish this one before the ARC archived so I didn't find out the ending!! !

I was very interested while reading that I have to just buy the book when it comes out to pick up where I left off!

A dual timeline story, set in the 1940s and modern day.

Sylvia is a Secret Intelligence recruiter, who sends girls undercover into WWII France. She becomes increasingly intent on finding out what happened to one of those girls, Phyllis. Peggy is Sylvia's lifelong friend who becomes her carer in the modern day, and she doesn't understand why Sylvia is behaving as she is - Peggy doesn't know what Sylvia did during the war, and the story sees her slowly beginning to discover parts of Sylvia's life that she kept secret. Will Phyllis' story ever be known?

I found the story to be slow moving and long winded, and never really felt as if I got into the book properly. However I loved the relationship between Peggy and Sylvia, and Peggy's developing understanding.

The Girl Who Never Came Back by Suzanne Goldring is a story about the aftereffects of the war and the people who were involved with recruiting people for the war efforts.

Sylvia, an SOE recruitment officer, has died, and Peggy, her companion, is curious about a flower arrangement at her funeral. She is wondering about the secrets that her friend really was hiding. Set during alternate periods, this story is about Sylvia and Phyllis. It's the story of all those girls who served during World War II. Some came back, some never came back, and some were left with guilt. What was Sylvia hiding?

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was enlightening to read about young girls being recruited and trained to join as spies. But it was also sad to see that they were sometimes considered as pawns in the war effort. To never know what happened to them is so heartbreaking. I can't imagine what those families must have gone through in real life. A question that I always have after I read books on World War II is that victory is joyful, but how much sacrifice was needed for that victory?

Thank you, Bookouture, for this book.

CW: World War II crimes

Reading this book was a swing: at first, the story seemed promising then, at some point, the interest dropped. This peak was around 40% of the story which started to recover and from there finishing it was pretty fast. What slowed me down was the storyline which wasn’t what I expected it to be. It took me some time to figure out what the story was because while I was reading I had the impression to go in another direction.

One of my doubts was Peggy's character. I did not understand her role and why there was a dual pov between her and Slyvia. I also theorized that maybe Peggy would be someone who would help Slyvia settle her research about her protege but it wasn't. Not to mention that Peggy is the one who tells the story in the present when Slyvia is elderly. So in addition to the double pov, there is also an alternation between present and past that at some point has become a bit confusing. I found Peggy’s narration boring although her role may be entertaining because she deals with the last years of Slyvia’s life. Being the caregiver of Slyvia allowed Peggy to collect over the years "bizarre" actions of Slyvia. I thought that Peggy would then connect the pieces, especially the episode of the interview, but the latter continues to think that they are only situations of an old lady. That’s why I struggled to continue with the story.

However, Slyvia’s pov is what I found interesting for obvious reasons. Slyvia is a character that I have not well framed because, at specific points, it seemed to me that she thought more like a civilian than a member of S.O.E. Maybe it is because I’m used to reading or seeing in movies dynamic characters that solve problems in a short time so I expected to find myself in such a situation. This change of scenery is a 50-50 for me. Indeed it was a good reading where the interesting point of this book was the role that women had during WWII and the birth of special forces, but at the same time, I struggled to get into the heart of the story because of the author’s choice to develop the plot.


Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Suzanne Goldring’s new book, The Girl Who Never Came Back, is a different story based on World War Two. The events that occur focus more so on the years that follow the wars conclusion as one woman seeks to find answers. She will not rest until she has solid information as to what happened to her girls and one in particular Phyliss. Initially, I did find the storyline a bit confusing as it moves forward and back between the past and the present. Usually, this wouldn’t be a problem for me at all as I love books that use this form of storytelling but for some reason here it took me quite some time to settle into the book. I would say the same about the plot as a whole. It took its time finding its rhythm and I would say I was more than half way through the book before things began to settle down and things became more solid and I could see what direction it was going in. The second half more than makes up for a disjointed first part and this is a book worth sticking with.

In the present day Peg has just buried her lifelong friend Sylvia and is sorting through her cottage and affairs. A strange man had appeared at Sylvia’s funeral and Peg wonders who it was. This does not become clear until the very end of the book and I must admit it did bring a smile to my face how things had come full circle and to see how this man fitted into Sylvia’s story. As Peg wonders what to do with the cottage in the countryside where she resided with Sylvia in her final tears helping her and being there for her as friends are want to do. She starts clearing things out and as she does so recalls her friendship with a woman whom she soon comes to realise that she didn’t know as much as she thought she did about her. Especially what Sylvia did during the war years seen as she told Peg she just did filing in an office.

Peg’s aspect of the storyline is told in a conversational, relaxed and gentle style and gives an insight into the life that Sylvia now lives. One in which she become confused at times and does strange things that unnerve Peg but she is always loyal to her friend right until the bitter end. As much as I enjoyed reading chapters from Peg’s viewpoint I do think there could have been less of them so we could focus more on Sylvia and her past. I felt the modern day chapters didn’t push the story along as much as it needed to be.

What really held my attention throughout was Sylvia’s story of what she did in the war and how guilt consumed her for many countless years afterwords. Sylvia joined a secret organisation, the S.O.E - Special Operations Executive, as she wanted to be a part of undermining the Germans and not let them invade Britain as they had done with France. She was the person who recruited and interviewed young women who were then sent training and subsequently into France to work with the Resistance.

I had read of these women very briefly in books before. Well, when I say briefly the recruiter is mentioned in a line or two and that is it and the focus turns to the brave women who went into the unknown never knowing if they would make it back. The fear of being caught and exposed by the Germans was ever present. As the war progressed and men were away fighting women stepped into roles that would never have been possible pre war and going undercover in France was certainly one of these roles never once before played by a woman.

Slyvia is the mother hen to all the young women she recruits. Yes, she may remain in Britain but her heart and mind is with those that she has sent across the channel to do dangerous yet vital war work. I thought it was fascinating to read of the her viewpoint as she herself was never in the thick of the action. Rather she was like so many mothers at home waiting for news of those who have gone to fight in a war that should never have begun. For some reason, she forms a strong connection with Phyliss. Of course, she cares deeply for all the women that have been recruited and trained but Phyliss will be the one who has a place in her heart and whom refuses to leave it. When news reaches headquarters that Phyliss and several others have not been able to transmit back to Britain the worst is feared. Do the Germans have her and if so is she being tortured to reveal what she knows? A secret agent has always been told to never reveal anything and a radical means of getting out of a situation has been given to them.

Throughout the book, all I wanted to know was what happened to Phyliss? It is a question that hangs over every page once it is revealed that she has been captured. The book is heavy with Sylvia’s quest to discover the truth. Angst and guilt gnaw away at her and she will never be satisfied until she knows the definitive truth. So many lies were told and especially to Phyliss’s family that she feels they too need to learn what happened to their daughter especially seen as a different story was presented to them as to Phyliss’ war work. Phyliss was the best of all Sylvia’s girls and the youngest. She was confident, fearless, cautious, utterly brave, skilled and intuitive but did she pay the ultimate price for possessing these characteristics?

As the blurb says, Phyliss haunts Sylvia’s dreams and as the war ends and people are displaced, people return to their loved ones and camps are discovered she must set out to discover what happened to her girls and particularly Phyliss. She is dogged and devoted in her mission and the chapters that follow are harrowing as details emerge. I think no matter how many books set during World War Two that I read I am still appalled and horrified at what went on during that time.As Phyliss, uncovers information the guilt increases within her. She can only think of what she could, should and failed to do. She needs a firm end to Phyliss’ story as does her family but will what they uncover help them in their quest for the truth or set them further back? Dark and upsetting details emerge and that’s where I felt having the story interspersed with Peggy’s storytelling really did help to elevate the heavy burden and overwhelming feeling of guilt and horror. As do the little snippets from the S.O.E manual included which I found to be very informative. There is a little extra added drama as Sylvia is receiving threatening letters which makes things even more tense.

The Girl Who Never Came Back is a good read, a bit different from the norm as I have said. It wouldn’t be my favourite book by this author but I am glad I read it for the insight it gave into the S.O.E and all its workings and for providing the more emotional and human side of things in terms of how Sylvia was affected by everything she experienced. This was a well researched and important book, yes a bit slow in places but worth the read as the emotions and heartbreak come forth.

Sylvia and Peggy have been friends for years, through WWII despite having very different jobs and home lives that have taken them down different paths. Now Peggy has taken on the role of Sylvia’s carer and is learning what happened to her during the war. In the past, Sylvia is searching to find out what happened to her missing agents and the book shows again the awful, inhumane actions that were taken during this time.

The characters, especially Peggy, were funny, nostalgic and brought some light to balance out some of the harder, dark chapters. Their narration and dialogue was familiar and like listening to my nan’s conversations with her friends. They really brought this book to life for me!

A real heartbreaking, haunting, and emotional page turner of woman involvement in world war story.

Narrated in dual timeline, the WW II (1940s), where we met Sylvia the woman who worked for Secret Intelligent Services to recruited and prepared young women as agents to join the resistance in France throughout the war and post-war, and the late 90s, where we met Sylvia's longlife friend--Peggy, who is being sole caretaker of Sylvia who's getting sick and old with her peculiar behavior that Peggy has zero knowledge of the reasons she behaved that way.

It's a refreshing way of story telling. I can feel the spirit of patriotism when we get to see how these young girls been recruited and trained to serve their country. The cold, creep, and dreadful feelings surrounding Sylvia when she can't get her hands on to save her girls and her journey on finding out what happened to them. There's also some fascinating and funny feelings everytime we're been brought inside Peg's head and her guesses about Sylvia odd behaviors, until of course she knew the reasons she behaved that way.

This book provides not only a reminder about woman's role in the war, especially the intelligent field and realistic portray of how they been treated and painfully tortured after they've been caught. The Secret Operation Manuals parts are so intriguing, it gives more insight on what kind of state of mind the girls are in even if they're under surveillance. It also bring the light into the agents' families losses and mourning over their family members whom they don't know what happened to them until their last breath, proven by how haunting and devastating the letters written for Sylvia from one of the agent's little brother. In the end, I'm empathized with the survivor guilts that haunted Sylvia and made her restless until the end.

I've finished this book in 2 days, since I can't wait to know what happened to them but also I can't think of anything else the moment I start reading this book. This has been the most interesting and best book I've read so far this year!

I received the e-ARC via NetGalley for free and volunteering to give an honest review.

Heartbreaking story of female English secret service agents behind enemy lines during WWII. We meet their handler, Sylvia, and follow her journey of discovery as she attempts to track down one of the final few girls sent into German-occupied France.

Sylvia is guilt ridden about the role she played in the deaths of this brilliant young woman, a feeling which plagues her until her throughout her life. We watch her attempts at retribution and longing for forgiveness through her own remembrances and through the eyes of her best friend as she lives her final days.

Not an easy read, but a well drawn perspective of one of the darkest moments in history and its ripples through time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

Paris 1945, as the war rages on across Europe many lives of so many people and families are ripped apart, and will never be the same again. Phyllis was recruited at nineteen years old to be part of the resistance. Phyllis is sent out on a mission and she never returns, disappearing without a trace. Present day, Peg and Sylvia are best friends. They have known each other their whole life, and now Peg is also Sylvia’s caregiver. Sylvia passes away and Peg is tasked with sorting through all of Sylvia’s papers and belongings. During the war, Sylvia worked in an underground spy organization. She recruited and trained young girls to be spies in Europe. But Sylvia felt so guilty that the girls she recruited she could not protect. Sylvia never revealed any details of her assigned mission, in order to do everything possible to protect Phyllis. Peg finds letters written to Sylvia from Phyllis’ family and is left with the decision, wondering if enough time has passed that she could finally answer them.

The Girl Who Never Came Back written by author Suzanne Goldring, is a wonderful time slip story. I loved how the author describes the relationship between Peg and Sylvia and what it meant for them to know each other literally their entire lives. The plot twists and turns between the war and the present day was so gripping, intriguing and made this a fast-paced novel that I didn’t want to put down. I always enjoy books by this author and I look forward to reading more of her stories. I highly recommend this book for every historical fiction fan.

"𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆. 𝑰'𝒍𝒍 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒌 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒚."

A gripping historical fiction novel set during WWII, follows Sylvia as she spends most of her life on a harrowing journey through post- war France and Germany to find out what happened to the girls she recruited as spies in France. Phyllis is her youngest recruit whom she forms a deep connection with and her disappearance haunts Sylvia for the rest of her life.

By now you all know I love reading about strong and resilient women in historical fiction. This one was an incredible read from start to finish. I liked the dual Povs of both Sylvia during her war years and Peggy, her best friend who looks after her in the present times until her death. The inclusion of excerpts from a 'Special Operations Manual' and the titled chapters added a nice touch to the narrative.

This was a different read from the usual WWII novels I have read and the author in her note mentions that it is inspired by a real life Special Operations Executive agent. This is a superbly written, expertly researched and unputdownable read by Suzanne Goldring and I highly recommend it to historical fiction fans. I will be checking out her backlist to add to my TBR.

Thank you @bookouture for having me on the #booksontour and @netgalley for a digital ARC to read and review. The book is out today and available to read on Kindle Unlimited

I found this book to be very interesting! I absolutely loved the Special Operations Manuel thrown in between. I don't normally read historic fiction (especially nothing about the war) but I found this book to be very good! The characters are incredible, and I am so glad I took the time to get to know them.

It was an easy read and one I will be recommending.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC.