Wow, this was a fantastic read. Perfectly paced and a very satisfying ending. I loved Gaby, Martine and Simone and in many ways they felt like family to me. Andie Newton has a way of pulling you into the story and never letting go (I read A Child for the Reich and loved that too). She writes WW2 as if she's lived through it--she is a powerhouse in this genre, there is no other way to explain it. The research that went into this book --focusing on small town gossip, families and the occupation (author's note explains this) was spot on. I was equally invested in the dual narrative taking place in London, and was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Have the sisters opened up a life line by sending secrets to MI6, or have they sealed their fate? This story was inspired by a real family, and of course I have already looked them up. Wow! This book is rife with historical details, no stone unturned, the plot is pacy, and the characters are not only fully developed but really shine. Having hope in the darkest of times is a theme, and that was clear, yet subtly woven throughout both story lines (Gaby and Guy's). This story would be an excellent film, or a series. While reading this, I actually felt like I was watching a Sunday afternoon movie because the writing had be so immersed in the story. A five star read from me. Riveting and exciting, this is a must read!

'Women who feel helpless at home while their men are off at war, then take matters into their own hands, though of course, nobody expects women to help win the war, which is to their benefit'.

Gaby, Martine, and Simone are three sisters living on their own, on the coast of Northern France. After their hasty escape from Paris, they have since managed to live relatively quietly as seamstresses - well as quietly as you can live in an occupied town. Their days of quiet safety shatter one day when the local Commandant comes knocking on their door at the same time Martine reveals she's rescued a British carrier pigeon. After Gaby is forced to work for the Commandant, blacklisting her family as traitors, a decision is made to finally do their bit to help win this war.

Inspired by true events, 'The Secret Pianist' explores the use of messenger pigeons by untrained citizens living in occupied territories. Would you put your family in jeopardy by revealing information about the enemy, using a pigeon? Hoping against hope that not only are you not caught but that the pigeon is killed or captured? This story gives a nod to those everyday, unsung heroes. I enjoyed reading the story overall but did find it a slow start for me, yet conversely, I found the ending a bit rushed. Overall a nice story for WW2 historical fiction fans.

When a British RAF Whitely comes under fire over the French coast and is forced to drop its 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 staying under the radar, Marine's discovery of a British messenger pigeon leads them down a new and dangerous path.

Set in occupied France during WWII. Sisters Gabrielle, Martine and Simone work as seamstresses. They also work together to fight against the German oppressors. This story is based on true events.

This is a story about the French Resistance and the use of carrier pigeons. A story about sacrifice and survival. I liked and admired the Cotillard sisters, and the other women of the Resistance. It has also been well-researched. This is a well-written, enjoyable, and easy to read book.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #OneMoreChapter and the author #AndieNewton for my ARC of #TheSecretPianist in exchange for an honest review.

This has the makings of a good read.

Sisters living in northern France in 1944 under German occupation, trying to survive. Pigeons have been dropped by British intelligence to try and get messages back out of occupied France, and the sisters find one.

Gabriella, a pianist, comes to the notice of a high-ranking German officer, who makes her teach his daughter the piano. Then an older German officer moves in next door.

How will the sisters use the pigeon? Will Gabriella escape from her piano teaching duties? Who is the officer next door?

With some additional editing, this could be a really good book.

This book is set in a small town in France, it features 3 sisters who had to flee their home before they could be arrested by the Nazis. They are living in a house left to them by their Aunt. This is a story of courage and resilience and survival during difficult times. The book caught my interest from the first and I couldn’t stop turning the pages, I wanted to see what happened to the sisters. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

The Cotillard sisters Gabriella, Martine and Simone like everyone in France have struggled under the German occupation, they continue to run their aunts dressmaking shop and keep their heads down.

A British RAF Whitley is flying over the French coast, part of operation Columbia and they have to release their cargo before they reach the designated target because it comes under attack and they drop fifty messenger pigeons. The sisters save one, they decide to send it back to England and with details about what's happening along Northern French Coast, Guy Burton receives it and he works for The War Office, he has to make sure they're not being given false intelligence and it’s not.

Gaby would do anything to protect her sisters and she’s forced to teach the step-daughter Lauren of a German Commandant Streichner, the locals hate him and anyone who associates with the Germans are considered collaborators, no one will speak to them and boycott their business. The sisters wonder what they have done, have they helped the British forces, or opened up a can of worms and put themselves in more danger, what they don’t know is in Boulogne-Sur-Mer the British spies are in the area, poised for the invasion and so is the French resistance.

I received a digital copy of The Secret Pianist by Andie Newton from HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The author came across some interesting information while researching her previous book A Child of the Reich and she uses this as a basis to write her latest novel.

The narrative is well written, it gives the reader a realistic idea of what it was like to live in France during the German occupation, the food shortages, and curfews, and how people felt about anyone who's a collaborator and others who were on the Germans side. The power someone like Commandant Streichner had, and if you were asked to do something for him you couldn’t say “no”, they used this to get what they wanted, manipulated people and made threats to hurt their loved ones or worse.

Five stars from me, another great novel by Andie Newton, I really liked Gabriella and Guy Burton's characters, how ironic she was composing a piece of music called The Heroines before the war started, it's about women who are warriors and don't know they are one and this perfectly sums up Gaby.

Three sisters try to live their lives in occupied France as seamstresses in a house left to them by their aunt, but are thwarted left and right by German forces and nosy neighbors looking for any reason to report them to the Germans.

An exciting story about the French Resistance with the added element of the carrier pigeons, which was something different that I have not come across before despite reading a lot of books on the Resistance. The storyline of the three sisters living together and their interactions with their neighbours, both good and bad, made for entertaining reading. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author. Thank you to Net Galley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed The Secret Pianist. Historical fiction based on some actual events (not entirely, but some ... more than many). (I love authors notes! Andie Newton stumbled on some interesting info when researching A Child of the Reich and that info developed into The Secret Pianist.)

Three sisters are living together in Nazi occupied territory and happen to find a pigeon; what do they do? One of the sisters is manipulated into teaching (piano to) the step-daughter of a Nazi officer.

Very well written and held my attention. Usually I read several books at a time, but not this time. I highly recommend it. I read Andie Newton's 4th novel A Child for the Reich (which I enjoyed), but i did like The Secret Pianist much more.

Many thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for approving my request to review the advance review copy of The Secret Pianist in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is 12 Jan 2024.

Three French sisters in their mid twenties, living in a small town in northern France during WW2. Each has their own way of dealing with the German occupation, until Gabrielle the eldest has to give piano lessons to a little girl whose mother is the mistress of a German Commander. Based on true events, with subtle changes to names and events, this is a work of fiction. The War Office’s pigeon messenger service is barely mentioned as the Heroines work independently of the Resistance groups. The novel starts slowly but the ending feels very rushed. The characters of the girls left me with the impression they were a bit naive especially the younger Madeline, despite being young women. A pleasant enough read with the author making good use of her research.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers HarperCollins One More Chapter for this ARC.

A fantastic book from Andie Newton. Although a work of fiction it does use historical references and is inspired by those who lived in occupied France. Three sisters take main stage and are interesting characters. Thanks to Andie and her publisher. Thanks also to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Another fabulous read from Andie Newton. Like her other historical fiction novels, this book taught me a lot about a part of the war effort I wasn't aware of - the carrier pigeons! I loved that most of the story was about the Cotillard sisters, but we also got to see what was happening in London. I thought all three sisters were very well drawn, each one a distinct character in their own right, but still with a clear, close family dynamic. The secondary characters, and the town, were again also very well written, and I could imagine them all clearly.

The story itself was fast paced and a real page turner, and I think it would work brilliantly as a film. There were quite a few formatting issues in my copy, which I hope will be corrected by the time the book is released, but they didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story.

One of the things I really love about Andie Newton's work is that it works on many levels; not just historical, but as exciting commercial fiction, and also with a touch of romance in the plot. I am not a big historical fiction reader, but I always enjoy her work because of this. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a page turner they can't put down!

It’s 1944 in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, and the stakes in the Second World War have never been higher. In The Secret Pianist, three French sisters work together to fight against their German oppressors—at the same time many of their neighbors believe them to be collaborating with the enemy. This book is a story of war, resistance, love, and—above all—hope.

I greatly enjoyed this new historical fiction book by Andie Newton. Her three sisters—Gaby, Martine, and Simone—are all fully-developed, multidimensional characters that make you care about their fate. You read the book wanting them to come out ahead and be happy in the end, while you also know this was an unforgiving war and it might be unlikely that they all make it through.

Newton depicts the difficult line between collaborator and resistance well, making the reader understand the nuances of how the Germans made some of the French people into collaborators—and how some did it on their own. I highly recommend this book to others.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for review.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
I enjoy a lot of historical fiction and this one covered hero pigeons, ordinary people becoming part of the Resistance, and a little bit of romance. I enjoyed it.