I was originally drawn to this book because I had read some of Walkers previous books & loved them. Death of a Flying Nightingale was not the same. It was an interesting story, a historical mystery, but there were so many aspects I didn't agree with. The storyline itself was fine but it did jump around a lot with very little break in the story distinguishing the different parts. I LOVED Betty and Albert's story and wish we had had more of it!

I was unfamiliar with the Flying Nightingales, so this was an interesting read for me. The story is part mystery, part historical fiction. The three main characters, Etta, Mauve, and Betty are so endearing. You will fall in love with them and cheer them on as they care for the wounded casualties. Their strength and resilience is remarkable under the circumstances.
This is an interesting and informative read that I highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley and Level Best Books | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for my ARC in exchange for my opinion.

The story follows four Flying Nightingales in camp during World War II. We get a view of the difficult times encountered, the anxiety with the challenges they faced, and the friendships forged going through something so arduous.

Sally, Betty, Maeve, and Etta are the four main characters. You get some back story for each - where they're from, information about their families, and you see the deep meanings that led to them joining the WAAF as Flying Nightingales. Nightingales would fly back and forth between active military camps to pick up wounded soldiers, and transport them back to the camp in Down Ampney, where they could get them to doctors and hospitals in England. Due to carrying munitions on the plane, they were not allowed to mark the aircraft with the symbol of the Red Cross, making them a target for Axis militaries and increasing the danger of these expeditions.

While dealing with the drama that is war time, caring for wounded soldiers, and witnessing the atrocities of active battle, Flying Nightingales keep turning up dead. Are these the seemingly innocuous deaths that they are made out to be (albeit awful luck), or is there something more sinister at play? Tensions run high, as this "family" must learn who they can really trust and who they shouldn't.

When I began this book, I didn't know anything about Flying Nightingales. It was a compelling topic to learn about and something I will definitely be looking into more! It is clear the author did thorough research to present these women as the heros they were in a commonly overlooked job.

The story itself was a little slow to get into, and some of the story got a little repetitive for me. The mystery aspect was enjoyable - I just wish it had been a little more in-depth and weaved through out as opposed to so much monotony through the first half or so of the book. By the end, I believe all of the storylines had been tied up sufficiently - even with an unexpected twist within the last 50 pages. Some characters' stories ended how I thought they would, and others didn't.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. I likely wouldn't read it again just because the mystery aspect has been solved for me. However, for an obscure aspect of WW2 in the WAAF and the Flying Nightingales, my interest has been piqued.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was an incredible journey of brave, strong, and courageous women that fight an impossible fight in WWII. I am a huge fan of historical fiction, and this story provided such a different perspective than the run of the mill stories. Inspired by true events, this novel is a tribute to a group of overlooked "sheroes" who kept calm and carried on, while the fighting raged about them. I am so impressed by this book. Not only does the author shine a spotlight on the Flying Nightingales but she also weaves serious social issues into the characters and the plot. In addition to the nail-biting, heartbreaking air ambulance flights and the personal stories of the women, three of the Nightingales die unexpectedly. Is it murder, suicide, or accidental? That's just another gem in this stellar book! I highly recommend this and give it 5 out of 5 stars.
Thank you to Laura Jensen Walker, NetGalley, and Independent Book Publishers Association for this advanced copy.

Death Of A Flying Nightingale is a fantastic book. I enjoyed reading about the remarkable courage of these young women, which is in no way inferior to that of their male counterparts.

I would classify the book as a historical women's fiction with a dash of murder mystery. It shows that feminism and traditional values ​​can exist side by side.

But it also deals with topics such as war, loss and grief, suicide, hunger, human cruelty, friendship, family, love and homosexuality.

I highly recommend reading this story.
Death Of A Flying Nightingale is a fantastic book. I enjoyed reading about the remarkable courage of these young women, which is in no way inferior to that of their male counterparts.

I would classify the book as a historical women's fiction with a dash of murder mystery. It shows that feminism and traditional values ​​can exist side by side.

But it also deals with topics such as war, loss and grief, suicide, hunger, human cruelty, friendship, family, love and homosexuality.

I highly recommend reading this story.

Someone is killing the Flying Nightingales. They are the extraordinary young, mostly women, who suit up with first aid kits and parachutes to fly into France, Belgium, and other war-torn areas of the continent during World War II to evacuate wounded servicemen back to England. Classified not as nurses but as orderlies of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), these women depart with air crews on RAF Douglas Dakotas daily, saving countless lives while risking their own. But when Nightingales are turning up dead, they start looking around at their colleagues and friends, wondering who could be the culprit. The mystery is truly less the center of this novel than is the extraordinary revelation of these young women’s lives, and Walker’s loving delineation of several heroines in this group owes much of its verisimilitude to her research and interviews with some of the remaining Nightingales who have only recently been widely recognized for their service. These women from cities and countryside all over England and Ireland volunteered for this hazardous duty that proved essential to the survival of so many. What a wonderful, compelling story. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

Interesting story about life as air ambulance nurses in WWII, something I wasn’t familiar with. The characters are fascinating and well-developed and I enjoyed getting to know them and seeing the war through their eyes. This was not, however, a mystery. Yes, nurses die and yes, you do get a resolution but there is very little investigation so I wouldn’t consider it a mystery. It starts slowly but once it gets going, it is an enjoyable story.

Death of a Flying Nightingale tells the fictionalized yet historically inspired story of a group of women known as the Nightingales, who served as entertainers and caregivers during World War II. Through multiple points of view, the novel explores their bravery, friendships, and the challenges they faced, weaving in real-life accounts to bring this period of history to life.

My Review:

Following multiple points of view isn't always easy for me, but once I got into it and understood the structure, I appreciated how well it told the story of the Nightingales. I love historical fiction because it’s both entertaining and educational, and the author did an amazing job blending these elements. The ending really tugged at my heartstrings, especially seeing how each woman's story wrapped up or continued. Learning about the real Nightingales and how their experiences were woven into the book made it even more impactful for me.

I’ll start off by saying I give this between 3 and 3.5 stars. I was intrigued by the description and the idea of learning about these flying nurses during WWII. For the most part the story delivers on that front. I’m not quite sure how I would characterize this book other than historical, it’s not quite a mystery or thriller, it’s not really a romance although it does contain aspects of all of those genres. So in that it made the experience a bit confusing. I did enjoy learning about this new to me information about women during the Second World War, although I wasn’t such a fan of all the jumping around between narrators. That was hard to follow for me and it kept knocking me out of the flow of the story. There are some graphic parts but in context I don’t think they are gratuitous. It is a war story after all. I think there are great parts and some confusing aspects. Overall I just don’t think this book fully delivered. That’s my two cents your mileage may vary.
I received an ARC through NetGalley this review is my honest opinion.

Recently, while reading the Jungle Red Writers blog, I was entranced by Laura Jensen Walker’s description of how she got the idea for this book: a TV show about nursing orderlies in the WWII British Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). Dubbed the “Flying Nightingales,” these women, some as young as 17, were give a mere six weeks medical training before being put in charge of the care of 24 wounded soldiers per flight. Since the planes carried supplies that included munitions, they could not be marked with a red cross, making them fair game to German fire. As Walker explained in her blog post “On the flights back to England, the nursing orderlies weren’t allowed to wear parachutes. They were expected to remain on board with the wounded if the plane crashed […]. The Nightingales changed bandages, emptied colostomy bags, cleared tracheotomy tubes, wedged sick bags beneath the chins of the wounded, and provided tea and comfort to soldiers with horrific injuries.”

Holy cow! I love historical mysteries and couldn’t resist this book. The stories of fictional characters Maeve, Betty, and Etta are partly based on the real-life experiences of the Flying Nightingales.

Irish Maeve joined the WAAF after the death of her fiancé which caused her to miscarry their baby. She devotes her life to caring for other soldiers and eventually finds healing and love again. Farm girl Betty joined after the loss of her brother hoping to care for others like him and finds unexpected love with a soldier in her care. Etta joined to escape a hard life of poverty and abuse and finds her calling in nursing. All the characters are complex and their experiences moved me to tears, something that never happens when I read purely fictional mysteries, I think I was touched because real people suffered similar trauma and losses during the war. I genuinely cared about what happened to each girl and was relieved to find that the book included an epilogue so I could see how their lives turned out.

This is not a typical mystery. There are murders but they are incidental to the experiences of the Nightingales, their patients, their medical and military colleagues, and the war. No one acts as a detective and actively pursues the clues that lead to the killer. The revelation of the killer was also incidental but it made sense under the circumstances of the plot. Normally this deviation from the standard mystery novel would bother me, but this time it did not because I was so entranced by the lives of the characters and history they were experiencing.

One neat surprise I enjoyed was the appearance of young Audrey, a member of the Dutch Resistance who helps the characters who crash land in German-occupied Holland. Even though her last name isn’t given the description makes it clear this beautiful waif is none other than Audrey Hepburn.

Since the lives of the characters are wrapped up when the war ends, this clearly is not the first book in a new series; however, it makes me eager to read more of Walker’s books. She created such interesting and realistic characters for this book that I’m sure I’d like to meet her equally complex series characters. — Cathy Akers-Jordan

Death of a Flying Nightingale is a gripping tribute to the unsung heroines of WWII, the brave women known as “The Flying Nightingales.” Laura Walker crafts a poignant, heart-wrenching story of three nurses—Maeve, Etta, and Betty—each from vastly different backgrounds but united by their courage and determination to save lives in the middle of a war zone.

The novel beautifully portrays the emotional and physical toll of war. The scenes are vivid, capturing not just the brutal realities of the battlefield but also the tight-knit bonds formed between these women. What starts as a story of resilience quickly becomes a mystery when one of the Nightingales is found dead under suspicious circumstances. Was it an accident, or is there something more sinister at play?

This novel shines in its ability to balance the intensity of war with the personal struggles of its characters. Each woman is richly developed, and their stories will stay with you long after you turn the last page. If you’re a fan of historical fiction with strong female leads and a hint of mystery, this is a must-read.

This is a book that should be read by all historical fiction fans. The author does an amazing job of giving what feels like a very accurate picture of how these little known women known as Flying Nightingales lived and performed their jobs under less than ideal conditions. There is an amazing amount of World War II history woven into the story as well as social issues and deaths of 3 of the women. I was greatly impressed by the articulation of everything in this book. I easily felt like I was right there in the camp and planes with these women. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

A very interesting story about the Flying Nightingales.

The book is based on fiction and fact I had not read anything about this service before and found it captivating. Some of the book covers the murders but mostly it is about the lives of the woman who were brave and how they coped with the difficulties of War.

I liked all the characters in the book of course there is romance and the mystery of who had murdered the women. There was a few twists in the book.

The book was well researched and would recommend it.

Book Review for Death of a Flying Nightingale by Laura Jensen Walker
This book is listed under the genres of Historical Fiction and it’s a Nightingale Mystery #1.
What I Enjoyed:
• The historical setting
• The historical influences (mentioned in the Author’s Note)
• The Nightingales
• The characters
I enjoyed the characters Mauve, Betty, and Albert. Etta’s backstory was tragic. The Author’s Note at the end of the book is very helpful for understanding the historical background and why certain things happen in the book. If you want to appreciate the book more, the author’s note is a must read.
I also did enjoy one of the romances (there are many in this book). One of them was sweet and kept me reading on.
What I didn’t enjoy:
There’s no mystery to solve or be solved by a sleuth (-1.0 star):
I took off 1 star because this book isn’t a good mystery. There are three deaths and the characters wonder: who did it and why? But if you’re expecting sleuthing, clues, a list of suspects in a traditional sense, that doesn’t happen in this book. At the end of the book there is a confession. None of the characters actually finds out who did it. Throughout most of the book, you may be left wondering: does anyone even care about the deaths? After the first Nightingale is discovered dead, the story skips over it and moves on to romance until about midway through the last half of the book.
The Romances:
I’m personally not a romance genre reader. However, I did enjoy the romance between Albert and Betty. Their relationship is sweet even if it mostly occurs through letters.
However, I wasn’t expecting this book to jump from character to character often from one paragraph to another. And it also jumps from romance story to another romance story.
No Character Arc (-0.5star):
Because this book jumps from character to character and romance to romance, there was no character arc. No overarching themes. No lessons learned from the characters. The Nightingales are heroic by virtue of being brave nurses, but they don’t evolve in any way. They are brave from the beginning until the end with no growth as people. Same goes for the other characters in the novel. Even after they learn who did the murders it doesn’t change anything and everyone moves on with their lives.
The Boring Points (-0.5 star):
The lack of story structure, character development, jumping from character to character and romance to romance, and then anecdotes from the war made this story difficult to finish. At many points, I thought I would DNF this book because I kept wondering, why should I continue?
The Strange Religious Commentary (-0.5 star) :
As a Catholic myself, I’m not sure how to feel about how many times Catholicism, religion is mentioned in this book. The commentary is strange, misappropriated, and borderline offensive at points. The word “Catholic” is mentioned 5 times, “Jesus” is mentioned 2 + 4 times (misspelled), “religious”, “religion” 5 times, “prayer” 10 times, “sin”, “mortal sin” 4 times, “crucifix”, “crucifixion” 3 times. I should add that the relationship between Albert and Betty was completely wholesome. I mention this because they express their faith in a good way. Other parts of the novel seem critical of Catholic teaching in regard to chastity until marriage, teaching on life & hell (see CCC 2280 – 2283) “we should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance.” I found the story of the crucifix offensive, but in the author’s note it’s mentioned to be based on a true story.
I gave this book a 2.5 but I’ll round up to 3.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review. #DeathofaFlyingNightingale #NetGalley

Part history, part fiction this book celebrates the women who flew with the RAF in World War II. They accompanied the wounded back from battle to send them off to hospitals for recovery and returning home. The women in this book represent the actual women who served. A good read, filled with history and humanity. I enjoyed learning about these unsung heroes. The interaction of characters were real and believable.

Death of a Flying Nightingale is an enjoyable read of World War II historical fiction. When I was a kid I used to go to garage sales/rummage sales and look through the old books. I bought and read a couple about Cherry Ames she was a flight nurse during the war during one of the books. This book was similar to that one except with a the allusion of spice. Sex is talked about but it is more fade to black. The mystery of the death of the Nightingale(s) though is not the centerpiece of the story. From the title and description you think you are solving a mystery. Oh, they are scared there is evil lurking out there wanting to kill Nightingales, and they talk about it, but if the person didn't confess to two of his friends what happened, it would not have been solved so that was a bit disappointing. In addition, it was too long. Thank you to Net Galley #netgalley and Level Best Books for my advance reader copy.

Death of a Flying Nightingale
Death of a Flying Nightingale is far from a traditional mystery, although there are three deaths of air ambulance nursing orderlies stationed at combination air stripes/field hospitals in England. It was from these rural facilities that Douglas Dakota transport planes flew medical supplies, food and munitions to France, Belgium and the Netherlands and returned each carrying up to 24 wounded from battles starting with D-Day and lasting until after the end of the war in Europe.
As usual the role of military women in the forefront of war has long been downplayed or remained unknown. What Laura Jensen Walker has done in this primarily historical novel is to pay homage to the young woman of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force who served as Flying Nightingales aboard air evac flights. These gals were not nurses, but volunteers given 6 weeks of training for duty caring for the physical and emotional needs of the wounded on flights over the channel to an area of southern England north of Portsmith and west of Oxford. Although the return trips were humanitarian missions, the outbound trips were not and therefore more subject to enemy fire.
Told from the points of view of three nursing orderlies from different backgrounds, the storyline covers all aspects of their professional and personal lives during their service. The clever use of letters to and from back home added significantly to understanding what unique positions these women found themselves in between their normal prewar lives and the stresses of their military lives.
Meticulously researched, Ms. Walker has done an excellent job of putting the reader into the minds and hearts of these women whose contributions to the war effort and the survival of thousands of wounded and later on also POWs, is much in need of recognition.
For fans of WWII novels, especially those set in England or those which cover little known subjects, I recommend this book and look forward to another in what may be a series.
Thank you to the author, the publisher Level Best Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC.

Historical mystery

Before reading this book, I was aware of the WAAFs but not of the Flying Nightingales. They were a group of women who flew along won missions to retrieve injured military personnel, and nurse them both on their way to base and after arrival.

This story had a bit of mystery included, someone has been killing Nightingales but no one knew who. Eventually the secret comes out, along with some other hidden details. Relationships aren’t always what they seem, even back in a time when privacy existed. I don’t feel that I liked this book as much as some other similar stories, but it seems to have been well researched and interesting, so if you’re interested in learning about the Nightingales, give this book a read.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Every time I read a story the centers around the courageous women that embarked on dangerous journey's to support their fellow soldiers, it genuinely thrills me to learn their stories. I was extremely impressed with this novel and since I had never heard of the Flying Nightingales, it was such a wonderful learning experience. The author did such a stellar job researching these women and utilizing both the real-life women who were Flying Nightingales and their journals and stories as the basis for this book and it was an incredible journey. There were beautiful love stories woven into the tragedy of war and I absolutely loved learning about these heroes and what their lives looked like after the war. The bonds that were forged along the way were impactful.

A great historical fiction book, especially if you like multiple POVs in a book. I had not heard of the flying nightingales before, so this was a great insight into the contribution of these women during WWII.