A fun, light mystery with lots of fine characters. I did solve the puzzle quite early on, but enjoyed the journey all the same. Good reader.

This is a well researched and written mystery set in the UK during WWII. A twisty plot and a light romance combine to make it a very good read.

WWII is a wonderful time to read about. In Farleigh Field we are in Britain and London. There is a man who’s parachute didn’t open, a man who escapes from a German War Camp, spies, and a tad of romance. There is also a mystery. I can usually work to solve the mystery before the end of the story but with this one I changed my mind so many times and found myself surprised at the ending.

The secret organizations and the characters unable to tell anyone else what their jobs are were intriguing. There were times that I wondered if they were actually accomplishing anything or if they were just going in circles but Bowen did a great job of pulling it all together. The friendships made within these organizations were fun. Being in a time of war I would imagine having friends and keeping friendships was not easy.
I found it obvious how much research was needed to be done to find the information to make this story real. I was able to imagine how the coding would be done, how the messages were delivered, and how rough the living conditions could be. These characters were mostly upper crust members who were not use to going without so the idea that they were being rationed on everything really made me think of how I would react to the ways they were living.

This is my first Rhys Bowen book and I look forward to more from her.

Having read the Royal Spynees books, I was looking forward to reading this one. It did not disappoint. When a soldier dies following a parachute accident, a mystery ensues. Who was the soldier - was he a spy or was it just an accident. We also follow five sisters as they navigate life during the war. I really hope there is a sequel to this one, I would love to see what happens to the sister. One works in Bletchley and another is in occupied Paris. There is so much that could continue to be told.

First sentence: It had been unusually hot all summer.

Premise/plot: In Farleigh Field is a stand-alone mystery/suspense novel set in England during the second world war. It has multiple narrators. It follows the lives of the aristocratic Sutton family and their neighbors. There are five daughters--no sons. Olivia (aka Livvy), Margaret (aka Margot), Pamela (aka Pamma), Diana (aka Dido), and Phoebe (aka Feebs).

Before the war, Pamela was head over heels in love with a neighbor, Jeremy Prescott, who joined the RAF. While she was making heart eyes at Jeremy, Ben Cresswell, the vicar's son, was making heart eyes at her. Almost three years later and little has changed. Well. Both Ben and Pamela are working for secret government agencies. (MI5 and Bletchley Park). But Ben still hasn't come any closer to getting the girl to notice him in that way. Pamela still daydreams that if Jeremy returns alive from the war that they may get married and live happily ever after one day.

At the Farleigh estate a dead man in uniform is found--his parachute did not open. Who was this man? Was he British? Was he German? Why parachute there? Was he on a mission to talk to someone who lived at Farleigh or nearby? What was his mission? what was his message? Does his death mean that the threat is over? Or does danger still lurk?

Phoebe and Alfie (a boy evacuated from London and living with the groundskeeper) team up on the sly to try to solve the mystery.

Ben has official orders to investigate--undercover of course. He's to go back home and see what he can uncover. Everyone should be willing to talk to the vicar's son, after all. And he may be better able to uncover the truth than a stranger would.

My thoughts: I found this an incredibly suspenseful read. Perhaps a bit predictable here and there but in a satisfying way. When it went the way I predicted, I wasn't disappointed but elated.

I typically don't like novels with alternating narrators, multiple narrators. But this one worked well for me. I loved the changing perspectives. It was nice not only to get the perspectives of Ben and Pamela but the others as well. In particular, I liked spending time with the other Sutton sisters--Dido, Phoebe, and Margot. With Margot, we got a behind-the-scenes glimpse of life in occupied Paris.

I read this one in one sitting. It was GOOD.

Rhys Bowen is a solid, go-to read for me and I highly recommend this and all the author's works.

Thank you for the chance to review this book, however, unfortunately, I was unable to read and review this title before it was archived.

WWII means sacrifices for everyone in Britain. That includes Farleigh Place in Kent, the home of Lord Westerham and his family, where soldiers are being billeted. When the body of a paratrooper wearing a British uniform is found in Farleigh Field, at first it is assumed that he is one of their own troops…except that everyone of the regiment he supposedly represents are accounted for. Which means he is most likely a German spy. But what would a spy be doing in this area? Was he there to meet someone but, if so, whom? The only clue and the only thing he was carrying is a photograph with a number on it but no one recognizes the area depicted or sees the significance if any of the number.

In Farleigh Field, the historical fiction by author Rhys Bowen, is, for the most part, a well-plotted and well-written tale about life on the British home front during WWII when it was only Britain and Commonwealth members fighting. There is a large number of characters but Rhys makes them distinctive enough that they remain separate and mostly interesting individuals. The story is mainly told by two protagonists: Ben, the vicar’s son, injured in a plane crash before the war, now working for a secret government agency in London, sent home to investigate and Pam, one of Westerham’s five daughter, who also works in London but has also been sent home.

That is not to say that this book is perfect. Interesting characters and storylines disappear from the story only to be resurrected later in rather clumsy ways, uninteresting ones get too much space, and others appear for no apparent reason except to add an extra (and unnecessary) red herring. But my biggest complaint was about the ending; despite the fact that the reader has already been told who the main culprit is, there is an attempt at a big reveal at the end that, for obvious reasons, doesn’t work.

Having said that, though, I have to say I really enjoyed this book. It is an interesting combination of fiction and actual history. Much of the story, for example, revolves around the fear of an attempted assassination of the king by a group of Aristocrats who feel that surrender would be in the best interest of England and wants to restore the Duke of Windsor, an admirer of Hitler, to the throne. There was, in fact, such a group. There is also much space given to the inconveniences that were necessitated by rationing, billeting of troops, and housing of children from the cities. Some may find all of this boring and a distraction from the mystery but, for me and I expect for anyone who likes real history in their historical fiction, I found this all fascinating and made the story much more compelling.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

This was my first novel by Rhys Bowen and I really enjoyed it. Life for the aristocrats in the country in England was a far cry from the daily bombings that London experienced. Some were even German sympathizers, who sincerely felt life would be better to facilitate a deal with Germany, rather than continue to endure the bombings and the death and destruction. The spies and code breakers were pivotal in defending England and routing out the German sympathizers. However, if you were part of the secret war efforts, you had to sign a confidentiality agreement to never say where you worked or what your duties were. You roommate, sibling or lover could be a top code-breaker, a double agent or working for the Germans. Who do you trust? We follow Lord Westerham and his daughters, as they deal with the discovery of a fallen soldier who parachuted to his death on their estate. Who was he and why was he there of all places? Was he in fact a German spy? If so, who was he trying to reach. The vicar's son, Ben Cresswell, is tasked by MI5 to find out who this potential spy was and what message was he trying to deliver. I really enjoyed this novel and the high praise it has received in other reviews...well worth the read. It definitely lands on the side of cozy versus gritty...but very well-written and I look forward to checking out the other award-winning series written by Ryhs Bowen.

I received a copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

The rather large cast runs the gamut of some who do war work in London, some wealthy enough to buy from the black market and some who just repeatedly complain about how the war has impacted their coming out season. The main thread that seems to tie this stand alone novel by Bowen together are some families near Kent. Many have had to open their homes to British troops, and many have pro-German sympathies and side with the Duke of Windsor, whom I gather sat out most of the war in the Bahamas. The Westerhams own Farleigh Place, and it is on their property that an unknown parachutist is discovered by their gamekeeper's ward from London, Alfie and their youngest daughter, Phoebe. I did like that the story touched on several things that influenced people on a personal level during the war, but found the multiple viewpoints somewhat confusing and/or more misleading than they had to be as some characters kind of dropped away as the story moved on to its' conclusion.

Rhys Bowen is probably best known for her Royal Spyness Mysteries series and her Molly Murphy Mysteries. She typically writes cozy mysteries, so when this book came across my desk for review, it sounded like something completely new for her which is why I decided to try it.

I’ve been reading a lot of cozy mysteries lately and welcomed a little break. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from this one. The title suggests more literature, ‘A Novel of World War II’ says more literature rather than mystery to me. But yet the description sounded more mystery. Either way, I liked what I saw for the description and ultimately said yes to the book.

World War II comes to Farleigh Place, the ancestral home of Lord Westerham and his five daughters, when a soldier with a failed parachute falls to his death on the estate. After his uniform and possessions raise suspicions, MI5 operative and family friend Ben Cresswell is covertly tasked with determining if the man is a German spy.

The assignment also offers Ben the chance to be near Lord Westerham’s middle daughter, Pamela, whom he furtively loves. But Pamela has her own secret: she has taken a job at Bletchley Park, the British code-breaking facility.


As Ben follows a trail of spies and traitors, which may include another member of Pamela’s family, he discovers that some within the realm have an appalling, history-altering agenda. Can he, with Pamela’s help, stop them before England falls?

Inspired by the events and people of World War II, writer Rhys Bowen crafts a sweeping and riveting saga of class, family, love, and betrayal (summary from Goodreads).

Delightfully, this book was a combination of literature, romance, intrigue, and mystery but something about it lacked the polish I had come to expect from Bowen as an author. The beginning was a little slow, but thankfully it picked up after a couple of chapters. The ending seemed rushed and thrown together which I found disappointing.

But for me, the biggest issue was the predictability factor. I felt like I had read a story like this before. It wasn’t really ‘new’ or ‘fresh’ for me. There were things that I liked about it and elements that were intriguing such as the RAF pilots, the spies, and the aristocratic family are all fun elements but for me it just wasn’t all the different than other things I had read. Honestly there was something about the book that made me feel like it might be better suited in WWI rather than WWII. I don’t know if it was the aristocratic family or what, but in my mind I felt like the ancestral estate was more suited to that time period rather than WWII. However the whole plane crash RAF pilot story obviously fit better in WWII, but I don’t know…there was just something a little off about that for me.

Other reviewers also noted the over use of slang or phrases such as ‘crikey’ or ‘blimey’. I would completely agree…..way over done. Almost to the point of distraction however the more I thought about it, I think the author was trying to add a style to the characters. It’s hard to explain but in my mind, all British country gentlemen of class say things like ‘jolly good fun’. It just sounds cheeky and very British and I think the author was trying to convey that in some way but in this case it seemed to be a little too over done.

Now, all that said, doesn’t necessarily mean that I disliked the novel. On the contrary I thought it was good. Maybe not excellent or riveting, but good all the same. I felt like the historical elements were well researched and developed which added authenticity to the story. I also like that this was a stand alone book rather than a series. I liked the family saga and the romance was tasteful and believable. I enjoyed all the characters and I thought there was enough suspense to keep me reading.

It wasn’t entirely mind blowing or ‘ground breaking’ but I did like it and enjoyed reading something different from what I had been reading in the past few weeks.

If you are looking for a family war drama with some mystery and intrigue then I would say give this one a go.

Challenge/Book Summary:

Book: In Farleigh Field: A Novel of World War II by Rhys Bower

Kindle Edition, 398 pages
Published March 1st 2017 by Lake Union Publishing
ASIN B01HBKAYMA
Review copy provided by: Author/Publisher in exchange for an honest review
This book counts toward: NA

Hosted by: NA
Books for Challenge Completed: NA
Recommendation: 3 out of 5

Genre: historical fiction, war literature, WWII, British lit, mystery

An idyllic setting of Farleigh Place. What anyone would envision the English countryside to be like. WWII has now come here and everyone is either working for the forces, or his house is occupied and taken over for a hospital or a convalescence center. Those who are not working directly in the Forces are working indirectly in the form of a land army or a women's center, All work towards a war effort.

At Fairleigh Place Lord Westerham and his five daughters are all also involved in one way or another in the war effort. A failed parachute landing raises suspicions that the man who died was a German spy in British army uniform and Ben Cresswell is assigned the task of unraveling the mystery. Engaging the services of many people Ben has to see who is the traitor in their midst in this small village where everyone knows everyone.

Could Lord Westerham's own family be involved in the treachery and betrayal and could Ben along with Pamela, Lord Westerham's daughter try to prevent an even bigger betrayal and tragedy that could effect the whole of Britain.

The war setting, the war effort and the patriotism and support which the average Englishman gave to both wars are told in numerous stories, each one more poignant and personal than the last. I never tire of reading individual stories, acts of heroism and the stoic support in the face of untold hardship that the average man and woman gave to their country.

This is another of those stories.

Goodreads and Amazon review up on 11/5/2017. Review on my blog mid August 2017.

This is an enjoyable book about a group of English friends and neighbors during WWII. Some of the characters were very likable, and all were interesting. I was kept engrossed by the storyline and wondering what would happen next. As a fan of historical romance, I really enjoyed reading this one, but I like the author's Her Royal Spyness and Molly Murphy novels better.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

If you have been following me for a minute, you know that I am a historical fiction fan, so when I was pitched this book I was excited and ready to read it. To cut to the chase, this one fell short for me - BUT it could be also related to the time in my life that I read it, let me explain.

My professional life right now is beyond crazy so when I got home to read each night I wanted something easy to pick up and put down and this one isn't. With all the characters that are swapping sides and double agents and guessing what side of the fence they were working on was hard. I wish there were a little less characters that were questionable, it just seemed like too many.

When I don't love a book, I like to say why because if you are into that thing than this book could be right up your alley. The big cast of characters was hard for me and having to keep them all straight made the reading experience harder than enjoyable. If you love a big gang of characters and love to try to keep them all straight - then check this one out.

I definitely would still read another book by this author with my read of this book I am in no way ruling out this author, partly because I semi blame myself for my frustrating read of this one.

If you read me at all, you know I love Rhys Bowen’s cozy mysteries, especially the Royal Spyness books. She has recently written a new novel, a stand alone mystery, called In Farleigh Field, which I got via Net Galley (I also was later contacted by Ms. Bowen’s publicist about it).

Description

World War II comes to Farleigh Place, the ancestral home of Lord Westerham and his five daughters, when a soldier with a failed parachute falls to his death on the estate. After his uniform and possessions raise suspicions, MI5 operative and family friend Ben Cresswell is covertly tasked with determining if the man is a German spy. The assignment also offers Ben the chance to be near Lord Westerham’s middle daughter, Pamela, whom he furtively loves. But Pamela has her own secret: she has taken a job at Bletchley Park, the British code-breaking facility.

As Ben follows a trail of spies and traitors, which may include another member of Pamela’s family, he discovers that some within the realm have an appalling, history-altering agenda. Can he, with Pamela’s help, stop them before England falls?

Inspired by the events and people of World War II, writer Rhys Bowen crafts a sweeping and riveting saga of class, family, love, and betrayal.



This was a great read! I absolutely loved these characters, and the book had a “Downton feel” to it (though this is WWII, not WWI). Each character (the family has several daughters and their are plots for each of them) was interesting in their own right, but I really liked the character of Ben. The poor guy couldn’t catch a break for most of the book and you couldn’t help but like him. I liked the clever plotting (she’s a clever one, that Ms. Bowen!) and of course I love anything set in WWII and in England — win-win!!

If you are having looking for a well-written and well-crafted WWII historical mystery, you should pick up IN FARLEIGH FIELD by Rhys Bowen. I saw online that she did not plan to write more books with these characters. Please reconsider this!

Thank you for my e-copy!

An enjoyable mystery that really clicks in the second half of the book.

In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen is a great WWII historical fiction and mystery book that has a lot of intrigue and historical information. Focusing on the Westerham family, with daughters Pamela, Phoebe, Diana, and Margot, and family friends Ben and Jeremy, this is a story that calls Downton Abbey to mind.

The Westerham family is one of those old titled families that cling to the past while the world changes around them. Pamela has taken a job at Bletchley Park, doing important code work that she can’t talk about. Diana, “Dido”, is stuck at home longing for excitement and escape. Margot is trapped in Paris, and waits anxiously for news of her lover, who is part of the Resistance movement. And young Phoebe, “Feebs”, wants to ride her horse and find adventure.

I enjoyed reading about all of these different sisters. They each have their own personality, and I could easily distinguish which sister was which. I got a bit nervous when I first started the book as there is a character list at the beginning, but this was a great addition.

My favorite of the sisters was young Feebs, who along with Alfie, a young boy evacuated from London, discover the dead parachuter on the property. Feebs and Alfie were adorable, and I would love to see them solve mysteries in another book; especially if Miss Gumble, Pheobe’s governess who is known as “Gumbie”, is there as well.

Besides the sisters, Gumbie, and Alfie, another main character is Ben Cresswell, who was injured in a plane crash prior to the war, and therefore cannot fight, and ends up working for MI5. One of the things that I learned from this book is how men who were not in uniform were treated during the war. Since there wasn’t any obvious “proof” that they were serving their country, they were shamed on the streets and constantly having to defend themselves and their situation. Many of these men had injuries where they couldn’t fight, or were working with MI5, or doing other work within the country.

Another important historical detail that this book focuses on is how much women helped the war effort. From code breaking, to land girls, and working with maps, women made a big difference, and this book helped show the different ways women were helping.

In terms of the mystery aspect, it was well done, and the mystery really started clicking at about the 65 percent mark. Some of the plots and links I was able to connect before they were revealed, but others I missed, so this book had enough surprise to keep me interested. I love it when an author can reveal something in the book at the very moment the reader discovers it for themselves, and this happened a time or two here, which was great.

All in all, In Farleigh Field is a great historical fiction mystery book that will make you want to break code and have tea on the lawn of a large manor home. And you will fall in love with Feebs and Alfie!

Bottom Line: A smart and engaging historical mystery. The characters are a lot of fun!

This is a fairly strong mystery/spy novel set on the British home front during World War II. Scenes alternate between Bletchley Park, manor houses, MI-5, and Gestapo headquarters in Paris. The story revolves around an unidentified parachutist who plummeted to his death on the grounds of a family estate. He appears to be a British servicemember, but suspicions are quickly aroused. If he was a spy, whom was he attempting to contact, and what was his message?
I enjoyed the characters, and the plot progressed at a pretty fast clip. I was never bored. Even though the locations and focus jumped about a bit, it was never difficult to understand what was going on.
The dialogue was occasionally hindered by heavy exposition (as in, you've just been introduced to a character, and they conveniently sum up their whole back story in a few sentences directed at one of their relatives or neighbors--it came across a bit clunky). Also, the inclusion of the children trying to solve the mystery felt like it was going for token cuteness, and didn't really succeed for me.
But overall, this was decent historical fiction.

Farleigh Place is a country estate owned by Roderick Sutton, the Earl of Westerham, which in 1941 has been requisitioned by the army although the family are still there. One morning Phoebe the youngest of five daughters comes across a dead body when out riding - still attached to a parachute and with no proper ID there is a lot of speculation as to whether it is a German spy!

Pamela Sutton, Pheobe's older sister, is secretly working at Bletchley Park as a de-coder and is in love with neighbour and lifelong friend Jeremy Prescott and hopes to marry him after the war - another friend Ben Cresswell however is in love with Pamela and so when working for MI5 he is tasked to look into whether he the dead man is a German spy he jumps at the chance to get closer to Pamela - but can he discover what is really going on?

A great book full of intrigue and various sub plots going on to keep you interested and I will be looking for more books now by this author

IN FARLEIGH FIELD by Rhys Bowen was a perfect read for Spring break. I had saved it as a "treat" since Rhys Bowen (author of The Constable Evans mysteries and The Royal Spyness series, plus many more featuring Molly Murphy) is a favorite mystery writer of mine. The time period for her latest is the early 1940's, during WWII when England is feeling the effects of rationing and sustained bombardment. Three longtime friends are the main characters (and part of a love triangle): Lady Pamela Sutton, third daughter of the Earl of Westerham; Jeremy Prescott, daredevil RAF flyer and son of a well-to-do businessman; and Ben Cresswell, the vicar's son, now working for MI5, military intelligence.

Unbeknownst to the others or her family (Official Secrets Act and all that), Lady Pamela works at Bletchley Park helping to break codes. IN FARLEIGH FIELD provides an inviting mix of menacing danger and young people who desperately want to be patriotic while also finding ways to forget the war and enjoy life. Throughout the scenes in London and the British countryside, there is much suspense and action – concern about German spies and their possible local contacts adds to the mystery. At some point, the three friends reunite at Farleigh Place, the Westerham family estate in Kent, and the action builds quickly. Bowen's writing skills have been recognized with multiple Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards and IN FARLEIGH FIELD is also sure to please mystery and historical fiction fans. Highly Recommended.