It’s such a pleasure today to be joining the blog tour and sharing my review of Time Waits for No One by MW Arnold, the fifth book in his Broken Wings series: published by Wild Rose Press on 6th March, it’s now available for kindle and in paperback via Amazon, with the ebook also available via iBooks and for Nook. My thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support, and to the author and publisher for my reading copy.
When I picked up the first book in this lovely series, A Wing and a Prayer, I never thought I’d enjoy it as much as I did – you’ll know that World War 2 sagas aren’t really my thing, and neither are cozy mysteries. But I was entirely fascinated by the day-to-day operations of the Air Transport Auxiliary at Hamble, and really engaged by the intriguing mysteries, the authenticity of the wartime setting, and the author’s well-drawn characters (you’ll find my review here). The second, Wild Blue Yonder was every bit as delightful (you’ll find my review here) – and although I sadly had to miss out on reading the third in the series, I’ll Be Home for Christmas, I was delighted to rejoin the series for the fourth, In The Mood (and you’ll find my review of that one here). And now we have a fifth – and I was really looking forward to spending time with Doris and her friends again…
It’s April 1944, England is preparing to take the war back into Europe and the girls of the Air Transport Auxiliary Mystery Club become mixed up in a desperate fight to save a dear friend from forces who would threaten the very existence of the country.
The girls find solace in their deep friendship, even though the presence of a Nazi spy ring threatens their essential war work and their very lives.
Can love blossom through a fortunate meeting, and will they survive a period where life seems determined to put them in mortal danger? The girls find the strength to battle through all the war throws at them, whilst still keeping a stiff upper lip, a witty repartee, and unbreakable spirit.
It’s almost eighteen months since I last had the pleasure of being part of the lives of the brave ladies of the Air Transport Auxiliary at RAF Hamble, as they risk their lives daily delivering planes wherever in the UK they’re needed in support of the war effort – and I was very much looking forward to spending time in their company again. If you haven’t come across the series before, it’s one I’d highly recommend – each book has a standalone story or two, and there’s always enough gently done catching up with earlier storylines, but I think you’ll be missing out a little without having been with them through life’s many ups and downs or understanding the depth of friendship and support between the many well drawn characters.
As always, this book had a number of intriguing threads with more than their share of well written drama. Lawrence is on a secret assignment and spending rather more time in Hamble than usual – on instructions from “the ministry”, he’s working with a young woman who’s received a letter allegedly from her seriously ill grandmother in the Channel Islands under Nazi occupation. Medical attention has been promised in exchange for classified information about the planned D-day landings, and the content and wording of their correspondence needs to be particularly carefully handled. With their work together strictly under wraps, the time they’re spending together isn’t going down too well with pilot girlfriend Mary – and it soon becomes increasingly clear that she’s not the only one watching them, but their other covert observers bring a far greater edge of danger.
And then, there’s something rather strange going on at Ambrose’s farm where Ruth exchanges chickens and rabbits for their supplies of butter – and it might just be that there’s some connection with the digging work noticed on the piece of land recently acquired to extend the runway. The Murder Club just have to investigate, but it’s a situation that escalates rather quickly – and becomes an edge-of-the-seat drama with several established characters finding themselves in life-threatening situations.
And then there’s the business-as-usual on the base – with far more to worry about at times than whether Mavis’ tea-making skills have really been improved by the presence of Sharon. It’s plain that the Allied effort is escalating, and there are constant daily reminders of the scale of the danger and potential for loss of lives – but there’s also that lovely balance with the minutiae of their daily lives. Doris (my goodness, I do love her!) still sometimes has a rather short fuse, but is also the most loyal and caring friend you could possibly wish for – and perhaps, in time, marriage to the injury-prone but lovely Walter will make living with her rather easier for everyone. But married life for Penny and Tom is proving rather more difficult, especially with no opportunities to be together – and her mood isn’t helped by being banned from flying and confined to base as Jane’s Second Officer while she recovers from her trauma and injuries.
But when everyone’s at home and together – after some shuffling of the sleeping arrangements – there’s all the usual banter and leg-pulling you find in the strongest of friendships, often accompanied (of course) with the occasional Guinness and a round of fish and chips. And Bobby the dog certainly has his moments in the spotlight too – the first rather unexpected, but the later one allowing him to show that he’s can most definitely still be the hero he always was.
The pacing of the story is just perfect – it’s a real page-turner, and I read it in two really enjoyable sittings – with plenty of drama and intrigue along the way, but also the palpable warmth of the relationships between the characters. As this is the fifth book in this lovely series that I’ve read and enjoyed, I’ve grown to think of them all as my friends too – so many of them have taken a place in my heart – and I’m really looking forward to reading more about their adventures together. Such a lovely read – and one so many others would equally enjoy.
About the author
Mick is a hopeless romantic who was born in England and spent fifteen years roaming around the world in the pay of HM Queen Elizabeth II in the Royal Air Force before putting down roots and realizing how much he missed the travel. He’s replaced it somewhat with his writing, including reviewing books and supporting fellow saga and romance authors in promoting their novels.
He’s the proud keeper of two cats bent on world domination, is mad on the music of the Beach Boys, and enjoys the theatre and humouring his Manchester United-supporting wife. Finally, and most importantly, Mick is a full member of the Romantic Novelists Association.
His previous books published with The Wild Rose Press include A Wing and a Prayer, Wild Blue Yonder, I’ll Be Home for Christmas, and In the Mood, all part of his Broken Wings series on the ATA of WW2, and The Lumberjills.
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube channel
