I’m so delighted today to be joining the blog tour and sharing my review of Doris Flies Solo by MW Arnold, the sixth book in his Broken Wings series: published by Wild Rose Press on 23rd September, 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.
This is a series I’ve so enjoyed – the wholly authentic wartime setting, the fantastic characters, the humour, the intriguing mysteries, the edge-of-the-seat drama – and I knew I was going to love spending time with the brave pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary at Hamble as soon as I picked up the very first book. That was A Wing and a Prayer – you’ll find my review of that one here, and if you pop the author’s name in my search bar you’ll find reviews of all but one of the books that followed too. The fifth book, Time Waits for No One, really was better than ever – perfectly paced, a real page-turner filled with drama and intrigue, but always with the warmth of those lovely relationships between the characters (you’ll find my full review here). They really feel like my friends now, and none more so than the irrepressible Doris – and I couldn’t have been more delighted than when Mick told me she’d be taking centre stage in this latest book…
Air Transport Auxiliary pilot Doris Johnson is sent on a solo trip, escorting a British General on a secret mission to Scotland, vital to the success of D-Day, the forthcoming invasion of Nazi occupied France.
Her natural inquisitiveness means her life is in put in great danger and she’ll need more than her superb flying skills to survive.
Doris has to trust her own instincts, and those of the new friends she makes, so that everyone comes through their adventures in one piece. Not everything is as it seems, sometimes by design, as she faces whatever is thrown at her with a determined smile and the spirit to stand fast for what is good and right.
While I always enjoy any time I spend at Hamble, this time Doris has to wave her friends and new husband Walter goodbye, flying off to Scotland on a mission so secret even she has no idea what it entails. It turns out that she’s to ferry around – by plane, and rather more dangerously by car – a British general and his aide, part of a major operation to deceive the Nazis about the plans for European invasion. But the deception goes even further than that – uncovered by Doris who remains as committed as ever to the secrecy of their mission, making a few unexpected new friends along the way, including a four-legged one who proves particularly difficult to help. But there are enemies around too, sometimes rather closer to home than is comfortable, and the danger they’re all in becomes very evident – and not just from Doris’ reckless driving.
The characters in this book are as wonderfully drawn as ever – some perhaps not exactly who they seem to be, but I really don’t want to spoil your enjoyment of any of the intriguing details of the story. As for Doris, I think I loved her even more than I did before – she’s sometimes pushy and abrasive (and a bit loud at times), but has a strong sense of right and wrong and a heart of pure gold, laughing at herself and bringing smiles to everyone else’s faces too. But she’s also particularly smart, quick to get the measure of people – although that doesn’t prevent her from finding herself in more than a few hairy situations when I found my heart beating considerably faster. The occasional contact with Hamble more than satisfied my need to know what might be going on at home – including the final unmasking of the underwear thief (if you’ve read the earlier books, you’ll understand that one – but you’d really have no problems reading this one as a standalone) – and I really enjoyed this rather different story.
The whole book is just perfectly paced – I raced through it in one sitting, fascinated by the story’s twists and turns, enjoying the mounting tension and moments of really well-written drama, but also the various relationships between the characters, and the occasional more light-hearted diversion. There’s even a touch of unexpected romance – not for Doris of course, she’s entirely devoted to accident-prone Walter – and it’s really nicely handled. All the detail is so well researched and brought to life – the author’s postscript about the Bodyguard campaign and Fortitude North, the very real operation that inspired the story, introduced me to a slice of wartime history I knew nothing about, absolutely fascinating, and lending real context and authenticity to what might well otherwise sometimes have seemed a slightly far-fetched story.
Although several steps removed from my usual reading – you’ll rarely find me reviewing wartime mysteries – I’m really loving this series, and the real warmth of the author’s writing. Do give this series a try, you might well enjoy the books as much as I always do – I’ll be looking forward to rejoining my rather special friends for their next adventure.
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 Romanian Were-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 (please don’t mention this last to her!). Finally, and most importantly, Mick is a full member of the Romantic Novelists Association.
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