Jane Thynne is best known for her series of novels following Clara Vine, an Anglo-German actress working for British intelligence during World War II. She started a new series in 2024 with Midnight in Vienna, which followed cast-out spy Harry Fox and Stella Fry, fresh from a five-year stint in Europe. Set before the War, it saw tensions escalating in Vienna as the pair investigated the murder of a prominent crime fiction author. Thynne now brings us the much-anticipated second Fox & Fry story, Appointment in Paris, this time set in 1940. These are the last days of the Chamberlain administration and Europe is on the eve of a full-scale Nazi invasion.
While chatter of war lurked in the background in the previous novel, here the leads are thrust into the heart of it, with blackouts, evacuations and rationing. Thynne paints a clear picture of Britain up against it, intelligence stretched. This leads to the reunion of our central pair, this time to look into the disappearance of a listener at Trent Park, a prison for high-ranking German POWs.
Stella now works for the GPO Film Unit, while Harry continues to moonlight as a private detective, following authors and figures of interest. Stella is sent undercover to Trent Park and Harry follows his own leads as they gradually unravel a plot that has more to it than meets the eye.
While Harry Fox was formerly a spy, Midnight in Vienna at times felt more like a classic murder mystery with several literary nods to the era and cameos from literary figures. This book, with its Trent Park backdrop and wartime setting, immediately feels more like a straight-up espionage novel. Rest assured, fans who enjoyed real-life appearances in the previous novel will find more to appreciate here. These appearances often add to the story rather than feeling cheap or distracting.
This is a meticulously researched historical thriller with plenty of rich period detail, the escalating tension and sense of fear palpable. It feels like a time capsule to 1940. The contrast between London and Paris is fascinating. There is rarely a let-up in tension, with twists aplenty. With any pairing, both parts must be equally interesting, and Thynne has crafted two winners here, each coming from different backgrounds but equally driven and in their own way capable of delivering excellent results. The differing nature of their methods means things never feel stale.
This is a deeply rewarding wartime spy thriller that builds on strong foundations. The relationships and characterisation of our leads are immaculately handled as the duo continue their double act. Plenty of the supporting players from the first book are given a role to play here. The novel is a constantly tense affair, with the backdrop of the conflict putting everyone on edge. This, coupled with the intelligence communities’ nerves around the central investigation, adds an extra layer of drama in a novel fizzing with anxiety.
Thynne continues to prove she is a master at period detail while maintaining a rapid pace that rarely lets up, never at the expense of a compelling story. There are more than a few hints at a third adventure for the central pair, and based on the quality of the first two, it cannot come soon enough.
Also see One Woman’s War by Christine Wells.
Quercus
Print/Kindle/iBook
£5.99
CFL Rating: 4 Stars
