The White Lady: A Novel

$18.22
by Jacqueline Winspear

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Instant New York Times and National Bestseller “A triumph. . . . Winspear creates in Elinor White (the ‘White Lady’), a complex, endearing, achingly flawed hero. This is both fast-paced and thoughtful, bold and nuanced, a thriller that is thrillingly human. I loved it.” —Louise Penny The White Lady introduces yet another extraordinary heroine from Jacqueline Winspear, creator of the best-selling Maisie Dobbs series. This heart-stopping historical thriller, set in Post WWII Britain in 1947, follows the coming of age and maturity of former wartime operative Elinor White—veteran of two wars, trained killer, protective of her anonymity—when she is drawn back into the world of menace she has been desperate to leave behind. A reluctant ex-spy with demons of her own, Elinor finds herself facing down one of the most dangerous organized crime gangs in London, ultimately exposing corruption from Scotland Yard to the highest levels of government. The private, quiet “Miss White" as Elinor is known, lives in a village in rural Kent, England, and to her fellow villagers seems something of an enigma. Well she might, as Elinor occupies a "grace and favor" property, a rare privilege offered to faithful servants of the Crown for services to the nation. But the residents of Shacklehurst have no way of knowing how dangerous Elinor's war work had been, or that their mysterious neighbor is haunted by her past and her history with the WWII resistance. It will take Susie, the child of a young farmworker, Jim Mackie and his wife, Rose, to break through Miss White's icy demeanor—but Jim has something in common with Elinor. He, too, is desperate to escape his past. When the powerful Mackie crime family demands a return of their prodigal son for an important job, Elinor assumes the task of protecting her neighbors, especially the bright-eyed Susie. Yet in her quest to uncover the truth behind the powerful London crime family’s pursuit of Jim, Elinor unwittingly sets out on a treacherous path—yet it is one that leads to her freedom. " The White Lady is a triumph of storytelling. Rarely have I been swept up into a novel, into the lives of the main characters, so quickly and thoroughly. Winspear creates in Elinor White (The White Lady), a complex, endearing, achingly flawed hero. This is both fast-paced and thoughtful, bold and nuanced, a thriller that is thrillingly human. I loved it." - Louise Penny " The White Lady is wonderful . . . a tense and twisty character-driven thriller, a heartfelt tribute to the twentieth century's bravest women, and a perfect match between story and storyteller. No one does this better than Jacqueline Winspear." - Lee Child “Winspear is an absolute master of the character-driven thriller . . . [and] the real strength of the novel, lies in the poignant and beautifully written backstory of Elinor's childhood in war-torn Belgium and her personal losses in a devastated London.” - Booklist (starred review) "The award-winning author of the Maisie Dobbs series skillfully juggles three timelines in a riveting stand-alone about a woman whose wartime experiences overshadow her post-war retirement." - Library Journal "This standalone adventure is cleverly plotted, deftly assembled with layers of narrative that take us through the first half of the twentieth century, developing the backstory of a fascinating heroine. The heist investigation, while absorbing, is almost a MacGuffin for the deeper mystery: what past tragedy made Elinor who she is, and will she be able to overcome it? Altogether, it makes for a gripping historical novel." - Reviewing the Evidence "With her keen talent for British accents, narrator Orlagh Cassidy masterfully delivers a stand-alone from Jacqueline Winspear, which introduces powerful, brave heroine Elinor White . . . . Cassidy’s tone, pace, and pitch drive up the tension in the frightening war scenes. An engrossing experience of Winspear’s beautifully written work." - BookTrib, Best Audiobooks "In The White Lady , as in her Maisie Dobbs series, Winspear demonstrates a deep and multifaceted understanding of the effects of war on those forced to fight. Her books are thought-provoking, emotionally satisfying, and well worth your time." - New Books Network " The White Lady  doesn’t shy away from dark subjects, and historical mystery readers searching for a bit of grit and a complex main character will admire its uncompromising storytelling." - BookPage "Packed with action,  The White Lady  delivers a high-quality reading experience thanks to well-developed characters and an intriguing plot." - Novels Alive "If Daphne du Maurier rewrote a John le Carré manuscript, it might resemble The White Lady ." - Star Tribune "In this engrossing, fast paced tale, readers get to escape their own realities, meaning there’s plenty of guilty pleasure in Winspear’s latest outing." - East Bay Express "With focus on White's interior experience and a subplot involving the post-war London crime syndi

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