Please be aware, this is the US title for the novel published in the UK as A War of Flowers!
August, 1938. Paris is a city living on its nerves and the threat of war hangs heavy as a distant thunderstorm on a summer's day.
British actress, Clara Vine, is in Paris to film her latest movie, having left Berlin under a cloud. Joseph Goebbels has become increasingly suspicious that Clara has been mingling in Berlin society and passing snippets of information to her contacts in the British Embassy. It would have been absurd, if it hadn't also been true…
With war becoming increasingly likely, Clara is approached by an undercover British operative, Guy Hamilton, who asks her to perform a task for her country: to befriend Eva Braun, Hitler's girlfriend, and to pass on any information she can gather.
Clara knows that to undertake this task is to put herself back in danger. But she also knows that soon she may have to do everything in her power to protect her country…
Reviews
A brilliant tale of spies and secrets, of intense psychological drama, of edgy climax and one extraordinary heroine.
Beatriz Williams, New York Times bestselling author of A Hundred Summers
An alluring blend of thrills, suspense, historic detail and seduction.
Susan Elia MacNeal, New York Times bestselling author of the Maggie Hope series
“An extraordinary, absorbing read with an array of characters so real you’re there with them as war looms, and a pace that sweeps you from page to page. This is indeed a winner!”
Charles Todd, author of Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries
"A storyline to delight readers who enjoy historical mysteries with a bit of romance....Thynne's writing is very descriptive and she works in many historic people and events. seeing the inner workings of the Third Reich was a fresh approach and made for an engaging read.'
Fredericksburg Star
This “Nazi” tale is extremely interesting because it has never been told like this before. The main characters are mostly women, and the plot covers subjects that are not explored often. Clara is written so well that she comes across as being a very real person. The author gives a peek at her next book, “The Pursuit of Pearls,” that will start with the insanity that was Hitler’s Germany after the war broke out. This new fan of Thynne’s cannot wait to read it!
Mary Lignor, Suspense Magazine
Fantastic . . I liked this book a lot, I liked Clara and the way she was insinuated into historical fact. I loved that Eva Braun was getting a bit more time on the stage, so to speak – I’ve always felt sorry for her. But what really made this Nazi spy story so great was the amount of detail Thynne has woven into the story . .The Scent of Secrets was a great read and I’m looking out for the next instalment!
The Paperback Princess
The first in a planned trilogy, which leaves many loose ends Thynne will doubtless explore in the sequel, paints a horrifying portrait of the madness that was Hitler’s Germany from the viewpoint of women, who are mostly relegated to the kitchen and the bedroom.
Kirkus Reviews
A remarkable novel
Mysterious Reviews