In Farleigh Field

A Novel

By: Rhys Bowen

Narrated by: Gemma Dawson

Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

World War II comes to Farleigh Place, the ancestral home of Lord Westerham and his five daughters, when a soldier with a failed parachute falls to his death on the estate. After his uniform and possessions raise suspicions, MI5 operative and family friend Ben Cresswell is covertly tasked with determining if the man is a German spy. The assignment also offers Ben the chance to be near Lord Westerham's middle daughter, Pamela, whom he furtively loves. But Pamela has her own secret: She has taken a job at Bletchley Park, the British code-breaking facility.

As Ben follows a trail of spies and traitors, which may include another member of Pamela's family, he discovers that some within the realm have an appalling, history-altering agenda. Can he, with Pamela's help, stop them before England falls?

Inspired by the events and people of World War II, writer Rhys Bowen crafts a sweeping and riveting saga of class, family, love, and betrayal.

©2017 Janet Quin-Harkin, writing as Rhys Bowen (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Superficial and stereotypical

This was one of my least favourable audible books. The characters were stereotypical and underdeveloped. The storyline was shallow and romanticized. The plot was naive as were the main characters.

Another Rhys Bowen Winner

As a long fan of Rhys Bowen's Lady Georgie Ranoch, this was a new direction for me. However, I found it to be just as intriguing and interesting and full of great characters. Rhys Bowen never fails to entertain and mystify. I highly recommend.

Another Bowen Winner

I always devour Bowen books and this was no exception. It drew me in quickly and held my attention throughout.

I've read a lot about WWII, but at a couple of points this story really brought home what was at stake and what was demanded. The light heart of the Royal Spyness series was absent, but the characters were engaging and the riddle was complex so it was equally intriguing.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Excellent book

Thoroughly enjoyable book well written. An excellent view of Britain in the early years of World War II, partially based on historical facts.

Entirely predictable

I stuck with it just to see if there would be any interesting twists and turns, or some nice character development. Apart from a precocious 12-year old, there were none.

Overall, a good story with strong narration.

What made the experience of listening to In Farleigh Field the most enjoyable?

The narrator was quite good, adding voices and personality to the various (numerous) characters.

Have you listened to any of Gemma Dawson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, too long for one sitting. This was a commute book for me

Any additional comments?

I found it a little slow in the beginning, but the story got progressively stronger as the chapters rolled by. The ending was actually good....which is not always the case IMHO.

Classic Rhys Bowen

Not a super complicated plot, but good characters that made you like them and a few twists. Narration was great. I'm a fan of all Rhys Bowen's series and this stand alone novel doesn't disappoint.

Pleasantly surprised

This was my first Rhys Bowen listen and I loved it. Now I'm hoping there will be more books about the Suttons and all of their friends!

My favorite Rhys Bowen book

I've listened to many of Ms Bowens books. This one included one of the most fascinating programs of WWII- Betchley - where they solved the enigma code. Great historical fiction.

A Very Good WWII Historical Novel

The plot and details of the novel are very engaging. The author's care in researching the time period shows. The characters are believable and their actions ring true to the time.

The narration was good, if a bit too restrained. In scenes of great drama or danger, the narrator continues her slow, measured delivery. Although getting overwrought would have been too much, it seems like there could have been a happy medium where the tempo and timbre of the dialogue would better reflect the tense situation.