From USA Today Bestselling author Kathryn Gauci-A powerful account of one woman’s struggle to balance her duty to her country and a love she knows will ultimately end in tragedy. Which would you choose?1940. The Germans are about to enter Paris, Claire Bouchard flees for England. Two years later she is sent back to work alongside the Resistance.Working undercover as a teacher in Brittany, Claire … Resistance.
Working undercover as a teacher in Brittany, Claire accidentally befriends the wife of the German Commandant of Rennes and the blossoming friendship is about to become a dangerous mission.
Knowing thousands of lives depend on her actions, Claire begins a double life as a Gestapo Commandant’s mistress in order to retrieve vital information for the Allies, but ghosts from her past make the deception more painful than she could have imagined.
A time of horror, yet amongst so much strength and love Conspiracy of Lies takes us on a journey through occupied France, from the picturesque villages of rural Brittany to the glittering dinner parties of the Nazi elite.
Buy Conspiracy of Lies and take a trip back to a time of overwhelming strength and courage.
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My heart! What a fabulous story! I’m usually not a fan of dual timelines but here I feel it worked perfectly; as a matter of fact, I feel that the present parts of the narration were necessary to understand the past and to tie up all the ends neatly, which it did. Claire is a wonderful central heroine. I love them strong but flawed, and she’s exactly that type of character; when I read the book I felt like she was someone I knew, a real person and not a character from the book. It’s very difficult to write such multi-dimensional, believable characters and I commend the author on her skill.
The plot itself is complex and riveting. It has it all – the lost love, the war, the Resistance, the shocking secret, and the passion which acknowledges no boundaries and defies all common sense. What I also highly appreciated was how masterfully Claire’s inner conflict between her own feelings and her duty was demonstrated. The research was absolutely meticulous; the novel itself – atmospheric and impossible to put down. I’m so glad I read this story and I definitely recommend it to all fans of the genre. It would make a great movie, too.
Starting this novel, I was not too certain if I could enjoy a story with a SS officer as the love interest. Yet, I did. Very much so. By the end of this novel, all I could think about was the power of love, and the tragedy of love blighted by war.
Claire Bouchard is a wonderful main character – brave, beautiful and fated to be scarred and left broken hearted – as so many young men and women were in these times – by the experience of World War Two. Caught up in the horror of war and utterly in love with a man who should be her enemy, we cannot help feel for her as she decides her true loyalties.
Gauci has written a quintessence English novel. The voice of the story is pitched perfectly and the history well told. I found myself in war torn England, France and Brittany of the 1940’s – in the midst of Claire’s powerful and heart touching love story.
Gauci is gifted in creating a sensory world for her reader. She brings you to the table of her characters and set before you a feast of descriptions. I could almost feel the silk of women’s dresses, taste the oysters and champagne, and hear the music playing as men and women danced, as war darkened their world with its promise of grief and despair.
A superb story from Kathryn Gauci telling the story of Claire Bouchard, a woman working for the French Resistance that becomes entangled in a web of lies that began before she even knew she had been entrapped.
Conspiracy of Lies has a dual time line, with the primary story being set during World War Two and telling the story of Claire’s life working for the resistance while the second story takes place in 2001 and concerns Claire’s daughter, Sarah, who tries to uncover a secret her mother is clearly hiding. Dual time lines are often difficult to manage as oftentimes readers prefer one story over the other. However, Ms. Gauci handles this framing device masterfully and I was invested in both stories. There are plenty of twists and turns in this story and kept me hooked until the very end. I was unable to put it down.
I would highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more of Ms. Gauci’s works.
Grabbing, engrossing, fast-paced
Completely absorbing from the opening pages through the ending, the story follows Claire from the beginning of WWII, smoothly moving in time to its finale and then to our time. Stubborn, courageous, resourceful, yet feminine, Claire is sent by SOE to fight among the French Resistance and she does so, risking her life even when destiny gives her a chance to step out.
Painting an accurate picture of the time and events, this deeply felt tale carries readers along with the multifaceted, flawed characters as they move through and deal with life full of hardships and fight against ruthless occupiers. It harbors many surprises and shadings, clarifications and corrections of misconceptions, offering a deeper understanding for the reader.
I will avoid revealing the central intrigue (yes, there is love in this story), but I can’t help but mention the suspense at times was hardly bearable.
The novel makes for an enthralling read, and I highly recommend it for readers who love historical fiction and stories brimming with tension.
This is an incredible story of life in the French resistance during World War 2.
It is so very well written and researched, and I found it almost impossible to put down.