The Rules of Engagement

30 Jan 2024 By Guest An Engrossing read! An engrossing read!! I read this one on recommendation, having read the author's latest and although this a richly evoked and well researched first novel, it is evident that subsequent books have shown this author has got better. I liked the combination of two protagonists, having their stories evolve in parallel and of the two, I thought Alex Conyer came across better. Overall it deserves it's four star rating and other readers should give this author's fictional debut a try!

14 Jul 2023 By Guest Very satisfying!! This is a well researched novel about the Great War, which I have to say I really enjoyed. Not having been familiar with the author[s] work, I didn't know what to expect, but I am glad to have stayed with it and certain passages towards the end are especially poignant. Anyone coming across this in the same way - will be pleasantly surprised.

Very Enjoyable Having read another novel by the same author, I was intrigued to discover this was their first book, set around WWI. On balance I think "The Calloway Sisters" has a more intricate plot, however this story of two protagonists from different ends of the social spectrum, is well worth a read. I found the conclusion especially poignant and believe others who haven't read it yet will be pleasantly surprised.

This is a moving novel set during the First World War, beginning on a bright summer day in June 1914 and taking the two main characters through the trauma of a war which was like no other conflict in history. The postscript at the end is especially poignant as the author pays tribute to the real heroes who went off to fight and whose sacrifice is a painful reminder of the true costs of war. A hugely enjoyable read

Thoroughly enjoyed this story and found it difficult to put down once I started reading.