A secret weapon. A traitor in plain sight. A hidden code.
England, 1940: Farmer John Cook finds his train stopped at gunpoint by men posing as Home Guard officers. As Cook confronts them, two men escape into the surrounding trees, carrying mysterious suitcases.
Lady Margaret is tasked with deploying Land Girls to local farms to aid the war effort. But when one of the new recruits is found dead in the woods, Margaret questions if there is a traitor in their midst…
Cook and Margaret investigate the murder and try to trace the men from the train. They soon begin to connect events with refugee scientists from occupied Europe at work on secret plans to create a weapon to end the war…
Cook and Margaret fight to turn the tide of the war. But can they trust anyone? Or even each other?
Everyone is gripped by Stephen Ronson:
‘WWII set thriller that has heart-pounding action, but more importantly, a lot of heart… Completely gripping… A narrative that is as taut as piano wire!… Not to be missed if you enjoy action-packed historical thrillers’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A gripping World War Two thriller… Every shadow hides a potential threat and the tension never lets up. A must read’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Like watching a film… SO realistic! The attention to detail to historical fact is wonderful… Unputdownable page turner!’ Reader review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Read the book in three days, couldn’t put it down. If you like wartime stories then this is a must read’ Reader review⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
England, 1940: Farmer John Cook finds his train stopped at gunpoint by men posing as Home Guard officers. As Cook confronts them, two men escape into the surrounding trees, carrying mysterious suitcases.
Lady Margaret is tasked with deploying Land Girls to local farms to aid the war effort. But when one of the new recruits is found dead in the woods, Margaret questions if there is a traitor in their midst…
Cook and Margaret investigate the murder and try to trace the men from the train. They soon begin to connect events with refugee scientists from occupied Europe at work on secret plans to create a weapon to end the war…
Cook and Margaret fight to turn the tide of the war. But can they trust anyone? Or even each other?
Everyone is gripped by Stephen Ronson:
‘WWII set thriller that has heart-pounding action, but more importantly, a lot of heart… Completely gripping… A narrative that is as taut as piano wire!… Not to be missed if you enjoy action-packed historical thrillers’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A gripping World War Two thriller… Every shadow hides a potential threat and the tension never lets up. A must read’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Like watching a film… SO realistic! The attention to detail to historical fact is wonderful… Unputdownable page turner!’ Reader review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Read the book in three days, couldn’t put it down. If you like wartime stories then this is a must read’ Reader review⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reviews
'A brilliant noir thriller set in the darkest days of the Second World War'
'Ronson delivers a cracking yarn, convincingly told. John Cook is the Jack Reacher of 1940s Britain'
'A vivid sense of place with tension on every level, The Last Line dripped with historical detail and authenticity. I absolutely loved it'
'A tough, taut wartime thriller that reads like a cross between Alastair MacLean and Lee Child and atmospherically conjures up the spectre of war, the threat of Nazi invasion and other evils uncomfortably close to home. Dad's Army, it ain't!'
'Thrilling and intriguing in equal measure. Like Jack Reacher on the Home Front in WWII'
'The pace is quick and the action keeps coming. With well-chosen prose, the author gives the reader a snapshot of English countryside during wartime, with victory gardens, makeshift landing strips in farmers' fields and railway platforms full of evacuated children. It was a page-turner and I couldn't get enough'
'Addictively readable'
Praise for Stephen Ronson:
