Read by Emma Gregory

A sweeping historical adventure set during one of the most turbulent periods of British history-featuring a heroine you'll never forget ... Dorset, 1642. When bloody civil war breaks out between the king and Parliament, families and communities across England are riven by different allegiances. A rare few choose neutrality. One such is Jayne Swift, a Dorset physician from a Royalist family, who offers her services to both sides in the conflict. Through her dedication to treating the sick and wounded, regardless of belief, Jayne becomes a witness to the brutality of war and the devastation it wreaks. Yet her recurring companion at every event is a man she should despise because he embraces civil war as the means to an end. She knows him as William Harrier, but is ignorant about every other aspect of his life. His past is a mystery and his future uncertain. The Swift and the Harrier is a sweeping tale of adventure and loss, sacrifice and love, with a unique and unforgettable heroine at its heart. "Gripping and fascinating." "Walters draws wonderfully on her crime-writing skills…This well-researched novel of seventeenth-century warfare shows the perils and rewards of sticking to one's principles." "Endearing characters spark life into centuries-old history in Walters's latest, which will appeal to fans of Philippa Gregory, Margaret George, and Sharon Kay Penman." "I loved every moment of this brilliantly evocative saga of struggle, love, and danger set against the horrors of civil war." "A truly, utterly gripping English Civil War love story that is as fleet and majestic as the birds of the title. This is Minette Walters at her brilliant best." "This well-researched, atmospheric tale is as gripping as any of her thrillers." "The author best known for her crime fiction sets this enthralling, tender love story against the brutal background of the English Civil War." "Minette Walters, a stalwart of crime fiction, is excellent on the horrors of civil war in Dorset, and Swift is a memorable and spirited…heroine." "This is historical fiction at its finest…Jayne is a fantastic character, a woman very much in a man's world, living and working to bring succor to those in need." "A cleverly crafted combination of romance and adventure story." "A sweeping historical romance with a very appealing central character…A great story well told."

Mode of access: World Wide Web