Her Last Betrayal
by
Pam Lecky
Spying on the enemy is a dangerous game…
London, 1941
After losing her family to a Nazi bomb attack back home in Ireland, Sarah Gillespie joins the British Secret Services to bring them justice.
Partnered with American undercover agent Lieutenant Tony Anderson, Sarah embarks on a dangerous mission that takes her from war-torn London into the black mountains of Wales. But when one of her team is revealed to be a German mole, and enemies begin to close in, what price will Sarah have to pay to save her country – and herself?
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Enjoy an excerpt:
Sarah’s alarm clock rattled into life, and she awoke to a pounding headache. That will teach me to carouse with Vera Taylor. With a groan and her eyes still closed, she slapped down on the bell and savoured the blissful silence of the sleeping house. Twenty minutes later, she woke up again, spotted the time and leapt out of bed.
‘Damn, damn, damn,’ she muttered as she dragged on her clothes. Why on earth had she agreed to meet Vera so early for the clean-up? With a glance in the mirror, which made her cringe, she pulled a brush through her hair before galloping down the stairs.
‘Morning!’ Aunt Alice greeted her in a chirpy tone, a pot of tea in her hand.
‘Good morning. Sorry, I can’t stop for breakfast. I’m running late,’ Sarah said as she shrugged into her coat.
Her aunt tut-tutted and shook her head. ‘You’ll be sorry later. What about a piece of toast? I don’t like you going to work on an empty tummy.’
This was typical of Alice; such a mother hen. And for the hundredth time, Sarah wished Maura could have experienced family life with the Lambes. ‘I’ll grab something in the canteen, I promise. See you at lunchtime,’ Sarah said, kissing her aunt’s cheek before making for the door.
She stalled in the open doorway. All was still; that particular silence that comes with snow. Flurries were drifting down, coating everything in white. She breathed in the cold air and her pounding head eased. As she pulled on her gloves, she saw young Edward, the Post Office messenger boy, coming down the path. Sarah waved to him, thinking how smart he looked in his uniform. But he didn’t respond as he normally would; instead, he walked up to her, unsmiling, before reaching into his satchel and pulling out a telegram.
‘Good morning,’ Edward said, not quite meeting her gaze. ‘This is for you, miss.’
Sarah went numb, staring at it. Telegrams were never good news. Not these days.
‘Who’s there, Sarah?’ she heard her aunt call out. Seconds later, Aunt Alice was at her side, looking down at the messenger boy. ‘Good morning, Edward,’ she said. ‘How’s your mum doing?’
‘Much better, Mrs Lambe.’ His eyes strayed to the telegram in Sarah’s hand. ‘Should I wait for an answer?’
Sarah heard her aunt’s sharp intake of breath before she pressed Sarah’s arm. ‘No. My dear, best you come back inside to open that. Run along now, Edward.’
‘Very good, Mrs Lambe,’ he replied and scooted off.
‘Come in, love,’ her aunt said, tugging Sarah back into the house and closing the front door.
Sarah sat down by the fire, staring at the envelope. Maybe it was from the colonel in London about her mission, and not something awful. She glanced up at her aunt, whose brows were drawn in concern, a tea towel clutched in her hand. Swallowing hard, Sarah slit open the envelope. It was from Deirdre O’Reilly in Dublin, Paul’s sister.
Paul’s ship torpedoed Atlantic. Missing presumed dead.
Pam Lecky is an Irish historical fiction author with Avon Books UK/Harper Collins. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, The Crime Writers’ Association, and the Society of Authors. She is represented by Thérèse Coen, at the Hardman & Swainson Literary Agency, London. Pam has a particular love of the late Victorian era/early 20th Century.
In November 2020, Pam signed with Avon Books UK/Harper Collins in a two-book deal. The first book in the historical thriller series, Her Secret War, was published in October 2021; the sequel, Her Last Betrayal, will be published in April 2022. Pam is currently working on the third book in the series.
Her debut novel, The Bowes Inheritance, was awarded the B.R.A.G Medallion; shortlisted for the Carousel Aware Prize 2016; and longlisted for the Historical Novel Society 2016 Indie Award. Her short stories are available in an anthology, entitled Past Imperfect, which was published in April 2018.
June 2019, saw the release of the first book in the Lucy Lawrence Mystery series, No Stone Unturned, a fast-paced Victorian mystery/crime, set in London and Yorkshire which was awarded the B.R.A.G. Medallion. The sequel, Footprints in the Sand, set in Egypt, was released in March 2020. The third book in the series, The Art of Deception, was published in December 2021. Pam hopes to publish the fourth book in the series in 2023.
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