The strange brigadier who hardly speaks... Leo, his feisty pilot daughter... Labrador, the vengeful Pole... Henry Dunning-Green, Leo's boring suitor... Adrian Russell, the treacherous master spy...

All linked by SOE Somerville, the top secret Second World War finishing school for spies on England's south coast, and its local community: A melting pot of intrigue and counter-intrigue.

A fast-unfolding, untold tale of deception, betrayal and romance leading to a tense life-or-death climax in occupied France. Many of the events actually took place. This is the first fictional treatment of life at the famous Special Operations Executive 'finishing school' for spies, SOE Beaulieu in the New Forest (renamed SOE Somerville). It's also the first fully realised fictional portrait of master spy and traitor Kim Philby (renamed Adrian Russell) who lectured at SOE Beaulieu.

"A novel for anyone who loves the New Forest. Andrew Duncan captures its beauty, history and sense of magic."

A novel for anyone who loves the New Forest. Andrew Duncan captures its beauty, history and sense of magic. - Dan Snow; Thrilling wartime adventure and a sensitive story of relationships. - Lizanne Lost in a Good Book; This tale of deception, betrayal and romance links a feisty ATA pilot, her boring boyfriend, an enigmatic Pole hellbent on vengeance and a treacherous master spy. The action starts in the bucolic New Forest and unfolds between the SOE school for spies, the skies above southern England and occupied Normandy. The life and death climax will have you on the edge of your seat. The author's mother was an ATA pilot and he captures the ATA life very well. - Maidenhead Heritage Centre/ATA Museum

Andrew Duncan's parents were both WW2 pilots, so maybe flying is in his DNA. He lived in London until his teens, then in the New Forest. At Cambridge he was editor of the university newspaper, Varsity. His first job was on the Albany column in The Sunday Telegraph, writing diary pieces on people in public life. Later he worked at Mitchell Beazley Publishers and the Hutchinson Publishing Group before setting up Duncan Petersen Publishing, the firm, which he runs today. He is married with two sons and lives in London and at Beaulieu, Hampshire. He relaxes by racing small boats on the Beaulieu River, and yachting in the Mediterranean.