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Two Storm Wood
In this thriller set on the battlefields of the Somme after the end of World War I, a woman investigates the disappearance of her fiancé.
The Great War has ended, but for Amy Vanneck there is no peace. Her fiancé, Edward Haslam, a lieutenant in the 7th Manchesters, is missing, presumed dead. Amy travels to the desolate battlefields of northern France to learn his fate and recover his body.
She’s warned that this open-air morgue is no place for a civilian, much less a woman, but Amy is willing to brave the barbed wire, the putrid water, and the rat-infested tunnels that dot the landscape. Her search is upended when she discovers the scene of a gruesome mass murder. What does it signify? Soon Amy begins to have suspicions that Edward might not really be dead. Disquieting and yet compulsively readable, Two Storm Wood builds to an ending that is both thrilling and emotionally riveting.
The Great War has ended, but for Amy Vanneck there is no peace. Her fiancé, Edward Haslam, a lieutenant in the 7th Manchesters, is missing, presumed dead. Amy travels to the desolate battlefields of northern France to learn his fate and recover his body.
She’s warned that this open-air morgue is no place for a civilian, much less a woman, but Amy is willing to brave the barbed wire, the putrid water, and the rat-infested tunnels that dot the landscape. Her search is upended when she discovers the scene of a gruesome mass murder. What does it signify? Soon Amy begins to have suspicions that Edward might not really be dead. Disquieting and yet compulsively readable, Two Storm Wood builds to an ending that is both thrilling and emotionally riveting.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 13, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews
December 5, 2021
In this superb WW1 historical drama that goes back and forth in time, Philip Gray with his impressive research gives us a rare glimpse into the post-war abandoned battlefields and those army volunteers who carried out the soul destroying task of attempting to identify a few of the over 500 000 dead soldiers, their bodies in various states of decomposing decay, through tags and other possessions. It is 1919, and co-ordinating one of these heroic operations in Northern France is Captain James Mackenzie, soldiering on in the face of a nightmare of hell, with its heavy toll on the sullen, withdrawn and resentful volunteers, he is driven by compassion to bring some form of closure for grieving relatives back home. It is a dangerous task too, as there are deadly booby traps that claim new war victims, when a woman, Amy Vanneck, arrives determined to find the body of her missing fiance, Captain Edward Haslem, of the 7th Manchesters, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes, missing presumed dead.
The privileged Amy is bearing a burden of guilt, the pacifist Edward, a Cambridge school music teacher, would never have joined the war effort if it wasn't for her, her rigid mother, Lady Constance, had refused to accept him as a suitable suitor, he was not of their social class. The least she can do is ensure his body is found and reburied, and she is going to need her nerves of steel to survive the obstacles in her path, this is no place for a woman, most witnesses are dead, information is scarce, not available, or non-existent. Aided by Mackenzie, she sifts her way through the contradictory evidence and army obfuscation when it comes to an atrocity committed at Two Storm Wood where 13 victims are discovered murdered, Edward appears to be implicated and the possibility is raised that he may still be alive.
There are more murders as Amy becomes engaged in her own battlefield in the search for the truth, learning of the grim realities of the war, where the dangers come not only from the German enemy, but from within. The issues of mental health and shell shock affecting soldiers are described in detail, soldiers do whatever they need to do to fight and survive, such as taking drugs so they can carry out risky missions. Rules and regulations regarding the war are not always followed, army command will tolerate this and engage in cover ups, citing morale as their defence as they bury the truth. This is a riveting read, where the answers only start coming near the end, about the complex nature of violence, brutality and the crimes that can occur under the cover of war. A novel that is one of my favourite reads of the year, highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
The privileged Amy is bearing a burden of guilt, the pacifist Edward, a Cambridge school music teacher, would never have joined the war effort if it wasn't for her, her rigid mother, Lady Constance, had refused to accept him as a suitable suitor, he was not of their social class. The least she can do is ensure his body is found and reburied, and she is going to need her nerves of steel to survive the obstacles in her path, this is no place for a woman, most witnesses are dead, information is scarce, not available, or non-existent. Aided by Mackenzie, she sifts her way through the contradictory evidence and army obfuscation when it comes to an atrocity committed at Two Storm Wood where 13 victims are discovered murdered, Edward appears to be implicated and the possibility is raised that he may still be alive.
There are more murders as Amy becomes engaged in her own battlefield in the search for the truth, learning of the grim realities of the war, where the dangers come not only from the German enemy, but from within. The issues of mental health and shell shock affecting soldiers are described in detail, soldiers do whatever they need to do to fight and survive, such as taking drugs so they can carry out risky missions. Rules and regulations regarding the war are not always followed, army command will tolerate this and engage in cover ups, citing morale as their defence as they bury the truth. This is a riveting read, where the answers only start coming near the end, about the complex nature of violence, brutality and the crimes that can occur under the cover of war. A novel that is one of my favourite reads of the year, highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
September 7, 2021
The background of this novel is not so often mentioned in fiction: the effort to find, identify and bury thousands of soldiers who fell during the WW1. The author must have done incredible research drawing on all kinds of documents available, in my opinion. Some fragments are raw and disturbingly realistic. And so is the atmosphere, dense and claustrophobic. The only colours are colours of soil, uniforms and mud. The only brightness comes from memories, never from the present time.
The plot is intriguing, with well-developed dynamic characters, and the mystery that kept me interested till the end.
*Many thanks to Philip Gray, Random House UK, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
The plot is intriguing, with well-developed dynamic characters, and the mystery that kept me interested till the end.
*Many thanks to Philip Gray, Random House UK, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
April 25, 2021
I was a little apprehensive going in to read this book, as it was way out of my usual comfort zone, despite the fact that I love to read factual books on both WW1 and WW2. But it had only taken me a couple of pages to realise how much the book was drawing me in, with both the smooth flow of the Authors words and the tale that was unfolding before me.
The horror elements of the book were amazing, the feeling of being watched by the millions of dead on the battlefields was always with you, as the mystery of the story unfolded. I found myself picturing how I would act and be there, in those situations, and truly I could never picture the 40 year old me doing what Amy does.
A Brilliant Book!
The horror elements of the book were amazing, the feeling of being watched by the millions of dead on the battlefields was always with you, as the mystery of the story unfolded. I found myself picturing how I would act and be there, in those situations, and truly I could never picture the 40 year old me doing what Amy does.
A Brilliant Book!
March 18, 2024
I listened to the audiobook, which had the perfect narrator.
Set both during and after WWI, a woman goes searching for her fiance's body after the war. She is not well received by the men who are searching for deceased soldiers' bodies to bury them respectfully, as they feel it is not the place for a woman. Not to be deterred, she is determined to stay.
When several corpses of mostly Chinese males are discovered, the plot gets going - who could have done such a thing?
The writing is good, the story well plotted, and I loved the main character.
You will not be surprised to hear that there is misogyny and words and phrases which are offensive, but if course these are of the time unfortunately.
Set both during and after WWI, a woman goes searching for her fiance's body after the war. She is not well received by the men who are searching for deceased soldiers' bodies to bury them respectfully, as they feel it is not the place for a woman. Not to be deterred, she is determined to stay.
When several corpses of mostly Chinese males are discovered, the plot gets going - who could have done such a thing?
The writing is good, the story well plotted, and I loved the main character.
You will not be surprised to hear that there is misogyny and words and phrases which are offensive, but if course these are of the time unfortunately.
February 26, 2022
This is a compelling read.
It is a fresh and original slant on World War I. A brutally realistic thriller set against the familiar backdrop of tench warfare on the Western Front.
Yet it is also a social commentary of that time. Class and gender are measured against the conflict, and the impetus to change a divided, unequal society.
I have read widely about these battlefields, both fiction and non-fiction. My knowledge and experiences have been enhanced further by visiting memorials and cemeteries in Belgium and France.
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque was a standout novel in my teenage reading and beyond the need for English Literature set exams I have always been drawn to the poets from Wilfred Owen to Siegfried Sassoon. Insightful first hand accounts like Robert Graves’ “Goodbye to All That.”
I was hooked immediately by Two Storm Wood and the sense of danger and threat that continues beyond the Armistice.
From ‘Spanish Flu’ to unexploded ordnance.
Yet this is a novel of remembered promises and unforgivable betrayal. Unresolved issues that show for some the war never ended in 1918.
A love story, trying to survive both family and personal loyalty, while being tested in the heat of battle.
I loved the unpicking of the letters to and from home that challenges and demonstrates the incompatibility of these two worlds, poles apart. The insights into coping with stress, fatigue and need to kill or be killed. The changes and doubts this brought about in officers and men alike but the different resources available to them.
Once started this book was compulsive reading; a drama and unfolding mystery you need to resolve and understand. The characters are well drawn and Amy Vanneck is as brave as any of the men defending their trenches. Her need to find and return the body of her fiancé, listed as “missing in action” drives her own. She is also the means to unravel the sinister discovery of an unspeakable horror from the disputed ground known as Two Storm Wood.
It is a fresh and original slant on World War I. A brutally realistic thriller set against the familiar backdrop of tench warfare on the Western Front.
Yet it is also a social commentary of that time. Class and gender are measured against the conflict, and the impetus to change a divided, unequal society.
I have read widely about these battlefields, both fiction and non-fiction. My knowledge and experiences have been enhanced further by visiting memorials and cemeteries in Belgium and France.
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque was a standout novel in my teenage reading and beyond the need for English Literature set exams I have always been drawn to the poets from Wilfred Owen to Siegfried Sassoon. Insightful first hand accounts like Robert Graves’ “Goodbye to All That.”
I was hooked immediately by Two Storm Wood and the sense of danger and threat that continues beyond the Armistice.
From ‘Spanish Flu’ to unexploded ordnance.
Yet this is a novel of remembered promises and unforgivable betrayal. Unresolved issues that show for some the war never ended in 1918.
A love story, trying to survive both family and personal loyalty, while being tested in the heat of battle.
I loved the unpicking of the letters to and from home that challenges and demonstrates the incompatibility of these two worlds, poles apart. The insights into coping with stress, fatigue and need to kill or be killed. The changes and doubts this brought about in officers and men alike but the different resources available to them.
Once started this book was compulsive reading; a drama and unfolding mystery you need to resolve and understand. The characters are well drawn and Amy Vanneck is as brave as any of the men defending their trenches. Her need to find and return the body of her fiancé, listed as “missing in action” drives her own. She is also the means to unravel the sinister discovery of an unspeakable horror from the disputed ground known as Two Storm Wood.
April 24, 2022
Wow, what an amazing book this was, right up to the very last page!! The story is told in parallel form the perspective of a soldier in WWI at the front lines, and his fiance searching for him once the war has ended. In between, there is a thriller aspect in that murders have taken place and it's revealed that a madman exists, even once the war has ended, in the place her fiance was last seen, a spot called Two Storm Wood. This book was incredibly well-written..there were pages I flagged just to reread. The description of the battlefields and the agony the soldiers experienced, both in combat as well as the shell shock they had, was so well done, I felt like I had a front row seat. It was expertly done..highly recommend to anyone who loves a good thriller or a war novel.
October 29, 2023
Absolutely loved this book from start to finish. Honestly would recommend! Cracking book .
April 23, 2023
I found this novel haunting with its themes of brutality and the consequences of that both physically and psychologically. I’m normally quite squeamish about war details and this was in many ways an uncomfortable read, with which I felt I needed to take my time. It is inconceivable, the appalling conditions of the battlefield and trenches- how anyone could come out of those circumstances undamaged- lives changed permanently, if one survived. I was totally ignorant of the fact that Chinese labour was employed in the trenches, and even to this day, there has been little acknowledgement of their contribution to the war. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.
April 9, 2022
This book adds dimensions untold before in any of the many books I have read treating WWI aftermath. A heroic young woman is the central character, attempting to discover what happened to her fiancé as she bravely investigates along with officials who are there to collect names of the dead ensuring proper burials.
Had I read about the Chinese workers assisting in body retrieval before? No, never.
Many good reviews here encouraged me to try the book, and I am glad of it.
Had I read about the Chinese workers assisting in body retrieval before? No, never.
Many good reviews here encouraged me to try the book, and I am glad of it.
April 15, 2023
For some unknown reason, I don’t normally gravitate towards WW1 books when I’m reading, but that may change after reading this one. It was the perfect blend of thriller and historical fiction that had me on the edge of my seat more than once while reading it.
The haunting way in which this is described meant I could actually feel the eyes of the dead on me while reading, and that takes a lot for me to feel something like that, and you know it’s a great book when this happens.
Amy was a fantastic character and I loved seeing her come to life throughout the book, I very much doubt I could do half of what she achieved in this one.
If you’re looking for a war book or a thriller that gives you the creeps then pick up a copy of this one!
Thank you to Vintage for sending me a copy of this one.
The haunting way in which this is described meant I could actually feel the eyes of the dead on me while reading, and that takes a lot for me to feel something like that, and you know it’s a great book when this happens.
Amy was a fantastic character and I loved seeing her come to life throughout the book, I very much doubt I could do half of what she achieved in this one.
If you’re looking for a war book or a thriller that gives you the creeps then pick up a copy of this one!
Thank you to Vintage for sending me a copy of this one.
February 11, 2022
Beautifully and elegantly written, impeccably researched, full of facts and details about the Great War, a love story and a detective mystery all mixed up in one intoxicating brew.
This drew me in from the first page as the story slowly develops with flashbacks and fast forwards building the sense of time and place.
The characters were well and sympathetically drawn and the excitement was ratchet up as the plot developed.
This was a book that concentrated on a previously ignored aspect of war - gathering in, identifying and respecting the dead and it is beautifully done.
This drew me in from the first page as the story slowly develops with flashbacks and fast forwards building the sense of time and place.
The characters were well and sympathetically drawn and the excitement was ratchet up as the plot developed.
This was a book that concentrated on a previously ignored aspect of war - gathering in, identifying and respecting the dead and it is beautifully done.
February 1, 2022
An incredibly atmospheric book that evokes the desolation of the Great War's battlefields whilst telling the story from various perspectives of a atrocity discovered after the armistice by a search party for bodies left .
I found this a gripping read, that was wonderfully written.A historical murder story .
I found this a gripping read, that was wonderfully written.A historical murder story .
April 8, 2022
A spectacular historical thriller set in 1919. As the clear up of the front continues and the fallen are located and shown the respect they deserve the discovery of the Two Storm Wood massacre sends a shiver through the army. At the same time Amy Vanneck is searching for her fiancé Edward Haslam reported missing in action. What links these two events. Superb story
April 17, 2022
THIS WAS AMAZING. There were twists and turns that kept me audibly gasping as I grew closer to the end of this novel. I couldn’t put it down. I honestly haven’t read a WW1 novel of such caliber in quite some time, and I’m so glad I requested my library to order this.
May 3, 2022
I received a free copy of Two Storm wood by Philip Gray from Net Galley to read and review.
This could be a very short review: What a great story!
But I should say a bit more that that just to be honest. Philip Gray has written a novel about WW1 , and it’s aftermath, it’s effects on soldiers and those who love them that once read will linger in the reader’s memory. So a bit about the novel, without any spoilers so as not to ruin the pleasure of discovering a completely satisfying novel.
Britain 1916, near Cambridge college , a young woman is touring the grounds with her mother and aunt. Amy Vanneck a rather plain,
quiet girl wanders off into the choir loft of a minor church out of curiosity to see the great organ in the loft. There she meets Edward Halsam, organist , choir leader and teacher. .There is an instant attraction between the two young people that soon grows into love. Edward is anti-war , a pacifist and as, a teacher , exempt from the draft. For Amy, who has already knows of many young women left widows , Edward’s views are also hers. But he is poor, not of good family and “ Unsuitable” for Amy to marry, according to her family.. Then Edward’s exemption is lost. He goes to France .and is soon listed missing in action. It is from here that the novel develops into something unexpected , totally absorbing ,moving and , at times , horrifying.
There have been many , many novels of love and loss in the trenches of the war, usually of the Downtown Abbey gloss. But never have I read , or seen depicted the ghastly story of the efforts to find and identify those hundred of thousands who lay in unmarked graves in France. This is where Amy goes to face the reality of what the war of the trenches meant to men like Edward. Along with the mystery of what happened to Edward, is another mystery, that of someone who is murdering soldiers. This is not a horror story or a mystery novel . It is a love story of Amy and Edward, of love and loss and courage.
The author writes beautifully. The narrative flows smoothly. His descriptions of ruined villages, of the shell- ravaged and highly dangerous former trench lines is stark and scary. But most importantly it is his protagonist, Amy, a young. , bereaved woman determined in her quest to find out more about Edward’s fate. Determined , but not fearless- the grounds are full of dead, the fogs swirl with deadly menace.
The reader becomes deeply involved with Amy’s lost love, her fortitude in facing military indifference to her questions and the condescension of military officials , not least, her fear of finding the truth. And there is Edward- his war is told in flashback. He is a sensitive man become a killer , trying to survive the carnage, never quite hardened to all that goes on around him. Great characters you care about.
There is a great deal more to the story and I will not ruin your enjoyment of Two Storm Wood . My advice is that you get a copy of the book , settle in and start reading, you will forget to stop . Easily five star rated.
Cautions : scenes of trench warfare, and recovery of long-dead bodies ( or of what remains of them ) are realistically awful. There is not bad language and no gratuitous sex . Not needed in a book so well written.
This could be a very short review: What a great story!
But I should say a bit more that that just to be honest. Philip Gray has written a novel about WW1 , and it’s aftermath, it’s effects on soldiers and those who love them that once read will linger in the reader’s memory. So a bit about the novel, without any spoilers so as not to ruin the pleasure of discovering a completely satisfying novel.
Britain 1916, near Cambridge college , a young woman is touring the grounds with her mother and aunt. Amy Vanneck a rather plain,
quiet girl wanders off into the choir loft of a minor church out of curiosity to see the great organ in the loft. There she meets Edward Halsam, organist , choir leader and teacher. .There is an instant attraction between the two young people that soon grows into love. Edward is anti-war , a pacifist and as, a teacher , exempt from the draft. For Amy, who has already knows of many young women left widows , Edward’s views are also hers. But he is poor, not of good family and “ Unsuitable” for Amy to marry, according to her family.. Then Edward’s exemption is lost. He goes to France .and is soon listed missing in action. It is from here that the novel develops into something unexpected , totally absorbing ,moving and , at times , horrifying.
There have been many , many novels of love and loss in the trenches of the war, usually of the Downtown Abbey gloss. But never have I read , or seen depicted the ghastly story of the efforts to find and identify those hundred of thousands who lay in unmarked graves in France. This is where Amy goes to face the reality of what the war of the trenches meant to men like Edward. Along with the mystery of what happened to Edward, is another mystery, that of someone who is murdering soldiers. This is not a horror story or a mystery novel . It is a love story of Amy and Edward, of love and loss and courage.
The author writes beautifully. The narrative flows smoothly. His descriptions of ruined villages, of the shell- ravaged and highly dangerous former trench lines is stark and scary. But most importantly it is his protagonist, Amy, a young. , bereaved woman determined in her quest to find out more about Edward’s fate. Determined , but not fearless- the grounds are full of dead, the fogs swirl with deadly menace.
The reader becomes deeply involved with Amy’s lost love, her fortitude in facing military indifference to her questions and the condescension of military officials , not least, her fear of finding the truth. And there is Edward- his war is told in flashback. He is a sensitive man become a killer , trying to survive the carnage, never quite hardened to all that goes on around him. Great characters you care about.
There is a great deal more to the story and I will not ruin your enjoyment of Two Storm Wood . My advice is that you get a copy of the book , settle in and start reading, you will forget to stop . Easily five star rated.
Cautions : scenes of trench warfare, and recovery of long-dead bodies ( or of what remains of them ) are realistically awful. There is not bad language and no gratuitous sex . Not needed in a book so well written.
July 10, 2022
I hadn’t heard of this book prior to seeing it featured on ‘Between The Covers’. I have my issues with that programme as I’m a bit sceptical that every guest seems to love every book, and so didn’t expect there to be a book I’d want to buy, but I ordered this straight after. And now I can understand why every guest loved it.
I enjoyed the various viewpoints, mainly those of two time periods - one on the midst of war and one picking up the pieces afterwards. It allowed us to get a clearer human perspective of the famous battles.
I loved that this focussed on World War One. There are many, many fictional books about the Second World War which are as sad and as beautiful, and I have read some real belters, and I am in no way shrugging off the important of those books. But I don’t think I have ever read a book set in the first war. It’s almost like there’s this belief that nothing noteworthy happened in that war, which is obviously wrong.
But I found it such a clever choice of topic. Books tend to focus on the fighting itself and how it affects the men and the families back home, but we don’t seem to read about the immediate aftereffects. I don’t know much of this book is true or at least based on something true, but I commend Philip Gray’s research here, it is second to none; even if it’s a complete work of fiction, he clearly knows enough to bring it to life. The fact he’s chosen to focus on the men forced to clear the battlefields of bodies….it’s not something I’d even considered before, which is shocking. It must have been such a traumatic thing to do, but Philip has captured it so beautifully, so sensitively.
The narrative never lets up. It’s not the kind of book you can easily put down at the end of the chapter and come back to in the morning. If you’re going to read this, you need to put aside a few hours uninterrupted because, if you’re anything like me, you will not be able to take your eyes off of it. It’s tense and fast paced, joyful and upsetting, happy and devastating, interesting and entertaining.
It’s also not just a straight war book. How do I put this without spoiling it….there are some mysteries, some red herrings, some tantalising secrets that will keep you hooked and wanting more. For me, it was a very claustrophobic story, you don’t feel relaxed until you reach the end, you get this constant idea that someone’s watching you, that you’re being suffocated.
It is beautiful. Traumatic and gruesome and heartbreaking, but beautifully written and I plan to lend it to anyone and everyone.
I enjoyed the various viewpoints, mainly those of two time periods - one on the midst of war and one picking up the pieces afterwards. It allowed us to get a clearer human perspective of the famous battles.
I loved that this focussed on World War One. There are many, many fictional books about the Second World War which are as sad and as beautiful, and I have read some real belters, and I am in no way shrugging off the important of those books. But I don’t think I have ever read a book set in the first war. It’s almost like there’s this belief that nothing noteworthy happened in that war, which is obviously wrong.
But I found it such a clever choice of topic. Books tend to focus on the fighting itself and how it affects the men and the families back home, but we don’t seem to read about the immediate aftereffects. I don’t know much of this book is true or at least based on something true, but I commend Philip Gray’s research here, it is second to none; even if it’s a complete work of fiction, he clearly knows enough to bring it to life. The fact he’s chosen to focus on the men forced to clear the battlefields of bodies….it’s not something I’d even considered before, which is shocking. It must have been such a traumatic thing to do, but Philip has captured it so beautifully, so sensitively.
The narrative never lets up. It’s not the kind of book you can easily put down at the end of the chapter and come back to in the morning. If you’re going to read this, you need to put aside a few hours uninterrupted because, if you’re anything like me, you will not be able to take your eyes off of it. It’s tense and fast paced, joyful and upsetting, happy and devastating, interesting and entertaining.
It’s also not just a straight war book. How do I put this without spoiling it….there are some mysteries, some red herrings, some tantalising secrets that will keep you hooked and wanting more. For me, it was a very claustrophobic story, you don’t feel relaxed until you reach the end, you get this constant idea that someone’s watching you, that you’re being suffocated.
It is beautiful. Traumatic and gruesome and heartbreaking, but beautifully written and I plan to lend it to anyone and everyone.
March 27, 2022
Wow this was unexpected! Gray has written a novel that not only goes to the heart of the devastation of war but also a mystery with a solution that actually made me gasp in surprise not once but twice. No spoilers from me! Amy fell in love with Edward Haslen, a school choirmaster, but WWI intervened- especially after he was terminated from his protected position and sent to the front. He went missing and now that the war is over, Amy is determined to find him so she sets off to France with a decent idea of where he was when last scene but no real comprehension of how awful the situation was. She's focused on Two Storm Wood, an underground set of tunnels where an injured comrade of Edward's claims he might be along with a band of deserters. Captain James MacKenzie is in charge of the volunteers who are exhuming bodies from the mud to repatriate them and he, along with the mysterious Major sent from London to investigate, become allies, especially after she discovers a mass murder. Amy finds herself questioning her understanding of Edward but she never stops looking for him - Gray does a great job of shifting your view without ever introducing Edward's perspective. Interspersed in the narrative, which moves back and forth in time, are letters. PTSD, drug addiction, and racism are all integral to the plot. This is tough to read in spots (beware the rats) but it's propulsive. It's also compulsively readable. These characters, this situation, will linger in my mind. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Highly recommend.
December 24, 2021
:: Thank you Netgalley for the free arc in exchange for a honest review ::
This is how you do historical fiction. Take notes, I know I am. Such a well written book, Two Storm Wood immerses us into the world of Amy as she tries to find her fiancé Edward, who is missing from the destruction of WW1 and its wake, and uncovers a whole host of secrets.
Mr. Gray gives us a sweet, quiet romance that could thaw even the most apathetic of hearts and adds a good dose of suspense that compels you to turn the pages. I have to admit, I tried really hard not to tear through it, I wanted the feelings to last - those little moments of Amy & Edward together, Amy piecing together clues, secrets unfolding, and those final pages… yeah, I gave a little gasp.
Such a beautifully written and paced book. Highly recommend.
This is how you do historical fiction. Take notes, I know I am. Such a well written book, Two Storm Wood immerses us into the world of Amy as she tries to find her fiancé Edward, who is missing from the destruction of WW1 and its wake, and uncovers a whole host of secrets.
Mr. Gray gives us a sweet, quiet romance that could thaw even the most apathetic of hearts and adds a good dose of suspense that compels you to turn the pages. I have to admit, I tried really hard not to tear through it, I wanted the feelings to last - those little moments of Amy & Edward together, Amy piecing together clues, secrets unfolding, and those final pages… yeah, I gave a little gasp.
Such a beautifully written and paced book. Highly recommend.
April 5, 2022
Wow! What an incredible surprise this book was. I am not a reader of thrillers, but picked this book up as I was drawn to the title. I am a reader of history and historical novels, but have read few books about or set during WW 1. This was engaging, fast-paced and the mystery and character development spot-on. I loved the realistic yet dignified way the author described the horrors of the battlefield and gave an insight into what men faced both physically and emotionally. The plot and mystery is brilliant and the resolution (literally on the last page) is just, wow. I didn’t see that coming! What a fantastic read. Thank you to the author for writing this great book.
June 4, 2022
Just some of the most beautiful writing I’ve ever read. The historical element with it being set in WWI was a big pull for me anyway, but the murder mystery and HUGE plot twist at the end just finished me off. I think it’ll be hard for any subsequent reads to live up to this. Highly highly recommend to anyone and everyone!
June 15, 2022
A wonderful book
A gripping novel which explores the mostly unsung consequences of violence and conflict.
A war story, a thriller, a love story and a critical look at the British class system and the pain and havoc it wrought at the time - all expertly woven into a terrific novel.
I've never been a fan of the 'plucky heroine' character, but I'll make an exception in this case, as our Amy is portrayed as a flawed individual and is all the more human for it.
I look forward to Mr. Gray's next book.
A gripping novel which explores the mostly unsung consequences of violence and conflict.
A war story, a thriller, a love story and a critical look at the British class system and the pain and havoc it wrought at the time - all expertly woven into a terrific novel.
I've never been a fan of the 'plucky heroine' character, but I'll make an exception in this case, as our Amy is portrayed as a flawed individual and is all the more human for it.
I look forward to Mr. Gray's next book.
May 3, 2022
What a unique and impressive World War 1 novel, with a mystery built right in. The amount of research on World War II battles, sites, military methods and men provided a unique background to this historical fiction mystery. Never bogged down in technicalities, the novel told from the viewpoint of 3 characters- Westpoint, Edward & Amy. Yes, Amy spends time on the battlefronts after the War ended. Excellent novel
May 12, 2021
War’s End
Philip Gray has written an evocative thriller set in the abandoned trenches and No-Man’s-Land in the year after the end of WW1. The veteran Captain MacKenzie leads a squad of soldiers and Chinese workers to locate the bodies of servicemen for burial. Into this forbidding and abandoned killing ground comes Amy Vanneck in search of the body of her missing fiancé. The determined young woman pushes aside every obstacle which is placed before her, the prejudices of the times, the lack of records, the deaths of most witnesses and the misleading information of others. There has been a war atrocity, the details suppressed, and it lies beneath the fortification known as Two Storm Wood. In some way, Amy’s fiancé, the lost Edward Haslam, is involved, as is the maimed and injured Colonel, Edward’s commanding officer and a heroic inspiration to many of the English soldiers.
This is a brooding, mysterious tale, suffused with a grim atmosphere, where Amy and others fear what they might discover, but press on regardless. I enjoyed this a great deal. The real mystery is only revealed at the very end.
Philip Gray has written an evocative thriller set in the abandoned trenches and No-Man’s-Land in the year after the end of WW1. The veteran Captain MacKenzie leads a squad of soldiers and Chinese workers to locate the bodies of servicemen for burial. Into this forbidding and abandoned killing ground comes Amy Vanneck in search of the body of her missing fiancé. The determined young woman pushes aside every obstacle which is placed before her, the prejudices of the times, the lack of records, the deaths of most witnesses and the misleading information of others. There has been a war atrocity, the details suppressed, and it lies beneath the fortification known as Two Storm Wood. In some way, Amy’s fiancé, the lost Edward Haslam, is involved, as is the maimed and injured Colonel, Edward’s commanding officer and a heroic inspiration to many of the English soldiers.
This is a brooding, mysterious tale, suffused with a grim atmosphere, where Amy and others fear what they might discover, but press on regardless. I enjoyed this a great deal. The real mystery is only revealed at the very end.
June 29, 2022
A stunning story set directly after ww1.
Wow! What a fantastic story. Great characters. Fast moving. A real page turner. I was unaware of the clean up after the war. Never thought about it.
But with this novel I sure do now.
Enjoyed every page. A master story teller. I look forward to further novel's by Philip Gray.
Wow! What a fantastic story. Great characters. Fast moving. A real page turner. I was unaware of the clean up after the war. Never thought about it.
But with this novel I sure do now.
Enjoyed every page. A master story teller. I look forward to further novel's by Philip Gray.
August 29, 2022
Utterly gripping, thrilling read! Thanks to BBCs between the covers, I doubt I’d ever have picked it up without the glowing reviews it got on the show!
October 7, 2022
An absolutely superb book! Engrossing, compelling, and evocative, revealing to me an aspect of this truly terrible piece of relatively modern history that I had been unaware of.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
October 3, 2021
4+
Rare to find a book about the war that gives a different idea to how things went.
This tackles the aftermath of the war,and those left trying yo identify the bodies,a completely overwhelming task.
Throw into that a young woman looking for the body of her beloved,and a murder mystery set under two storm Wood,and you really have a cracking read.
I thought I'd read every book about the war I neeed to,but this proved its always worth reading another.
Strong female character,and army men that were loyal to the last.
It surprised me a few times too.
Nothing but positive thoughts on this book.
Rare to find a book about the war that gives a different idea to how things went.
This tackles the aftermath of the war,and those left trying yo identify the bodies,a completely overwhelming task.
Throw into that a young woman looking for the body of her beloved,and a murder mystery set under two storm Wood,and you really have a cracking read.
I thought I'd read every book about the war I neeed to,but this proved its always worth reading another.
Strong female character,and army men that were loyal to the last.
It surprised me a few times too.
Nothing but positive thoughts on this book.
May 18, 2022
Four stars may not do this book justice. “Two Storm Woods” is much more than a well written and thoroughly engaging mystery. It is a novel that takes the reader to dark and compelling physical and emotional places. The battlefields of the Somme in the year after the end of the First World War are foreboding places that hold the memories and remains of an horrific conflict. The minds of the survivor’s also retain and are haunted by what the’ve seen and done. Enter a young, well bred Englishwoman searching for her fiancée who is missing in action. She too must confront the unspeakable horrors of war that have scared everyone directly or indirectly involved.
November 8, 2022
Brilliant read! I absolutely sped through this and didn't want to put it down. A look at during and after WWI that we don't think about at all. A love story is the basis but not the focus, there is murder and intrigue and trenches and history and so well written. It is not light and fluffy it is a thriller and will keep you guessing to the end. I had no favorite character and at one time loved and hated all of them but was so satisfied at the end. Finally, new fiction that satisfies everything I want out of a good novel.
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June 11, 2022An engrossing story in a haunting and unique setting, with a powerful love story at its core. 'Two Storm Wood' has the structure and pace of a thriller, but rises effortlessly above the confines of any genre, thanks to its vivid characters and superb evocation of the period. A genuine rarity.
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