'Historical fiction at its finest' - Belfast Telegraph
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.
Publisher: Atlantic Books
ISBN: 9781838954529
Number of pages: 512
Weight: 747 g
Dimensions: 240 x 162 x 44 mm
Edition: Main
This well-researched, atmospheric tale is as gripping as any of her thrillers. - Joanne Finney, Good Housekeeping
A cleverly crafted combination of romance and adventure story. - Nick Rennison, Sunday Times
'A wonderfully engaging heroine ... propulsive plot' - Daily Mail
The author best known for her crime fiction sets this enthralling tender love story against the brutal background of the English Civil War. - The i
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. - Antonia Senior, The Times
Both gripping and fascinating. The civil war in Dorset is evoked brilliantly, the characters are real and intriguing and the love story tender. - Elizabeth Buchan
A sweeping historical romance with a very appealing central character ... a great story well told - Andrew Taylor
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 succour to those in need. - Belfast Telegraph
I loved every moment of this brilliantly evocative saga of struggle, love and danger set against the horrors of civil war - S. W. Perry, bestselling author of The Jackdaw Mysteries
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. - Paul Blezard, Expert Reviewer, Love Reading
A staggeringly talented writer - Guardian on The Last Hours
Wonderful and sweeping, with a fabulous sense of place and history - Kate Mosse on The Last Hours
Enthralling... I was caught from the first page - Julian Fellowes on The Last Hours
A Vividly-wrought and powerful story - Elizabeth Fremantle on The Last Hours
It is 1642 and the midst of poilitical turmoil and civil war.
The king and Parliament are in a life and death struggle for supremacy while families and friends are torn apart due to their personal beliefs and...
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Set in Dorset during the English civil war, The Swift and the Harrier follows Jayne Swift, a trained physician, who is determined to remain neutral and help anyone in need of medical attention regardless of where... More
This novel is an interesting look at a period of history and a type of story which is often glossed over. The characters are very well formed and kept me engaged whilst reading.
Jayne Swift is a brave and forward...
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