Description

‘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 Review

Events in The Swift and the Harrier unfold in Dorset during the English Civil War. Jayne Swift, daughter of a local gentleman, finds her medical skills in high demand. As she moves from place to place, treating Cavaliers and Roundheads, her path regularly crosses that of the enigmatic William Harrier. Amid the brutality of the war their relationship develops in a cleverly crafted combination of romance and adventure story. -- Nick Rennison * Sunday Times * 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 * 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 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 *