January 1918. Laura Iven has been discharged from her duties as a nurse and sent back to Halifax, Canada, leaving behind a brother still fighting in the trenches of the First World War. Now home, she receives word of Freddie's death in action along with his uniform -but something doesn't quite make sense. Determined to find out more, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital. Soon after arriving, she hears whispers about ghosts moving among those still living and a strange innkeeper whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could this have happened to Freddie - but if so, where is he?
November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped under an overturned pillbox with an enemy soldier, a German, each of them badly wounded. Against all odds, the two men form a bond and succeed in clawing their way out. But once in No Man's Land, where can either of them turn where they won't be shot as enemy soldiers or deserters? As the killing continues, they meet a man - a fiddler - who seems to have the power to make the hellscape that surrounds them disappear. But at what price?
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FREDDIE'S CLOTHES CAME to Veith Street instead of Blackthorn House, and the telegram that ought to have preceded them didn't reach Laura at all.- 1, The Beast From The Sea
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(@PenguinUKBooks, 7 March 2024, e-galley, 400 pages, copy from the publisher via @NetGalley_UK)
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I'm a fan of the author so wanted to read The Warm Hands Of Ghosts. I read a decent amount of historical fiction and really enjoy books set during WWI and WWII so this book really appalled to me. I also loved the title. The book was a must read for me. I really enjoyed this. I enjoyed many aspects of the book including the way the chapters move between Laura's story and Freddie's story until they gradually come together. This is a dark book at time especially as Laura gets the closer to the truth about the strange fiddler and her brother. This is an engrossing read. I'd recommend this book.
