A gripping story of secrets and intrigue set in postwar London and Paris. The search for a missing husband forces investigator and former war reporter Billie Walker to face the ghosts of her own painful past, and sets her on a collision course with an underground network of Nazis ...
It's 1947. The world continues to grapple with the fallout of the Second World War, and former war reporter Billie Walker is finding her feet as an investigator. When a wealthy client hires Billie and her assistant Sam to track down her missing husband, the trail leads Billie back to London and Paris, where Billie's own painful memories also lurk. Jack Rake, Billie's wartime lover and briefly, husband, is just one of the millions people who went missing in Europe during the war. What was his fate after they left Paris together?
As Billie's search for her client's husband takes her to both the swanky bars at Paris's famous Ritz hotel and to the dank basements of the infamous Paris morgue, she'll need to keep her gun at the ready, because something even more terrible than a few painful memories might be following her around the city of lights ...
'The romance of Paris, the adrenaline rush of a deadly chase, a soul-shattering secret, and a resilient heroine make for a gripping read' Booklist
'Postwar Sydney, London, and Paris come alive ... A richly detailed historical mystery that spotlights social issues like postwar persecution of LGBTQ communities in both Sydney and Paris. [A] riveting series.' Library Journal, starred review
Praise for The War Widow:
'A terrific read' Lynda La Plante
'It's a cracking thriller, with a marvellous, strong, flamboyant heroine. Loved it.' Joanne Harris, award-winning author of Chocolat
'Retro noir with a gutsy heroine and atmospheric setting ... vivid, page-turning historical crime, better written than most' Sydney Morning Herald
'Billie Walker is a character you will cheer for' Vancouver Sun
'A cinematic and important feminist noir - dark as midnight velvet, and tough as steel. Do not miss this!' Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of The First To Lie
Author Biography:
Tara Moss is a best-selling author of 13 books of fiction and non-fiction, published in 19 countries and 13 languages, a documentary host and award-winning human rights advocate. Her latest novel is the internationally bestselling historical thriller The War Widow, set in 1946 and featuring 'staunchly feminist, champagne-swilling, fast-driving Nazi hunter investigator' PI Billie Walker.
Moss is an outspoken advocate for the rights of women and children, and people with disabilities. She has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2007 and as of 2013 is UNICEF Australia's National Ambassador for Child Survival. In 2014 she was recognised for Outstanding Advocacy for her blog Manus Island: An insider's report, which helped to break information to the public about the alleged murder of Reza Barati inside the Australian-run Manus Island Immigration Detention Centre. In 2015 she received an Edna Ryan Award for her significant contribution to feminist debate, speaking out for women and children and inspiring others to challenge the status quo, and 2017 was recognised as one of the Global Top 50 Diversity Figures in Public Life, for using her position in public life to make a positive impact in diversity, alongside Malala Yousufzai, Angelina Jolie, His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet and more. In the media and through her social media page Tara and Wolfie, she brings advocacy and visibility to issues of disability and chronic pain, and the need to normalize mobility aids.
Her in-depth novel research has seen her acquire her PI credentials, tour the FBI Academy at Quantico, spend time in squad cars, morgues, prisons, the Hare Psychopathy Lab, the Supreme Court and criminology conferences, take polygraph tests, shoot weapons, conduct surveillance, pass the Firearms Training Simulator (FATSII) with the LAPD, pull 4.2 G's doing loops over the Sydney Opera House flying with the RAAF, and acquire her CAMS race driver licence. She has hosted the true crime documentary series Tough Nuts - Australia's Hardest Criminals on the Crime & Investigation Network, 'Tara Moss Investigates' on the National Geographic Channel, the author interview show Tara in Conversation on 13th Street Universal and write and host the documentary Cyberhate, about online abuse.
Moss is a dual Australian/Canadian citizen, and divides her time between NSW and Vancouver with her husband and daughter. Visit her at taramoss.com
