A Conflict of Interests: An intriguing wartime mystery from the winner of the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller competition

(Paperback)

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June 1944, Romsey, England.

Josephine 'Jo' Fox is at an impasse since the unwelcome return of her wayward husband Richard. So, when he disappears again, she is neither concerned nor surprised - until a burning car is discovered with a body inside. And there are signs that Richard is somehow involved.

Jo is determined to find both her husband and answers, yet with her friend Bram Nash in hospital suffering an infection of his old war wound, she must do so alone. When information comes to light that implicates Bram too, Jo finds herself on a dangerous path to the truth.

But what will be left for her when all is revealed

Reviews

'Feisty, determined and brave - I loved Josephine Fox' - Judy Finnigan on The Unexpected Return of Josephine Fox

'A complete delight. The story sings with authenticity and I found myself transported to 1940s Romsey from the very first page ... Unputdownable' - Caz Frear on The Unexpected Return of Josephine Fox

'A terrific debut novel, which captures brilliantly the atmosphere of wartime Britain' - Ann Cleeves on The Unexpected Return of Josephine Fox

Author Bio

Claire Gradidge was born and brought up in Romsey. After a career as, among other things, a nurse and a school librarian, she went to the University of Winchester, where she graduated in 2009 with a first class honours BA in Creative Writing. In January 2018, she was awarded a PhD in creative writing and The Unexpected Return of Josephine Fox was written as the creative element of her PhD study. An early version of the opening 3000 words was highly commended in the Good Housekeeping Magazine competition in 2012.

She has taught at the University of Winchester as an Associate Lecturer for six years and has also had some short fictions and poems published in South, Orbis and Vortex. She has been married for 40 years and has two adult sons.