The Swift and the Harrier

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'If you enjoy C.J. Sansom or Philippa Gregory, pick up this masterfully woven tale.' Better Reading on The Turn of Midnight

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.

'Minette Walters has crafted a well-researched, intelligent and entertaining story which can easily sit alongside the best of her psychological novels...well-recommended to all readers who enjoy historical fiction at its best.' - Queensland Reviewers Collective

'Walters has a gift for creating characters that you root for despite their flaws, along with a talent for writing fast-paced, page-turning stories. By focusing on the impact of war on one locality, Walters creates a poignancy and tension in the story that equals her previous books.' - Historical Novel Society

'Through dazzling prose and meticulous research, Walters vividly reimagines this turbulent period in British history when friends turned on friends and brothers fought against brothers. Richly imagined and brilliantly paced, The Swift and the Harrier is yet another incredible work of historical fiction from Walters, securing her a position at the top of this genre.' - Better Reading

Author Bio

Minette Walters is one of the most successful crime fiction writers in the world. Published to critical acclaim in over 34 countries, each new novel reached the top of the Australian bestseller lists. Her last crime novel was The Chameleon's Shadow in 2007.

The Last Hours (2017) saw Minette moving in an exciting direction with an extraordinary historical novel set in 1348, the year the Black Death came to England. The story is brought to a thrilling and satisfying conclusion in The Turn of Midnight (2018). Set three centuries later, The Swift and the Harrier is Minette's newest historical novel.

Minette lives in Dorset with her husband.