The Swift and the Harrier

by Minette Walters

Overview

A sweeping historical adventure set during one of the most turbulent periods of British history—featuring a heroine you’ll never forget ...

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798200913015
Publisher:	Blackstone Publishing
Publication date:	07/12/2022
Pages:	590
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Minette Walters is a British mystery writer. After studying at Trevelyan College, University of Durham, she began writing in 1987 with The Ice House, and followed this with The Sculptress, which received the 1994 Edgar Award for Best Novel. She has been published in thirty-five countries and won many awards. The Sculptress has been adapted for television in a BBC series starring Pauline Quirke. Her novels The Ice House, The Echo, The Dark Room, and The Scold’s Bridle have also been adapted by the BBC.

Hometown:

Dorchester, Dorset, England

Date of Birth:

September 26, 1949

Place of Birth:

Bishop¿s Stortford, Hertfordshire, England

Education:

B.A. in French, Dunelm (Durham University), 1971

Website:

http://www.minettewalters.co.uk

Editorial Reviews

★ 2022-04-27
Crime writer Walters tells the story of a bloody civil war that turned England into a crime scene.

Life was hard for women in 17th-century England, and in Walters’ latest novel, Jayne Swift has it even harder because she’s a physician, a role reserved for men in that era. Living with her aristocratic family in Dorsetshire on the English Channel, Jayne struggles against the chauvinism and lethal concoctions of the local quacks who kill more patients than they save. And if that weren’t enough, her skills are badly needed to handle the brutal injuries as Royalist and Parliamentarian armies clash in a civil war that eventually ends with the execution of Charles I. Walters draws wonderfully on her crime-writing skills to capture the violence and gore of the era. She gives us a likable, resourceful heroine in Jayne, who, with a MacGyver-esque ability to treat any injury with brine, calendula oil, catgut, or a handful of maggots, refuses to take sides. “I still favor neutrality and will continue to do so even after the conflict ends,” she insists at one point. “I have no wish to judge anyone for their beliefs, now or in the future.” It’s definitely an admirable position, but she’s out of place in an era demanding absolute loyalty. As a result, Jayne gets into frequent trouble, but thankfully she has William Harrier in her corner. Harrier’s a chivalrous footman who helps her out of many tight spots and isn’t quite what he seems to be. Questions swirl around him—is he a spy? What side is he on?—as Walters takes us through the years of this devastating war and shows its effects on the towns and villages of Dorsetshire. Her expositions on English history might make some readers impatient for action, but they provide much-needed context for a crisis that divided English society and viciously turned citizens against each other in a way that feels strangely familiar now.

This well-researched novel of 17th-century warfare shows the perils and rewards of sticking to one's principles.

Kirkus Reviews

Minette Walters, a stalwart of crime fiction, is excellent on the horrors of civil war in Dorset, and Swift is a memorable and spirited…heroine.”

The Times Antonia Senior

Gripping and fascinating.”

New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Buchan

I loved every moment of this brilliantly evocative saga of struggle, love, and danger set against the horrors of civil war.”

bestselling author of the Jackdaw Mysteries S. W. Perry

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 succor to those in need.”

Belfast Telegraph

“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.”

LoveReading Paul Blezard

This well-researched, atmospheric tale is as gripping as any of her thrillers.”

Good Housekeeping Joanne Finney