"Betrayal, resistance and secrets abound in this suspenseful novel centred on a French female journalist turned British Intelligence officer in Nazi-occupied France."
Certain to captivate fans of escapist WWII fiction, Teresa Howes’ The French Affair juxtaposes a charming, fragrant sense of pre-war France with the horrors of Nazi occupation, including the requisitioning of homes and executions.
At its heart is French journalist, Iris, who’s turned her hand to working for British Intelligence during the war while her journalist husband, Jack, reports from the frontline. Iris’ life is sent into a spin when an undercover honey-trap operation to bring down a traitorous civil servant goes awry, and Jack sees compromising photos of her in the press.
In the aftermath, Iris flees to Dijon to see her darling Aunt Eva, an esteemed cookery book writer. Also tasked with luring the traitor to follow her to France so she can finish her operation, on arrival in the occupied war zone, Iris learns Eva has died.
Alongside this devastating loss, Iris is faced with horrifying scenes and dilemmas. Add to this her pain at being considered a collaborator by villagers, and her desire to tell Jack the truth about her relationship with the traitor, and The French Affair amounts to a gripping story of secrets, war atrocities and love.
| Primary Genre | Historical Fiction |
| Other Genres: |
Win an Escape Challenge and a copy of The Spy and the Snake by M J Robotham
Closing date: 02/08/2026
A country at war. A dangerous secret.
After a failed honey-trap mission for British Intelligence leads to the breakdown of her marriage, French journalist Iris escapes to Dijon, seeking refuge in the cottage of her beloved aunt, Eva. But Eva is gone, the streets are full of distrust, and Iris is soon followed by the very last man she wants to see – the British civil servant and traitor she was tasked with catching, now keen to rekindle their affair.
Eva’s home used to be a comforting place, where the locals sought out Eva’s homemade tinctures and cures and gifted jars of fresh honey from the garden. Now it is a place of danger, where threats loom in every corner. And as Iris spends more time there, she discovers a secret that will change the way she sees her aunt forever – and the course of her own life too…
Don't miss this utterly sweeping WW2 historical novel, perfect for fans of Suzanne Goldring, Mandy Robotham and Kristin Hannah.
The French Affair features in the following genres: Historical Fiction, Second World War fiction, Fiction, War, combat and military adventure fiction, Action Adventure, Espionage and spy thriller, Romance / Relationship Stories, Thriller and Suspense
The French Affair is available in Paperback
The French Affair was written by Theresa Howes and published by HQ Digital an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
The French Affair has 331 pages
£8.99
