Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

A gréât follow up from this author and I look forward to reading the next. I would recommend reading the first novel just to get a feel for the characters

Just before D-Day, Elisabeth de Mornay, codename Cecile finds herself back in France to help the Resistance destabilize the Germans before the invasion. But all is not as it seems within the resistance.

Another brilliant book by the author featuring Elizabeth. I really enjoyed this book and was pleased to read another book about Elizabeth this time set in France. It always amazes me that there were real women who risked their lives behind enemy lines in France. I look forward to another book featuring Elizabeth and her husband.

In “Resistance”, we pick up where the fantastic espionage tale “City of Spies” left off. We meet Elisabeth back in Britain in 1944, where she quickly realises that one of her regular contacts in France may have been compromised. With that, she is sent back undercover, this time in France, to work alongside the resistance in the war effort.

This is another brilliant romp of a book, with all of the charm and excitement of its prequel. The historical details are wonderfully well observed and the characters – a few old friends from the previous instalment as well as a few new characters – are rich and flawed and really bring the setting to life.

I would recommend reading “City of Spies” before reading this one, but its twists and turns would be entertaining even as a standalone book. I very much look forward to reading the next one!

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

Having read City of Spies last year, I was thrilled to hear that the follow up to that story was to be released. Resistance continues where the previous book ended, and although I would recommend reading City of Spies first, just because it is excellent, this can be read as a stand-alone.

The historical detail is engrossing but doesn’t bog you down in the storyline at all. The two are combined naturally as the author tells a captivating story filled with danger and sheer terror, then adds the human element of betrayal, friendship and love.

Elisabeth is back in Britain working for the Government, de-coding operatives messages from overseas, but when she finds an anomaly she brings it to her superior’s attention. It isn’t long before she and two more women spies are being dropped into occupied France to help set up the Normandy Landings. They know that if their parachutes are seen, it will be presumed that they are men.

There aren’t any allowances for their gender, they have a job to do. It isn’t long before Elisabeth, now Cécile is caught up with her past. What a tremendous story this is. Heart racing, heart-breaking and butterflies.

I wish to thank the publisher and Net Galley for an e-copy of this book, which I have reviewed honestly.

Resistance by Mara Timon is a very worthy sequel to City of Spies. We again follow Elisabeth de Mornay’s quick thinking exploits as she helps the war effort against Nazi Germany. The characters are interesting, skilled and well developed by Mara. Their trauma, skills, loyalties and personalities are well portrayed. The personal sacrifices made are humbling and Elizabeth’s love story brings an added layer of challenge and tension. A book like this, referencing many actual historical events, serves to pique interest and enhance understanding of the realities and impact of the war. Again at the book’s ending, Mara has left the door open for Elizabeth’s next adventure. Four and a half stars

This is the sequel to City of Spies and I was glad to read it. I was left longing to know what was going to happen next and this was an enjoyable read. Elizabeth goes back into France undercover - this time as a German woman visiting friends - who are both also spies. As the war draws to a close she meets again her beloved husband Eduard who she'd seen last in Spain. I really enjoyed the ride of the read- I didn't want to put it down and when I got to the end I was ready for more..... my only very small criticism was the 'smallness' of the story of Leonie and Andreas. I am waiting for the next book and I hope it does not take too long in coming.

Mara Timon's follow up to last year's excellent CITY OF SPIES continues the story of Special Operations Executive agent, Elisabeth de Mornay as she is dropped behind enemy lines in Occupied France in the weeks leading up to the D-Day Landings. As part of an all-female team, Elisabeth works with the resistance against the occupying Nazi force, sending coded messages back to London, attempting to disrupt German plans, and spreading disinformation about the anticipated Allied 'invasion' of Normandy. Posing as a German/Alsatian gentlewoman, Elisabeth finds that she is not readily accepted by the Réseau with which she is working, indeed comes to suspect that there may be a traitor in the resistance network.

RESISTANCE is an exciting novel, tense and claustrophobic. Mara Timon captures perfectly the suspicion and fear, the simultaneous 'living on the edge' thrill of WWII spycraft. The plot does not let up, it drives forward with increasing anxiety. The characters, on both sides, are realistic and very well drawn, the dialogue convincingly authentic. While primarily an espionage thriller, the book does not shy away from the horrors of war. I thoroughly enjoyed the book as entertainment and was also inspired to dig a bit deeper into the historical reality against which the story takes place, and the author's notes at the end offer some guidance to those who want to understand the background.

RESISTANCE is superb, even better than CITY OF SPIES, and I look forward to seeing what Mara Timon comes up with next.

I read author Mara Timon's previous novel, City of Spies, last year. Although it doesn't advertise it as such, Resistance, her latest book, is a sequel to that WWII spy thriller. And I couldn't be more pleased! Elisabeth de Mornay's first adventure takes her to Portugal, where she met (and married) a German officer. She gets sent back to England, leaving her new husband behind. Now she's back in the thick of the action in France. Pretending to be a German, she is actually working with the Resistance. But will someone recognize her from Portugal? And where has her husband gone to?

This novel was filled with action, and heart-stopping suspense. The story follows Elisabeth, and two other women who must each pretend to be helping the Germans. But how far does one go for the cause? There are no right or wrong answers, but each woman's ethics are constantly challenged. If you love spy thrillers, you are sure to enjoy this book!

What I Liked:

Historical Details:

All the details about the Resistance, from how the group operated, to what precautions they took to keep themselves from discovery were fascinating. There were codes used to check each other's identities (how else can a wireless operator authenticate the information they are receiving?), and backstories to fool the Germans and locals alike.

The author also doesn't shy away from how challenging these situations were. Just parachuting in to France, Elisabeth nearly breaks her ankle. She then must devise a plausible explanation for her injury. There are also wounds that must be dealt with (often without a doctor), diseases to avoid, and the constant lack of food that made performing at one's best difficult.

Characters:

Elisabeth is a practical person. She has a mission and will do almost anything to see it through. But, inside, she is not pleased to be pretending to be a German. She knows how much she is hated by the local French people. But she knows that her skills as a wireless operator are invaluable to preparing the Allies to invade France. I loved how strong she was, but she wasn't a perfect super spy! She takes a lot of chances that puts the mission in jeopardy when she meets someone from her past. Her hatred of Germans is also strong enough to cloud her judgement at times.

Léonie and Dominique, her fellow spies, are also working hard for the Resistance. Each has strong motivations for hating the Nazis. And both are even more ruthless than Elisabeth when it comes to getting the job done. Léone, in particular, is hell bent on revenge. She is so lost in her hate that she has no plans for the future, other than stopping the war. When your that driven, you have nothing to lose.

Although this is a female driven novel, this is not a heart-warming story of female friendship. I believe this is due to each of the women having their own private agendas for being spies. But what I did like about their interactions was that, like good co-workers should, they kept each other accountable. They each questioned one another when someone was taking too many risks.

Story:

The story takes place in France just before the Allied invasion in 1944. As a reader, you know what they don't know: the invasion will commence soon. It's critical that the Allies get information on what the Nazis are doing prior to the attack. I loved the suspense of knowing that time is not on their side.

Two of the three women (Elisabeth and Léonie) are pretending to be German. Dominique is posing as a collaborator. It's fine that they are actually helping the French and English. But who is going to know this when the bullets start flying? There is a real possibility that the locals, who are unaware of their true allegiances, will kill the women for helping the Nazis. So while the invasion is wonderful and exciting, it is the most dangerous time for these spies.

Recommendation: This book was exciting, fun, and made me stay up very late on a week night because I couldn't put it down. If spy thrillers are your thing, you are going to love this book.

A totally thrilling and engaging story from the very beginning, this second book following the fictional Elisabeth de Mornay is just as brilliant as the original story 'City of Spies'. I was gripped from the start and could not put this down- desperate to know what would happen. An all female Jedburgh team are working with the Resistance in the run up to the D-Day landings, but information is being passed to the Nazis and agents are being neutralised. Who can be trusted? The tension really builds towards the climatic event of the Normandy Landings, when all becomes clear. Brilliant characterisation, with stories based in fact, this is SUCH a brilliant story! Throughly recommended read!

This is the second book about Elisabeth de Mornay, known within SOE as Cecile. In the first book she eventually returned to England after escaping occupied France via Lisbon ("City of Spies"). Now she finally gets to return to France to make the most of her skills, particularly as a "pianist" or radio operator. She is dropped in to Normandy a month before D-day, part of a plan to cause disruption amongst the occupying forces and make it difficult for them to retreat.

Once again there is double-crossing, lies, disguises and a fair amount of killing. This is another great page-turner of a spy thriller from Mara Timon. Let's hope there are more to come.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

This is a brilliant follow-up to City Of Spies. I love how Mara Timon explores WW2 through the eyes of female characters who take an active part in the war effort. Elisabeth de Mornay is back doing what she does best - undercover work in Occupied France. This time she's pushing the limits as she takes on the role of Katrin Hugel, a German woman, who has come to visit her French friends near Caen. That might sound like it's pushing the boundaries of reality but as her cover is meant to live in Alsace - an area that regularly slipped between German and French control over the centuries - it doesn't sound too mad. Being 'German' allows Elisabeth to get very close to the enemy but her cover is nearly blown when a familiar face from Portugal appears.

Once again, Mara Timon combines fictional characters with real historical people and events, lending authenticity to the story. The action towards the end of the novel is particularly exciting but it's not glamourized in any way. I'm hoping there'll be a third book as we're still not quite at the end of the war. - Elisabeth de Mornay has more to give.

"City of Spies" was an excellent and gripping debut. This book is the follow up and it's even better than the first.
Mixing facts and fictions the author delivers another great spy thriller that kept me turning pages.
The storytelling is excellent and I was glad to read again about Elisabeth de Mornay, a very clever and fleshed out character.
The plot is fast paced, full of twists and turns and the characters are well written.
It's a riveting, gripping and highly entertaining story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

It's May 1944, and the top secret plans for D-Day are well underway. Elisabeth de Mornay, code name Cécile, is no stranger to life behind enemy lines as an SOE agent, but since her last mission which took her unexpectedly from Paris to Lisbon, she has been working in London with the team that decodes messages from agents in Occupied France. When the suspicion arises that one of her agents has been compromised, Cécile is ordered to return to France to discover if there is a mole in the ranks of the Resistance, something that would be disastrous not only for British agents and all those who view their Nazi overlords with unfriendly eyes, but also the plans to destabilise German operations in the run up to D-Day.

Cécile is parachuted back behind enemy lines in the company of her new Operation Jedborough commander Léonie, with plans to establish themselves undercover before meeting up with Cécile's old French compatriot Dominique. This is going to be a tricky mission, not least because of in-fighting within the Resistance, but also because the new personas being taken on by both Cécile and Léonie come with challenges of their own - and Cécile is about to come face to face with someone from her past in a way that might derail the whole operation. Danger lies all around, and not all their enemies are German. Cécile, Léonie and Dominique must learn to trust each other if this mission is going to succeed.
Having adored the first book in this series. Mara Timon's fabulous City of Spies, I was chomping at the bit to catch-up with Elisabeth de Mornay, aka Cécile, in her new espionage thriller Resistance. In the last book, Cécile was mostly based in Lisbon, after she was forced to flee from Paris when her cover was blown. Wartime Lisbon was a glorious revelation, and Cécile's adventures there lead to some intriguing complications in the events in Resistance, with many familiar faces cropping up again (one very significant one in particular), so I highly recommend going back to read City of Spies if you have not done so already - and it's a corker, so why wouldn't you?

Resistance has Cécile returning to more familiar territory to those of us that love a wartime espionage story, as she is back behind enemy lines in Occupied-France and once again taking on the role of radio-operator, or 'pianist' as they are known in the trade. This is a story full of delicious intrigue and danger, where Cécile and her compatriots are never sure who to trust, and the tension is ramped up nicely by the fact that you know there is a mole within the Resistance from the very start. This also brings in a lovely thread of mystery to the proceedings, as Cécile goes about trying to discover who the traitor is among their ranks.

What really makes this story for me is that this is very much a tale about the women involved in wartime espionage, very much like City of Spies, and Mara Timon writes about them so beautifully. They are courageous, intelligent and highly skilled, but they are real women with feelings and vulnerabilities too - which often gives them a different insight into their jobs than their male counterparts, and it really brings them alive off the page. This also allows Timon to explore a little of the glamour of the situation vis-a-vis the costumes, the practicalities required as part of their cover stories, and the heavy toll a life of secrecy can take on the emotions, which happens so rarely in a spy yarn written by a male author. I love it!

There are many things I would like to rave about in this review, especially in terms of who crops up again in Cécile's life, but fear of spoilers refrains me. However, I can say that Timon has a fabulous take on the behind enemy lines tale in terms of the cover stories she chooses for Cécile and Léonie, which leads you to look on the trope in quite a different way; and the relationships and character development between our triad of femme formidable over the course of the story is profoundly moving. She also brings in a wealth of historical fact, which blends perfectly into the threads the characters, and gives you an awareness of what is happening in France and beyond at this stage of WWII. I particularly enjoyed that the chaos that ensues when D-Day finally gets underway, as I don't think I have ever read anything about what was happening in Occupied-France itself ahead of the Allied invasion.

I was a bit worried that I would find it difficult to love Resistance quite as much as I did City of Spies, but I really should not have worried. There is a different tone to this story, which is not surprising given the change in backdrop, but Mara Timon knows how to weave a spy story at its fierce, female, and spellbinding best and I was gripped from the first page to the last. Mara you made my cry this time too. I cannot wait for book three!

I was given an advance copy of this book in return for an honest appraisal.
I read and enjoyed the writers first book 'City of Spies' which with one reservation I found to be exciting and well written .This sequel sees our heroine Elizabeth de Mornay a British SOE agent sent back into occupied France in 1944 as a replacement wireless operator for the French resistance group operating around the town of Caen .in Normandy..Her cover is as a German woman visiting a friend from her pre war days.

Suspecting that the previous operator was betrayed to the Germans and aware that the same fate awaits her if the traitor isn't found she keeps her identity known only to a very few one of whom is a friend from her SOE training days..Using the codename Cecil instead of Cecile she is able to have her enemies searching for a man easy seeing they all expect it to be a man anyway.. The tension is ramped up by the close attentions of a Gestapo officer and you get a feeling of the gut wrenching fear that such people must have felt whenever approached by the gestapo SS or army . She uses outrage and what her character would see as her privileged position to stand up to them and bluster her way out of awkward situations..
Receiving the message for the resistance that D Day is imminent although of course not the location things start to hot up as the hunt for the traitor becomes more urgent.and the attacks by the resistance increase..As in the first book I did find her romance/marriage to a German officer albeit an aide to Rommel and involved in the July assassination plot somewhat disconcerting but its something I can forgive as the rest of the plot is exciting and realistic ,judging by other books I have read about SOE during the war..A thrilling tale.

One of the fun things about certain genres, like WW2 spy thrillers, is that there are certain genre conventions that act as short hands. Like in romance, you know the leads will end up together, in this genre, you know the Germans are the baddies and that there are more secretive German units than you can shake a cat at. It means the book doesn't have to spend ages setting up the various factions but can just toss you straight into the action.

Of course, the individuals who are threats (local SS commanders etc) are made clear to bring a personal level to the danger, which only adds to the tension of knowing there are so many eyes watching. You know who the heroine will get taken to if she slips up or is reported, but not who will do the reporting. This is a book that also focuses heavily on the double agents.

It's 1944, so we're in the lead up to the D-day landings, and I loved the tension of not knowing <em>when</em> it was coming. Of course I vaguely knew (in my defence for knowing the exact day, I read this in the hours post-vaccination!), but Mara Timon had cleverly managed to let time move on without giving away the exact date to help simulate the anticipation around when it would start.

And we do get to say D-day, through the chaos of the resistance trying to help from behind the lines. It's the big action-packed sequence that manages to keep the momentum going for almost a quarter of the book - very impressive stuff!

It is such a tense, fast-paced read. I devoured it pretty quickly, on the edge of my seat. It's nice and snappy, with enough danger and potential weak links to make the small town feel even more claustrophobic.

I did not realise this was the second book in the series until I looked up the blurb for the first out of curiosity and interest in reading it. CITY OF SPIES tells the story behind Elisabeth/Cécile's time in Lisbon by the looks of things. I managed perfectly well without it. Some of the references would have made more sense, I have no doubt, but I still really enjoyed this book without it. I probably will look up her debut at some point.

A brilliant follow up to City of Spies. Full of intrigue and such great characters, this picks up Elisabeth’s story again towards the latter stages of WWII. It was great meeting Elisabeth again- she’s such a dynamic, strong and courageous woman - often impulsive but fiercely loyal, she’s definitely someone you’d want on your team. The historical research, as with the first book,is detailed and fascinating and I was gripped from the very beginning.

When I was invited to join the blog tour I didn’t even bother to read what it was about as I loved the author’s debut City of Spies and knew I would love this one too!
Elisabeth de Mornay is one of my favourite spies and I was so excited to find out what had happened to her! Well she was just as daring, innovative, and spontaneous as she was in City of Spies. Once again she was not afraid to get involved or stick her neck out for strangers who needed help, in short still a fantastic main character!
Along with Elisabeth there was Dominique and Léonie in this book fighting for the Resistance. They were strong women who weren’t afraid to tackle dangerous tasks, Léonie especially so as she was living right in the lion’s den. I wasn’t too sure about her at first, as she was quite a cool, distant character, but as the book progressed I warmed to her, just as Elisabeth did.
Just like City of Spies there were so many twists and turns in this book, with some brilliant unexpected moments, and so much tension that I kept having to put the book down to catch my breath! I learnt a lot more about the Resistance and about the D-Day Normandy Landings.
A brilliant sequel that I thoroughly recommend, but I do think you should read the first book to truly enjoy this one. I really hope this isn’t the end for Elisabeth de Mornay and can’t wait to see what Mara Timon comes up with next!

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Bonnier Books UK, Zaffre, for the electronic copy.

Mara Timon's first book City of Spies precedes "Resistance" but this can be read quite easily as a standalone. It's so well-written with really good characters and plenty of action. I felt totally immersed in an atmosphere of preparations for the Normandy landings in occupied France in May 1944.

Elisabeth de Mornay, code name Cecile, together with Leonie and Dominque are tasked with intelligence-gathering from the Germans, the Resistance and local population to pave the way for the allied invasion. Each have their own methods and Cecile needs to find out how compromised the local Resistance is - but soon finds out that you can't trust everyone.

This story is a mix of fact and fiction which really draws the reader into the terrifying situations the spies find themselves in - the courage and resourcefulness of SOE agents shines through.

A totally captivating read - with one or two surprises!