Anther great wartime story by Andi Newton. His characters take on a life of their own and are so easy to relate to. This story seemed so real and showed the courage of the ordinary French people when under the heel of the invading Germans. A lovely conclusion.

The three Cotillard sisters were forced back from Paris to Boulogne-sur-Mer, where they did their best not to be noticed as they ran their seamstress shop in a town under strict German control. The desperation and fatigue that Gaby felt at their situation under the Occupied forces came across clear and strong from the opening chapters. There was an air of sadness about her, having left her musical life behind in Paris, but as the sisters made plans to resist, she found a new strength and purpose to life, despite everything she had lost.

The role the pigeons played as messengers, drawing information not from trained agents, but ordinary residents, was an unusual and different take on other historical novels I’ve read set during this period. The risks were high, but the sister’s determination and courage to fight, while at every turn the Germans seemed to be closing in on them, made for compelling reading.

Gaby’s piano music was the catalyst and driving force in this book and the connections and communication she made through her music were powerful, even those that caused distress and trouble for the sisters. Shunned by their friends when they had little choice but to obey the demands the Germans made on them, brought to life the pressures and conflicts that tore communities apart during the Occupation.

As the sisters were dragged into more and more dangerous situations, the twists and turns and ‘oh no’ moments came thick and fast. There were many occasions when it seemed their time was up, only for someone or something to step in unexpectedly, and suddenly who they thought they could trust, changed track once again.

This book has a different take on the risks and challenges ordinary people took to survive, and is one for those of you who enjoy historical fiction set during the Occupation.

I loved Newton’s The Girl I Left Behind so was excited to pick up another book from her, but sadly the execution for this one fell flat. There’s all telling no showing which is a writing/narration style I hate. I’m just not intrigued enough to see if it gets better so DNFing after 55 pages. I’m sure many others will enjoy this book more than me

The Secret Pianist is written by Andie Newton. This is the first book that I have read by this author, and it will not be my last. Set in France, during the Nazi invasion, this story follows three sisters. Gaby, Martine, and Simone are three sisters living on their own, on the coast of Northern France. They try and live a quiet life, earning wages as seamstresses. However, one day everything changes,.

Martine finds a messenger pigeon, and as soon as she tells her sisters, a local Commandant comes knocking on their door. Gaby is forced to work for the Commandant - and soon, they are all labeled traitors and bad French citizens. The sisters also decide to keep the pigeon and send messages back and forth to London.
The author has written an amazing historical fiction story. The book has some twists and turns that I did not see coming. I loved the sisters. I hated seeing neighbors turning against neighbors.
The book is well written, the characters engaging. Thank you to the author, publisher and Rachel’s Random Resources for allowing me to read a copy of this book - all thoughts are my own.

This book was a page turner for me & I absolutely loved the storyline which is loosely based on events that happened at that time.
A British plane has been forced to drop their precious cargo of spy messenger pigeons, having come under attack off the French coast.
The three Cotillard sisters Gaby Martine & Simone are finding it extremely hard since the occupation by the Germans.
Their beautiful seaside town has a big military presence not to mention some bad French who collaborate with them.
They need to take great care as they feel they are watched all the time.
Gaby is a brilliant pianist & ends up being forced to work for a German of high rank putting them all in danger.
Martine happens upon a couple of the British spy pigeons & has secreted them in a hidden cellar in the house.
Gaby & Simone are not happy as she is putting them all in danger.
The germans have been looking for these Pigeons & even put out rewards for anyone finding them.
The sisters come to realise this is their chance to help the war effort by sending information back to England.
Well written this was a really interesting story with well developed characters.

This review is being posted as part of the The Secret Pianist blog tour hosted by Rachel’s Random Resources.

The Secret Pianist is the latest novel from historical fiction author Andie Newton. This was my first time reading anything from the author but her compelling storytelling had me hooked from the very first page and I finished the book in a single sitting.
This engaging story is packed full of emotional twists and turns, exploring powerful themes such as sisterhood, patriotism, resistance, betrayal and the power of music. Andie Newton writes suspense well and pairs this with some heartwarming moments in the story too. The history behind the book was clearly very well researched. I particularly enjoyed the exploration of people being dubbed ‘bad French’ by their community and how they were treated as a result.
The Secret Pianist is largely told through a first-person narration from Gaby, the eldest Cotillard sister. I really loved all three sisters as characters and thought their sisterly bond added something really special to the story. Their contrasting personalities were fantastic and their sisterly relationship seemed authentic and well-written. I would say that for at least the first half of the book all three of them generally read as younger than they actually were meant to be but they did seem to all really mature through the events of story. For all three sisters there is also an aspect of romance to the plot and this was all well-written.
The book did generally feel more light-hearted than many other World War Two historical fiction works of a similar nature. But this actually felt quite refreshing as I got to enjoy the historical aspect which avoiding the darker themes you often come across.
Overall, The Secret Pianist is a powerful and easy read for fans of historical fiction. Anyone with an interest in the use of carrier pigeons during World War Two will particularly enjoy this book, as will those who enjoy portrayals of strong sisterly relationships.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I have posted an extended review on my blog www.yourschloe.co.uk and the post is linked.

Engaging from the first and packed with plot twists, The Secret Pianist is a fantastic story that I really loved reading. I loved the way the story, which is set during the latter stages of WWII, is told from both sides of the channel. In France, we follow brilliant pianist and composer Gabriella Cotillard and her two sisters as they begin sending secret information about German activities in their town of Boulogne-sur-mer to English intelligence via messenger pigeons that Gabriella’s youngest sister Martine found nearby. Meanwhile, in England, Guy Burton is thrilled when the first message comes through and proves to be valuable. The story kept me on edge because of the bravery of the sisters, the fear that imposed itself into nearly everything they did and the blackmail, betrayal and loss of trust they faced. There were also unexpected friendships that added warmth and lightened the story. This has been one of the best war stories I’ve read in a long time.

Sisters. Traitors. Spies. The tagline for Andie Newton's The Secret Pianist immediately draws readers into a world of intrigue and high stakes during World War II's German occupation of France. Centered around the Cotillard sisters - Gaby, Martine, and Simone - the book explores how ordinary citizens navigate morality, patriotism, and survival when their sleepy seaside town of Boulogne-sur-Mer comes under Nazi control.

After the Germans increase their military presence in Boulogne, the sisters begin to feel trapped and that their basic freedoms are slipping away. But their circumstances change when Martine discovers an injured British messenger pigeon, offering them an opportunity to resist the Germans' increasing restrictions. Though initially wary of endangering themselves and being labeled "Bad French" for seemingly collaborating with the enemy, the sisters are emboldened by the chance to fight back.

What follows is an engaging story full of secret messages, spycraft, impossible choices, and the realities of resistance. And at its heart, a testament to the power of sisterhood in even the darkest of times. Gaby's role as a pianist - one who must play for both her neighbors and the German commandant and his family - underscores the moral grays that permeate the sisters' decisions. By aiding the British spies, are they betraying their own community? Can they live with themselves if they do nothing?

Newton evocatively depicts life under Nazi rule and the simmering tensions within a small community. With memorable characters and high emotional stakes, The Secret Pianist is a stirring tale of the boundlessness of sisterly devotion and finding courage when it matters most.

A great historical fiction book. Clean. Recommended.

The Secret Pianist is historical fiction at its finest. Sisters Gaby, Martine and Simone Cotillard live in northern France. After their aunt passed away, they continue to live in her house and run her seamstress shop as they are accomplished seamstresses themselves. When we think of war animals we think of horses and dogs, this one involves carrier spy pigeons. A common enough thing used during the war; the pigeons were trained to carry secret messages to a set destination. One of the sisters finds a British messenger pigeon that had dropped from a plane involved in Operation Columbia. She and her sisters decide the keep the pigeon and use it to send messages back to London. The book had so many twists and turns I hadn't seen coming. When there is a terrific hardship such as this neighbors turn on neighbors. Who can you trust, who is ready to turn you in to the Germans. Each sister has a backstory and plays an important role in the story Gabriella is an accomplished pianist and has been made to give piano lessons to the Commandant's stepdaughter, which of course gets the neighbor's tongues wagging. The book is so detailed, I could vividly picture all that was going on. Some surprising things happened that I wouldn't have expected. Well-developed characters, I could feel my heart beating faster as I read. Tension, tenacity, suspense and a slight bit of romance. Based on true occurrences and well researched. Excellent book, I wish I could give it more than 5 stars. I'm on the hunt for more books by this author.

Pub Date 12 Jan 2024
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Every now and again I like to read a book from WW2 and this was a good one. I've read plenty about the Resistance in France but the Carrier Pigeons was a new concept. Three French sisters in an occupied northern coastal town run a seamstress shop and live alone following the death of their aunt (which they've kept quiet so they don't have to give over her apartment adjoining their house to the Germans). A British plane has had to offload its cargo of carrier pigeons unexpectedly and one is found by the sisters. They devise a scheme to send a verified message and from then on, continue to take risks despite being on the radar of the local Abwehr Commandant. Noone knows who to trust - who is good French and who is bad? The sisters themselves are seen as bad French when the German soldiers begin to use their shop. Their neighbour is clearly working for the Germans which makes life very dangerous. Jeopardy surrounds them- will they be caught? Is there a spy intercepting their messages in MI6? I wasn't sure how this would turn out. #netgalley #thesecretpianist

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I enjoyed reading it very much. I read a lot of historical fiction set during the 2nd World War but can not recall reading about the pigeon program. The sisters were all very different in character and personality, but they came together to support each other when it mattered. Living in France during the occupation was a difficult time and who to trust was always a challenge. This story threw so many twists that my interest never waned. Despite the hardships and highs and lows the ending was appropriate.

The Secret Pianist by Andie Newton was an awesome book. The book takes place in France during WWII and is about three sisters. There were many times I could not stop reading. I was so invested in this story that I read long into the night because I could not put it down.
Ms. Newton is a wonderful writer and is highly skilled in her craft. I fell in love with each of the sisters. There were plenty of twists that kept the story moving and exciting. Ms. Newton’s character development was terrific. You were cheering for the good guys and couldn’t wait for the fall of the bad ones. Ms. Newton draws you into the world of her characters and that always makes a great book for me.
Another aspect I loved was that there was courage and hope in the fact of danger. I also felt that Ms. Newton had done impeccable research. I very much appreciated the detail and the author’s note which separated some of the facts from this worthy fiction. I highly recommend this title and can’t wait to see what Ms. Newton has in store for us.
Thanks to Ms. Newton, NetGalley and HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter for the ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

WW2 historical with interesting twists

I really enjoyed reading The Secret Pianist. The plot has some very interesting details and twists and the characters are compelling. I especially enjoyed reading the bits about one of the character's history studying music, composing music and the way their manuscript appears in the story in various ways. I also found the bits on the pigeons quite fascinating. Highly recommended!

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-constrained e-arc via Netgalley. This review is optional and my own opinion.

This story was exciting from the first chapter to the last. The twists kept me guessing, and were executed very well. So often I see the twists coming, but I didn't this time. Each character stood on their own, with incredible backstories that tied all the sisters together. This story is a thriller with edge-of-your seat moments, but with hope, and faith, and love at its core. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted, highly-researched novel that will have you up late at night to finish. The use of the piano was cleverly done. I loved the humorous moments as well (Milly), which broke up the tension in the right places. Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for the Arc.

This was a wonderful book to read despite it being about survival during WW11 it kept me captivated up to the end. There was plenty of drama and intrigue and even surprises to keep me on the edge.
It showed the patriotism and sacrifice made by so many during this time and the lengths they went to sending messages via captured carrier pigeons.
As a reader I was drawn into the friendships, distrusts of some of the people. Individuals were deliberately putting themselves into situations of danger as well as deliberately alienating themselves in order to be distrusted only in the end to be the same people who came to the rescue.
This story, albeit fiction, shows you can always have courage and hope.

I love the cover!
The Secret Pianist has a promising premise but it felt under developed. The story was primarily surface level as the majority of it was told rather than shown and it lacked the urgency I’ve felt in other WWII stories. Additionally, I never felt a connection to the characters. Upon finishing, I’m left still wondering about the British pigeon program.

I absolutely loved this book. The drama, the friendship, the sisterly love, the patriotism and sacrifice. Beautifully written, well researched, authentic snd emotional. The ending was perfect.

I adore Andie Newton’s books and this one was no exception. Her historically focused storytelling captivates me and draws me into the action like I’m really there - it's like I'm feeling everything the characters are feeling. This time, it’s the Cottillard sisters playing an important role in the WW2 resistance, with a messenger pigeon at the heart of their operation. This is an inspiring, moving and equally heartbreaking tale that once again shines a light on the important part women played in the war effort.

A story of three sisters surviving during WW2.
I liked all three sisters, each strong in their own way,
It’s a fairly well paced story, certain to keep your attention to the end. Historical fiction fans will enjoy

I really enjoyed The Secret Pianist, and I also liked that it was loosely based on real events. This is my second book by Andie Newton and it definitely won’t be my last. She is a talented author, that writes great historical fiction.

The book takes place in France during WWII and is about three sisters and their work using carrier pigeons to help make a difference. The twists in the story were exciting and showed how people can misjudge someone when they don’t really know all the facts and the most unlikely people can come to your rescue. It also showed hope and courage in the face of danger.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys WWII historical fiction. It was a great read.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter for an advanced copy of this book.