In the quiet English village of Boggleswick, peace is all that newlywed Horace Bagley desires. The scars of the Great War still linger, and the townsfolk want nothing more than to be left alone. But when the ruthless factory foreman Eric Swan is promoted to corporal, Boggleswicks fragile calm begins to crack. Swans bullying drives Horace to the edge, until, in a moment of desperation, he steals a lorry of army supplies and vanishes into the countryside. Now branded a deserter, Horace must survive on his wits while Swan, humiliated and vengeful, vows to hunt him down. Back in Boggleswick, whispers of espionage stir. A hermit known as Bertie, living deep in Bogie Wood, claims to know the spies secrets, and some say he bears an uncanny resemblance to Horaces father, a war hero long thought dead. As suspicion, betrayal, and courage collide, the small village becomes the stage for a reckoning that will test every bond of loyalty, and reveal the buried truths of the past. A gripping tale of resilience, redemption, and the haunting legacy of war perfect for fans of Robert Harris, Sebastian Faulks, and Pat Barker.
