Mystery takes a back seat, once again, in this slight story, but this is more than made up for by the red-blooded history that fairly bursts out of the book. There is a plot, but for long sections of the book it fades into the background as historical characters and events jostle for attention. The Mountbattens, Churchill, Unity Mitford, Heinrich "Putzi" Braken and others all have starring roles, and there are plenty of set pieces to enjoy too. Roberts excels in this kind of writing, and brings to vibrant life events such as the Nazis marching into Vienna to wild excitement, the Kindertransport trains, the horrors of Kristellnacht and more. Verity is rather weepy in this book, and pondering on whether Communism is the answer to it all as well as wondering whether to accept Edward’s dogged marriage proposals. This shows that the characters are given room to grow and change, and despite the thin plot, there is so much going on at all times that it is best to just sit back and devour it. Roberts manages to convey a chilling atmosphere of impending doom as Hitler rises to dizzy heights and whips up his followers into a maelstrom of fury. I can’t wait to see how he handles the war years - a series I cannot bear to miss.