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Daughters of War #3
Night Train to Marrakech
The final book in the sweeping new historical series from the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author. In 1960s Marrakech a young girl travels to meet her estranged grandmother.
Vicky Baudin steps on to the train through Morocco looking for the truth about the woman who gave her father up for adoption decades before. Clemence Petier lives in a kasbah on the edge of the Atlas Mountains, her background shrouded in mystery.
But the past holds secrets that threaten them both.
A face from Clemence’s childhood threatens to expose everything she has built a life to hide.
And danger is all around…
When a brutal murder takes place, Clemence and Vicky are forced to band together. Yet Clemence’s own dark secret must stay hidden at all costs…
Vicky Baudin steps on to the train through Morocco looking for the truth about the woman who gave her father up for adoption decades before. Clemence Petier lives in a kasbah on the edge of the Atlas Mountains, her background shrouded in mystery.
But the past holds secrets that threaten them both.
A face from Clemence’s childhood threatens to expose everything she has built a life to hide.
And danger is all around…
When a brutal murder takes place, Clemence and Vicky are forced to band together. Yet Clemence’s own dark secret must stay hidden at all costs…
464 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2023
330 people are currently reading
2589 people want to read
About the author
Dinah Jefferies
34 books1,265 followers*Breaking News* Richard & Judy pick THE TEA PLANTERS WIFE for their autumn bookclub 2015. Here's what Santa Montefiore said: ‘My ideal read; mystery, love, heart-break and joy – I couldn’t put it down.’
Here's what Richard Madeley said. "The Tea Planter’s Wife is so much more than a conventional love story, with all its twists and turns and guilt and betrayal...deeply impressive. The fetid, steamy atmosphere of the tropics rises from these pages like a humid mist. We are on a tea plantation in 1920s Ceylon and 19 year old Gwendolyn Hooper is the new bride of the owner, a wealthy and charming widower. But her romantic dreams of marriage are overshadowed by echoes from the past – an old trunk of musty dresses; an overgrown and neglected gravestone in the grounds. Her new husband refuses to talk about them. Gwen’s perfect man is becoming a perfect stranger…"
Quote from the great author Kate Furnivall about my first book THE SEPARATION:
'A powerful story of love and loss that is utterly captivating. I was drawn deep into the world of Malaya and England in the 1950s in this intense exploration of what it means to love. Beautifully written and wonderfully atmospheric, Dinah Jefferies skilfully captures this fragile moment of history in a complex and thrilling tale. THE SEPARATION is a gripping and intelligent read.'
In 1985, the sudden death of Dinah Jefferies’ fourteen year old son brought her life to a standstill. She drew on that experience, and on her own childhood spent in Malaya during the 1950s to write her debut novel, The Separation. The guns piled high on the hall table when the rubber planters came into town for a party, the colour and noise of Chinatown, the houses on stilts, and the lizards that left their tails behind.
Now living in Gloucestershire, Dinah once lived in Tuscany working as an au pair for an Italian countess; she has also lived in a ‘hippy’ rock’n roll commune based in an Elizabethan manor house, but started writing when she was living in a small 16th Century village in Spain.
Here's what Richard Madeley said. "The Tea Planter’s Wife is so much more than a conventional love story, with all its twists and turns and guilt and betrayal...deeply impressive. The fetid, steamy atmosphere of the tropics rises from these pages like a humid mist. We are on a tea plantation in 1920s Ceylon and 19 year old Gwendolyn Hooper is the new bride of the owner, a wealthy and charming widower. But her romantic dreams of marriage are overshadowed by echoes from the past – an old trunk of musty dresses; an overgrown and neglected gravestone in the grounds. Her new husband refuses to talk about them. Gwen’s perfect man is becoming a perfect stranger…"
Quote from the great author Kate Furnivall about my first book THE SEPARATION:
'A powerful story of love and loss that is utterly captivating. I was drawn deep into the world of Malaya and England in the 1950s in this intense exploration of what it means to love. Beautifully written and wonderfully atmospheric, Dinah Jefferies skilfully captures this fragile moment of history in a complex and thrilling tale. THE SEPARATION is a gripping and intelligent read.'
In 1985, the sudden death of Dinah Jefferies’ fourteen year old son brought her life to a standstill. She drew on that experience, and on her own childhood spent in Malaya during the 1950s to write her debut novel, The Separation. The guns piled high on the hall table when the rubber planters came into town for a party, the colour and noise of Chinatown, the houses on stilts, and the lizards that left their tails behind.
Now living in Gloucestershire, Dinah once lived in Tuscany working as an au pair for an Italian countess; she has also lived in a ‘hippy’ rock’n roll commune based in an Elizabethan manor house, but started writing when she was living in a small 16th Century village in Spain.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 299 reviews
September 12, 2023
Vicky Baudin had caught the night train to Marrakech, where she would meet her grandmere, Clemence Petier, the mother of her father, both whom she had never met. Vicky's mother Elise was against her coming to Marrakech, but Vicky had neglected to tell her the real reason. Clemence, her home in a beautiful kasbah up in the Atlas Mountains, not far from Marrakech, was aloof and unsmiling when she met her granddaughter, a girl of whom she was completely unaware. Vicky stayed in a small apartment in the town with Clemence's friend, Etta, as she was waiting for her cousin Beatrice to arrive from London.
Things were not as they seemed in Marrakech with political unrest, and young people doing their best to bring the problems to a head. When Vicky and Bea met Jimmy and Tom, they were ready for a good time, party time. Meanwhile up in Clemence's kasbah, an unwelcome reminder of her long ago past arrived on her doorstep, and Clemence immediately knew there was danger surrounding him. With her ninety four year old mother, Madeline, staying with her, she needed to keep her safe. But when Vicky and Bea witnessed a murder, they felt true terror, and knew they needed to leave Marrakech immediately. Could Clemence help them? But the World Cup was imminent and no flights or train seats were available...
is the 3rd and final in the Daughters of War trilogy by and I loved it! Fast paced, filled with tension, set in a place of beauty in the 1960s, it brings the lives of the sisters, Florence, Elise and Helene, who I first met in France, 1944, together again. An outstanding read by an author I admire greatly. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Things were not as they seemed in Marrakech with political unrest, and young people doing their best to bring the problems to a head. When Vicky and Bea met Jimmy and Tom, they were ready for a good time, party time. Meanwhile up in Clemence's kasbah, an unwelcome reminder of her long ago past arrived on her doorstep, and Clemence immediately knew there was danger surrounding him. With her ninety four year old mother, Madeline, staying with her, she needed to keep her safe. But when Vicky and Bea witnessed a murder, they felt true terror, and knew they needed to leave Marrakech immediately. Could Clemence help them? But the World Cup was imminent and no flights or train seats were available...
is the 3rd and final in the Daughters of War trilogy by and I loved it! Fast paced, filled with tension, set in a place of beauty in the 1960s, it brings the lives of the sisters, Florence, Elise and Helene, who I first met in France, 1944, together again. An outstanding read by an author I admire greatly. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
September 21, 2023
Night Train to Marrakech is the third and final book in the author's Daughters of War series. I've only read the first book, Daughters of War, and not the second, The Hidden Palace. Although Night Train to Marrakech can be read as a standalone, a number of characters from previous books (especially the first book) reappear, there are frequent references to events in the earlier books and some storylines reach their conclusion in this one. For all these reasons, I would recommend reading the series from the beginning.
It soon becomes apparent that Vicky's family is one riven with secrets, past tragedies and estrangements. And through a series of chance encounters and coincidences, she is soon embroiled in melodrama of her own owing to the arrival of an enemy from Clemence's past and the legacy of Morocco's political history. It puts both herself, Clemence and others in danger.
I admired Clemence as a character, particularly her dedication to caring for her mother, Madeleine, whose mental decline is not only a result of age but of the cruelty she suffered at the hands of Clemence's father, the full details of which gradually emerge. I felt happy for Clemence when it appears she may have a second chance of happiness, something she had lost hope of many years before.
I'm afraid I found Vicky less easy to warm to although I admired her bravery in travelling to a new country. At times I felt she acted more like an overgrown schoolgirl than a mature young woman who desires to be taken seriously as a fashion designer, leaping into situations without really thinking them through and becoming frantic when things go wrong. As she admits at one point, 'She had prided herself on never being a crybaby. Now look at her. Edgy and anxious. Close to tears almost all the time'.
By the way, if you're expecting (as I was) to be spending time aboard the train mentioned in the title, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed because it features only very briefly at the beginning of the book. However, if you enjoy a story that involves family secrets, an element of romance and the opportunity to bask in the sights, sounds and smells of an exotic location, you will not be disappointed by Night Train to Marrakech.
It soon becomes apparent that Vicky's family is one riven with secrets, past tragedies and estrangements. And through a series of chance encounters and coincidences, she is soon embroiled in melodrama of her own owing to the arrival of an enemy from Clemence's past and the legacy of Morocco's political history. It puts both herself, Clemence and others in danger.
I admired Clemence as a character, particularly her dedication to caring for her mother, Madeleine, whose mental decline is not only a result of age but of the cruelty she suffered at the hands of Clemence's father, the full details of which gradually emerge. I felt happy for Clemence when it appears she may have a second chance of happiness, something she had lost hope of many years before.
I'm afraid I found Vicky less easy to warm to although I admired her bravery in travelling to a new country. At times I felt she acted more like an overgrown schoolgirl than a mature young woman who desires to be taken seriously as a fashion designer, leaping into situations without really thinking them through and becoming frantic when things go wrong. As she admits at one point, 'She had prided herself on never being a crybaby. Now look at her. Edgy and anxious. Close to tears almost all the time'.
By the way, if you're expecting (as I was) to be spending time aboard the train mentioned in the title, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed because it features only very briefly at the beginning of the book. However, if you enjoy a story that involves family secrets, an element of romance and the opportunity to bask in the sights, sounds and smells of an exotic location, you will not be disappointed by Night Train to Marrakech.
December 24, 2023
This is the third book in a series, however it reads perfectly well as a stand alone book as I haven't read the other two. I had read and enjoyed other books by the author, and this one didn't disappoint. Set in 1960s in the aftermath of the war, as Vicky's parents were both in the French resistance, causing Vicky's father to lose his life.
Vicky grew up with her mother and paternal grandfather. When she finds out from her grandfather, that she has a grandmother who is alive and well and living in Morocco she decides to visit and meet her grandmother Clemence, and find out why she sent her father away as a baby with her grandfather. Vicky goes to stay, shortly followed by her younger cousin Bea.
Morocco in the 1960s was a dangerous place, and Vicky and Bea soon found themselves caught up in some very dangerous events. When Vicky's new friend is murdered, and Bea disappears, Vicky's mother and sisters come out to help.
A slightly slow start, but soon turns into a page turner. Beautifully written and evocative of Morocco, as we would expect from Ms Jefferies, this is a 4.5* from me.
Merged review:
This is the third book in a series, however it reads perfectly well as a stand alone book as I haven't read the other two. I had read and enjoyed other books by the author, and this one didn't disappoint. Set in 1960s in the aftermath of the war, as Vicky's parents were both in the French resistance, causing Vicky's father to lose his life.
Vicky grew up with her mother and paternal grandfather. When she finds out from her grandfather, that she has a grandmother who is alive and well and living in Morocco she decides to visit and meet her grandmother Clemence, and find out why she sent her father away as a baby with her grandfather. Vicky goes to stay, shortly followed by her younger cousin Bea.
Morocco in the 1960s was a dangerous place, and Vicky and Bea soon found themselves caught up in some very dangerous events. When Vicky's new friend is murdered, and Bea disappears, Vicky's mother and sisters come out to help.
A slightly slow start, but soon turns into a page turner. Beautifully written and evocative of Morocco, as we would expect from Ms Jefferies, this is a 4.5* from me.
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Vicky grew up with her mother and paternal grandfather. When she finds out from her grandfather, that she has a grandmother who is alive and well and living in Morocco she decides to visit and meet her grandmother Clemence, and find out why she sent her father away as a baby with her grandfather. Vicky goes to stay, shortly followed by her younger cousin Bea.
Morocco in the 1960s was a dangerous place, and Vicky and Bea soon found themselves caught up in some very dangerous events. When Vicky's new friend is murdered, and Bea disappears, Vicky's mother and sisters come out to help.
A slightly slow start, but soon turns into a page turner. Beautifully written and evocative of Morocco, as we would expect from Ms Jefferies, this is a 4.5* from me.
Merged review:
This is the third book in a series, however it reads perfectly well as a stand alone book as I haven't read the other two. I had read and enjoyed other books by the author, and this one didn't disappoint. Set in 1960s in the aftermath of the war, as Vicky's parents were both in the French resistance, causing Vicky's father to lose his life.
Vicky grew up with her mother and paternal grandfather. When she finds out from her grandfather, that she has a grandmother who is alive and well and living in Morocco she decides to visit and meet her grandmother Clemence, and find out why she sent her father away as a baby with her grandfather. Vicky goes to stay, shortly followed by her younger cousin Bea.
Morocco in the 1960s was a dangerous place, and Vicky and Bea soon found themselves caught up in some very dangerous events. When Vicky's new friend is murdered, and Bea disappears, Vicky's mother and sisters come out to help.
A slightly slow start, but soon turns into a page turner. Beautifully written and evocative of Morocco, as we would expect from Ms Jefferies, this is a 4.5* from me.
/book/show/6...
October 5, 2023
I haven’t been so disappointed by a book in a long time. After throughly enjoying the first two books in the Daughters of War series, this one was highly anticipated and I pre-ordered it a while ago. However, it’s does not follow on from the first two, contains all new characters of whom there is little explanation & the setting and plot is confusing (and confused). Additionally the writing just doesn’t flow & is very disjointed. Events are over dramatised (two major car crashes in 150 pages) & very little mention or involvement of the three sisters- the original ‘Daughters of War’ I more or less ditched the book half way through & just skim-read to the end. What a let down!
November 22, 2023
Intrigue in Marrakech!
I tried to read this three times. I just wasn’t in the mood and wasn’t connecting to the beginnings of the story. Who was Vicky Baudin and what was the awkwardness of her relationship with her mother Élise? We do know Élise was with the French Resistance as Vicky’s father Victor, who was executed by the Nazis.
Fortunately I pushed through my lethargy, started the book again and finished it with the tang of exotic spices and redolent smells of Marrakech in my nostrils, betrayal and violence baying in the background.
What a tale! From Vicky’s journey to Morocco in 1966 to meet her unknown grandmother, her ambitions to become a fashion designer, her meeting with Yves St Laurence that didn’t go according to plan, the witnessing of a murder, the disappearance of her cousin Bea, and the truth after all these years about her grandmother Clemence Petier, and all that happened to her as a child.
At this time Morocco has gained independence from France, corruption is rife, an acquaintance of Vicky’s, an activist friend who’s writing an expose on Mehdi Ben Barka, an opponent of the government who’d disappeared has been murdered, and the French security forces and CIA are keeping tabs on Moroccan agitators. Political powers are circling.
An exciting thriller set against the exoticness of Marrakech and the cooling foothills of the Atlas Mountains where Clemence resides at the Kasbah du Paradis, as the past comes to meet the present.
A Harper 360 ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
I tried to read this three times. I just wasn’t in the mood and wasn’t connecting to the beginnings of the story. Who was Vicky Baudin and what was the awkwardness of her relationship with her mother Élise? We do know Élise was with the French Resistance as Vicky’s father Victor, who was executed by the Nazis.
Fortunately I pushed through my lethargy, started the book again and finished it with the tang of exotic spices and redolent smells of Marrakech in my nostrils, betrayal and violence baying in the background.
What a tale! From Vicky’s journey to Morocco in 1966 to meet her unknown grandmother, her ambitions to become a fashion designer, her meeting with Yves St Laurence that didn’t go according to plan, the witnessing of a murder, the disappearance of her cousin Bea, and the truth after all these years about her grandmother Clemence Petier, and all that happened to her as a child.
At this time Morocco has gained independence from France, corruption is rife, an acquaintance of Vicky’s, an activist friend who’s writing an expose on Mehdi Ben Barka, an opponent of the government who’d disappeared has been murdered, and the French security forces and CIA are keeping tabs on Moroccan agitators. Political powers are circling.
An exciting thriller set against the exoticness of Marrakech and the cooling foothills of the Atlas Mountains where Clemence resides at the Kasbah du Paradis, as the past comes to meet the present.
A Harper 360 ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
September 18, 2023
Having really enjoyed Dinah Jefferies “Daughters of War” I was a bit disappointed with the Night Train to Marrakech. The plot centres on Vicky Baudin a budding fashion designer who idolises Yves Saint Laurent. She travels by train to meet her grandmother Clemence who she’s never seen before. She also wants to unravel family secrets that stretch back for generations.
The characters seem quite flimsy and often a bit silly getting into unbelievable situations. The plot should have kept me riveted but somehow it just didn’t work… I think that the 444 pages should perhaps have been slimmed down as there seemed to be a lot of padding.
I can’t understand why the book was titled the Night Train as it was only the way the protagonist travelled and had no relevance to the book.
I hate not to finish a book I have started but I struggled with this one.
I cannot recommend it even to those who love this genre.
The characters seem quite flimsy and often a bit silly getting into unbelievable situations. The plot should have kept me riveted but somehow it just didn’t work… I think that the 444 pages should perhaps have been slimmed down as there seemed to be a lot of padding.
I can’t understand why the book was titled the Night Train as it was only the way the protagonist travelled and had no relevance to the book.
I hate not to finish a book I have started but I struggled with this one.
I cannot recommend it even to those who love this genre.
October 11, 2023
"Night Train To Marrakesh" is the third and final book in the "Daughters Of War" series.
Vicky the daughter of Elise and Victor has travelled to Marrakesh, to meet her grandmother Clemence, for the first time and to find some answers relating to her deceased father who was killed in the war prior to her birth.
Clemence had given up her son Victor at birth and has never revealed why.
Vicky is to stay in an apartment in the town with Clemence's friend Etta, while she waits for her cousin Beatrice to arrive from London.
Morocca is however a dangerous place and soon Vicky and Bea find themselves caught up in deadly events, when their friend is murdered and Bea disappears.
A beautifully descriptively written book that really brought the place to life. I was fully immersed in the lives of these characters.
The plot is gripping with lots of twists and turns. It is a story full of family secrets that need to be revealed.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Vicky the daughter of Elise and Victor has travelled to Marrakesh, to meet her grandmother Clemence, for the first time and to find some answers relating to her deceased father who was killed in the war prior to her birth.
Clemence had given up her son Victor at birth and has never revealed why.
Vicky is to stay in an apartment in the town with Clemence's friend Etta, while she waits for her cousin Beatrice to arrive from London.
Morocca is however a dangerous place and soon Vicky and Bea find themselves caught up in deadly events, when their friend is murdered and Bea disappears.
A beautifully descriptively written book that really brought the place to life. I was fully immersed in the lives of these characters.
The plot is gripping with lots of twists and turns. It is a story full of family secrets that need to be revealed.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 19, 2024
3 Stelle generose, rating personale 2.5. Troppe descrizioni, troppi dettagli inutili per me. Rallentano e mi tirano fuori dalla storia. Personaggi poco convincenti. La mini dramma intorno a Saint Laurent è maeh.
3 Stars is generous. Personal rating is 2.5. Too many pointless descriptions and details for my taste. They pull you out of the story and slow it down needlessly. Characters are not very likeable or engaging. The only character that was at least somewhat interesting was Clemence. The side plot around Saint Laurent was executed poorly. We never find out why certain things the whole plot hinged on happened.
3 Stars is generous. Personal rating is 2.5. Too many pointless descriptions and details for my taste. They pull you out of the story and slow it down needlessly. Characters are not very likeable or engaging. The only character that was at least somewhat interesting was Clemence. The side plot around Saint Laurent was executed poorly. We never find out why certain things the whole plot hinged on happened.
April 5, 2024
I really enjoyed this book even though it was the third book in the series it can be read as a standalone book. I am not sure whether I will read the first two books but I definitely want to read another book by Dinah Jeffries because she is a great author.
October 26, 2023
I had understood that although this is No3 in a series, it also works as a stand alone book. Having read it, I'm not convinced. Maybe if I'd read Nos 1-2, I would have given it more stars.
This is the story of Vicky, who takes the titular night train to stay with a grandmother she's never met. Their initial meeting is rather prickly, and she looks forward to the arrival of her cousin, Bea. Her heart's desire is to meet Yves Saint Laurent who frequents the area, and to maybe one day work with him once she's finished her year in a famous design school in Paris. The backdrop to the story involves a great deal of political upheaval and when Vicky and Bea witness the murder of a new friend they find themselves in the crosshairs of some very evil people.
This should have been a great story, but the background is never properly explained and I'm none the wiser at the end about the parties struggling for power or what the points of tension and conflict really were. It was way too vague for me to engage with it properly. It's a tale full of secrets and once they come to light, they pack a punch – no wonder they were secrets. The problem for me was that, by then, I hadn't warmed sufficiently to any of the characters to really empathise with them. So, while the story behind the story was shocking and traumatic, it didn't impact me the way I think the author intended.
The relationship between Vicky and her grandmother went from frosty to warm in a few pages which I just didn't find convincing. There are some beautiful descriptions of the Atlas Mountains, Moroccan interiors and stylish clothes which showed that the writing is good; just not good enough to carry the pain and pathos required. I'd recommend you don't read this until you've completed the first two in the series and then it may be more significant for you.
This is the story of Vicky, who takes the titular night train to stay with a grandmother she's never met. Their initial meeting is rather prickly, and she looks forward to the arrival of her cousin, Bea. Her heart's desire is to meet Yves Saint Laurent who frequents the area, and to maybe one day work with him once she's finished her year in a famous design school in Paris. The backdrop to the story involves a great deal of political upheaval and when Vicky and Bea witness the murder of a new friend they find themselves in the crosshairs of some very evil people.
This should have been a great story, but the background is never properly explained and I'm none the wiser at the end about the parties struggling for power or what the points of tension and conflict really were. It was way too vague for me to engage with it properly. It's a tale full of secrets and once they come to light, they pack a punch – no wonder they were secrets. The problem for me was that, by then, I hadn't warmed sufficiently to any of the characters to really empathise with them. So, while the story behind the story was shocking and traumatic, it didn't impact me the way I think the author intended.
The relationship between Vicky and her grandmother went from frosty to warm in a few pages which I just didn't find convincing. There are some beautiful descriptions of the Atlas Mountains, Moroccan interiors and stylish clothes which showed that the writing is good; just not good enough to carry the pain and pathos required. I'd recommend you don't read this until you've completed the first two in the series and then it may be more significant for you.
July 19, 2023
Set in the 1960s, this is the third in the Daughters of War trilogy. Of course, I didn't know this when I signed up to read Pigeonhole's serialisation of Night Train to Marrakech, but I think it is possible to read the book as a standalone anyway.
I have read only one other book by Dinah Jefferies, also via the Pigeonhole platform, and I rated The Tea Planter's Wife at 5 stars.
I did not feel the same about this book sadly. Yes, it is another vivid and sensory fuelled novel where the sights, sounds and smells of Marrakech are brought alive by the author's writing, but on this occasion I found the plot a little tedious and actually far fetched.
It is typical sweeping, family saga stuff with a murder and plenty of injuries thrown in, along with secrets which are so easy to guess, and an emphasis on love, mostly tortured love and terrible circumstances. There are estrangement, lots of references to political unrest and a 90+ year old mother suffering from dementia.
Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for a novel of this type but it didn't intrigue me, captivate or entance me.
I suspect I am in a reading minority though and Jefferies fans will lap it up.
I have read only one other book by Dinah Jefferies, also via the Pigeonhole platform, and I rated The Tea Planter's Wife at 5 stars.
I did not feel the same about this book sadly. Yes, it is another vivid and sensory fuelled novel where the sights, sounds and smells of Marrakech are brought alive by the author's writing, but on this occasion I found the plot a little tedious and actually far fetched.
It is typical sweeping, family saga stuff with a murder and plenty of injuries thrown in, along with secrets which are so easy to guess, and an emphasis on love, mostly tortured love and terrible circumstances. There are estrangement, lots of references to political unrest and a 90+ year old mother suffering from dementia.
Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for a novel of this type but it didn't intrigue me, captivate or entance me.
I suspect I am in a reading minority though and Jefferies fans will lap it up.
June 3, 2023
I was slow to get into this book, but was so glad that I did. It was atmospheric, drew me into the souks of Marrakech.
I hadn’t read the blurb, so loved the twists thrown in and the tension was well built.
It was only when I finished the book that I realised that it was the final part of a trilingual, though I don’t think this took anything away from the reading experience.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the copy in return for my review.
I hadn’t read the blurb, so loved the twists thrown in and the tension was well built.
It was only when I finished the book that I realised that it was the final part of a trilingual, though I don’t think this took anything away from the reading experience.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the copy in return for my review.
June 4, 2024
This is an incredibly involved read with many characters and complex events involving murder, incest, romance, war survivors and estranged families. A lot to keep track of. Disappointingly there's not much going on regarding the train of the title. The two main characters, Clemence who lives outside Marrakech in a rebuilt and refurbished traditional dwelling of the area aptly named the Kasbah du Paradis and Vicky, granddaughter to Clemence, a young fashion devotee obsessed with Yves Saint Lauren who lives there and for Vicky a great desire to meet him for she is about to start fashion design school in Paris. Vicky is also hiding a broken heart with the breakup from her boyfriend. These two have never met with Clemence unaware of any granddaughter, caused by secrets of the past; Clemence, a son given away due to dangerous circumstances with him growing up in France, father of Vicky, killed in the war. The secret of Clemence’s son is not revealed until the end, a secret she has kept for all her adult life, with her now in her seventies.
The dangers escalate with Vicky becoming involved with events of the past and a dangerous man involved through his father's cover up of Clemence’s father's death and of political unrest in Morocco. Vicky's character is rather annoying for she sticks her nose into things that don't concern her even after she had been warned by everyone of the dangers still lurking in the country. Events subsequently see a friend murdered, another badly hurt; hospitalised and her cousin Bea disappearing into the countryside.
All hell breaks loose with the entire family of aunts and uncles converging on the Kasbah with the bad memories for Clemence coming to the surface and with her eventually revealing to all as well as to her long lost love, Theo who had arrived at the Kasbah at just the right time in her life.
The read has several annoying aspects for me, the constant food descriptions and eating with copious amounts of tea being consumed and then there's the markets and a lot of clothes shopping, some of which could have been edited out.
The dangers escalate with Vicky becoming involved with events of the past and a dangerous man involved through his father's cover up of Clemence’s father's death and of political unrest in Morocco. Vicky's character is rather annoying for she sticks her nose into things that don't concern her even after she had been warned by everyone of the dangers still lurking in the country. Events subsequently see a friend murdered, another badly hurt; hospitalised and her cousin Bea disappearing into the countryside.
All hell breaks loose with the entire family of aunts and uncles converging on the Kasbah with the bad memories for Clemence coming to the surface and with her eventually revealing to all as well as to her long lost love, Theo who had arrived at the Kasbah at just the right time in her life.
The read has several annoying aspects for me, the constant food descriptions and eating with copious amounts of tea being consumed and then there's the markets and a lot of clothes shopping, some of which could have been edited out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2025
Nachttrein naar Marrakesh; een verhaal dat ik tegenkwam tussen de audioboeken op Spotify. De titel trok mijn aandacht, omdat ik op zoek was naar een boek dat zich in Marokko afspeelde. Mijn verwachtingen waren niet erg hoog, al wou ik het verhaal toch graag een kans geven. Maar jongens, wat was ik blij toen het eindelijk uit was!
Met het plot an sich is weinig mis. Het is een aangrijpende familiekroniek die zich afspeelt gedurende de 18de eeuw en 19de eeuw in Marokko. De uitvoering daarentegen liet te wensen over. De keren dat ik met mijn ogen rolde en me luidop ergerde aan de personages en de schrijfstijl waren niet op één hand te tellen. De enige reden dat ik bleef luisteren, was omdat ik in zekere mate toch nieuwsgierig was geworden naar de ontknoping (hoewel ik deze van mijlenver zag aankomen, want het verhaal was op de koop toe zeer voorspelbaar).
Ik kan de schrijfstijl het best omschrijven als ‘wel willen, maar niet kunnen’. De auteur beschrijft om de haverklap de landschappen, de sfeer en de omgeving. Hierbij gebruikt ze steeds dezelfde verwoordingen. Niettegenstaande ontleent het decor zich voor lange en beschrijvende uiteenzettingen, maar doordat de schrijfster haar vocabulaire niet bloemrijk en speels genoeg is, komt het simpelweg niet over.
Dit geldt ook voor de talrijke passages waarin de gevoelswereld van de protagonisten beschreven worden. Hiermee gaat de schrijfster serieus de mist in, want naast het feit dat de dialogen vaak kinderlijk overkomen, zijn de constante onderbrekingen om de innerlijke onrust en gemoedstoestand van de personages weer te geven behoorlijk irritant, ongeloofwaardig en veel te dramatisch. Het verhaal is ook doorspekt met stereotypen en slecht uitgewerkte plotwendingen. Achteraf gezien is het een wonder dat ik hier meer dan 12u naar heb kunnen luisteren.
Met het plot an sich is weinig mis. Het is een aangrijpende familiekroniek die zich afspeelt gedurende de 18de eeuw en 19de eeuw in Marokko. De uitvoering daarentegen liet te wensen over. De keren dat ik met mijn ogen rolde en me luidop ergerde aan de personages en de schrijfstijl waren niet op één hand te tellen. De enige reden dat ik bleef luisteren, was omdat ik in zekere mate toch nieuwsgierig was geworden naar de ontknoping (hoewel ik deze van mijlenver zag aankomen, want het verhaal was op de koop toe zeer voorspelbaar).
Ik kan de schrijfstijl het best omschrijven als ‘wel willen, maar niet kunnen’. De auteur beschrijft om de haverklap de landschappen, de sfeer en de omgeving. Hierbij gebruikt ze steeds dezelfde verwoordingen. Niettegenstaande ontleent het decor zich voor lange en beschrijvende uiteenzettingen, maar doordat de schrijfster haar vocabulaire niet bloemrijk en speels genoeg is, komt het simpelweg niet over.
Dit geldt ook voor de talrijke passages waarin de gevoelswereld van de protagonisten beschreven worden. Hiermee gaat de schrijfster serieus de mist in, want naast het feit dat de dialogen vaak kinderlijk overkomen, zijn de constante onderbrekingen om de innerlijke onrust en gemoedstoestand van de personages weer te geven behoorlijk irritant, ongeloofwaardig en veel te dramatisch. Het verhaal is ook doorspekt met stereotypen en slecht uitgewerkte plotwendingen. Achteraf gezien is het een wonder dat ik hier meer dan 12u naar heb kunnen luisteren.
October 5, 2023
Night Train to Marrakech is the third and final book in Dinah Jefferies’ Daughters of War trilogy, but if you haven’t read the previous two books that shouldn’t be a problem as I think this one would also work well as a standalone. While Daughters of War and The Hidden Palace followed the stories of the three Baudin sisters, Hélène, Élise and Florence, during World War II, this third novel moves forward to the 1960s to focus on Élise’s daughter, Vicky.
In July 1966, Vicky Baudin arrives in Morocco to visit her grandmother for the first time. Having lost her father during the war, Vicky has only recently discovered that his mother, Clemence, is still alive and living in the mountains outside Marrakech. Vicky has just received a diploma in fashion design from a London art college, so this seems like a good time to travel abroad before beginning a postgraduate course in Paris. As her train arrives at Marrakech station, Vicky is looking forward to getting to know Clemence – and is determined to find a way to meet her hero, the French designer Yves Saint Laurent, who also lives in Marrakech.
In her mountain home, the Kasbah du Paradis, Clemence is awaiting her long-lost granddaughter’s arrival with mixed emotions. Vicky will want to know why she played no part in her son’s life and Clemence doesn’t feel ready to explain. However, she’s forced to confront the memories she’s tried so hard to forget when a man from her past reappears, threatening to reveal her secrets. Meanwhile, Vicky and her cousin Bea also stumble into trouble when they become witnesses to a crime.
Night Train to Marrakech has a much stronger thriller element than the previous two books, which I found quite surprising. The novel is set against a backdrop of rising political tensions – a few months before the novel begins, the Moroccan revolutionary Mehdi Ben Barka is abducted in Paris (a real life incident) – and although this doesn’t form a large part of the plot, it does give a sense of the danger for two young women who unintentionally become mixed up in a situation they don’t fully understand. The descriptions of Morocco itself – the scenery, the buildings, the food, the sounds and smells – are also beautifully done.
The three sisters from the first two books (Vicky’s mother, Élise, and her two aunts, Hélène and Florence) do eventually make an appearance in this one, but I was disappointed that we don’t see very much of them. This is very much Vicky’s story and Clemence’s, and although having two completely new characters to get to know so late in the trilogy unsettled me slightly, I did warm to them later in the book. I found Clemence in particular an intriguing character as she seems so cold and secretive at first but as more and more of her story unfolds, the reason for this becomes clear and by the end of the book I had gained a lot of respect and sympathy for her.
I didn’t enjoy this book as much as Daughters of War and The Hidden Palace – as the third in a trilogy I would have preferred it to be more closely linked with the first two books rather than moving on to the next generation – but the gripping plot and evocative setting still made it worthwhile. As for whether or not Vicky achieves her dream of meeting Yves Saint Laurent, you’ll have to read the book to find out!
In July 1966, Vicky Baudin arrives in Morocco to visit her grandmother for the first time. Having lost her father during the war, Vicky has only recently discovered that his mother, Clemence, is still alive and living in the mountains outside Marrakech. Vicky has just received a diploma in fashion design from a London art college, so this seems like a good time to travel abroad before beginning a postgraduate course in Paris. As her train arrives at Marrakech station, Vicky is looking forward to getting to know Clemence – and is determined to find a way to meet her hero, the French designer Yves Saint Laurent, who also lives in Marrakech.
In her mountain home, the Kasbah du Paradis, Clemence is awaiting her long-lost granddaughter’s arrival with mixed emotions. Vicky will want to know why she played no part in her son’s life and Clemence doesn’t feel ready to explain. However, she’s forced to confront the memories she’s tried so hard to forget when a man from her past reappears, threatening to reveal her secrets. Meanwhile, Vicky and her cousin Bea also stumble into trouble when they become witnesses to a crime.
Night Train to Marrakech has a much stronger thriller element than the previous two books, which I found quite surprising. The novel is set against a backdrop of rising political tensions – a few months before the novel begins, the Moroccan revolutionary Mehdi Ben Barka is abducted in Paris (a real life incident) – and although this doesn’t form a large part of the plot, it does give a sense of the danger for two young women who unintentionally become mixed up in a situation they don’t fully understand. The descriptions of Morocco itself – the scenery, the buildings, the food, the sounds and smells – are also beautifully done.
The three sisters from the first two books (Vicky’s mother, Élise, and her two aunts, Hélène and Florence) do eventually make an appearance in this one, but I was disappointed that we don’t see very much of them. This is very much Vicky’s story and Clemence’s, and although having two completely new characters to get to know so late in the trilogy unsettled me slightly, I did warm to them later in the book. I found Clemence in particular an intriguing character as she seems so cold and secretive at first but as more and more of her story unfolds, the reason for this becomes clear and by the end of the book I had gained a lot of respect and sympathy for her.
I didn’t enjoy this book as much as Daughters of War and The Hidden Palace – as the third in a trilogy I would have preferred it to be more closely linked with the first two books rather than moving on to the next generation – but the gripping plot and evocative setting still made it worthwhile. As for whether or not Vicky achieves her dream of meeting Yves Saint Laurent, you’ll have to read the book to find out!
February 22, 2024
This was a very enjoyable conclusion to the Daughters of War trilogy, combining Jeffries’ trademark evocation of time and place with spirited characters and an engrossing plot. At 464 pages, it is possibly a tad drawn out, but there was enough tension in the narrative to keep me invested from start to finish.
If you’ve read the previous two instalments, you may rightly be expecting this one to continue the story of the three Baudin sisters. It doesn’t; instead focusing on Elise’s daughter Vicky, who has come to Marrakech to meet her paternal grandmother. It turns out to be a much more eventful — and perilous — visit than anticipated.
Set in 1966, in a country still wrestling with political intrigue a decade after its independence, this is a richly atmospheric tale of family secrets, danger and revenge. I loved the idea of 74-year-old Clemence’s hideaway kasbah in the Atlas Mountains. And Clemence herself was a fascinating character: feisty and fiercely protective of her ancient mother but hiding a deep sadness from her past.
Alongside the main plot, there are insights into Moroccan history and culture as well as a little bit of romance; all elements seamlessly woven together to fashion an absorbing and convincing story. And it was lovely to see the Baudin sisters happily reunited towards the end.
Although this could certainly be read as a standalone, I would still highly recommend starting the trilogy from the beginning in order to appreciate the full impact of this wonderful family saga.
If you’ve read the previous two instalments, you may rightly be expecting this one to continue the story of the three Baudin sisters. It doesn’t; instead focusing on Elise’s daughter Vicky, who has come to Marrakech to meet her paternal grandmother. It turns out to be a much more eventful — and perilous — visit than anticipated.
Set in 1966, in a country still wrestling with political intrigue a decade after its independence, this is a richly atmospheric tale of family secrets, danger and revenge. I loved the idea of 74-year-old Clemence’s hideaway kasbah in the Atlas Mountains. And Clemence herself was a fascinating character: feisty and fiercely protective of her ancient mother but hiding a deep sadness from her past.
Alongside the main plot, there are insights into Moroccan history and culture as well as a little bit of romance; all elements seamlessly woven together to fashion an absorbing and convincing story. And it was lovely to see the Baudin sisters happily reunited towards the end.
Although this could certainly be read as a standalone, I would still highly recommend starting the trilogy from the beginning in order to appreciate the full impact of this wonderful family saga.
September 19, 2023
I was so disappointed with this book. It makes Mills and Boon books look like literary masterpieces.
From the synopsis and cover reviews, this looked like it was going to be a really interesting and exciting story. It was not. It is the third book in a trilogy but can be read as a standalone novel.
The story jumped around with no build up or anticipation leading to the fairly predictable twists. The characters were one dimensional and predictable. The descriptions of the surrounding were so tedious that if I read another reference to the scented air I think I may have screamed. The constant repetition of how everything smells or looks only can be used so much in a book before it becomes contrived. The storyline was farfetched, poorly written and had too many convenient coincidences.
It was not even bad in a funny or amusing way. I really struggled to finish reading it.
From the synopsis and cover reviews, this looked like it was going to be a really interesting and exciting story. It was not. It is the third book in a trilogy but can be read as a standalone novel.
The story jumped around with no build up or anticipation leading to the fairly predictable twists. The characters were one dimensional and predictable. The descriptions of the surrounding were so tedious that if I read another reference to the scented air I think I may have screamed. The constant repetition of how everything smells or looks only can be used so much in a book before it becomes contrived. The storyline was farfetched, poorly written and had too many convenient coincidences.
It was not even bad in a funny or amusing way. I really struggled to finish reading it.
October 23, 2023
Oh dear - no spoilers needed, the book is transparent and juvenile. Only reason I persisted was because it was a book club read.
Childish imagery (the train goes ‘clackety clack’ ‘mellow yellow sun’ ‘geometric Islamic pattern’ that was on everything to remind us that Clémence was bohemian 😩); uninspired and shallow characters; basic and unoriginal plot line.
In brief it was as though I was reading a creative writing essay that crammed in as many cliches as possible in a desperate attempt to create atmosphere.
If you love literature this is not for you. More Mills and Boon than Manilla Press.
Childish imagery (the train goes ‘clackety clack’ ‘mellow yellow sun’ ‘geometric Islamic pattern’ that was on everything to remind us that Clémence was bohemian 😩); uninspired and shallow characters; basic and unoriginal plot line.
In brief it was as though I was reading a creative writing essay that crammed in as many cliches as possible in a desperate attempt to create atmosphere.
If you love literature this is not for you. More Mills and Boon than Manilla Press.
April 22, 2024
A book I picked up because it’s based in Marrakech, as I was planning a trip to Morocco. I enjoyed reading the descriptions of the places in the city, which I was visiting at the same time.
I did not expect the book to have thrill, but enjoyed reading it anyways, as it kept me engaged, wanting to know how it will all end.
I would have liked more depth in the history of Marrakech, especially as it is a city rich in culture and art, nevertheless, it was a light read that I enjoyed.
I did not expect the book to have thrill, but enjoyed reading it anyways, as it kept me engaged, wanting to know how it will all end.
I would have liked more depth in the history of Marrakech, especially as it is a city rich in culture and art, nevertheless, it was a light read that I enjoyed.
June 26, 2023
Emanuela - per RFS
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Sono molto contenta di aver letto in anteprima lo splendido romanzo di Dinah Jefferies, autrice bestseller che riesce sempre a sorprenderci con ambientazioni originali e vicende umane straordinarie e profondamente vere.
Siamo in Marocco nel 1966, il Paese sta vivendo un momento di grandi riforme politiche ma si trova al centro delle mire delle nazioni che un tempo ne erano i colonizzatori. Corruzione e spionaggio sono all’ordine del giorno e uomini senza scrupoli decidono le sorti del gioco non disdegnando omicidi e rapimenti.
In questa atmosfera di grande tensione seguiamo la storia di Clemence Petier, una settantenne che vive alle pendici dell’Atlante, in una Kasbah isolata in compagnia della madre Madeleine affetta da demenza senile e due fidati servitori.
Sin da principio si intuisce che la donna nasconde un doloroso passato, segreti inconfessabili che sono ancora capaci di toglierle il sonno ma che tiene rigidamente a bada nel suo nido d’aquila.
Le splendide descrizioni del paesaggio e dell’ambiente circostante creano sin da subito un fil rouge che correrà per tutto il romanzo dipanandosi attraverso una storia di grande tensione emotiva e con temi e situazioni care alle spy story.
L’arrivo alla Kasbah du Paradis di Vicky, nipote di Clemence nonché figlia di Victor – eroe e martire della Resistenza – l’uomo che Madeleine ha inspiegabilmente abbandonato da neonato in Francia per fuggire in Marocco, scatenerà una serie di situazioni terribili e pericolose che metteranno in pericolo tutti, incluse le persone a loro vicine, perché i segreti troppo a lungo taciuti verranno drammaticamente alla luce.
Grandissimo ritmo narrativo e colpi di scena in questo romanzo, bollente come il sole del deserto, mi hanno tenuta incollata alla storia come non mi succedeva da tempo.
Emotivamente molto coinvolgente poi, la storia d’amore di Clemence e Theo, una love story che per una volta vede due protagonisti maturi alla ricerca del riscatto e del compimento di un amore interrotto bruscamente.
Splendido!
.
Sono molto contenta di aver letto in anteprima lo splendido romanzo di Dinah Jefferies, autrice bestseller che riesce sempre a sorprenderci con ambientazioni originali e vicende umane straordinarie e profondamente vere.
Siamo in Marocco nel 1966, il Paese sta vivendo un momento di grandi riforme politiche ma si trova al centro delle mire delle nazioni che un tempo ne erano i colonizzatori. Corruzione e spionaggio sono all’ordine del giorno e uomini senza scrupoli decidono le sorti del gioco non disdegnando omicidi e rapimenti.
In questa atmosfera di grande tensione seguiamo la storia di Clemence Petier, una settantenne che vive alle pendici dell’Atlante, in una Kasbah isolata in compagnia della madre Madeleine affetta da demenza senile e due fidati servitori.
Sin da principio si intuisce che la donna nasconde un doloroso passato, segreti inconfessabili che sono ancora capaci di toglierle il sonno ma che tiene rigidamente a bada nel suo nido d’aquila.
Le splendide descrizioni del paesaggio e dell’ambiente circostante creano sin da subito un fil rouge che correrà per tutto il romanzo dipanandosi attraverso una storia di grande tensione emotiva e con temi e situazioni care alle spy story.
L’arrivo alla Kasbah du Paradis di Vicky, nipote di Clemence nonché figlia di Victor – eroe e martire della Resistenza – l’uomo che Madeleine ha inspiegabilmente abbandonato da neonato in Francia per fuggire in Marocco, scatenerà una serie di situazioni terribili e pericolose che metteranno in pericolo tutti, incluse le persone a loro vicine, perché i segreti troppo a lungo taciuti verranno drammaticamente alla luce.
Grandissimo ritmo narrativo e colpi di scena in questo romanzo, bollente come il sole del deserto, mi hanno tenuta incollata alla storia come non mi succedeva da tempo.
Emotivamente molto coinvolgente poi, la storia d’amore di Clemence e Theo, una love story che per una volta vede due protagonisti maturi alla ricerca del riscatto e del compimento di un amore interrotto bruscamente.
Splendido!
December 21, 2023
Dinah Jefferies has been a favourite author of mine, since 2014 when her debut novel 'The Separation'. was published. Over the years she has transported me with her vivid descriptive prose to some wonderful locations, some which I have been lucky enough to visit and other places I now wish to see for myself. This time it was to Morocco, somewhere I have been fortunate to visit and her descriptions are certainly evocative of my time spent there.
The story continues as Vicky, one of the younger generation of the Baudin family, travels to Marrakech to meet her grandmother for the first time. A dangerous place in the sixties, the visit turns out to be quite an adventure. Bringing together protagonists from the earlier books this final volume of the trilogy reveals some long hidden family secrets.
As with the previous volumes in this trilogy, it is a captivating read that transports the reader to Morocco which I can recommend to anyone that enjoys an immersive read. It stands alone but I feel more enjoyable if you have read the earlier novels.
The story continues as Vicky, one of the younger generation of the Baudin family, travels to Marrakech to meet her grandmother for the first time. A dangerous place in the sixties, the visit turns out to be quite an adventure. Bringing together protagonists from the earlier books this final volume of the trilogy reveals some long hidden family secrets.
As with the previous volumes in this trilogy, it is a captivating read that transports the reader to Morocco which I can recommend to anyone that enjoys an immersive read. It stands alone but I feel more enjoyable if you have read the earlier novels.
February 24, 2025
Rated 3.41
Yes, this is the final book of the trilogy and all family members have been accounted for. Clemence has been added to the group along with Theo, Natalia and Ahmed. Vicky is looking for the truth about the woman who gave her father up for adoption years ago. Clemence lives in a kasbah on the edge of the Atlas mountains, her background shrouded in mystery. A face from Clemence's childhood threatens to expose everything she has built a life to hide. When a brutal murder takes place, Clemence and Vicky band together. Yet, Clemence's own dark secret must stay hidden at all costs. This book just felt too disjointed and struggled to include the family in a jointed manner. A disappointment, particularly compared to the other books.
MARRAKECH 1966 Vicky Baudin steps onto a train winding through Morocco, looking for the grandmother she has never met. It’s an epic journey that’ll take her to the edge of Atlas Mountains – and closer to the answers she’s been craving all her life. But dark secrets whisper amongst the dunes. And in unlocking the mystery of Clemence’s past, Vicky will unearth great danger too . .
Yes, this is the final book of the trilogy and all family members have been accounted for. Clemence has been added to the group along with Theo, Natalia and Ahmed. Vicky is looking for the truth about the woman who gave her father up for adoption years ago. Clemence lives in a kasbah on the edge of the Atlas mountains, her background shrouded in mystery. A face from Clemence's childhood threatens to expose everything she has built a life to hide. When a brutal murder takes place, Clemence and Vicky band together. Yet, Clemence's own dark secret must stay hidden at all costs. This book just felt too disjointed and struggled to include the family in a jointed manner. A disappointment, particularly compared to the other books.
MARRAKECH 1966 Vicky Baudin steps onto a train winding through Morocco, looking for the grandmother she has never met. It’s an epic journey that’ll take her to the edge of Atlas Mountains – and closer to the answers she’s been craving all her life. But dark secrets whisper amongst the dunes. And in unlocking the mystery of Clemence’s past, Vicky will unearth great danger too . .
March 16, 2024
Vicky travels to Marrakech to meet the grandmother she never knew existed. Her father died during WWII and her mother remarried when Vicky was very young. She never knew her father and her paternal grandfather recently shared that her grandmother was alive and living in Morocco. She asks her cousin Bea to join her. But as a series of events plays out they witness a horrible event and must run. Loved the suspense of the story. Loved the strong female characters.
October 30, 2023
I originally picked this book up because it was based in Marrakech… did I expect it to be a book about murder and full of mysteries? No but I enjoyed it nevertheless. The descriptions of Marrakech, particularly the souks and Jemaa el-Fna, take me back to when I went there and it even mentions things such as the famous French Café, which due to the book being set in 1960, made me realise how long this café had been standing. It also talks about the monkeys and snake charmers in the medina which is something I have witnessed myself. Loved the book because of this!
July 28, 2024
A little slow to start, but i enjoyed it in the end. Part of a trilogy but i read it as a standalone, and was perfectly fine. Particularly enjoyed the complexity of Clemence and the beautiful, evocative descriptions of Morocco kept me going.
July 19, 2023
The final book in the Daughters of War trilogy, this one is set in Marrakech during the 1960s. A young woman travels to Morocco to visit her estranged grandmother and finds herself embroiled in murder!
This is a lovely story. It’s very visual and the descriptions are so vivid, I almost felt as if I was there on the streets and in the souks of Marrakech. The writing really brought the place to life. I was very immersed in the lives of these characters, all of whom were well drawn and realistic. The plot is gripping, it really is a page turner. I have read the first book in the trilogy but not the second. I will definitely be remedying this in due course. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable, engaging and engrossing read! If you love stories about families and secrets set in exotic countries, you’ll adore this one.
This is a lovely story. It’s very visual and the descriptions are so vivid, I almost felt as if I was there on the streets and in the souks of Marrakech. The writing really brought the place to life. I was very immersed in the lives of these characters, all of whom were well drawn and realistic. The plot is gripping, it really is a page turner. I have read the first book in the trilogy but not the second. I will definitely be remedying this in due course. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable, engaging and engrossing read! If you love stories about families and secrets set in exotic countries, you’ll adore this one.
December 10, 2023
Found this really hard going. The first few books from Dinah were great but haven’t enjoyed this trilogy.
January 16, 2024
This is the 3rd book in the trilogy “The daughters of war”. Set during the 2nd world war & going through to 1967. The books were set in France, England & Morocco, I really enjoyed all 3 books
April 10, 2025
Net iets teveel drama voor mij, maar zeker niet slecht geschreven.
November 5, 2023
4.5✨ I only knock it a .5 because it took a while for me to get into!
Oh, Dinah!
Oh, Dinah!
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