Midnight's Shadow

Name: Brittle Media Ltd
Address: 128 City Road, London

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A Pre-World War II Historical Fiction Spy Thriller Novella by Tom Kane

Before the war began, Jessie Fordham was already carrying its secrets.

In the spring of 1939, Jessie Fordham leaves Cambridge carrying a sealed envelope for her father. By the time she reaches France, a fellow courier is dead and Jessie holds a secret others will kill to possess. Paris draws her deeper into a world of hidden loyalties, where even her father will not tell her whom to trust.

Midnight's Shadow

March 1939. Europe is edging towards war.

Jessie Fordham expects to leave Cambridge for a brief trip to Paris. Her father has asked her to deliver a sealed envelope, a favour he insists is perfectly safe. Then a fellow courier is murdered on the Channel crossing, and Jessie finds herself carrying a secret someone is willing to kill for.

In Paris, every answer raises another question. Her father knows more than he will admit, strangers seem to know her name and the life she planned is slipping beyond her reach. To survive, Jessie must decide whom to trust and how far she is willing to follow the truth.

Midnight’s Shadow is the prequel novella to the Midnight Series, where Jessie Fordham’s story begins.

Some journeys lead to Paris.
Others lead into the shadows you were never meant to see.

Meet the Characters

Jessie Fordham

Independent, stubborn and far more capable than anyone suspects.

Growing up in the shadow of a military intelligence officer has taught Jessie Fordham that adults keep secrets and appearances can be dangerously deceptive. Intelligent, strong-willed and fiercely protective of those she loves, Jessie has spent much of her life walking away from confrontation.

But with Europe descending into war and the people around her depending upon her, Jessie is about to discover that some things cannot be escaped.

Sooner or later, you have to stand your ground.

Albert Fordham

Soldier, father, intelligence officer. And a man who rarely explains himself.

Colonel Albert Fordham has built his life around duty, discipline and secrecy. His family has learned that when the Army calls, Albert answers, whatever the personal cost. To Jessie, he can seem distant, controlling and infuriatingly impossible to understand.

But Albert inhabits a world where secrets have consequences and trust can be fatal. Behind the uniform lies a man playing a far more complicated game than even his daughter realises.

With Albert Fordham, there is always something he isn't telling you.

Peter Ashby

Peter Ashby looks too young to be carrying secrets across the Channel. Neat, bespectacled and plainly nervous, he introduces himself to Jessie Fordham aboard the Golden Arrow, claiming to work for the Ministry of Supply. His careful answers and the briefcase he never lets out of his sight suggest a mission far more dangerous than either of them will admit. Peter says this is the first time he has done anything that matters. By the time they reach France, Jessie will understand how much it mattered, and how little anyone told him about the danger.

Armel Fordham

Nanny, stepmother, confidante. But who exactly is Armel Fordham?

Elegant, composed and unmistakably French, Armel enters Jessie's life at a time of tragedy and upheaval. First employed to help care for the Fordham children, she eventually becomes Albert's wife and Jessie's reluctant stepmother.

Jessie has never entirely trusted her. Perhaps because Armel seems to fit rather too comfortably into Albert's secretive world.

Loyal and quietly resourceful, Armel reveals little about herself and asks for little in return. But when war comes and everything begins to unravel, Jessie may have to reconsider the woman she thought she knew.

In the Fordham family, even a mother's love can have secrets.

Cassian

Cassian Pallias runs an import agency in Boulogne, though the neat office on Rue Blanche conceals a more dangerous trade. Thoughtful, charming and difficult to read, he knows far more about Jessie Fordham’s mission than she does. He speaks of ideals while keeping his own loyalties carefully hidden, and offers her shelter just as German intelligence closes in. Cassian insists he prefers to keep his hands clean. Jessie has little reason to believe him, but when the door is forced and she has nowhere else to turn, he gives her a chance to escape.

Colonel Keller

Colonel Hans Keller wears the uniform of the Wehrmacht and speaks with the quiet confidence of a man accustomed to being obeyed. Jessie Fordham has every reason to fear him. Yet when their paths cross in France, his warning may be the only thing keeping her alive. Keller knows who is hunting her, and seems to know more about her father’s dealings than he should. His courtesy offers no comfort: in the gathering shadow of war, Jessie cannot tell whether he is protecting her, watching her or waiting for her to lead him to what he wants.