Walking Away from Midnight

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

Book cover for Walking Away from Midnight by Tom Kane

A WWII Historical Fiction Novel by Tom Kane

It's an enigma, wrapped in a blanket of secrecy, bound with a web of deceit.

Walking Away from Midnight is the first novel in The Midnight Series, a sweeping story of family, espionage, betrayal and one woman's journey into the hidden world of wartime intelligence.

Walking Away from Midnight

Europe is collapsing into war. Jessie Fordham is about to discover that the greatest danger may come from those she trusts.

For most of her life, Jessie Fordham has lived in the shadow of her father, a British military intelligence officer whose work is surrounded by secrecy.

She has learned not to ask questions.

But when the German army sweeps across Europe in 1940, Jessie finds herself stranded at the family home in the Ardennes with a collection of children, relatives and unlikely companions depending upon her to get them to safety.

The roads are dangerous. The Germans are advancing. And somewhere between the forests of Belgium and the beaches of Dunkirk, Jessie begins to realise that the secrets surrounding her family may be more dangerous than the enemy pursuing them.

Old loyalties are questioned. Betrayal comes from unexpected places. And a young woman who once ran away from Midnight Lake must finally decide when it is time to stop running.

Some journeys take you home.
Others reveal the truth you were never meant to discover.

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.

Nev Fordham

Charming, reckless and perpetually one bad decision away from disaster.

Nev Fordham is everything his younger brother Albert isn't. A gambler, adventurer and habitual risk-taker, Nev possesses an unfortunate talent for finding trouble and an even greater talent for making it worse. Yet beneath the easy charm and questionable judgement lies a fierce loyalty to his family, especially his beloved niece, Jessie.

Nev has made mistakes. Serious ones. And in the shadowy world inhabited by the Fordham brothers, some mistakes carry a price that can follow a man for the rest of his life.

Nev Fordham may gamble with his money, his career and even his life. But never with his family.

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.

Sympathy Jones

Formidable, flamboyant and quite possibly unstoppable.

Sympathy Jones is not a woman accustomed to being ignored. Opinionated, intimidating and gloriously unconventional, she possesses the unnerving ability to take command of almost any situation, whether anyone has actually asked her to or not.

Behind the formidable exterior, however, lies a sharp intelligence and an instinctive understanding of the dangerous world surrounding the Fordham family.

Sympathy knows people. She knows secrets. And she generally knows considerably more than she is prepared to admit.

Never underestimate Sympathy Jones. She certainly doesn't.

Inga Rosberg

Quiet, dependable and very good at being overlooked.

Inga Rosberg appears to be exactly what the Fordham family needs. A capable nanny, a practical housekeeper and a reassuring presence in a household where normality is often in short supply.

But Inga has another useful talent. People tend not to notice her.

In a family surrounded by military intelligence, coded messages and carefully guarded secrets, that can be a remarkably useful quality.

When war finally reaches the Ardennes, the quiet Scandinavian housekeeper may prove considerably more resourceful than anyone expected.

Inga Rosberg sees much, says little and forgets nothing.

Rose Sinclair

Best friend, confidante and one of the few people capable of keeping up with Jessie Fordham.

Rose Sinclair and Jessie meet at Cambridge, forging a friendship built on intelligence, independence and a healthy dose of competition.

Half French and half American, Rose has plans of her own. While Jessie remains caught in the complicated orbit of the Fordham family, Rose is determined to cross the Atlantic and build a life and career in Washington.

Their paths may be separating, but some friendships aren't so easily left behind.

And Rose has one lingering ambition before they part.

One day, she's going to beat Jessie at judo. Probably.

Basil Rearden

Proper, precise and reassuringly difficult to rattle.

Basil Rearden is the security officer at the British Embassy in Paris, a man accustomed to discretion, procedure and doing things properly. Unfortunately, travelling across war-torn France with Jessie Fordham rarely allows for any of those things.

Beneath the immaculate exterior lies a capable and dependable man who understands the dangerous world surrounding Albert Fordham far better than he lets on.

When the unlikely group begins its journey towards Dunkirk, Basil brings something increasingly valuable to Jessie's rag-tag band: experience, authority and a wonderfully British determination to maintain standards while everything around him falls apart.

Basil Rearden likes everything in its proper place. War has other ideas.

Simone

Young, observant and made of sterner stuff than appearances suggest.

Simone is Armel's daughter and Jessie's step-sister, although circumstance has ensured the two young women have hardly grown up as sisters.

Quiet and thoughtful, Simone could easily be mistaken for someone who needs protecting. But when danger arrives, she reveals a courage and resourcefulness that surprises even Jessie.

Caught up in a war she had no part in creating, Simone must grow up quickly as the Fordham family's escape from France becomes increasingly desperate.

She may be young, but Simone is nobody's passenger.