I was also impressed that she resisted the urge to cram the entire finish into a few pages. But at the same time, the story was unpredictable. Bowne did not muck around with plot twist after plot twist (there were no “gotcha!” moments). The story itself was tight and surprising. She reminded me so much of Flavia from Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. The youngest sister in particular was endearing.

Like all of the supporting characters, these two could have been characatures, but instead were full and lively. Two of my favorite characters were Pamela’s father and youngest sister. Pamela is smart and, while aware of society’s restrictions, pushes against the boundaries formed around women at the time. Jeremy is dashing and overprivileged and unapologetic about it. Ben was smart and driven and well aware of his circumstances. While I can always appreciate perfect characters, or realistically flawed characters, these characters were simply real for their time. Instead, Bowen chooses the exact right word, and no more, to make you understand what she wants you to understand. At no time do you get bogged down by endless descriptions of the particular shade of green of a clover in a field. This is partially do to the language and the characters, and partially due to Bowen’s descriptions of places. You really feel like you are living in that time. The feel, language, and pacing feels so very British. Was he a member of the unit stationed so inconveniently at Farleigh (leaving Lord Westerham and his family to a single wing of the home), or is he a German spy? Ben Cresswell, son of the local vicar and member of MI5, is sent to solve the mystery. When a parachutist is found dead in Farleigh Field after the start of World War II, suspicions run rampant.

And it becomes more than the sum of its parts. In Farleigh Field combines the deprivations experienced by proper British society in World War II with an old-school spy novel.

If you don’t know one of more of these references, here’s another way of explaining this. Take one part Downton Abbey, one part The Imitation Game, add a sprinkle of any Dick Frances novel, and you’ve got In Farleigh Field.

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