Windswept (The Windswept Saga)
A wounded ally working undercover; a coded message; a traitor in their midst. Intrigue and sleuthing are not what Lady Virginia Whitman signed up for when she happens upon a stranger in May 1917. Against social and parental expectations, she forgoes her title and works as a nurse at a British field hospital near the front in Palestine. Her compassion to help others often conflicts with regulations. She renders aid to an injured man, which involves her in a covert operation where the stakes are harsh. She must find a lieutenant she doesn’t know and hasn’t a clue where to find. Although warned to trust no one, she seeks help from her brother who works for Cairo Intelligence.
Three men arrive in response to her summons. Charming, but intolerable, Major Noah Benson knows her secrets and treats her more like an enemy than a friend. Captain Stephen Fisher, an arrogant manipulator, has been infatuated with her since childhood. And her brother, whom she trusts implicitly. They question her incessantly but refuse to answer her questions or put her in contact with the lieutenant. The more they misdirect, the more committed she becomes to learning the truth despite the danger. When a confrontation comes, murder ensues, and she flees into the desert and is captured by the Ottomans. One man is bold enough to follow, but is he the traitor or her savior?
McCormack spins an intricate, serpentine thriller set against the backdrop of World War I. Historic details and stakes are skillfully woven into the story, while her description breathes life into the gritty reality of desert living. Her characters are multidimensional, the interrelationships are complicated, and the consequences are lofty. Secrets, lies, and betrayals heighten the suspense. Like wind sweeping across the desert, Windswept ensnares readers in a vortex of subterfuge and romance.
